Poetry in Place: Joe Nasta at Slide Gallery

I curated Joe Nasta’s poem on urban bees into a window display at Slide Gallery in Belltown for my public poetry campaign as Seattle Civic Poet for National Poetry Month. Joe’s poem is paired with an image by Jovelle Tamayo of poet and urban beekeeper Bob Redmond, who passed away in September 2023. Bob spent a lot of time in Belltown in his days as a young poet, as a writer in residence at the Belltown Cottages for Hugo House. Towards the end of an amazing career as an arts leader who held roles with Town Hall Seattle, Bumbershoot, and Real Change, he took up urban beekeeping. I’d wanted to include some of Bob’s work in this campaign but things didn’t work out. I was very happy to create an homage and memorial to him through this display which was made with Joe’s blessing, and that of Bob’s widow. Designed by Jayme Yen and funded by the Academy of American Poets and the Windrose Fund.