Vashon Poet Laureate
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
The Vashon Poet Laureate Program lives at the intersection of creativity and connection. Guided by Open Space for Arts & Community — an irrepressible force of collaboration and expression — the program honors a local poet who serves as a creative ambassador for Vashon, using language to illuminate, connect, and inspire.
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More than a title, the Poet Laureate embodies the spirit of YES! — uplifting community voices, telling our shared stories, and transforming everyday moments into art through words, performance, and presence.
Meet Our Current Poets Laureate
Iris Dawn Spring
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Iris is a born and raised, multi-generational Vashon Islander. She has facilitated local poetry gatherings and workshops since returning home to the island in 2017, guided by the understanding that poetry is for everyone. She firmly believes in the power of poetry as a force for social cohesion, and as a catalyst for positive change in this crazy world.
C. Hunter Davis
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(Carey) Hunter Davis is honored to follow great Island poets as Laureate with Iris. Hunter looks forward to maintaining and enriching Vashon as a welcoming environment for established and beginning poets.
She herself has four current poetry collections published, including the recent one, Beauty. Her practice begins at 5AM on this magical Island in the Salish Sea where she has lived most of her days in a former schoolhouse
with her dobro playing partner.
