Statement from CREATE Council on the Arts — April 2026

The  Greene County Poet Laureate program is currently paused following  the Greene County Legislature’s decision to rescind the appointment of the candidate selected through CREATE’s administered process, which included a recommendation from an independent panel.

CREATE conducted the selection process to mirror our consistent practice – we launched an open application for direct submissions and nominations and convened an independent panel who were instructed to make choices based on cultural impact and artistic merit. The panel’s recommendation was then formally appointed by the Chairman of the Legislature. Throughout the process we shared program guidelines and materials with the Greene County Administration prior to implementation.

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors believe it would not be appropriate to advance an alternate candidate at this time. Given the circumstances, we want to ensure that any future process fully reflects all expectations and priorities of both CREATE and the legislature. We believe this is the most fair and respectful approach to potential candidates. We plan to work collaboratively with the Legislature to revisit and relaunch the program in the coming year.

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The Greene County Poet Laureate program is currently paused. We look forward to sharing updates when the program relaunches. For questions contact executivedirector@createcouncil.org