The city of Kent is thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with Kent State University’s Wick Poetry Center and Main Street Kent to bring Traveling Stanzas to downtown utility boxes.
Visitors to downtown Kent can now see seven utility boxes that have been covered with Traveling Stanzas’ poems, written by local schoolchildren and adults, and paired with beautiful illustrations. By pushing an easily accessible audio button, visitors also can listen to the child or adult read his or her poem. 
The utility boxes project also will connect to future Traveling Stanzas’ displays around the world. By accessing the Traveling Stanzas interactive map, users will be able to virtually visit Traveling Stanzas’ displays wherever they exist, as well as get walking and driving directions to nearby Traveling Stanzas’ displays.
City of Kent representatives and the Wick Poetry Center are delighted that this collaborative community arts project contributes to a thriving downtown, and is yet another way that the city of Kent and Kent State have joined forces to bring art to people’s everyday lives.
With major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the award-winning Traveling Stanzas is a project of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Wick Poetry Center at Kent State in collaboration with visual communication design students and alumni. Additional support is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, the Burbick Foundation, the Woodward Foundation, Carol W. Gould and Kent State’s College of Communication and Information.