What are these funky signs in Downtown planters, along sidewalks, etc.?
Downtown Tulsa Partnership partnered with Magic City Books and the Woody Guthrie Center to decorate Downtown Tulsa with poetry communicating Downtown’s vibrancy and inclusivity. Haiku submissions were solicited among Downtown stakeholders, and 10 were selected, printed on 150 art boards, and temporarily installed in the public right-of-way throughout Downtown.
Who are the winners?
Judges selected the following 10 haiku winners, who will be recognized at the first-ever Curbside Haiku Poetry Night on Thursday, March 23, at the Woody Guthrie Center. Their work will be on display along Downtown streets for the next 30-45 days.
Who created the cool background?
Downtown Tulsa Partnership commissioned Tulsa artist Dawn Tree to design a backdrop for the winning haiku.
Dawn is a Tulsa-based artist, entrepreneur, and activist who works in various mediums. Dawn's pieces often provoke thoughts of community, humanity, spirituality, and connections of present and past. Watch this video to hear Dawn explain this year's Curbside Haiku art in her own words.
Where can I find the art boards in Downtown?
Art boards can generally be found along Downtown Tulsa's most walked corridors. Be sure to take photos of your favorite haiku and tag Downtown Tulsa Partnership on social media!

What about the poets who didn't win?
With over 100 entrants, selection was a difficult choice. Here are the other submissions that met entry requirements:
Arising from green Our past collides with future Where pain stood, now an embrace — R.J. Hammerbottom It's the promise of A rainbow of macarons: Matcha ... Peach ... perfection. — Tara Rittler People walk freely, Rich or poor, Downtown Now includes us all. — Katy L. Casillas-Gray Expensive condos, Art of all kinds, eat, work, play, Tulsa reimagined. — Katy L. Casillas-Gray Want the real? Go Downtown. Downtown is where the People be who they are. Downtown beats, marches, vibes. This city. — Annie Heartfield Hartzog Street music plays loud. A new dance on Guthrie Green. Tulsa evening dream. — Jackie Havens Topeca Coffee Aroma of the work day Comfort in a cup — Devon Devers Meet in Art District Center of the Universe The Heart of Tulsa — Melinda McLane Always enthralling Your Art Deco Downtown Visitor welcome — Brian Preston Valkyrie barman sighs, Points the confused, To the Bull in the Alley. — Roni Mathews Acknowledge each person as they walk by. Feel the sense of brotherhood under this Tulsa sky. — Bill McCloud Sunshine and clear skies … Construction progress soars. Call the movers babe! — Tricia Price Walking down lighted path, Wave to three and help a fourth Friends … just … everywhere! — Tricia Price Neighbors all good friends. Must have game night soon, so fun Bring it, time to play! — Tricia Price Skyline filled with architectural diversity Buildings rest upon Creek’s sleeping souls Awakens joy to all spirits — Suzanne Bruce Musical city Flying fiddles, stomp a foot Celebrate T-town! — Tricia Price Freakin’ Cain’s Ballroom Make us crazy, light us up The joint delivers! — Tricia Price Stallone doesn’t know ... He missed an awesome cool town Goodbye Tulsa King! — Tricia Price Like bright stars in night’s sky Fine food — Music — Art Hearts gather and smiles shine — Suzanne Bruce All that you encounter while walking through this beautiful city becomes you in the end — Bill McCloud Let’s hold hands and walk and then meet here tomorrow and walk again — Bill McCloud Cacophony of Downtown: Your life in motion All music, no noise No matter the definition — Kathleen Wolf Davis A Gathering place. Rising from streets once burned black Spirit shouts, “WE BACK!” — Vondell J. Burns Hugging the Arkansas Aglow, Blue Dome District Where Greenwood sings in the night Where we carry light into tomorrow — Abby Rush, T-Town Here, where I stitched together history Not at school, But on Brady facing North That old feeling ever gleaming — Abby Rush, Heart and Light Call me home When I’m low To where Indian Territory and Black Wall Street Made angels who cease to sing — Abby Rush, Call Me There Windsongs. A calmer Blooming. The world ready for You. Fresh trains passing. — Max Nobel Deco to Cains to Greenwood We’ve got rock & roll or Country & soul to astound you — Pati Wilson Tornadoes and that Giant cinnamon role made of steel down the road. — Seth Williston Downtown Tulsa is Something for everyone and Only missing YOU — Jessica Powers Tulsa is home to many. Race riots ravaged the city! Black Wall Street! Birds fell, people ran; SAFETY! — Christine Michelle Music, history, Sports, arts, church, eat, drink, dance, read Find it all Downtown — Sharryn Dotson Laughing and smiling, the art deco shouts loudly “You are safe with me.” — Jack Whitney BOK, ONEOK Field, Guthrie Green too, Restaurants, PAC — who needs haiku? — Anthony Dale Brown Sing; your sturdy tongue lifts the bridge of our city into its next key. — Zachary Brett Reeves Green tipped spire top Neon smiles, nightlife thrums Guthrie all around — Bailey Rodfield Rocks on its buildings. A Geologist City. Oil beneath her streets. — Claude E. Bolze Spring is here! Along the Downtown curbs A blooming haiku — Sebastian Chrobak Live music, food, fun Fine arts, sports teams, parks, bars History, future — Angela Sparkman A parking meter Will never discriminate Neither should you all. — Angela Sparkman Sun comes out again Bends and breaks are whole again, So, too, will I mend — Kyle Price Downtown Tulsa where memories are made, roads are paved. You can start on 1st Street and work your way up. — Tanyail Wiley Delightful, Organic, Wonderful, Nostalgic, Towers, Original, Welcome, Nonstop, TULSA — Tanyail Wiley life, full of motion architecturally unique reflecting value — Kate Cofer Freakin’ Cain’s Ballroom make us crazy, light us up … the joint delivers! — Tricia Price CAIN’S, VANGUARD, LOWDOWN and OUTRAGEOUS GOOD TIMES …are synonymous! — Tricia Price Tulsa blooms in spring Colorful JaZzY playground Lit up like night sky! — Tricia Price Tulsa Symphony Joyous, vibrant, inspiring Bring it Vivaldi! — Tricia Price Park benches beckon It's another bright Spring day Dashing out for lunch — Jewell Hunt He tells his stories Shoeshines, Saturday breakfasts Teaching the children — Jewell Hunt Saturday strolling Books and coffee calling us We browse and linger — Jewell Hunt High-rises glisten After the rush hour shower We're hopping puddles — Jewell Hunt Woke Brave Unafraid Glorious Majestic Lights Art Music Dance Love — Stephanie Janét Self-care on the block Mi Tea and Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge Is superior self-care — Clarissa Brown Downtown is alive Mix ages, races, sexes Our community — Margo Mitchell Tulsa’s music scene A welcoming community For all people and genres — Melinda Bellatti Cheer on the Drillers. Eat, drink, and laugh with family. Perfect Tulsa night. — Lori Lalli Delicious coffee. Architectural beauty. Drink up. Soak it in. — Lori Lalli Downtown Tulsa thrives Colors, cultures intertwine Warm welcomes abound — Sheena Kay Traffic noise and chatter Happy breeze and music Art, smiles, walking — heart singing — Linda Maloney Ev’ry type of food For ev’ry type of people. Dining paradise. — Lori Lalli Downtown Dreams Broadway Magic City Nights Archer to Brady Lefty's on Greenwood Elex Boyd The Walking Smile Lights — Christopher William Short No matter who we are, birds sing, music still plays, and the people of Tulsa come together as one. — Scarlett Nowicki Even a seed falls before it begins to grow. Dust off. You will bloom. — Audra Leonard An orange leaf lands beside me. I look up and see shops owned by LGBT. And hear shouts of glee. — Emily Grace Holloman History alive From the dust. We heal. We rise. Honor them. Teach truth. — Jennifer Solis When I walk around There's unfamiliar faces I think they're hungry — Emily Vickers from grey to blue skies Tulsans stand up and rise! the scissor tail flies — Jon Sherrell Often trying Sometimes missing Rarely hitting all the marks History divides A changing Tulsa Efforts continue To include all people — Tracy Nettleship Black gold, Greenwood, red hot Cool blues at the Low down Climb, jive, style, scrape skies — Krista Waldron the Downtown Tulsa, place of opportunity a community. — Hudson Blend of new and old, Busy streets, different lives Towering higher — Hannah Ann Martin A small corner shop A tall towering building that is our Tulsa — Katie Logsdon Stars dance madly through the cosmos, a centifrigal force whirling and swirling, summoning us to the Center of the Universe — Susan Carol Vineyard Lights dim, notes ring out Filled to rafters, floor bowing Encore memories — Shonday Randall, Cain’s Ballroom Mural colors pop, showering all with color. I look around seeing all sorts of people. I'm taken aback. It's beautiful. — Evelyn Cadie Fowler Soapberries blonde. Sun litters trails like new beginnings. The possibility of self-sufficiency in every handful I have space to hold. — Crystal Stone, Tulsa, February The buildings colorful and vibrant, the roads full of different people, everything inclusive, thus is paradise. — Miles Tindell So much history, Why is it such a mystery? — Faith Kelly, Tulsa's Past A community and things to see, Keep reaching out and finding new things — Faith Kelly, Tulsa Experiences A place to explore, so much to see and so much more — Faith Kelly, Tulsa Adventures So many places yet to explore, I keep finding more and more — Faith Kelly, Tulsa Districts Good friends and good company, and all I want to do is sing — Faith Kelly, Dueling Pianos New places to go and people to meet, Keep finding discovery — Faith Kelly, Keep Finding Things |
2023 Curbside Haiku Partners

