Kim Goldberg

The gallery, unveiled during Freedom to Read Week (February 24 to March 1, 2008), is the brainchild of Nanaimo poet Kim Goldberg, who hopes the idea will catch on and spread to other vacant storefronts.

"It’s a great way to dress up empty downtown buildings," says Goldberg, who is a frequent Wordstorm performer and author of Ride Backwards On Dragon Leaf Press and other books. "Instead of covering those windows with brown paper, let's cover them with poems and turn our streets into literary showcases promoting local writers and making poetry part of everyday life," she says.

The building's owners, George and Laura Ewing of G.E.M. Fabrications Gates & Gifts around the corner on Fitzwilliam Street, are equally enthusiastic.

"I’m glad to see something brightening up the dark empty windows," says Laura Ewing. "We are happy to be a part of this." The Ewings recently received a Heritage Rehabilitation Award for renovations to their buildings along Fitzwilliam.

Goldberg hopes to create more temporary poem galleries in other unused storefronts in coming months. And she hopes other poets and artists will be similarly inspired to create their own window galleries.

"Just find an empty storefront with high visibility, figure out who owns it, and go for it!" she urges.

The 18 poets featured in Nanaimo's first poem gallery are: Winona Baker, John Beaton, Andrew Brown, Kim Clark, Peter Culley, Jim Erkiletian, David Fraser, Kim Goldberg, HawkOwl, Katy McCuish, Leanne McIntosh, Liza Potvin, Leila Rai, Patricia Smekal, Jano Thibodeau, Mildred Tremblay, Ursula Vaira, and K. Louise Vincent.

Return to What's New

Return to WordStorm

Ascent Aspirations Magazine