News
Appel Farm Announces New Jersey Region 2 Poetry Out Loud 2024 Regional Finalists
February 9, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(ELMER, NJ, February 2, 2023)
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center is proud to announce the Region 2 Finalists of the 2024 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Region 2 competition: Michaela Giuliani, a junior from Vineland High School in Vineland; and Nay’Quan Coriano, a senior from Cumberland County Technical Education Center also in Vineland. The regional competition is part of the National Poetry Out Loud recitation program. Adjudication took place on February 2nd at Appel Farm Arts & Music Center in Elmer.
Michaela Giuliani and Nay’Quan Coriano will represent Region 2 at the Poetry Out Loud State Finals on March 14, 2024, at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank. Participants from 6 regions throughout the state will compete for the title of State Champion. The State Champion will move on to represent New Jersey at the National Finals in Washington D.C. later this spring.
Kristina Hill, Director of Curriculum and Programs at Appel Farm, stated: “Using art, such as poetry, to help students gain confidence, develop their creative skills, and foster self expression is essential to Appel Farm’s mission. We are pleased to participate in this national program and serve as regional hosts, supporting students in Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties.”
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the 55 state and jurisdictional arts agencies.
Congratulations to the Region 2 Finalists. For more information about New Jersey Poetry Out Loud, the State Finals, and more, visit www.njpol.org
About Appel Farm Arts & Music Center
Appel Farm co-creates experiences that lead to wholeness through the arts. It does so by inspiring and empowering people to unleash their authentic creativity, leading to self- discovery, community building, and joy. Founded in 1960 by Albert and Clare Appel, Appel Farm began as a summer arts camp. The Appels, both professional musicians and music educators, believed that the arts play a crucial role in developing a child’s learning skills, encouraging personal growth, and instilling a sense of community and responsibility. They believed that all children have artistic talent, thus the camp was intended to promote a supportive environment in which the individual child can learn, experience and grow in a wide variety of artistic media. Now in its seventh decade, Appel Farm has evolved into a multidisciplinary regional arts center serving audiences, artists, and students through local, regional, national, and international programs. Our programs build on the Appel’s founding principles, providing opportunities for arts education, arts appreciation and creative expression to more than 32,000 children and adults annually. More information about Appel Farm can be found at www.appelfarm.org or by calling (856) 358-2472.
ABOUT THE COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The Count Basie Center for the Arts is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that reflect the diversity of the region. As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity.
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.
ABOUT NEW JERSEY POETRY OUT LOUD
New Jersey Poetry Out Loud is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Count Basie Center for the Arts. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program, led by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in partnership with the state and jurisdictional arts agencies across the country. In New Jersey, the State Arts Council and the Basie work with a growing network of regional partners to implement the program statewide.