About
Workshops and Open Mic
Workshop begins at 6:30 pm
Open Mic begins at 7:30 pm
Yes &: NJ Creates was founded on the premise that artists should have access to information on best practices around craft, showcasing work, and submitting their art to available opportunities. Our naming is intentional and invites possibility and inclusivity and calls in everyone to contribute to the arts community in various ways. We offer a space to be in community with each other, learn together and talk about unspoken techniques, tools, and resources in the field. We believe that a degree does not dictate your value and that both emerging and established artists can learn together in the same space. We believe that time spent sharing and openly discussing these best practices and resources make the arts community stronger, more equitable, and a healthier ecosystem. Right now we offer these workshops and opportunities for free in order to be an accessible resource. We are beginning our programming by focusing on the poetry community.
Biographies
Ysabel Y. González [Ysi]
Newark, NJ native Ysabel Y. Gonzalez (she/her), received her BA from Rutgers University, an MFA in Poetry from Drew University and works as the Poetry Creative Officer at the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Ysabel has received invitations to attend VONA, Tin House, Ashbery Home School and BOAAT Press workshops. She’s a CantoMundo Fellow and has been published in Tinderbox Journal; Anomaly; Vinyl; Waxwing Literary Journal, and others. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of Wild Invocations (Get Fresh Books, 2019). You can read more at www.ysabelgonzalez.com.
Tamara Zbrizher [Toma]
Tamara Zbrizher (she/her) is a Ukrainian American poet. She received her MFA at Drew University. Her work has been published in various journals and anthologies and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of The Net. She is the recipient of the 2021 NJ Poets Prize. Her first full-length collection Tell Me Something Good was released from Get Fresh Books in April, 2019. She lives in New Jersey with her son and enjoys naming the birds outside her window.