Submitted by the Town of Friday Harbor.

The Town and its Friday Harbor Arts Commission invite the public to enjoy new poems now on display at the four Poetry Gardens located next to the Post Office, in the waterfront viewing area below Downriggers, and in front of San Juan Community Theatre and Mullis Center. The 30 poems were written by San Juan County residents and selected by former Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna in the Town’s second Poetry Garden Contest.

The Town has also published a limited edition booklet of the winning poems, Friday Harbor Poetry Gardens 2023, available free at Town Hall. An e-book is in production for the Town website, and celebratory poetry reading is being planned for later this year.

Authors of the poems installed in the original gardens have been invited to donate their plaques to the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park for a future installation. “The public will continue to enjoy these poems for many years to come,” said Town Council member and poetry committee member Mason Turnage. “The Town appreciates the generosity of the poets and the Sculpture Park as well as the efforts of our Poetry Garden citizen committee members Rebecca Cook and Boyd Pratt and arts commissioner David Jenkins.” For more information on the Poetry Gardens and the Friday Harbor Arts Commission, go to www.fridayharbor.org