Festival Napa Valley has launched a poetry competition open to Napa County high school students, to compose new poetry on “The Four Seasons of Napa Valley.”
It is inspired by Antonio Vivaldi, who wrote four sonnets to accompany his famous “Four Seasons.”
Four winners (one per season) will be selected and each will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward college studies or other educational pursuits.
Submission deadline is Feb. 29. Winners will be announced on April 2, by Miss America Nia Imani Franklin, during Festival Napa Valley’s Springboard Community Concert at Napa Valley College.
The winning poems will be read at The Four Seasons of Napa Valley performance on Saturday, July 18, at Far Niente Winery.
The poems will be chosen through a contest open to all Napa County high school students. The jury will be composed of community leaders, educators, and artists including: Barbara Nemko (superintendent, Napa County Office of Education), Mary Grace (vice president of marketing, Far Niente) and Karen Provenza (Arts Council Napa Valley Education Alliance).
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Poets must be at least 13 years old, enrolled in a Napa County high school, home school program, or independent study and be in good academic and attendance standing.
The poem must be a sonnet following the traditional format of 14 lines and written in iambic pentameter a must be an original work in its entirety.
Poets may submit only one poem per season, but are encouraged to submit poems for multiple seasons.
Poems can be submitted in English or Spanish.
Register and upload entries through the link provided on the site, festivalnapavalley.org/what-we-do/the-four-seasons-of-napa-valley/
Miss America 2019 Nia Imani Franklin, a classically trained opera singer, composer and arts advocate, will be in Napa Valley to participate Springboard 2020, Festival Napa Valley’s annual spring season.
Franklin has been a teacher and music mentor and has written over 100 songs since she started performing at the age of 5. Franklin, who was involved in choir as a student, is actively involved in programs that focus on public schools and community centers that have decreased access to arts programming.
Festival Napa Valley 2020 Springboard line-up:
—April 1, 7 p.m.- “Artful Learning” film screening at Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center
Festival Napa Valley presents a documentary short about Willow Elementary, an Artful Learning Legacy and Leadership School in Napa. With support from Festival Napa Valley, Willow Elementary has been using Leonard Bernstein’s Artful Learning model, which links the arts and the artistic process to the daily classroom learning experience, for nearly a decade.
The 30-minute film will be followed by Q&A with representatives from the school and Artful Learning.
—April 2, 2 p.m.: Master Class with Nia Imani Franklin at Napa Valley College
Franklin presents a master class and conversation for 30 students from Napa Valley College’s performing arts program. Franklin will talk about composing and performing, and will coach selected students in performance. This event is invitation-only.
—April 2 6 p.m.—Community Concert with Nia Imani Franklin at Napa Valley College
This recital program mixes opera arias with jazz ballads and popular pop songs. Franklin will also perform her stirring new single, “EarthSun.”
Franklin will also announce the winners of the Festival’s Four Seasons of Napa Valley poetry contest open to Napa County high school students.
—April 3, 10 a.m.: Concert for Kids
Nia Imani Franklin will perform for the students of Camille Creek Community School, in a concert ranging from opera to pop. This event is invitation-only.
To purchase tickets to Springboard events, visit festivalnapavalley.org/springboard/.