Poetry Competition

2012 Poetry Competition: Objects and Artifacts—the Poetry of the Museum’s Collections

From its earliest days as an institution of human history, paleontology, zoology, botany, geology and anthropology, MPM
has collected and preserved artifacts, specimens and objects of all descriptions from around the world. Today the Museum’s collections include more than four million objects—everything from butterflies and arrowheads, fossils and antique automobiles, to snowshoes and typewriters and the famous Hebior Mammoth skeleton. To celebrate this vast and intriguing collection, the Museum is sponsoring its fourth annual poetry competition for Wisconsin students.

The theme is “Objects and Artifacts—the Poetry of the Museum’s Collections,” and the competition is open to all Wisconsin
students from grades 3-12. Students are encouraged to choose a favorite item from the Museum’s collections and write a poem about it. Students may be inspired by a visit to the Museum where they can wander our world-renowned exhibits, or explore a virtual selection of artifacts online at www.mpm.edu/exhibitions/featured/virtual-exhibit/

Submissions will be accepted from the following three grade categories: Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Winning poems will
be published in our Museum Member Magazine, and the winners will be invited to read their poems at the Museum during
National Museum’s Week in May. Entry deadline is April 30, 2012.

For details, contact Richard Hedderman, Poetry Competition Coordinator and Lead Judge, at (414) 278-2718 or hedderman@mpm.edu.

Contest Details

Theme: Objects and Artifacts—the Poetry of the Museum’s Collections

Deadline: April 30, 2012

Who is eligible: The competition is open to all Wisconsin students in the following three grade categories: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.

Criteria: Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, imagery, artistic quality, and sense of poetic expression. 

Awards: Winning poems will be exhibited in the Museum, and published in the MPM member magazine, Wings. The winners will also be invited to read their poems at the Museum during a special event. A certificate of achievement and additional prizes will be awarded at the reading.

How to Enter: Send submissions by regular mail only. All submissions must be received by April 30, 2012. NO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS, PLEASE. Mail to:

MPM Poetry Competition
Richard Hedderman, Education Section
800 W. Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233-1478

Submission Details

  • Submissions will be accepted from the following three categories ONLY: Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
  • All submissions must be word-processed and double-spaced.
  • Do not use colored paper, decorative fonts or illustrations. They make submissions more difficult to read.
  • All submissions must show the student’s name and grade level at the top right corner of the page. The name of the school, the moderating teacher’s name and e-mail address and school phone number must appear at the top right corner of the page.
  • Poetry must be the original work of the student and may not have been previously published anywhere. Please avoid: decorative fonts, illustrations and colored paper which make submissions more difficult to read.

After You Enter

  • Moderating teachers will be sent a thank you notification of their submissions. We are sorry, but we cannot return original entries or comment on submissions.
  • Teachers will be notified by e-mail or phone if their students have won.