MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 31, 2025) — Poet Roscoe Burnems led poetry workshops for classes at Martinsville High School and Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School from Oct. 27-31. More than 40 students participated in the program presented by Piedmont Arts.
During the workshops, Burnems taught students about the components of poetry and encouraged them to write pieces with deep personal meaning. Participants shared their finished work at a poetry showcase for their peers and teachers.
Burnems, also known as Douglas Powell, is an author, spoken-word artist and educator, as well as the first poet laureate of Richmond, Virginia. A National Poetry Slam champion and coach, he led the Virginia Commonwealth University team to a third-place finish in an international poetry competition. He is the author of three poetry collections and the founder of the poetry-based art collective The Writer’s Den. His poetry and comedy special, “Traumedy,” is available on Amazon Prime Video.
The program was made possible through a partnership between Martinsville City Public Schools, Henry County Public Schools and Piedmont Arts.
Piedmont Arts’ educational outreach programs are presented free of charge to students and schools. The museum reaches nearly 7,000 students each year through its programming.
To support the museum’s educational outreach initiatives, donations may be made to the Kay Smith Arts Education Fund.
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