Matt Gano is a renowned Performance Poet and Teaching Artist.  A three-time member of the National Poetry Slam team for Seattle, and 2008 Seattle Grand-Slam Champion, he remains atop the list of spoken word artists in national and international poetry communities.

In 2011, Matt guest lectured at The Juilliard School in New York City, featured for “Page Meets Stage,” at the Bowery Poetry Club, and led writing workshops at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA.  In May of 2012, he will be featured as a panelist and performer for the Skagit River Poetry Festival.

Matt has traveled internationally teaching creative writing and performance in Seoul, Korea, and in 2009 earned a three-month artist residency at the Lee Shau Kee, School of Creativity in Hong Kong.  He has worked as a national slam team coach and workshop instructor for Youth Speaks Seattle and is now a senior Artist in Residence with Seattle Arts and Lectures, Writers in the Schools.

Matt Gano’s published work includes, “Trespass”, Issue Two of Bestiary Magazine, and chapbooks: “Bones For The Builder,” “Music Maker”, “Welcome Home”, “I Eight the Infinite” and “Art Barker”, a poetry LP entitled “Music Maker,” and a live recording entitled “A Giant’s Pulse.”

News Features

09/11/10 – The South Whidbey Record, Whidbey Island WA
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/entertainment/102656899.html

04/14/10 – Get To Know a Local Poet, Richard Hugo House Blog by Brian McGuigan
http://www.hugohouse.org/content/get-know-local-poet-matt-gano

12/15/09 – RTHK “The Works” for Pearl TV, Hong Kong SAR (SEGMENT STARTS @ 2:20, audio is slightly off, many apologies)

04/25/03 – Bellingham Herald: “Birth of a Poet” sect. A6
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0FAAA7DFB6C363A5&p_docnum=9&s_accountid=AC0110092901205526331&s_orderid=NB0110092901183812108&s_dlid=DL0110092901210426401&s_ecproduct=DOC&s_ecprodtype=&s_trackval=&s_siteloc=&s_referrer=&s_username=mattgano&s_accountid=AC0110092901205526331&s_upgradeable=no

Residencies

Current

09/10 – Current – Artist in Residence, Ingraham High School, Writers In The Schools, Seattle arts and Lectures, Seattle WA

01/10 – Current – Artist in Residence,
 The Center School,
Writers In The Schools
Seattle Arts and Lectures, Seattle WA

Completed

04/12/12 – Guest Lecturer at Billings Middle School

02/12-03/12 – Artist in Residence, Bellingham High School for Skagit River Poetry Project, Bellingham, WA

10/11-11/11 – Artist in Residence, The Richard Hugo House, Workshop Series Seattle, WA

04/11 – The Juilliard School, New York City

04/11 – Whidbey Island Writer’s Conference  Presenter and Workshop Lead, “Internal Rhythm and Word Percussion” – Coupeville, WA

02/11 – “School of Thought” (private workshop series for teens) - Los Angeles, CA

05/04 – 01/11 – The Writing Circle, Lead Facilitator
Youth Speaks Seattle
Central Public Library, Seattle WA

12/10 – Workshop co-facilitator w Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA

09/10 – “Getting Started” A writing workshop for teens.
South Whidbey Commons, Whidbey Island, WA

09/09 – 12/09 – Artist in Residence
Lee Shau Kee, School of Creativity
Hong Kong, SAR

09/07 – 06/09 – Artist in Residence
Ingraham High School, for Writers in the Schools
Seattle Arts and Lectures Seattle WA

09/07- 06/08 – Artist in Residence
Aki Kurose Middle School
Arts Corps, Seattle WA

04/09 – 06/09 – Artist in Residence
Kent Meridian High School, Kent WA

06/09 – “Art As Life” workshop co-facilitated w Iyeoka Okoawo
Brave New Voices, Youth National Poetry Slam
Chicago, IL

04/09 – Guest Lecturer
Brave New Words Poetry Festival
Greenbank Farm, Whidbey Island WA

03/09 – Guest Lecturer
Western Washington University
Bellingham WA

09/08-10/08 – Artist in Residence
Seoul Youth Creativity Summit
Haja Center, Seoul Korea

06/08 – Guest Lecturer
Washington Middle School
Seattle WA

06/08 – Guest Lecturer
Bellingham High School,
Bellingham WA

06/07- 08/07 – Artist in Residence
Shout Out! Summer writing program
Eleventh Hour Productions, Seattle WA

01/07 -06/07 – Artist in Residence
Cleveland High School
Emerging Voices, Seattle WA

02/05-06/07 – Artist in Residence
McClure Middle School, for Writers in the Schools
Seattle Arts and Lectures, Seattle WA

Guest Lectures Continued

05/05 – McClure Middle School, for Writers in the Schools, Seattle WA
02/05 – Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA
10/04 – Langston Hughes PAC, Seattle, WA
04/04 – Skagit Valley Comm. College, Whidbey Island, WA
12/03 – Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
09/03 – Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
05/03 – Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
04/03 – Ferndale High School, Ferndale, WA

Featured Readings

01/11 – Monterey First Night Celebration, Monterey CA
12/10 – Huxley Hall @ Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
12/10 – Holiday Party at The Round, Fremont Abby, Seattle WA
12/10 – “Vanishing of the Bees,” film premiere, University of WA, Seattle WA
12/10 – Cup of Flow, Café Faire, Seattle WA
09/10 – The Rob Schouten Gallery, Greenbank Farm, Whidbey Island, WA
07/10 – Round 62 @ The Zoo for Zoo Tunes, The Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle,WA
06/10 – Café Du Soleil, Vancouver BC
06/10 – The Round #10, Tacoma,WA
05/10 – Bar 13 for Louder Arts, Manhattan, NY
05/10 – The Nuyorican Poets Café, Manhattan, NY
05/10 – Brownstone Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
05/10 – The Cantab Lounge, Cambridge, MA
05/10 – Got Poetry! Live!, Providence, RI
05/10 – The Dirty Gerund, Ralph’s Diner, Worcester, MA
04/10 – The Re-bar for The Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
04/10 – The Dead Poets Society, Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA
03/10 – Free Form, MH University, Seattle, WA
03/10 – Evergreen Unitarian Church, Marysville, WA, Jack McCarthy Invitational Slam
12/09 – Hong Kong Readers bookstore, Hong Kong, SAR
11/09 – Street Music Concert, Hong Kong, SAR
10/09 – Street Music Concert, Hong Kong, SAR
08/09 – The Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
08/09 – Poetry Night, Bellingham, WA
07/09 – The Round @ The Farm, Vashon Island, WA
04/09 – Brave New Words Poetry Festival, Greenbank Farm, Whidbey Island, WA
04/09 – Cheap Wine and Poetry, Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA
03/09 – Evergreen Unitarian Church, Marysville WA, Jack McCarthy Invitational Slam
02/09 – The Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
02/09 – The Round @ The Fremont Abbey, Seattle, WA
01/09 – University of WA, Seattle, WA
01/09 – Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA
12/08 – Coca Art Gallery in Ballard, Seattle, WA
11/08 – Poetry Night, Bellingham, WA
10/08 – Café du Soliel, Vancouver, BC
08/08 – National Poetry Slam, Madison, WI
08/08 – The Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
06/08 – Brave New Voices, Youth National Poetry Slam, Washington, DC
03/08 – Evergreen Unitarian Church, Marysville WA, Jack McCarthy Invitational Slam
02/08 – The Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
02/08 – Poetry Night, Bellingham, WA
02/08 – The Round, Seattle, WA
12/07 – The Round, All Star Christmas Invite, Seattle, WA
09/07 – The Portland Round (Series Opening) Portland, OR
05/07 – Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA
04/07 – The Tacoma Round, (Series Opening) Tacoma, WA
03/07 – Evergreen Unitarian Church, Marysville WA, Jack McCarthy Invitational Slam
03/07 – Tost, Seattle WA, Seattle Poetry Slam
12/06 – Cypress Bar, Seattle, WA
11/06 – The Round @ The Fremont Abbey, Seattle, WA
09/06 – Tea Chai Te, Portland, OR
07/06 – Poets at the Port, Anacortes, WA
07/06 – Salmon Slam, Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, WA
04/06 – Neumos, Seattle WA: The Seattle Poetry Slam “Grand Slam”
03/06 – Youngstown Arts Center, Seattle WA: Host of Youth Speaks Grand Slam
03/06 – Willamette University, Eugene, OR
11/05 – Café du Soleil, Vancouver, BC
09/05 – Bumbershoot Slam, Seattle, WA
08/05 – National Poetry Slam, Albuquerque, NM
08/05 – Kenya Fundraiser, Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA
07/05 – 100.7 The Buzz, radio feature on Ronnie T’s “The Freak Show”
07/05 – Capitol Hill Block Party, Seattle, WA
07/05 – Fantasia, Bellingham, WA
06/05 – Langston Hughes PAC, Seattle, WA: Benefit for Teen Link/Youth Speaks
05/05 – Garfield Community Center, Seattle, WA: “Talking About Race”
05/05 – Opening poet for Saul Williams, WWU, Bellingham WA
05/05 – Fantasia, Bellingham, WA
04/05 – Burning Word Poetry Festival, Whidbey Island, WA
04/05 – The Catwalk, Seattle, WA: Finalist for The Seattle Poetry Slam “Grand Slam”
04/05 – Lower Level, The Seattle Slam, Seattle, WA
04/05 – Epilogue Books, Seattle, WA
03/05 – Mirabeau Room, Seattle, WA: Streetbeat Poetry Slam Host
03/05 – Langston Hughes PAC, Seattle WA: Youth Speaks Grand Slam
02/05 – Langston Hughes PAC, Seattle WA: Youth Speaks Semi-Final
01/05 – Columbia Basin College – Pasco, WA
01/05 – Bellingham City Hall, Bellingham WA: MLK Day Celebration
01/05 – Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA: Tuesday’s at the Cabaret
12/04 – Café Allegro, Seattle, WA: Third Sundays
11/04 – Barnes & Noble, Kennewick, WA
11/04 – The Brits Café – Longview, WA
11/04 – University of WA, Seattle WA: Democracy Fest 2004,
10/04 – Mundos, Seattle WA: Verbal Rhythms
10/04 – Washington State University, Pasco WA
10/04 – D.S. Watkins Gallery, Kennewick WA
08/04 – Lower Level, Seattle WA: The Seattle Poetry Slam
07/04 – Capital Hill Block Party, Seattle WA
06/04 – Rockfish Grill, Anacortes, WA: Friends of the Forest Benefit Show
04/04 – The Catwalk, Seattle, WA: Finalist for The Seattle Poetry Slam “Grand Slam”
04/04 – Stuart’s Coffee House, Bellingham WA
04/04 – Burning Word Poetry Festival, Whidbey Island, WA
12/03 – Kariton Gallery, Abbotsford, BC
03/03 – Bart Baxter Award Finalist/Prize Winner
01/03 – Bellingham City Hall, Bellingham WA: MLK Day Celebration

Featured Articles Published
12/28/03 – Seattle Times: “Case Your State”
11/30/03 – Seattle Times: “We Are The World”
08/31/03 – Seattle Times: “Getting Real in America”