We are thrilled to bring the Fresh Voices Poetry Competition back to Hill-Stead during National Poetry Month!
Fresh Voices Poetry Competition is an outstanding program that offers students the opportunity to write and perform poems suitable for presentation and publication. The highly selective competition features a rigorous judging process, a focused workshop with professional poets, and special recognition. Since 1993, student poets from all corners of Connecticut have entered this competition.
Congratulations to the 2023 Fresh Voices Competition winners!
This past Friday, April 21 Fresh Voices finalists read their poems to our panel of judges. At the conclusion of the readings, the following winners were announced:
- McKenna Clemons, Rockville High School
- Chloe Djilani, Danbury High School
- Jules Kontozissi-Dahlstrom, Danbury High School
- Elsa Poler, Miss Porter’s School
- Lauren Tedford, Rockville High School
Their poems will be published in our online poetry journal, Theodate, later in the summer.
Our heartfelt congratulations to the following finalists:
- Eliot Alonzo, Danbury High School
- Caitlin Chatterton, Rockville High School
- McKena Clemons, Rockville High School
- Grace Denhel, Rockville High School
- Chloe Djilani, Danbury High School
- Abigail Hermanson, Rockville High School
- Jules Kontozissi-Dahlstrom, Danbury High School
- Athena Lavigne, Rockville High School
- Mikayla Lesky, Rockville High School
- Ashley Mayfield, Woodland Regional High School- Region 16
- Theo Mays, Westover School
- Elsa Poler, Miss Porter’s School
- Tracy Pierre, Bristol Central High School
- Lauren Tedford, Rockville High School
- Anna Siciliano, Hall High School
Hill-Stead Museum also wishes to thank this year’s Fresh Voices readers, Amy Blakemore and Margaret Vaughan. Thank you for your thoughtful read and review of each submission and for selecting these finalists to present their poetry in front of a live panel of judges on Friday, April 21, at 5 pm.
This year’s Fresh Voices Judges were Princess Zuri McCann and Vivian Shipley.
Awards
- Perform for the Fresh Voices Competition & Celebration at HillStead Museum.
- Poems published in the museum’s online poetry journal, Theodate
- Monetary awards for Fresh Voices winners
- FREE workshop by a local professional poet
- Winners announced on Hill-Stead Museum’s social media and website
Previous Winners
2021
Read the poetry of the 2021 winning poets in the February 2022 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Eve Brouillard Rockville High School
- Nora Holmes William H. Hall High School
- JaMara Jean Westover School
- Valli Pendyala South Windsor High School
- Cindy Truong ACES Educational Center for the Arts
2020
Read the poems by the 2020 winners in the January 2021 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Haneen Alkabasi Avon High School
- Alicia Chiu William H. Hall High School
- Jake Colangelo Joel Barlow High School
- Olatunji Osho-Williams Westminster School
- MM Odom The Grove School
- Charlotte Watts Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
2019
Read the poems by the 2019 winners in the January 2020 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Sophia Ciraldo Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Danny Diaz-Villafane Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Stella Georgian East Lyme High School
- Autumn Munsell Granby Memorial High School
- Camden Robertson Granby Memorial High School
- Ava Varano Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
2018
Read the poems by the 2018 winners in the May 2019 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Vanecia Fultz Rockville High School
- Rachel Justice Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Sarah Lewis Hall High School
- Ellis McGinley Arts at the Capitol Magnet School
- Youssef Mezrioui Rockville High School
- Alex Nordlund Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
2017
Read the poems by the 2017 winners in the January 2018 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Joyce Hida, Rockville High School
- Sophia Durand, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Rachel Horowitz-Benoit, EO Smith High School
- Verne Mackoff, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Sophie Spaner, Valley Regional High School
2016
Read the poems by the 2016 winners in the January 2017 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Owen Elphick, E.O. Smith High School
- Chloe Ezzo, Kingswood Oxford
- Leah Nashel, Westover School
- Jossary Padilla, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Abbey Rose Popolizio, Haddam-Killingworth High School
2015
Read the poems by the 2015 winners in the March 2016 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Cole Adams, Kingswood-Oxford
- Avery Christensen, Rockville High School
- Khadija Hussain, Wilber Cross High School
- Joscelyn Norris, Westover
- Kaleigh Perkins, Rockville High School
2014
Read the poems by the 2014 winners in the February 2016 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Shana Blatt, ACES Education Center for the Arts (New Haven)
- Colleen Feeney, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
- Sophia O’Brien-Udry, ACES Education Center for the Arts (New Haven)
- Taite Puhala, Westminster School (Simsbury)
- Wenell St. Hill, Great Hartford Academy of the Arts
2013
Read the poems by the 2013 winners in the February 2016 issue of Theodate: An Online Poetry Journal.
- Julia Alexander
- Horlando De los Santos
- Trey Geisman
- Hayley Kolding
- Essence McDonald
2012
- Alexandra Asal
- Sophie Dillon
- Shameil Dias
- Amanda Goode
- Shannon Haaland
- Ellie Woznica