Everything But the Dinosaur: Art With & About Youth reception

media release: The Madison Arts Commission presents exhibitions in the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., as well as the City-County Building across the street and other public buildings.

Pieces for the latest exhibition, Everything but the Dinosaur: Art With & About Youth, were installed in the Madison Municipal Building this summer and will be on display through May 30, 2025. The pieces can be seen throughout the building in waiting areas, service counters, conference rooms, hallways, and public offices during normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00am – 4:30pm. You can also view a digital copy of each of the pieces online in our virtual exhibition.

The Madison Arts Commission is inviting the public to attend the opening reception for the 2024 Madison Municipal Building Art Exhibition, titled Everything but the Dinosaur: Art With & About Youth, and meet the City’s newest Youth Poet Laureate on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

The exhibition will include work by Jennika Bastian, Angela Johnson, Meghan Johnson, Poornima Moorthy, Roberto Torres Mata, and Sonia Valle.

The reception will be held from 4:30pm to 6:30pm in Room 206 on the second floor of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. An elevator is available next to the staircase on the Doty Street end of the building.

The reception will also include the induction of the newest Madison Youth Poet Laureate, Justin Festge Russell. Justin is the third Youth Poet Laureate for the City of Madison, following 2022-2023 Madison Youth Poet Laureate Madeleine Bohn and 2023-2024 Madison Youth Poet Laureate Maliha Nu’Man.

"Being from Madison, I want to put on for my city and be a role model to the youth. My goal is to become an educator and having this title would put me in the face of the public where I’m able to fulfill my vision. I desire to share the stories of the people and speak for those who are afraid. I truly believe in the power of the youth and must contribute to it as best as I can. For we are the future."

Madison Youth Poet Laureate Justin Festge Russell

The Madison Youth Poet Laureate serves a one-year term and will give three public readings alongside the current Madison Poet Laureate during that time.

"I’m grateful for the chance to work with and learn from Justin. His poetry has real heart; it endeavors towards knowing at great personal risk. I don’t know of qualities more necessary for the next generation of poets and artists."Madison Poet Laureate Steven Espada Dawson

Justin is a recent graduate of Madison East High School and has just started his freshman year in the First Wave program at UW-Madison.

“Since its origin, First Wave, a full-tuition Hip-Hop scholarship at UW-Madison, has been one of the most exciting things this city has to offer and we are so lucky to have Justin, 17th cohort, as this year’s Youth Poet Laureate,” Madison Arts Commission Chair Nick Pjevach said.

The Youth Poet Laureate will have their poems published in the National Youth Poet Laureate annual anthology and have the opportunity to apply for the National Youth Poet Laureate role in the fall. To be eligible, applicants must be between the ages of 13 and 19 at the time of selection and must reside within the City of Madison.