New Art Coming to Twin Cities in Early June

Fans of the arts will be able to catch one of the nation's largest poetry festivals when it arrives in Minneapolis in early June. Rustbelt Poetry Festival, a competitive poetry event, will make its home in the Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota from June 2-3.

The festival will bring in the brightest poetic voices from across the country. Fans of the arts and spoken word will be able to engage with socially conscious art in a two-day event. Audience members will be able to volunteer to judge rounds, or "bouts," in traditional slam poetry style, selecting who will advance in the competition. The event is open to people of all ages. Festival passes and tickets for individual rounds are available.

"We wanted to help bring the festival here, because of the strong poetry scene in the Twin Cities and the desire to bring more poets out to the Midwest," said Sam Cook, owner and executive director of Button Poetry, the main sponsor of Rustbelt Poetry Festival. "We are pleased to offer an event that can inspire, create emotion and bring awareness while featuring poets from across the country."

While Rustbelt Poetry Festival migrates across the Midwest each year, this will be the first time it has landed in Minnesota. Videos from previous Rustbelt festivals have been featured in NPR, Fast Company, Upworthy, and The Huffington Post and have 70 million views collectively; that's about the population size of the United Kingdom. More information on the Rustbelt Poetry Festival, poets performing and tickets can be found at http://www.rustbeltpoetryfestival.com.

About Button Poetry

Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based company, nestled into a quaint office space downtown. Founded in 2011 and run by poets, for poets, Button Poetry works to reach a wider audience and cultivate a cultural appreciation for spoken word and poetry, while showcasing conscious artistry and the power of diverse voices. Additional information on Button Poetry is available at http://buttonpoetry.com/about-us/

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