Arts Council Elects Ari Banias as Poet Laureate
Arts Council · Meeting of February 10, 2026
NORTHAMPTON — Arts Council elects Ari Banias as Northampton's new Poet Laureate. Kelsey Socha-Bishop nominated Banias, and council members voted 11 to 1 in favor, with one abstention. The council also discussed reviving a youth poet laureate program and indicated it will revisit that initiative at the next meeting.
In related business, the Silver Chord Bowl fundraiser raised $961 for the BJ Goodwin Fund, and members reported on upcoming events including Kids Best Fest, the Northampton Youth Cinema Festival, and FloFest scheduled for September 19.
In the full story:
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Source: the Arts Council meeting of February 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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