Purpose

The City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate use their roles to create awareness and appreciation for poetry through community outreach, civic engagement, commemoration of the city, and the promotion of literacy across the greater Rock Hill area.

History

The City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate program is an initiative launched in 2018 by Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys. The program is managed by the Poet Laureate Selection Committee, made up of representatives from local arts, nonprofit, education, and community organizations.

Angelo "Eyeambic" Geter
Rock Hill Poet Laureate

​Angelo ‘Eyeambic’ Geter is a dynamic poet, spoken word artist and motivational speaker who merges his passions for poetry and speaking into a unique performance that educates, entertains, and inspires. Angelo’s work touches on a variety of issues including social justice, race, grief,

character, and manhood. He blends his pieces with commentary, stories, and personal narratives that transcend a traditional lecture or performance. 

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Over the course of his career, Angelo has amassed several accolades and currently serves as the Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, SC. He is a 2020 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, 2019 All-America city winner, 2018 National Poetry Slam champion, Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam finalist, and Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam finalist. He has also performed and competed in several venues across the country. His work has appeared on All Def Poetry, Charleston Currents, and the Academy of American Poets "Poem-a-Day" series.

Contact Angelo Geter

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Events

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08/22 Vibes and Verses Open Mic - Facebook: @FridayArtsProject (Virtual) 6 pm

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09/18 Let the Laureate Tell It - Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte, NC TBA

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09/26 Vibes and Verses Open Mic - Facebook: @FridayArtsProject (Virtual) 6 pm

Alexandra Aradas
Rock Hill Youth Poet Laureate

Alexandra Aradas is a rising senior in the creative writing program at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, she studied theater through the STARTS program at Winthrop University. In 2018, she won first place in

the middle school photography category during Rock Hill’s Black History Month Celebration, and she has also competed at club and district levels in the Optimist International Oratorical Contest.

Alexandra made President’s Honor Roll as a high school junior and has been recognized as a Student Ambassador. She has been inducted into the Junior and Senior Divisions of the National Beta Club and was also nominated for the National Society of High School Scholars. At the Governor’s School, she attended the Discovery and Academy summer programs for creative writing and was accepted into the creative writing residential program.

Alexandra has been published in her high school's literary magazine and received honorable mention in the 2021 Ringling College "Storytellers of Tomorrow" Contest. Now an active member of the Feminist Club and the Connecting Arts Through Service (C.A.T.S.) Club at the Governor’s School, she was named Rock Hill’s Youth Poet Laureate in the summer of 2021, the first for South Carolina, and was also nominated for Palmetto Girls State.

Participating Organizations