UnCommons and Beyond the Neon to Celebrate the
Art of Poetry with Community Events This Fall
Southwest Las Vegas community will showcase local talents and embrace the
beauty of poetry with monthly community events, plus a regional
poetry slam competition in December
UnCommons, a new mixed-use community developed by Matter Real Estate Group located at the 215 Beltway and Durango Dr., will team up with Beyond the Neon, a local poetry organization, to host spellbinding events every other Sunday beginning this September.
Beyond the Neon, founded in 2020 by Ashley Vargas, better known as Ms. AyeVee, captured hearts and minds with its first poetry festival in 2021 at Fergusons Downtown, in addition to its Sunday Sessions, an all-ages poetry workshop and open mic event. The local poetry organization will bring its beloved Sunday Sessions to The Quad at UnCommons, its central courtyard for gathering, from 5 to 7 p.m. every other Sunday. These will include open mic sessions, a book club, a Hispanic Heritage poetry feature series and a regional poetry slam competition.
“When I started Beyond the Neon in early 2020, we were a digital poetry slam exclusively on Instagram, where I was running out of my living room,” said Ms. AyeVee. “The goal was to keep artists connected to each other and their community during the pandemic. It has been truly beautiful to see the growth of the organization over these past three years. We’re so excited to see what the future brings with the UnCommons community.”
The collaboration between UnCommons and Beyond the Neon promises an array of poetic delights each month from September through December, including open mic sessions, poetry book clubs and an awe-inspiring Hispanic Heritage poetry feature series. In December, Beyond the Neon will hold a regional poetry slam competition, hosted by Ms. AyeVee.
The Poetry Slam will be a three-round elimination style poetry competition. 12 randomly selected poets will compete head-to-head, performing one poem per round, which will be scored by three judges. The top three poets will receive cash prizes, with the first-place winner being crowned the Poetry Slam champion. The competition will be open to all poets locally and regionally. Participants will be able to sign up online during the first week of October for their chance to compete. Candidates will be selected in mid-October.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Ms. AyeVee and Beyond the Neon to host these captivating poetry events for our tenants, residents and visitors,” said Amalie Zinsser, director of community and belonging at UnCommons. “Through these gatherings, we aim to create a space where local talents can shine, and poetry lovers and newcomers alike can come together to be inspired and uplifted.”
The complete schedule for Beyond the Neon’s events are as follows:
- Sunday, Sept. 3: Poetry Open Mic
- Sunday, Sept. 17: Poetry Book Club
- Sunday, Oct.1: Hispanic Heritage Poetry Feature Series
- Sunday, Oct. 15: Poetry Open Mic
- Sunday, Oct.29: Poetry Book Club
- Sunday, Nov.12: Poetry Open Mic
- Sunday, Nov. 19: Poetry Book Club
- Sunday, Dec. 3: Regional Poetry Slam
- Sunday, Dec. 17: Poetry Book Club
Open mic sign-ups will be first come, first served exclusively for poetry in The Quad starting at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the events. Any participant who signs up will have five minutes on the mic. Those interested in signing up for the poetry book club may RSVP via Eventbrite.
UnCommons hosts various community events every month such as Market in the Alley, pop-ups, Summer Melodies featuring live music performances in The Quad every Friday and Saturday, in addition to events that give back to local organizations and charities. Most recently, UnCommons collected school supplies for Communities in Schools’ “Fill the Bus” drive throughout the month of July to support thousands of local students in Southern Nevada.
For more information about UnCommons, visit www.UnCommons.com. For more information about Beyond the Neon Poetry visit https://www.instagram.com/btnpoetry/.
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About UnCommons
UnCommons, a first-of-its kind mixed-use development in Southwest Las Vegas at the 215 Beltway and Durango Dr., has begun to open its office and retail spaces comprising Phase I, with Phase II currently under construction. The $850 million, 40-acre project is designed to fulfill the modern workforce’s desire for a workplace that enhances their lives through rich amenities, open space and connectivity. The stylized urban campus will be comprised of more than 500,000 square feet of modern office space with market-leading design and technology, more than 830 residential units, an entertainment venue, trendsetting restaurants and cafes that follow the good food movement, health and fitness studios, a multi-purpose conference center, a pedestrian trail, public art and a food hall showcasing the best of the local food scene. The development, designed by globally renowned architecture firm, Gensler, is the first of its kind in Nevada to be built by the standards for WELL™ Certification, which are the highest third-party endorsement of a building’s performance and protection of employee health. UnCommons has achieved certification from Green Globes®, a nationally recognized green rating assessment, guidance and certification program. More information is available on the website at www.UnCommons.com, on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Matter Real Estate Group
Matter Real Estate Group is a real estate development company created to elevate the everyday human experience, enabling people, businesses and communities to thrive. The company is led by three partners, Jim Stuart, Matt Root and Kevin Burke, each with more than 20 years of experience in the development of place making projects combining design, construction and operating strategy all under one roof. The team behind Matter strongly believes that development can be a curated experience designed around business needs while at the same time focusing on flexibility, purpose and inclusiveness. Headquartered in San Diego, Matter focuses on developing within the Western United States, primarily within Las Vegas. More information is available on the website at www.MatterRealEstate.com, on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.