Tucson Poet Laureate(RFQ)

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Tucson Poet Laureate serves as the City’s official ambassador to the literary arts, advancing public appreciation of poetry while reflecting the unique spirit and identity of Tucson. This honorary position affirms poetry as a vital cultural practice that sparks imagination, dialogue, and belonging across our communities.

The Poet Laureate is charged with promoting literary education in schools and neighborhoods, expanding access to the arts for those with limited exposure, and inspiring new generations of readers and writers. Grounded in the lived experiences of Tucson, the role supports the City’s cultural values and equity goals by ensuring that poetry remains relevant, inclusive, and accessible.

Applications are reviewed by a community panel representing Tucson’s literary, educational, civic, and community sectors, with administration by the Arts Foundation. The Mayor of Tucson makes the final appointment, and the selected individual serves a three-year term.

The Tucson Poet Laureate program is guided by shared values that center community voice, cultural equity, and institutional collaboration. Together, the City of Tucson, the Arts Foundation, and the Poetry Center are committed to celebrating literary excellence, honoring Tucson’s cultural richness and diversity, and ensuring transparency and accountability in the selection process.

By design, the Tucson Poet Laureate program elevates local literary artists while strengthening connections between cultural institutions and the broader public. It is both a celebration of creative achievement and a call to expand access to poetry across the City’s neighborhoods. The role embodies Tucson’s dedication to honoring its history, amplifying community voices, and ensuring that the literary arts remain central to civic life.

Honorarium 

The Tucson Poet Laureate will serve a three-year term, appointed by the mayor, with the possibility of serving no more than two consecutive terms. This honorary position recognizes the Poet Laureate’s contributions to the literary and cultural life of Tucson and supports the Poet’s efforts to engage the community through poetry and related programs. To acknowledge the time, expertise, and public service required of the position, an honorarium of $15,000 will be provided for the full term, distributed in equal installments of $5,000 per year. This honorarium is intended to help the Poet Laureate dedicate resources toward fulfilling the responsibilities of the role, including community outreach, educational programming, and public events.

Duties and expectations

The Tucson Poet Laureate is expected to serve as a dynamic ambassador for poetry, spoken word, and the literary arts across the city. The Poet Laureate will:

• Participate in a launch reading at the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books.
• Envision and lead a community-centered poetry program that engages diverse communities and Elevates Tucson’s cultural richness.
• Travel throughout the region to meet responsibilities.
• Provide documentation of public readings, programs, and other engagements to the Arts Foundation for inclusion in social media, newsletters, and other public communications.
• Participate in citywide projects or events at the request of the Mayor’s Office or Arts Foundation, including activations of the Somos Unos Cultural Heritage Strategy, up to three times per year. 
• Compose a poem commemorating the city of Tucson.
• Attend the annual State of the City address, reinforcing the Laureate’s role as a visible and active cultural leader.

Eligibility

To be considered for the role of Tucson Poet Laureate, the candidate must meet all the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:

1. Be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
2. Be of recognized stature in the literary, cultural, educational, or academic communities.
3. Demonstrate a record of high-quality published or documented work and service through the literary arts.
4. Have resided in the City of Tucson for at least two (2) years prior to the date of submission. 
5. Live in the City of Tucson for a minimum of nine months each calendar year.

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualities: 

Experience and Vision
The applicant demonstrates substantial experience as a poet within literary, cultural, or academic communities and presents a clear and compelling vision for engaging Tucson communities through public programming, outreach, education, or other literary initiatives.

Artistic Strength

The applicant’s work demonstrates skill, originality, artistic excellence, and professional achievement with meaningful recognition or impact within literary, cultural, or academic communities. 

Leadership and Impact

The applicant shows collaborative leadership, meaningful community engagement, and the ability to serve as an ambassador for poetry, spoken word, and the literary arts citywide, including fostering participation and building partnerships.

conflict of interest

No elected members or officers, commissioners, nor employees of the City of Tucson, the University of Arizona Poetry Center, Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, Arts Foundation board members, nor their immediate family members are allowed to apply to this opportunity. Any person in a position to receive financial gain from the selection of the artist will be ineligible to serve on a public art community panel. All panel members must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if a conflict arises.

timeline

	Thursday, October 30, 2025	Request for Qualifications Application Posted
	Thursday, January 8, 2025	Application Deadline at 11:59 p.m. Arizona Time
	Thursday, January 22, 2026	Panel Meeting 1 (Panel only): The Panel will select three (3) finalists to interview. All applicants will be notified of their status.  Finalists will begin preparations for Panel Meeting 2.
	Thursday, January 29, 2026	Panel Meeting 2 (Panel and Finalists): The Panel will interview Finalists during a recorded meeting. Finalists will deliver a 15-minute presentation, followed by a 10-minute question and answer session with the panel.
	February 2026	Mayoral Review: The mayor will review all three interview recordings, along with each finalist’s application materials. All finalists will be notified of their status.
	March 1, 2025	Official Announcement of Tucson Poet Laureate: The selected Tucson Poet Laureate will be announced publicly.
	March 14, 2025	Formal Installation of Tucson Poet Laureate: The Mayor will formally appoint and present the Tucson Poet Laureate during the Annual Festival of Books.

selection process

Artists are chosen through a fair and equitable process by a panel of five to seven members representing Tucson’s literary, educational, civic, and community sectors. Application materials will be assessed based on eligibility, completeness, and clarity, as outlined in the review criteria provided in this document. Arts Foundation staff do not directly select finalists or appointees. The role of staff is to facilitate the panel discussion and ensure the process runs smoothly.

All applications undergo a technical review process. Submission materials will be reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and compliance. Eligible and complete applications are then forwarded to community panelists for assessment, scoring, ranking, and commenting on applications based on the published criteria. The panel will then convene for two deliberation meetings:

1. Panel Meeting 1 – The panel will examine the online rankings, deliberate on the findings, and determine which applicants advance as finalists. The finalists will be invited to present at Panel Meeting 2.

2. Panel Meeting 2 – Each finalist will present to the panel their qualifications and demonstrate their ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the Poet Laureate appointment. Presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer(Q/A) session with the panel to inform the final decision by the mayor.

3. Mayoral Selection – The Mayor will select the new Tucson Poet Laureate from among the panel’s nominated finalists, following a review of all submitted materials, recorded presentations, and Q/A session with the panel from the recorded meetings.

review criteria

The following criteria will be considered by the panel during the review of applications, based solely on the materials submitted by the applicant. 

Experience and Vision
The applicant demonstrates substantial experience as a poet within literary, cultural, or academic communities and presents a clear and compelling vision for engaging Tucson communities through public programming, outreach, education, or other literary initiatives.

Artistic Strength

The applicant’s work demonstrates skill, originality, artistic excellence, and professional achievement with meaningful recognition or impact within literary, cultural, or academic communities. 

Leadership and Impact

The applicant shows collaborative leadership, meaningful community engagement, and the ability to serve as an ambassador for poetry, spoken word, and the literary arts citywide, including fostering participation and building partnerships.

Panelists will score each application using a 5-point scale.

(Strongly Agree = 5 points | Agree = 4 points | Neutral = 3points | Disagree = 2 points | Strongly Disagree = 1 point)

Panelists will be asked to provide comments as additional feedback on the applicant’s strengths, areas for growth, and/or overall suitability for the role of Tucson Poet Laureate. Comments should substantiate the score, highlight notable qualities in the application, and capture any observations that may assist the panel in making a final recommendation. All comments will be reviewed and discussed during Panel Meeting 1.

Application questions

NOTE: Questions provided below are for reference purposes only. The full application materials must be submitted online through the Submittable Portal.

SECTION 1: Applicant Profile

Complete the Applicant profile. Responses in this section will not be shared with panelists or used as a factor in the review of your application.

Evaluation Criteria  

The following criteria will be considered during the review of applications: 

1. Does the applicant show the ability to translate artistic concepts into materials suitable for public spaces, while considering public interaction, safety, maintenance, and the Sonoran Desert climate?
2. Does the applicant demonstrate the ability to collaborate with project participants to create artwork designs that reflect local cultural and historical themes relevant to the project?
3. Does the applicant demonstrate a high probability of successful completion for the scale and scope of this specific project? 

Finalist Interview Questions 

If you are a finalist for the project, you will be asked to present to the Panel with the following criteria and questions: 

1. Format: You will provide a 15-minute presentation, followed by a 10-minute Q&A with the Panel.  
2. Presentation Preparation: For your presentation, you will share examples of your work as well as your experience and methods in public art. You will also share with the Panel why you are interested in this particular project. You may use any format for your presentation.  
3. Please address the following in your presentation.   
   • What excites you about this project?
   • How do you come up with your design ideas?
   • How do you involve the community in your public art projects?
   • How do you stay on schedule and within budget?

*Additional questions may be asked if appropriate to a specific project. 

Presentation preparation tips 

• Provide a diverse range of examples of your work in your presentation. Read through the Project Overview and Exhibition Component outlined above to identify appropriate artwork mediums specific to the public art project.  
• Research the area or subject of the project, potential significant history, culture, and vision of the program. Panelists appreciate candidates who have done their research and know what they are signing up for. 
• Provide specific examples of community engagement tools that you have utilized during your work as an artist and/or for public art projects.  
• Take time to prepare your responses and presentation. We give you the questions ahead of time so you can provide thoughtful answers. 

HOW TO APPLY

Carefully review the eligibility, expectations, and scope of this opportunity prior to submitting your application.

Prepare Application

1. Prepare your artist statement. The statement must describe your qualifications for this position; your motivation to work with community; and your interest in this particular project theme. Your artist statement is a key part of the review process. We encourage you to be thoughtful and intentional when writing it. (300 word limit)
2. Prepare your resume. Two page maximum. Acceptable file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf   
3. Prepare six (6) samples of your artwork. Artwork samples must represent completed work by the applicant(s). Proposals or renderings will not be accepted. Acceptable file types: .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png., .doc, .docx, .pdf, .m4a, .mp3, .wav, .mp4, .mpg, .ppt, .pptx. For each sample submitted, if applicable, please include the title, date, location, dimensions, materials used, budget, and your role in the project.

Submit Application

1. Go to Submittable:  artsfoundtucson.submittable.com/submit   
2. Select the project from the list.
3. Login or sign up for an account.
4. Complete all applicant Information.
5. Submit your artist statement.
6. Upload your resume.
7. Upload (6) artwork image samples and details.
8. Review your application and submit form.

A confirmation email will be sent to the email address you used to create your Submittable account. 

You may be contacted regarding your application via Submittable, email, or by phone.

APPLICATION help

 If you have questions about the application process or the content of your application, please email us at publicart@artsfoundtucson.org or call (520) 624-0595. If you encounter any technical issues with the online application platform, please email the Submittable at support@submittable.comor call (855) 467-8264.  To find out more about our public art opportunities, sign up for our monthly newsletter here https://artsfoundtucson.org/newsletter