Public Art Saint Paul and Saint Paul’s Department of Public Works are soliciting poems from the public to be permanently installed on Saint Paul sidewalks.

We are looking for short poems that provide a delightful moment of outdoor reading. Poems may be inspiring, funny, meaningful, cynical, mundane…anything appropriate for the general public.

You have to be a Saint Paul resident. 500-ish character limit. Up to 20 poems will be selected and winners get $150, their poem installed on a sidewalk, and also published in a book and on the project’s website. Deadline is April 25, 2008.

All the details are at Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk.

The kicker: $3 entry fee. So you have to actually mail that in. I don’t know who still writes checks these days, but the opportunity to have your work installed as public art — especially if you’re not an artist — is too good to pass up! Too bad I don’t live in Saint Paul. I’ll take a stab at it, though. Haiku is the perfect form for this one.

east of the river
quaint, classic, don’t forget we
have the capitol

I know y’all can do better.

Related posts:

1. Another Public Poetry Contest
2. Where the sidewalk ends…
3. Saint Paul Art Crawl Spring 2008
4. St. Paul Winter Carnival 2008
5. PEEPS Diorama Contest Entries due Today