Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville today announced it will present a special reading from fellows in the Art Wire program – a unique, cross-disciplinary collaboration with prominent literary nonprofit The Porch. The free evening of literary celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 pm in the OZ Arts Lounge. Throughout the evening, nine Art Wire Fellows will share a mix of poetry and prose influenced by the extraordinary, record-breaking 2022-23 OZ Arts season, drawing inspiration from impactful performances such as Gregory Maqoma’s CION: Requiem of Ravel’s Boléro (South Africa), Compagnie Hervé Koubi’s What the Day Owes to the Night (France/Algeria), Kyle Abraham’s An Untitled Love(NYC) and many other local, national and international contemporary shows.

Over the last 5 years, Art Wire has been an instrumental collaboration between OZ Arts and The Porch, selecting a talented cohort of teen and adult writers every year to share their literary responses to the season’s presentations with deeply personal, playful and engaging writing. Comprised of 9 fellows, this year’s group had the honor of being mentored by lauded Nashville-based poet Ciona Rouse and Joe Kane, director of The Porch’s youth programs, who has been involved with the Art Wire program since its inception. Rouse, an esteemed poet, editor and teaching artist, joined the Art Wire program this year and serves as an emeritus board member for The Porch and frequent collaborator seen on the OZ Arts Nashville stage. The Art Wire program has served as a creative home for over 50 writers since it began in 2018.

“We’re delighted to host these talented writers and hear their personal and visceral responses to the wide range of contemporary artists in our recently completed season, which was our most ambitious and international year of programming,” said Mark Murphy, OZ Arts Executive and Artistic Director. “As always, we are immensely grateful to The Porch team for their partnership and help in providing mentorship for the important conversations and reflections of artistic expression that come out of this singular partnership.”

Informed by and in response to OZ’s presentations over the past year, the Art Wire Fellows’ works highlight many literary genres, including poetry, prose, hybrid forms and spoken word. Featured writers in the 2022-23 cohort include Tiffany Abreu, Juliana Morgan Alvarez, Coleman Bomar, Madison Moore, Anika Saar, Gabriel Seals, Ember Tharpe, Diana Warrick and Simba Alik Woodard.

“This Art Wire celebration is one of our most anticipated events and sure to be a fascinating exploration following the incredible season OZ Arts provided as inspiration for this year’s fellows,” said Susannah Felts, co-founder of The Porch. “Their resulting prose and poetry never fail to capture their personal experiences, and we cannot wait to see what captivating journey our fellows take the audience on this year.”

Art Wire is a free event, but ticket reservations are encouraged with an optional “pay what you can” donation. Tickets can be reserved at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35222/production/1165243.

For more information about the partnership between OZ Arts and The Porch, visit https://artwire.ozartsnashville.org/.

About OZ Arts Nashville

Founded in 2013 by the Ozgener family, OZ Arts Nashville has quickly established itself as one of the Southeast’s most influential and respected producers and presenters focused on the creation and presentation of significant performing and visual artworks by diverse cultural visionaries who are making vital contributions to the evolution of contemporary culture. Through performances, exhibitions, and community events, OZ Arts focuses on producing and presenting the work of local and visiting artists who reflect our diverse society, utilize new artistic forms and technology in creative ways, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with audiences, students and cultural and civic leaders. OZ Arts’ unique creative warehouse has developed a reputation as a major national and regional laboratory for experimentation and a home for contemporary dance and performance. More than 50,000 audience members have been introduced to adventurous artists from around the world since the organization opened, and hundreds of local and regional artists have used OZ’s 10,000 square-foot warehouse theater to develop new works. For more information, please visit ozartsnashville.org.