illinoispoets.org

The Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park is a nonprofit organization that raises money and builds community partnerships to support arts, culture, and recreation in Overland Park, Kansas. If you live in or near the city, its work shows up in places you may already visit: Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, and public art projects across the community. The foundation itself is not a city department; it works alongside the city and donors to fund enhancements, programs, and special projects that go beyond what tax dollars alone cover.

What the Foundation Actually Does

Think of the foundation as a charitable partner for Overland Park's cultural and recreational assets. Its role generally includes:

• Fundraising: Accepting donations and gifts that are directed toward specific attractions, programs, or public art.
• Community partnerships: Working with businesses, civic groups, and residents who want to support local amenities.
• Events: Hosting or supporting events that both raise funds and give the community a reason to gather.
• Project support: Helping pay for improvements, additions, and experiences at the destinations it serves.

Because it is a nonprofit, money raised goes back into the community rather than to private owners. That structure is what allows residents and local businesses to contribute directly to the places they care about.

The Destinations and Initiatives It Supports

Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is a family-oriented attraction that gives children and adults a hands-on look at farm life, animals, and Kansas history. Foundation support for the Farmstead typically means helping fund enhancements, educational experiences, and community events that keep the site engaging for repeat visitors and first-timers alike.

Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

The Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is a living collection of gardens, trails, and natural areas. Supporting it can involve funding plantings, garden features, educational programming, and long-term care that keeps the grounds beautiful and accessible through the seasons.

Public Art Projects

Public art is another core focus. The foundation helps bring sculptures, installations, and other artistic works into shared spaces, making art part of everyday life rather than something you only see in a museum. These projects often depend on donations and partnerships to move from idea to installation.

How Community Partnerships and Events Fit In

The foundation's model relies on the community, not just on institutional funding. Local businesses may sponsor an event or a project. Residents may attend a fundraiser, buy a ticket, or make a donation. Civic organizations may partner on a specific initiative.

Events serve two purposes at once: they raise money and they build awareness. A well-attended event introduces new people to the Farmstead, the Arboretum, or a public art effort, and some of those people become ongoing supporters. Over time, this cycle of participation and giving is what sustains projects that a city budget alone might not fully fund.

Practical Ways Residents Can Get Involved

If you want to support this work, you do not need to be a major donor. Here are realistic starting points:

1. Visit the attractions. Attendance and word-of-mouth support matter. Spend a day at the Farmstead or the Arboretum and bring friends or family.
2. Attend a foundation event. Events are the easiest entry point. You get an experience, and your ticket or participation helps fund projects.
3. Donate. Contributions can often be directed toward a specific area, such as the Farmstead, the Arboretum, or public art. Check the foundation's website for current giving options.
4. Volunteer. Nonprofits frequently need help with events, outreach, and administrative tasks. Volunteering is a low-cost way to contribute time and skills.
5. Partner as a business. If you own or manage a local business, sponsorship or in-kind support can align your brand with community assets people genuinely value.
6. Spread the word. Sharing events and projects with neighbors, school groups, or community boards helps the foundation reach people who might want to help.

For current details on events, donation methods, and volunteer needs, go directly to the foundation's website, since programs and opportunities change over time.

Why This Matters for Local Quality of Life

Arts, culture, and recreation are not extras. They shape how a city feels to live in. A children's farmstead gives families a shared destination. Botanical gardens provide green space and seasonal beauty. Public art makes ordinary streets and parks more interesting. When residents and businesses invest in these things through a foundation, they are effectively choosing the kind of community they want.

The Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park exists to make that choice easier and more organized. It connects people who care about these places with the projects that need support, and it keeps the benefits local.

A Simple Way to Think About It

If you are trying to understand the foundation in one sentence: it is the community's fundraising and partnership arm for Overland Park's arts, culture, and recreation, with a focus on Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, and public art. You benefit from its work when you visit these places, and you can contribute by attending, donating, volunteering, or partnering. Start with a visit, then decide how you want to take part.

The Illinois State Poetry Society (ISPS) sponsors a monthly open mic and reading at Brewed Awakenings in Westmont, Illinois. It takes place on the last Sunday of the month from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., features two featured poets, and is free to attend. Wilda Morris leads the event, and ISPS has sponsored it for almost twenty years.

Event Details at a Glance

What Happens at the Event

The session combines two elements:

• An open mic — attendees can read their own poetry.
• Featured poets — two poets are spotlighted at each monthly gathering.

Because the format pairs an open mic with featured readers, it suits both poets who want to share work and listeners who want to hear poetry without performing.

How to Attend

1. Note the date: the last Sunday of the month.
2. Arrive at Brewed Awakenings, 19 W Quincy, Westmont, IL, around 12:30 p.m.
3. The reading runs until 2:30 p.m.
4. No fee is required — the event is free.

If you plan to read at the open mic, arriving at the start gives you time to sign up and settle in before the featured poets begin.

Common Questions

Do I need to be an ISPS member? The source describes the event as free and open, with no membership requirement stated for attending.

How do I confirm a specific month's date? Check the ISPS events calendar, since the last Sunday shifts each month. The organization also maintains a full calendar of events and a chapters and meetings page for other gatherings across Illinois.

Who do I contact with questions? ISPS lists [email protected] as its contact address.

Beyond This Event

ISPS also runs chapter meetings and poetry critiques in public venues and online across Illinois, with chapters including North Suburban, Southern, Champaign, Lisle (Founding), West Suburban, Haiku, and Pontiac (North Central). If the Brewed Awakenings reading doesn't fit your schedule, a chapter meeting may be a closer alternative.

The Illinois State Poetry Society (ISPS) offers a monthly open mic and reading, chapter meetings and poetry critiques across Illinois, a full events calendar, and resources that spotlight members and their poems. Its stated mission is to "promote poetry in all its forms and spotlight our members and their work." If you are a poet or poetry lover in Illinois looking for regular readings, feedback on your work, or a community to join, these are the main offerings to consider.

Events: Monthly Open Mic and Chapter Meetings

Monthly Open Mic & Reading at Brewed Awakenings

ISPS has sponsored a monthly open mic with two featured poets for almost twenty years. The event is led by Wilda Morris.

• Location: Brewed Awakenings, 19 W Quincy, Westmont
• Schedule: Last Sunday of the month, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Cost: Free

This is the most accessible entry point if you want to read your work aloud or simply listen. Because it runs on a fixed monthly schedule, you can plan around it without needing to check a rotating calendar.

Chapter Meetings and Poetry Critiques

ISPS chapters meet regularly in public venues and/or online across Illinois. The site lists these chapters:

• North Suburban
• Southern
• Champaign
• Lisle (Founding)
• West Suburban
• Haiku
• Pontiac (North Central)

For meeting dates and times, the site directs you to its Chapters & Meetings page and Events Calendar. Chapter meetings are where poetry critiques happen, so this is the route to take if you want feedback on drafts rather than just a reading audience.

Full Calendar of Events

The site maintains a Full Calendar of Events covering upcoming activities. Use it to confirm current dates, since chapter schedules and special events can change.

Contests and Resources

The site's own description names events, contests, and resources as part of what ISPS provides, and its mission centers on promoting poetry and spotlighting members' work. Beyond that, the homepage content emphasizes:

• Poems — member work is featured as a core part of the site.
• Member spotlights — the society explicitly aims to highlight members and their writing.
• History and membership information — the site invites visitors to explore ISPS's history, events, members, and poems.

Specific contest names, deadlines, entry fees, and prize details are not stated in the available page content, so check the site directly before planning a submission.

How This Connects Poets Across Illinois

The structure serves two different needs:

The geographic spread of chapters — from the Chicago suburbs to Champaign, Southern Illinois, and Pontiac — means most Illinois poets can find a group within reasonable distance or join online.

Before You Join

• Confirm the current meeting time and venue on the Chapters & Meetings page or Events Calendar; the monthly open mic details above come from the site's homepage and may be updated.
• If you are specifically interested in contests, look for a dedicated contests page, since the homepage does not list contest specifics.
• Email [email protected] with questions about membership, chapters, or events.

The Illinois State Poetry Society (ISPS) exists to promote poetry in all its forms and to spotlight its members and their work. Its stated purpose is "Connecting people and poetry" — a mission carried out through a statewide network of chapters, recurring readings, contests, and member publications rather than through a single central program. If you write poetry in Illinois, want to hear it read aloud, or are looking for a community of poets near you, ISPS is built around that goal.

The mission in practice

ISPS describes three connected aims:

• Promote poetry in all its forms — from formal verse to haiku, which has its own dedicated chapter.
• Spotlight members and their work — the society frames its activities around giving members' poems an audience.
• Connect people and poetry across Illinois — chapters and events are distributed geographically and online so participation isn't limited to one metro area.

How the mission is carried out

Chapters across the state

ISPS organizes members into regional and interest-based chapters, which is how the "across Illinois" part of the mission becomes concrete:

• North Suburban
• Southern
• Champaign
• Lisle (Founding)
• West Suburban
• Haiku
• Pontiac (North Central)

Chapters meet regularly in public venues and/or online. To find meeting dates and times, ISPS points visitors to its Chapters & Meetings page and its Events Calendar.

A monthly open mic and reading

For almost twenty years ISPS has sponsored a monthly open mic with two featured poets. The event is held at Brewed Awakenings in Westmont (19 W Quincy), led by Wilda Morris, on the last Sunday of the month from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ISPS states that this event is free.

Events and contests

The site highlights upcoming events as "artists and poets connecting and collaborating," with a full calendar of events available. Contests are also listed among the society's offerings, alongside resources for members.

Who this mission is for

The welcome message addresses "poets and poetry lovers" — so the intended audience is broader than published writers. If your interest is reading, listening, or critiquing rather than submitting, the chapter meetings and monthly reading are the most direct entry points. If your interest is publication and recognition, the contests and member-spotlighting activities are the relevant ones.

How to get involved or ask questions

• Browse the Chapters & Meetings page and Events Calendar to find a gathering near you or online.
• Attend the last-Sunday open mic at Brewed Awakenings in Westmont if you want a low-commitment first visit.
• Contact the society directly at [email protected] with questions.

The site does not state membership fees, dues, or any login requirement, so treat cost and access terms as unconfirmed until you ask.

The Illinois State Poetry Society (ISPS) lists seven chapters and points members to two places for meeting details: the Chapters & Meetings page and the Events Calendar on illinoispoets.org. Chapters meet regularly in public venues and/or online across Illinois, and meetings include poetry critiques. If you want a recurring local or online group, start with the chapter list below, then check the calendar for the next date.

ISPS Chapters

ISPS describes these chapters as meeting regularly in public venues and/or online across Illinois. Because a chapter may alternate between in-person and online formats, confirm the current format before traveling.

How to Find Dates and Times

1. Go to illinoispoets.org.
2. Open the Chapters & Meetings page for chapter-level contact and meeting information.
3. Open the Events Calendar (linked as "Full Calendar of Events") for upcoming dates and times.
4. If a chapter's schedule is unclear, email [email protected] with the chapter name in your subject line.

Expected result: you should come away with a specific chapter, a meeting format (in person, online, or both), and a next date.

A Standing Event Anyone Can Attend

ISPS has sponsored a monthly open mic with two featured poets for almost twenty years. It is held at Brewed Awakenings, 19 W Quincy, Westmont, led by Wilda Morris, on the last Sunday of the month from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ISPS states this event is free.

This is the simplest entry point if you are not yet tied to a chapter or want to sample the community before committing to a critique group.

What to Expect at Chapter Meetings

• Poetry critiques — bring work if you want feedback; meetings are built around reading and responding to poems.
• Public venues and/or online — the setting varies by chapter, so ask before your first visit.
• Regular cadence — chapters meet on recurring schedules rather than one-off dates, which makes them suitable for ongoing participation.

Common Snags

• Assuming one page has everything. Chapter details live on the Chapters & Meetings page; time-sensitive dates live on the Events Calendar. Check both.
• Showing up without confirming format. A chapter listed for a public venue may also run online sessions. Verify the current arrangement.
• Missing the monthly open mic. It falls on the last Sunday, not a fixed calendar date, so it shifts each month.