SUPPORT OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Starting November 9th, Woodland Pattern's staff will be moving into our new space at 347 E. Ward St! Fully accessible and historically tied to Wisconsin book arts, this 8,896 square-foot building will allow Woodland Pattern to exponentially expand its role as a literary leader in the Great Lakes Region.
Quietly launched in October 2025, Woodland Pattern's $2m Capital Campaign has already met the first third of its goal. Upgrades have been taking place over the summer, and a Grand Opening will coincide with our 33rd Annual Poetry Marathon.
Please find links below to support and learn more about our Capital Campaign. To discuss a gift, a recognition opportunity, a multi-year pledge, a contribution from an IRA, an in-kind donation, and any other form of support, please contact Executive Directors Jenny Gropp and Laura Solomon.
We look forward to opening our doors at Woodland Pattern’s new Bay View home and welcoming back our community!
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Applications: Book Center Director
The Book Center Director is a full-time, exempt position that works to promote and support Woodland Pattern’s mission through the ongoing care and development of its unique collections of poetry and small-press literature. The application deadline is November 30, 2026.
Call for Applications: Milwaukee Emerging Poet Fellowships
Woodland Pattern is accepting applications for the fifth year of its Milwaukee Emerging Poet Fellowship program. We are excited to offer awards in two categories. Each will run from January 2027 through December 2027. The application deadline has been EXTENDED for both categories and will now be November 15, 2026. Apply or learn more by visiting the link below.
Reading Group: Readshop
*ONLINE on Zoom*
Wed. Nov. 4 & 18, and Dec. 2 & 16 (CST) | 6–7:15 pm | Open to the public
Reading: Emerging Poet Fellowship Celebration & Over the Prairie // Under the Prairie Anthology Launch with Lily Lalios and Friends
*IN PERSON at Cactus Club*
Sun. Dec. 20 | 4–6 pm CST | Open to the public
Special Event: 33rd Annual Poetry Marathon & Benefit—SAVE THE DATE!
*IN PERSON*
Sat. & Sun. Jan. 30 & 31 | 10 am-10 pm CST each day | $Give What You Can
Opportunity: Wisconsin Poet Laureate Project
Wisconsin's 2025-2027 Poet Laureate, Brenda Cárdenas—also a Woodland Pattern board member!—invites you to participate in her Poet Laureate Project, which brings Wisconsin poets and visual artists together in a relay of ekphrastic works. Ekphrastic poems are simply those that are inspired by visual art, and ekphrastic visual art is that which is inspired by a poem.
Brenda encourages all Wisconsin poets and visual artists to submit to this open call, and welcomes those who have already seen their poetry published or their art exhibited, as well as those who are beginning to explore writing poems or creating visual art.
All who wish to participate must register under their regions (the same regions the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets uses) on the project’s website. Once you've registered, you will find all of the materials you will need to guide you—an introduction to the mode of ekphrasis, reading and writing prompts, sample ekphrastic pairings, etcetera.
A note from Brenda: Please email me at wisconsinpoetlaureate [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions you may have. This is a brand new website, and while we've tried to anticipate any kinks in the project, I doubt we have anticipated them all. Finally, I would be most grateful if you would spread the word about the project to any and all of your poet and visual artist friends and acquaintances. And, most importantly, have fun!
We acknowledge that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.
We further acknowledge the iniquity and suffering colonialism introduced to these lands through genocide and slavery, as well as through racist and xenophobic beliefs, laws, and practices that continue to inflict harm upon Black, brown, Indigenous, and immigrant lives. We honor those who have lived—and live now—at these intersections of identity and experience.
347 E. Ward Street
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Phone: 414 263 5001
Hours: Temporarily Closed
Building Accessibility: Despite the age of our physical location, and attendant limitations to access, Woodland Pattern is committed to making its programs and facilities available for as many as possible. Please call for more information.
Events Accessibility: Woodland Pattern is able to offer captioning services for its online events and with advanced notice can provide ASL interpretation for live events. Please contact us with accommodation requests and questions.
© Woodland Pattern 2026