Story & Verse Open Mic: Porchfest Edition

Featuring Artist Roberto Lugo

Poets, storytellers and spoken word fans are invited to join a Porchfest open mic event, hosted in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton and the Princeton University Art Museum.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a first-time performer, "Story & Verse" offers a warm and welcoming platform to express yourself and engage with a diverse audience of creatives, casual appreciators and everyone in between.

Held on Hinds Plaza in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton and the Princeton University Art Museum, this event will welcome featured performer, spoken word poet, activist and ceramic artist Roberto Lugo (Image by Joseph Hu). Lugo’s work will be on view in the exhibition "Roberto Lugo / Orange and Black" from Saturday, Feb. 15 to Sunday, July 6 at Art@Bainbridge. The exhibition features vases that draw on the shapes, techniques and decorative motifs of ancient Greek vases to tell personal and communal stories of contemporary social and political oppression. 

How to participate:

• To sign up for the open mic portion of this event, please arrive by 2:45 p.m. to put your name in the hat. 
• Performances will begin at 3 p.m. Our host will draw randomly from the submissions, so listen for your name and be ready to take the stage. Please note that if we receive more interest than we’re able to accommodate, it’s possible that not everyone will be able to perform.
• Open mic performances will take a brief pause at 3:30 p.m., when we will enjoy a performance by our featured guest, Roberto Lugo. Open mic will resume following his set and conclude at 4:30 p.m.

How to join our audience:

• Build our "Story & Verse" stage into your Porchfest plans! Limited seating will be available on Hinds Plaza and lawn chairs are welcome.
• In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Library’s Community Room. 
• No registration is required. We look forward to seeing you!

About our host: 

Brass Rabbit is an artist, contemporary curator, and arts administrator based in Trenton. Rabbit has been creating and hosting poetry, spoken word and storytelling events in the tri-state area for over a decade. As a performer, the art of storytelling holds a very special place in her heart, but listening to and supporting others is where she feels most at home. 

Hosting the "Story & Verse Open Mic" at the Arts Council of Princeton could be called a dream job, but for Rabbit, the position completely lacks any “work-like” qualities and is more of an outstanding experience she looks forward to each month. Previously, Rabbit has hosted the Levitt Amp Music Series, Voice to Ear Festival, Word on Front Poetry Festival, independent poetry and storytelling open mics, and even curated an art exhibition celebrating the art of poetry. 

Questions? Let us know at info@artscouncilofprinceton.org.

This program is presented as part of Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home, a major public humanities initiative taking place across the nation in 2024 and 2025, directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective. 

Community Room Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Assistive listening system compatible with personal T-coil-enabled devices (compatible headphones also available for use during programs)
• English-language subtitles for films (when available)
• If there is an accommodation that you need or would like so that you can fully enjoy library programs, please visit our Accommodations Request Form.

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