SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- What happens when poetry comes into your life? Can poems make a difference? In celebration of the 15th anniversary of WritersCorps, the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery presents This Place Called Poetry, a multimedia exhibition about young people finding and claiming their place (runs through January 24, 2009).

Multimedia artist Katharine Gin and sound artist Kjell Nordeson lead this installation along with 11 young San Francisco writers who developed their poetic voices in WritersCorps, a creative writing program serving urban youth. Since its inception in 1994, WritersCorps has helped more than 15,000 young people from neighborhoods throughout San Francisco improve their literacy ― and inspire them to learn.

For the past year, Gin and Nordeson worked with these 11 writers to create a bold collection of short film and audio portraits. These portraits introduce visitors to an eclectic group of San Francisco poets, diverse in their artistic visions and life experiences, but connected by their love of poetry and their belief in art’s transformative ability. Visitors can view short films, listen to audio recordings, respond to writing prompts, and even exhibit their own writing.

Sponsored locally by the San Francisco Arts Commission, WritersCorps ― with additional chapters in the Bronx and Washington, D.C. ― places professional writers into communities often underserved by the arts. WritersCorps’ in-depth programs provide rich opportunities for thousands of young people whose voices are often shut out and disenfranchised from mainstream society’s traditional media and culture.