Inaugural Artist in Residence

 

Being invited to serve as the first Artist in Residence at the Stone Soup Storytelling Institute is an honor that feels both personal and communal. There’s something deeply sacred about stepping into a space that has held stories for over forty years, where the tradition is thick in the air and every voice feels like it belongs to the land.

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I came to Woodruff with spoken word as my offering; poetry shaped by breath and body, rooted in rhythm and truth. My goal was never just performance, but connection. To build spaces where people could hear themselves in each other. To start something that could live beyond me. 

 

The launch of an open mic night became the first spark. It grew quickly, people showed up ready to share, ready to listen, ready to build. It reminded us all that storytelling, poetry, music,  is not only about entertainment, but about healing, memory, and community.

 

This residency is just the beginning. I hope it evolves into a rotating program that brings in artists from different walks of life, offering workshops and performances that reflect the diversity and depth of this community. Through poetry, storytelling and collective creativity, we’re carving a space where spoken word continues to grow;  not as a trend, but as a tradition.

Stone Soup has always been about what we each bring to the pot. I’m proud to have stirred the first ladle in this new chapter.

 

Liz Love, Inaugural Artist in Residence
Stone Soup Storytelling Institute