The city of Santa Clarita is now accepting entries for its 2019 Sidewalk Poetry project, which invites residents and those with ties to Santa Clarita to submit an original poem for consideration, to be stamped into sidewalks throughout Santa Clarita in spring 2019.

Whether you work in free-form, Haiku, Distich or Cinquain, there’s a poet in us all – and there could be “A world to be born under your footsteps,” if your original poem is chosen to be immortalized on Santa Clarita walkways.

All writers, young and old, professional and amateur, are welcome to enter. Poems must be submitted online at SantaClaritaArts.com by Tuesday, Oct. 16.

Entries must be original work in English, within a maximum of five lines, 32 characters per line (including spaces) and 160 characters overall (including spaces).

Poems will be juried by a selection committee, based on originality, creativity and artistic quality, as part of the Public Works department’s sidewalk rehabilitation program, and in an effort to bring art to more public spaces in Santa Clarita.

This year’s theme is “Poetry of Place,” focusing on both landscapes and the built environment, reflecting shared spaces in our community.

“Once winning poems are chosen, we’ll determine the best placement for them depending on the topic,” said Arts Coordinator Katherine Nestved. “As an example, if the poem is about education and exploration, we may try to find a sidewalk repair that’s happening near one of our libraries.”

Authors retain copyright of the submitted poem; by entering, entrants consent to the publication of their poem by the city. Project winners will receive a $150 stipend and are encouraged to attend the Sidewalk Poetry project dedication scheduled for spring 2019. Limit one entry per person. Winners will be announced on Jan. 25, 2019.

This is the city’s second pass at a sidewalk poetry project. Last year, the city put out a call for poems, and many submitted were too long.

At their Feb. 8 meeting, the Arts Commission chose not to approve any poem stamping in 2018.

City staff worked with the Arts Commission’s Public Art Subcommittee to refine the contest for 2019, providing a 160-character length and more time for entrants to prepare and submit their poems.

For more information on the project, visit the Santa Clarita Arts website at SantaClaritaArts.com or contact Arts Coordinator Katherine Nestved at knestved@santa-clarita.com.