Corvallis Poetry Marquee
About The Poetry Marquee
The Corvallis Poetry Marquee has been a celebrated community project for over 25 years. With the help of Linda Modrell, then a Benton County Commissioner, and David Livingston, the defunct Midway Drive-in Theater sign was installed in 1998 on a building at the corner of First and Madison Avenues. Once the sign was in place, David Livingston continued to maintain the sign and agreed to display poems selected by The Arts Center.
2026 Selected Poets
Congratulations to the 2026 winners selected by Oregon Poetry Association President, David Goodrum. The following poems will be installed on the Corvallis Poetry Marquee throughout the year.
My Cat
My cat sits, meditating on the sink,
water swirling down the drain.
I sit, contemplating the cosmos.
What difference?
Tim Hicks – Eugene, OR
Afternoon Slump
Walking east at 4 PM
my shadow
drags me along
feet first
Lana H. Ayers – Newport, OR
Flight
Don’t you wish you could open a book, spine splayed, pages fluttering, heft it above your head so pages turn into wings as you clutch covers front and back, and let it lift you up, up, up?
Ann Farley – Beaverton, OR
Along the River
Grass and leaf, salmon’s leap, eagle’s soar— all
born in fire and rock, ice and flood. Water the
start of all that breathes. When you look for
your way along the shore, do not discount a place
of wild reeds. So much is nurtured in the tangle.
Louise Barden – Corvallis, OR
Visit the Poetry Marquee in Person
Enjoy the most recent poem by going to 134 Southwest 1st Street, Corvallis, OR — the sign is hung on the South side of the building. Take a moment to walk inside and order some Sugar J’s Ice Cream as well!
Call for Poets Guidelines
- Each author may submit only one application per call (2 poems)
- Poems must be 7 lines or less.
- Each line can have no more than 50 characters.
- Two poems will be selected. Selected poems are installed in the fall and spring, weather permitting.
The call for Poetry Marquee poets is currently closed.