The Northfield Arts and Culture Commission, in partnership with the Friends and Foundation of the Library, is pleased to announce the three winners of the 2020 Spanish Sidewalk Poetry competition: Tyler Gardner, Francisco Gaytan and Luis Rivera.
This special contest exclusively for Spanish language poems coincided with Hispanic Heritage Month at the Northfield Public Library. This year’s theme was Deja Tu Huella / Mark Your Mark. The contest garnered 14 Spanish language poems from community members.
The three winning poems will be on display at the Northfield Public Library and City Hall, posted on the Friends and Foundation of the Library and city’s websites, city Facebook and Instagram accounts, and shared with local media. Beginning in the spring and continuing through the summer, poems will be installed in City sidewalks, as weather permits. A Sidewalk Poetry capstone celebration will take place in the future; exact date, time, and format to be determined.
The Arts and Culture Commission applauds and thanks the many local poets who submitted their poetry to the competition. The poems were chosen by five judges from across the community, representing the colleges, the City, the community, and published poets. Judging was completely blind meaning judges were provided no identifying information regarding the poets. Judges were: Melanny Castillo and Jeniffer Rosas, library staff at the Northfield Public Library; Claudia Gonzalez George, staff at the Community Action Center and incoming Northfield School Board member; Kristina Medina-Vilariño, associate professor of Spanish at St. Olaf College; and Mar Valdecantos, translator for the Northfield Public School District, visual artist, and past winning poet.
This Arts and Culture Commission project is a partnership with the Northfield Public Library. This activity is funded by the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library and is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
Winning poems for 2020 Sidewalk Poetry Spanish Contest
Con mis manos aprendo
los caminos de tu corazón.
A través de mis ojos veo
tu aliento en las llanuras.
Me inclino en tu abrazo
donde me siento más en casa.
Tyler Gardner
CABALGANDO
Sombra de luna en penumbra.
Sombra de sol en resplandor.
Alumbren caminos, barrancas y ríos.
Para andar en mi caballo sin temor.
Francisco Gaytan
El amor
es el tormento de uno
La familia
es el triunfo de dos
La verdad es tuya
La justicia es tu triunfo
La esperanza
es alcanzar tu Estrella
Luis Rivera
