This is a free, all-ages event. Advanced registration is required. 

Participants are encouraged to join us for a half hour before and after the event for optional conversation and social time. 

Click here to register.

Our hands may be our primary tools for daily work and productivity, but they are also a powerful vessel for creativity and connection. Join us for a few hours of collaborating with the natural environment and our own senses, as we explore the powerful currents that connect and move us.  

Amelia Díaz Ettinger is a poet, textile artist, and biologist who was born in México and raised in Puerto Rico. In this workshop that blends poetry and visual art, Amelia invites us to see with our hands and feel the currents of inspiration that connect us all. Through the works of poets like Nicolás Guillén and Ada Limón, we’ll explore the literal and symbolic meanings of our hands as they relate to creative acts, collaboration, and renewal. And we’ll engage in activities that encourage us to witness the human and more-than-human world in new ways—through touch, smell, and sound.

Imagine a monument built in honor of your hands, and explore your own poetic orientation to the world. This workshop welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, including those who are new to poetry or creative writing. 

Venue and workshop details

• Four Rivers Cultural Center is a fully ADA-accessible venue.
• Venue parking is available as well as nearby street parking.
• This venue has separate men and women's ADA-accessible restrooms.
• Public transportation: This venue can be accessed by the City of Ontario bus route and Treasure Valley Transit.
• Participants can expect to be seated for the majority of this workshop. Comfortable seating will be provided.
• There will be 1-2 breaks throughout the workshop. Participants are encouraged to break as needed for their own comfort.
• Complimentary beverages and light snacks will be provided. 
• Please contact r.medina@oregonhumanities if you have specific requests for accommodations or concerns about any aspect of participating in this workshop.

About the presenter

Amelia Díaz Ettinger is a ‘Mexi-Rican,’ born in México but raised in Puerto Rico. As a BIPOC poet and writer, she has published three full-length poetry books and two poetry chapbooks. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Amelia Díaz Ettinger has an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Oregon University. Presently, she and her partner reside in Summerville, Oregon, with two dogs, two cats, and too many chickens.