Ekphrastic Poetry Competition

Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle St, New Bern NC 28560

Craven Arts Council & Gallery is proud to announce the opening of their Ekphrastic Poetry Competition for 2026. This competition asks local poets and writers to submit original poems inspired by the artwork in the 2026 Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition, on display August & September 2026. Poets can submit up to 3 poems at $10 each, online at cravenarts.org, at Bank of the Arts, or by mail to PO Box 596, New Bern, NC. The deadline to submit is 5:00 pm August 28th , 2026.

Craven Arts Council’s Ekphrastic Poetry Competition showcases the link between different forms of art, namely the visual and the literary. The aim of the competition is to bring different types of artists together, to recognize talent in visual arts and poetry, and to help encourage those who may not normally engage in writing poetry by giving them an easily grasped starting point. Artwork can be viewed online at cravenarts.org, or in person at the Bank of the Arts available now.

The competition will feature an adult and a youth category, with entries judged by James Daniels, creative writing professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T), teaching writing and hip-hop for 15 years. Selected poems will be awarded cash prizes, and poets will have the chance to read their original works at the September Artwalk on September 11th after 6pm. Craven Arts Council & Gallery will also produce a book of artwork and poetry from the exhibition and poetry competition to go on sale in December. For more information about the Ekphrastic Poetry Competition and James Daniels, visit cravenarts.org.

Bank of the Arts is home of the Craven Arts Council & Gallery, with three galleries free and open to the public 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays.