Kensington Healing Verse
Posters featuring poems by individual community members
A microsite for the public art and poetry project, Kensington Healing Verse. Visitors can learn about the artwork, the process, and submit their own poems.
Throughout 2021, Philadelphia Poet Laureate Trapeta B. Mayson held poetry workshops with East and West Kensington residents, elementary school students, and individuals impacted by substance use and housing insecurity. These workshops used poetry as a tool for sharing, listening, and reflection about community, daily life, and new pathways to healing for the Kensington Community. The participants’ poems capture memories, challenges, and aspirations of life in Kensington that were combined into group poem reflecting a shared vision for community and healing. This collective poem was transformed into a neon sign and lifted to the rooftop of 2400 Kensington Avenue to serve as a beacon of strength, hope, and healing for the residents of Kensington.
Microsite for the project including the ability to submit your own poems
Neon sign featuring a poem written collectively by the community
