SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce that the annual Ekphrastic* Poetry Contest is returning for its fourth year, with a new slate of artworks from around the state guaranteed to inspire.
*Poetry about Art!
For the contest, museums, historic sites and divisions across New Mexico under the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) each select a piece of art that showcases the depth and breadth of their collections, ahead of National Poetry Month in April. NMDCA invites all New Mexicans to seek inspiration in the works of art on display below and express that feeling through ekphrastic poetry.
The 12 selections this year include the Man-inthe- Maze coiled basket from the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Robert McCall’s 1973 lithograph First on the Moon from the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and a coffin shaped like a Pan American 727 jetliner from the Museum of International Folk Art. The selected works are on view at NMDCA divisions from Santa Fe to Mesilla.
The contest is open to all New Mexico residents ages 9 to 99 through Friday, February 26, 2027. Winners will be announced during National Poetry Month in April and invited to read their poem at a special poetry reading in the spring.
This year, the contest will feature three categories: Kid (ages 9 and younger), Youth (ages 1018), and Adult (ages 19 and older). Please select your category when you submit your poem. Submissions will be judged anonymously, but only complete submission forms will be judged. Please limit submissions to one per person. There will be one 1st prize and up to two finalists awarded for each age category.
To get started, visit nmculture.dca.nm.gov/pu blications/poetry-contest and check out the artworks today!