The Poetry Foundation hosted a two-day event in Chicago on June 25–26 to celebrate the opening of its new building. The event featured poetry readings by Elizabeth Alexander, Billy Collins, Sandra Cisneros, Robert Hass, Ange Mlinko, Edward Hirsch, Atsuro Riley, and Kay Ryan. There was a presentation by the building’s architect, John Ronan, poem recitations by Poetry Out Loud participants, panel discussions, and book signings. The event also included a children’s poetry reading with Mary Ann Hoberman, J. Patrick Lewis, and Jack Prelutsky.

The two-story building will facilitate the Foundation’s efforts to discover and celebrate the best poetry and present it before the largest possible audience. The ground floor of the building is for public use, sporting a performance space acoustically designed for the spoken word. There will also be a public garden, a library housing approximately 35,000 noncirculating works, and an exhibition gallery.

Free tickets, a schedule, and more information on the Poetry Foundation and its new building are available online at www.poetryfoundation.org/openhouse.