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Meet Lisa Ann Markuson of Ars Poetica

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Ann Markuson.

Lisa Ann “LAMARKS” Markuson is the founder of Ars Poetica. With a degree in International Studies from the University of San Francisco, and graduate studies in International Communications at American University, Lisa Ann’s first career was in cultural diplomacy. She was the Director of Meridian International’s International Children’s Festival in Washington, DC in 2012, but realized through her work with artists that she herself was, in fact, really an artist too. Whoops! She started writing typewriter haiku in 2012 in DC with her friends and developing different types of large scale poetry and performance art activations with The Pinkline Project there. She moved to New York City to start down a new path of art and entrepreneurship, while two of her best friends and artistic collaborators in DC, Micah Greenberg and Deena Odelle Hyatt, moved to Los Angeles. While she led the East Coast with two (now defunct) collaborators, Deena and Micah took the lead in California, while also pursuing their work in marketing and branding (Micah) and Alexander Technique and healing arts (Deena).

Now, with seven+ years of experience as a freelancer, indie event producer, moonlight journalist, curator, consultant, social media executive, yoga teacher, bicycle tour guide, and five years as co-founder and CEO of her old company, The Haiku Guys + Gals, she’s shifted to a more feminist, inclusive, and sustainable business model to celebrate the multitalented nature of her artists through her new company, Ars Poetica, founded on her 32nd birthday, January 6th 2019. Her dream is to fulfill the potential that poetry has to enrich every type of experience, on and off the page. And of course, always writing and performing outside the lines. After years cultivating her team of artists, she now represents 35+ multidisciplinary talents, including poets, illustrators, comedians, and even musicians in the Los Angeles area. What do all the artists have in common? Cultivating empathy through their various mediums.

Through her work, Lisa Ann has produced, performed at, and curated events for The Smithsonian, The Chilean Embassy, Macy’s, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Bowery Poetry Club, Bloomberg, Women’s Wear Daily, The New School, The City of Sacramento, USC’s Pacific-Asia Museum, and countless more. She has taught medical doctors the art of reflection, high school students the art of haiku, entrepreneurs the art of sales, and law students the art of creative entrepreneurship, in California, New York City, Europe, Japan, and beyond. Her work has been featured on CNN, Bustle, BUST, the New York Times, NHK, and more.

Has it been a smooth road?
NO! My biggest struggle was deciding to separate from my former business partners so I could refine, pursue, and achieve my specific dreams around creating a more empathetic world through poetry and language arts. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done but is also proving to be the most fruitful as well.

Another struggle is related to my market niche. I’ve literally created a market for something that barely existed in any capacity before. Interactive poetic entertainment is still not seen as a “must have” at events, even though after every event we do, the hosts and guests exclaim that it was the highlight of their experience.

So I not only have to market and sell our services but change hearts and minds to open up to the concept before I can strike a deal. But that extra effort makes it even more satisfying every time we end up with a thrilled client and a moved individual receiving a poem.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Ars Poetica is an interactive poetic agency, providing thoughtful, artistic entertainment for events around the world. From custom haiku written in 90 seconds on vintage typewriters, to impromptu poetry battles, to workshops and stage performances, your wish is our command for memorable experiences in any venue.

-CUSTOM HAIKU (or sonnets, limericks, stories, free verse, and more) ON VINTAGE TYPEWRITERS
-MULTIDISCIPLINARY STAGE PERFORMANCES AND IMMERSIVE THEATRE
-TYPEWRITER GUEST BOOKS AT RECEPTIONS AND WEDDINGS
-WORKSHOPS AND EDUCATION
-ILLUSTRATED POEMS IN COLLABORATION WITH VISUAL ARTISTS

And more custom poetic options…

Inquire with us for endless possibilities for how to create an experience based on your needs and interests. The effect of what we do is kinda hard to describe. We call it high-impact poetry. The specialization is, in a nutshell, interactive entertainment that surprises and delights every audience, and cultivates empathy and connection.

I am most proud of the unbelievably mission-driven, loving, dedicated and talented group of artists that I have recruited, trained, and represent. I am also thrilled to expose them to new audiences for their talents and skills that I did not teach them. For instance in Los Angeles, Deena is a sought-after healing artist, Christine Aprile is an intuitive tarot reader and brilliant musician, Micah is a naming, branding, marketing, and event-production genius, George Akolade Coker is a yoga practitioner, actor, and entrepreneur in his own right… These people are truly brimming with capabilities to employ in infinite capacities.

What sets us apart from our competition? I am a real artist and social entrepreneur, for one. I am constantly searching for ways to innovate, improve our services, and better serve first my artists, then my clients, and then the world at large. Being a woman-owned company that cultivates a meaningfully diverse team is also something we take a lot of pride in. It’s shocking still how few woman-owned companies rise to the top. We are rising.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
To be honest, Los Angeles has not been my favorite market, for one very specific reason: money.

There is a trend in Los Angeles to be very different from our other major markets (NYC, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco) to expect artists to provide their services at wildly reduced rates or even for free because the marketplace is so full of eager young talent in the entertainment industry. I’m slowly but surely trying to change that, but I am still just a small drop in the ocean in the Los Angeles market.

However, LA has proven to be a brilliant talent pool, for that reason – and I love sending our Los Angeles-based artists to perform in Las Vegas, which is a brilliant marketplace because the industry knows what real talent is worth, and will pay for it.

I would say, LA, you can improve by not cheapening your most valuable asset: your homegrown talent.

Pricing:

  • Classic typewriter poetry activation: $575+ depending on # of poets, # of hours, and scale of event
  • Stage performances: $225+ per 30 minutes of high quality curated spoken word, poetry, comedy, storytelling
  • Curation + Production of music / comedy / poetry performances: $550+ depending on many factors
  • Custom commissioned poems: $50+ per poem
  • Emcee + Hosting Services: $225+ per hour

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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