Episode 1: National Poetry Month | In the inaugural Creative State, we speak with Gallery One Executive Director Monica Miller, ArtsWA’s Poetry Out Loud Manager Judy Cullen, and Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. For the final segment, you’ll hear Gabriella Smith, our Vet Corps Navigator for the Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program, speak with Olympia Poet Laureate Ashly McBunch.

Gallery One: Gallery One Visual Arts Center is a nonprofit organization in Ellensburg, Washington. They offer a variety of quarterly classes, an art after school program, a gift store featuring regional artisans, a full ceramics studio available for rent and classes, inexpensive studio spaces for artists, and facility rentals for the community. Click here to visit Gallery One's website.

Gallery One received a Governor's Arts & Heritage Award in 2021. Click here to watch the 2021 Governor's Arts & Heritage presentation.

Judy Cullen: Judy is the Program Manager for Washington's Poetry Out Loud program. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. Click here to watch the 2022 Washington State Poetry Out Loud Final Competition.

Rena Priest: Rena became the sixth Washington State Poet Laureate on April 14, 2021, and her term will run until March 31, 2023. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, Priest will be the first Indigenous poet to be the state’s Poet Laureate.

Ashly McBunch: Ashly is Olympia, Washington's current Poet Laureate. Click here to read a profile of Ashly.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios - DivKid / Beyond - Patrick Patrikios