Mateo Acuña

2023-2024 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate & the 2024-2026 Auburn Poet Laureate.

Seattle, Washington, United States Contact Info
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    Public Speaking, Live Events, and Writing

About

Mateo Acuña (he/they) is a queer and trans Peruvian-American poet, librettist, narrative writer and interdisciplinary artist. He is the 2023-2024 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate and the 2024-2026 Auburn Poet Laureate. His work is published or forthcoming in Saxifrage, Creative Colloquy, Arcturus, and the Auburn Poets Laureate Anthology. He is a GSBA scholar, the recipient of the Dwone Anderson Young Youth Legacy Award, a SPOKES intern at Youth Speaks Seattle, a member of the Washington Arts Youth Leadership Cohort, and a librettist in the Seattle Opera Creation Lab. He and composer Mina Pariseau’s opera Blood Dawn of the Inti Sun will premiere at Tagney Jones Hall in June. His chapbook Dear Spanish will be released that month by Poetry Northwest Editions. He also has his own business, Secondhand Gems, where he makes and sells jewelry made from repurposed and recycled materials.

Activity

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Experience

  • Queer Mentor

    Alphabet Alliance of Color

    - Present 2 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

  • City of Auburn (Washington) Graphic

    Auburn Poet Laureate

    City of Auburn (Washington)

    - Present 7 months

    Auburn, Washington, United States

    The City of Auburn Poet Laureate position was established by City Ordinance 6383 in 2011 to recognize and honor a citizen poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment. The term of service for Auburn’s Poet Laureate is three years. The award is honorific; there is no financial compensation for the position. The Auburn Arts Commission forwards recommendations of qualified applicants to the Mayor for final selection and appointment.

    The Auburn Poet Laureate is encouraged to promote the…

    The City of Auburn Poet Laureate position was established by City Ordinance 6383 in 2011 to recognize and honor a citizen poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment. The term of service for Auburn’s Poet Laureate is three years. The award is honorific; there is no financial compensation for the position. The Auburn Arts Commission forwards recommendations of qualified applicants to the Mayor for final selection and appointment.

    The Auburn Poet Laureate is encouraged to promote the appreciation of poetry and literary life in Auburn through events and opportunities that invite the public to engage with poetry and literature. The Poet Laureate is also invited to participate in various City of Auburn public openings and events throughout the three year term.

  • Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center (formerly Gay City) Graphic

    Queer Mentor

    Seattle's LGBTQ+ Center (formerly Gay City)

    - 3 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

  • YouthSpeaks Graphic

    SPOKES Intern

    YouthSpeaks

    - 5 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

    Creative leadership cohort where participants grow as poets and organizers. In addition to creative opportunities, interns take on active role in planning and staffing our Open Mics and Poetry Slam Series.

  • Seattle Opera Graphic

    2023-24 Seattle Opera Creation Lab Librettist

    Seattle Opera

    - 10 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

    Composers, songwriters, librettists, and lyricists of all genres are encouraged to apply to create new operas that tell compelling, resonant stories through vocal music. Selected participants develop 20-minute operas throughout the season that are presented in a concert format for a public audience in Tagney Jones Hall at the Opera Center. Each opera undergoes a development process that includes a table reading, music workshop, and rehearsal prior to the public performance. The participants…

    Composers, songwriters, librettists, and lyricists of all genres are encouraged to apply to create new operas that tell compelling, resonant stories through vocal music. Selected participants develop 20-minute operas throughout the season that are presented in a concert format for a public audience in Tagney Jones Hall at the Opera Center. Each opera undergoes a development process that includes a table reading, music workshop, and rehearsal prior to the public performance. The participants receive support from professional composers and librettists as they develop their work.

  • Seattle Arts & Lectures Graphic

    Seattle Youth Poet Laureate

    Seattle Arts & Lectures

    - 1 year 2 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

    The Seattle Youth Poet Laureate speaks at events around Seattle and is in a Youth Poetry Fellowship with nine other young poets under the direction of two poetry mentors. The Seattle Youth Poet Laureate meets once a month with both mentors and gets a book deal with Poetry Northwest.

  • ArtsWA / Washington State Arts Commission Graphic

    2023-24 Washington Arts Youth Leadership Cohort Member

    ArtsWA / Washington State Arts Commission

    - 9 months

    Washington, United States

    The Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL) Program is a yearly cohort of youth and young adults (ages 16-19) from across Washington State. Arts leaders in the program explore the arts and cultural field, creative careers, and related policy. Youth leaders participate in shared decision-making and receive a stipend for their time and input.

  • The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas Graphic

    YETI Intern

    The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas

    - 3 months

    Seattle, Washington, United States

    6-week internship learning classroom facilitation and teaching creative writing to 3rd-5th graders

  • Music & Arts Graphic

    Senior Sales Associate

    Music & Arts

    - 5 months

    Federal Way, Washington, United States

  • Starbucks Graphic

    Barista

    Starbucks

    - 7 months

    Auburn, Washington, United States

Education

  • Auburn Riverside High School Graphic

    Auburn Riverside High School

    High School Diploma Music

    -

    Activities and Societies: Band, French horn, Jazz band, trumpet

  • Pacific Lutheran University Graphic

    Pacific Lutheran University

    Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies

    -

    Activities and Societies: Music composition, creative writing, poetry, visual arts, theater, journalism & communications

  • Seattle Pacific University Graphic

    Seattle Pacific University

    Music

    -

    Activities and Societies: Journalism, reporting, interviewing, photography, music production, French horn, orchestra, wind ensemble, music theory & ear training, jazz band, jazz singing, jazz choir, trumpet, classical & jazz piano, composing

    I left due to SPU's anti-LGBTQ policies and lawsuits.

  • Green River College Graphic

    Green River College

    Associate of Arts - AA Music

    -

    Activities and Societies: Jazz choir, music theory & ear training, computer music, DAWs

    Completed through Running Start.

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