BPL’s Bards & Brews Receives $5,300 State Arts Grant to Support Birmingham Poets and Performers

Poet Jahman Hill performs at BPL's popular spoken word poetry series.

Alabama State Council on the Arts Awards Grant for Bards & Brews to Friends Foundation of BPL 

Birmingham, Ala. – The Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) has received a $5,300 grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) to help fund BPL’s popular Bards & Brews spoken word poetry series.

The grant will support BPL’s mission to provide free, high-quality arts programming that celebrates Birmingham’s vibrant spoken word community while showcasing the city’s growing craft beer scene. Bards & Brews brings together both seasoned poets and first-time performers, uniting diverse audiences in a shared celebration of creativity and culture.

This funding will allow BPL to continue offering Bards & Brews events free to the public and strengthen the library’s role as a hub for the arts across metro Birmingham, said Chelsea Rodriguez, Outreach Librarian and program coordinator for Bards & Brews.

“We are so grateful to the Alabama State Council on the Arts for their support,” Rodriguez said. “Through Bards and Brews, we aim to spark more community-driven art, reach a broader audience, and reimagine what library space can be. Their continued support allows us to  achieve this mission and support artists in Birmingham." 

The 2025–26 grant period from the Alabama State Council on the Arts will fund Bards & Brews events from October 2025 through September 2026.

Now in its 15th year, Bards & Brews has become one of BPL’s signature cultural programs, attracting poets and audiences from across Alabama. Events have been held at multiple BPL branches, county libraries, and arts venues including Vulcan Park & Museum (Friday, October 3), TrimTab Brewing Company, East Village Arts of Birmingham and the Woodlawn Theatre.

The Alabama State Council on the Arts provides funding through an annual appropriation from the Alabama State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. This public support allows programs like Bards & Brews to engage new audiences, foster community connections, and demonstrate how the arts enrich Alabama’s quality of life.

About the Birmingham Public Library

The mission of the Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality experience to our community for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. With 18 locations serving the community for more than 130 years, BPL is one of the largest library systems in the Southeast.
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About the Alabama State Council on the Arts

The Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state agency for supporting and developing the arts in Alabama. The Council strengthens the state’s cultural resources by funding nonprofit arts organizations, schools, colleges, local governments, and individual artists. Learn more at www.arts.alabama.gov.

Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist – Birmingham Public Library