Governor Polis has announced that Andrea Gibson, a Boulder-based queer activist, author and slam poet, has been selected as the new Colorado Poet Laureate. Gibson will be succeeding Bobby LeFebre and will serve in the role for two years.
“Andrea Gibson is an inspiring Colorado artist. Colorado’s Poet Laureate is an ambassador of the arts and someone who can truly share their talents while inspiring the artistic abilities within ourselves. Andrea’s voice holds a fierce conviction in inspiring others to pursue art and take action toward solving social issues and they personify our Colorado for All spirit. I know Andrea will be a strong advocate for the arts and art education as a way to bring us together, has a strong desire for unity and to bring people together through poetry," said Governor Polis in a press release.
The Poet Laureate serves as an active advocate for poetry, literacy, and literature by participating in readings and other events at schools, libraries, literary festivals, and the State Capitol. Gibson will also provide the Governor with an annual account of the impact and success of the Colorado Poet Laureate program and prepare a poem for the opening of the legislative session upon request.
“We are very excited with the Governor’s selection of Andrea Gibson as the new Poet Laureate. [Through] their work in slam poetry and as an author, Andrea has [shown] an incredible ability to unite people through artistic expression. We look forward to working with Andrea during the next two years who will play a powerful role in contributing to our efforts in making Colorado work for all,” said Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade’s Executive Director, Eve Lieberman.
Gibson, a four-time Denver Grand Slam Champion, centers their work around a range of topics including LGBTQIA+ issues, spirituality, feminism, mental health, gun reform, and the dismantling of oppressive systems. Gibson is the author of six full-length collections of poetry. They are a two-time winner of the Independent Publishers Award, a three-time Goodreads ChoiceAwards Finalist, and the winner of the first Women's World Poetry Slam. In 2017, Penguin Books published Take Me With You, an illustrated collection of Gibson’s most beloved quotes, and in 2019, Chronicle Books published their first nonfiction endeavor, How Poetry Can Change Your Heart. As the new Colorado Poet Laureate, Gibson plans to help other people fall in love with poetry.
“I want to come up with new and inventive ways to help a larger population fall in love and appreciate poetry. I want everyone to have a poem that they can go to like you would with a song. Poetry can be the vehicle that allows us to know each other and expand humanity. That’s what I hope to help do with this role,” said Gibson.
To invite Andrea to your community, email [email protected].
