[Archived] “DASHing Words in Motion” Call to the Community

For Immediate Release: December 4, 2013

The City of Alexandria Office of the Arts and the Alexandria Transit Company have joined forces to host a poetry contest “DASHing Words in Motion”. Writers who live, work or study in the City of Alexandria, including local first-time or established poets of any age are encouraged to submit original poems. The deadline for submitting entries is 5 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2014. Winners will have their poems published inside the Alexandria Transit Company’s DASH buses and Trolleys in April, 2014 in celebration of National Poetry Month.

Poems that celebrate words and transportation are required and a broad range of ideas and subject matter are encouraged. Possible inspirational ideas might stem from the Alexandria Transit Company’s DASH buses motto “Keeping Alexandria Moving,” or bus stops, neighborhood, buses, cars, roads or transportation. The contest will bring recognition to writers, promote an appreciation of poetry as an art form, and provide inspiration to individuals using the Alexandria Transit Company’s DASH buses and trolleys.

Additional information including submission guidelines and frequently asked questions about the contest can be found on the Office of the Arts’ website at www.alexandriava.gov/Arts, via email at poet@alexandriava.gov, or by phone at 703.746.5588.

“DASHing Words in Motion” is a project of the Office of the Arts, a division of the City of Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities along with the following collaborating partners: Alexandria Transit Company (DASH); Tori Lane, the City of Alexandria Poet Laureate; Alexandria Commission for the Arts; and the Alexandria City Public Schools.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Anne Colton, Office of the Arts, at 703.746.5565 (VA Relay 711) or e-mail cherylanne.colton@alexandriava.gov.