Knoxville Poet Laureate
In June of 2020, I was named the Knoxville Poet Laureate. It is my goal to spread poetry through written and spoken word all over the city and create spaces for conversations and growth by dealing with hard topics through the poetry that local and national poets are sharing.
July 4th - It is Well
7/3/2021
Rhea is featured with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in celebration of July 4th. She performed the poem It is Well with KSO accomompanying. Read the words of the poem and leave a message.
Juneteenth Celebration
6/19/2021
Rhea shares a new poem about the power of Juneteenth and a reason to celebrate while still pushing for more to be done. Read the poem and let her know how you feel with a message.
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Altar'd State Juneteenth Celebration
6/17/2021
Rhea shares her gift of motivational speaking and poetry with the executive staff of Altar'd State.
Beyond the Spark Season 2
6/9/2021 - 8/1/2021
Rhea produces another season of the great web series Beyond the Spark. This season features new talent and a return of the amazing voices from last season as coaches.
Introduction Knoxville
5/19/2021
Rhea shares with the Introduction Knoxville class how Knoxville has helped her celebrate and find herself as a person and a poet.
The Maker City Presents: The Power of Poetry
5/6/2021
Rhea performs and shares with the arts community her vision for poetry in the city of Knoxville. Performing with her Kelle Jolly, Black Atticus, and Travis Tench.
Virtual Secret City Slam
4/30/2021
Rhea hosts the Virtual Secret City Slam to find members of the 2021-2022 slam team that will compete in Southern Fried representing the Oak Ridge/Knoxville area.
Poetry in Motion Launch
4/1/2021
Rhea launches the 1st Poetry in Motion campaign for the city of Knoxville. Poets will perform every Monday and Friday all over Knoxville on the KAT system.
Meet Your Poet Laureate
3/21/2021
Rhea hosts an online session where Knoxville can interact and learn more about the work of the Poet Laureate for the city.
Beyond the Spark - Ep.10
11/27/2020
As the executive producer and one of the 3 coaches for this web series, Rhea appears in each episode. This week she coahes poets in their final project.
What I'm Thankful For...
11/26/2020
Rhea appears on the front page of the Knoxville News Sentinel for Thanksgiving. Here she shares reasons to be thankful in the midst of a pandemic.
Beyond the Spark - Ep. 9
11/20/2020
During Episode 9, Rhea works with Dasan Ahanu to start the Beyond the Spark challenge.
Spokenword Sundays
11/15/2020
On Sundays, Rhea presents new poetry to Facebook and Instagram Live. This week she shared the poem TEACH as a way of supporting her fellow teachers.
Beyond the Spark - Ep.8
11/13/2020
Month #2 is over and the winner is revealed. In this episode, we see how quickly things can get turned around when you meet early on a Saturday morning.
Spokenword Sundays
11/8/2020
On Sundays, Rhea presents new poetry to Facebook and Instagram Live. This week she shared the poem Listen Closely. A poem that encourages us to truly lend our ears to those that mean the most in our lives.