Imagining This Land, a local poetry project, is focusing on making cultural expression easier in Iowa.

The theme of the project in upcoming months will be “Celebrating Cultural Diversity.”

Since September, organizers of Imagining This Land have been publishing poems by Iowa authors. In August, the project will shift toward a theme of diversity.

Dorothy Tang, junior in landscape architecture, said she was encouraged to help organize a month focusing on diversity by director Joni Palmer.

“Being a minority student, I feel that there are not many opportunities for minorities in the community to express their ideas or feelings in an artistic way,” Tang said. “My initial idea was to propose a public arts project for the city of Ames.”

As part of the diversity aspect of the project, poets are encouraged to submit poems in the language they are most comfortable with, Tang said.

She said she hopes the project accomplished four things: Increasing awareness of the diversity of the community, encouraging cultural exchange between the many ethnic and racial groups, encouraging local businesses to participate in promoting diversity and providing opportunities for unheard voices of the community to express their thoughts and concerns about living in Ames.

“I hope that after this event, people will be able to appreciate different cultures, and have a better understanding of how different cultures express themselves in artistic forms,” Tang said.

Palmer, assistant professor of landscape architecture, said the “Celebrating Cultural Diversity” theme was a perfect match for the Imagining This Land project.

“People might start thinking about people down the street that don’t speak English and take interest in their culture,” she said.

Palmer said the open call for poetry for the Imagining This Land project is a new method for garnering submissions from the community. Previously, poets from Ames and the surrounding communities were personally invited to contribute to the project, she said.

By allowing local poets to express themselves in their own language, Palmer said she hopes people in Ames will view their community as more diverse.

“I hope to see people start thinking about diversity in subtle and not-so-subtle ways,” she said.

Poems will be reviewed by a selection committee, and selected poems will be put on broadsides and posted at fourteen local businesses.

In addition, a reading will be held at the end of August at the Brunnier Museum.

“The authors of the eight selected poems will be invited to read their poems in the language or dialect it was written in,” Tang said. “They will also be asked to share the process and inspirations when writing the poems.” Imagining This Land, a local poetry project, is focusing on making cultural expression easier in Iowa.

The theme of the project in upcoming months will be “Celebrating Cultural Diversity.”

Since September, organizers of Imagining This Land have been publishing poems by Iowa authors. In August, the project will shift toward a theme of diversity.

Dorothy Tang, junior in landscape architecture, said she was encouraged to help organize a month focusing on diversity by director Joni Palmer.

“Being a minority student, I feel that there are not many opportunities for minorities in the community to express their ideas or feelings in an artistic way,” Tang said. “My initial idea was to propose a public arts project for the city of Ames.”

As part of the diversity aspect of the project, poets are encouraged to submit poems in the language they are most comfortable with, Tang said.

She said she hopes the project accomplished four things: Increasing awareness of the diversity of the community, encouraging cultural exchange between the many ethnic and racial groups, encouraging local businesses to participate in promoting diversity and providing opportunities for unheard voices of the community to express their thoughts and concerns about living in Ames.

“I hope that after this event, people will be able to appreciate different cultures, and have a better understanding of how different cultures express themselves in artistic forms,” Tang said.

Palmer, assistant professor of landscape architecture, said the “Celebrating Cultural Diversity” theme was a perfect match for the Imagining This Land project.

“People might start thinking about people down the street that don’t speak English and take interest in their culture,” she said.

Palmer said the open call for poetry for the Imagining This Land project is a new method for garnering submissions from the community. Previously, poets from Ames and the surrounding communities were personally invited to contribute to the project, she said.

By allowing local poets to express themselves in their own language, Palmer said she hopes people in Ames will view their community as more diverse.

“I hope to see people start thinking about diversity in subtle and not-so-subtle ways,” she said.

Poems will be reviewed by a selection committee, and selected poems will be put on broadsides and posted at fourteen local businesses.

In addition, a reading will be held at the end of August at the Brunnier Museum.

“The authors of the eight selected poems will be invited to read their poems in the language or dialect it was written in,” Tang said. “They will also be asked to share the process and inspirations when writing the poems.”