Just in time for National Poetry Month a new report chronicles the rise of Miami’s art scene and the unorthodox ways it brought the art form to life.  

Exploring how festival organizers dropped poems from helicopters, sewed them into clothes and even shouted them out of a Ferrari (#thatssomiami), the report offers insights into how to engage new audiences in the arts. RELATED LINKS

Interactive Report: knightarts.org/omiami

Downloadable Report: O, Miami Report PDF  

“O, Miami: How a festival infused a city with poetry” centers on O, Miami’s efforts to bring poetry to the 2.6 million residents of one of the most diverse cities in the country. Divided into three parts, the report looks at the role of the festival in Miami’s growing arts scene, how the festival was built and the ways it was irreverent, playful and subversive.

It also offers insights for any cultural organization trying to engage new audiences and reframe art for their own communities. Scott Cunningham, O, Miami festival’s co-founder and director recently wrote about eight ways to bring art to new audiences. Some of his insights: Make the Internet your friend, the audience the star, and more.

There’s also an interactive timeline and map that documents how zip codes celebrated Poetry Month in 2011. You can read words that emerged out of poems either presented or collected around Miami, then click through to view the 45 events or 19 projects that took place.

By Elizabeth R. Miller, communications associate at Knight Foundation