A Home for Poetry

Mission Statement

The primary purpose of the new building is to help the Poetry Foundation carry out its mission of discovering and celebrating the best poetry and putting it before the largest possible audience. The ground floor of the two-story building will be devoted to public use, including a multipurpose space expected to be one of the leading venues for the spoken word, a public garden, a 30,000-volume non-circulating collection that is currently in storage, and an exhibition gallery.

Environmental Sustainability

The project is intended to be environmentally sustainable and will comply with the Silver Level of the US Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System®. The building design integrates a number of sustainable design strategies and energy-efficient systems, including a partial green roof and materials that are locally sourced and/or produced from renewable or recycled sources.

Harriet Monroe's "Open Door"

The new building in the city’s River North neighborhood fulfills a century-old vision of Poetry magazine founder Harriet Monroe. Writing her first editorial in 1912, Monroe imagined that ultimately the magazine would help poets pursue their art, increase public interest in poetry, and raise poetry’s profile in society.

Free Spirit Media at the Poetry Foundation’s Open House

Events at the Building