Quick look: Nationally acclaimed poet Arthur Sze, the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate, will headline Orange County’s Creative Edge Lecture on March 3, highlighting the role of the arts in education and building community.
The Creative Edge Lecture returns this spring with Arthur Sze, the 25th United States Poet Laureate, as its keynote speaker, bringing a nationally recognized voice in poetry to the Irvine Barclay Theatre.
The 16th annual event — set for March 3 — invites renowned artists and thought leaders to reflect on their creative journeys and explore how arts education can shape students’ success and engagement.
Hosted by Arts Orange County in partnership with OCDE and the Fourth District PTA, the live, in-person talk aims to inspire Orange County educators, community members, artists and business leaders through conversations that interweave creativity with education and career.
“The Creative Edge Lecture represents an opportunity for us to celebrate creativity as the connection between industry and arts education and to hear from leaders in the field who are forging a path for others to follow,” said Scott Fitzpatrick, arts coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education.
Born in 1950, Sze has published 12 poetry collections over the course of his career. His most notable work, titled “Compass Rose,” was named a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and his poems have been translated into 15 languages.
His honors include the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, two National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships and the 2024 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress.
In addition to his work as a poet, translator and editor, Sze serves as chancellor emeritus of the Academy of American Poets and professor emeritus at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where he lives with his wife, poet Carol Moldaw.
The Creative Edge Lecture series has previously featured a U.S. Poet Laureate, welcoming Joy Harjo as a keynote speaker in 2020.
The 2026 Creative Edge Lecture will take place March 3 at 10 a.m. at the Irvine Barclay Theatre March 3 at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved by visiting the Arts Orange County website or by emailing info@artsoc.org.