Ashlee Haze Accepting the 2019 Emerging Artist Award.
On October 23, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Arts and Education program honored Atlanta-based poet and spoken word artist Ashlee Haze with the 2019 Emerging Artist Award.
Held at Chastain Arts Center, each year the Arts and Education program hosts a ceremony awarding select up-and-coming, Atlanta-based artists with the Emerging Artist Award. The award recognizes the artistic vision and achievements of select artists and provides grant funding to support and promote their creative talent and projects.
A graduate of Georgia State University, Haze is one of the most accomplished poets in the poetry slam circuit. She is a three-time “Queen of the South” Poetry Slam Champion, a two-time “Women of the World” Poetry Slam finalist, and a two-time National Poetry Slam semi-finalist.
She started writing at the age of 10, performing her first piece at her church. By age 15, Haze was regularly performing at public competitions and events, and she has been a staple of Atlanta’s poetry circuit for more than a decade.
Haze amassed more acclaim after her heartfelt poem “For Colored Girls Who Don’t Need Katy Perry When Missy Elliott is Enough” went viral, which prompted a surprise visit from the award-winning artist Missy Elliott.
Most recently, Haze appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk series alongside the musical group Blood Orange. Haze currently works as a full-time poet and artist.To learn more about Haze’s works, visit her website at AshleeHaze.com. You can also listen to her new poetry album “Smoke” on Spotify.
If you wish to learn more about the Emerging Artist Award and funding opportunities provided by the Arts and Education’s Contracts for Arts Services program, click here.