Every two years, a new poet laureate is named to represent the city. The position is up for renewal this spring, and so the City of Santa Barbara, in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Library, is asking for nominations or applications. “The person selected shall seek to advance awareness of and appreciation for poetry, spoken word, and the literary arts within the greater community,” reads the official press release. The deadline for entries is Monday, March 4. See sbac.ca.gov/poet-laureate.
The city has another project in the works — in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Office of Arts and Culture, Santa Barbara Public Library, Santa Barbara Beautiful, and Downtown Santa Barbara — to line State Street with tiny libraries. The group is currently accepting design proposals for the six libraries, which will house books that the public can borrow and replace. The S.B. Public Library will play a formidable role by keeping the wee book boxes stocked and offering events such as pop-up readings and book talks. Artists can submit their ideas until Friday, March 1. For more information, see sbac.ca.gov/tiny-libraries.