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Benzie Area Historical Society and Oliver Art Center Invite the Public to the Fourth Annual Collaborative Poetry Program
FRANKFORT, MI — In celebration of the United States’ Semiquincentennial (250th birthday), the fourth annual ARTiFACTORY program will include not only poetry but also artwork, and we’ll focus on American heritage, identity, and the 250th Anniversary of the US. It can be about an artifact in the museum that relates to American heritage or identity. This year’s theme invites community members to explore the history, symbolism, and personal meanings of the American heritage, identity, and the 250th Anniversary of the US through poetry and art.
Sponsored by the Benzie Area Historical Society and the Oliver Art Center, ARTiFACTORY 2026 offers a unique opportunity for local writers and history enthusiasts to engage with the nation’s milestone anniversary. Teen writers are encouraged to participate.
The Celebration: Public Reading and Chapbook
Following the workshop, the community is invited to a special showcase event at the Oliver Art Center on April 12, from 2 pm to 4 pm. Participants will have the opportunity to read their original poems aloud and share their artwork with friends, family, and the public. There will be light refreshments served. This event is free.
To preserve these voices for posterity, every poem created during the program will be published in a 2026 ARTiFACTORY Chapbook. This commemorative collection will be available for purchase, providing a lasting tribute to Benzie County’s perspective on the American spirit during this historic year. The celebrated ARTiFACTORY 2026 chapbook will be available for purchase after the readings.
Event Details
- Location: Oliver Art Center, Frankfort, MI
- Cost: Free (All ARTiFACTORY events are free to the public)
- Theme: Poems and artwork about the American Flag in honor of the U.S. 250th Birthday
“ARTiFACTORY has always been about the intersection of history and art,” says Steven Veatch, founder of ARTiFACTORY. “For the nation’s 250th birthday, we are excited to focus exclusively on the American flag as our subject, inviting the community to reflect on its enduring legacy through their own poetry and creative vision.” To learn more about the reception, please call the Oliver Art Center at (231) 352-4151.