In celebration of more than 50 years on campus, the UA Poetry Center is moving into the future with kid-friendly “Family Days” and a new effort at reeling in international multi-medium exhibits.

The center is moving readings up an hour to accompany the dynamic performances of Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, local writers and UA faculty, according to Annie Guthrie, marketing director of the Poetry Center.

“We like to feature not only Pulitzer Prize-winners and more experimental, new avant-garde poets so everyone can find something that they love,” Guthrie said.

But the center isn’t just poetry. Guthrie said many of their presentations will focus on hybrid work, mixing art and library exhibits into the rotation.

A lot of readings are artists and writers working together, she said, like Speak Peace.

Speak Peace: American Voices Respond to Vietnamese Children’s Paintings highlights poems by American children, veterans and writers that reflect on the paintings of peace and war collected in the last decade by the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Having local kids reflect on what they see in the exhibit will be part of the new “Family Days” initiative of the center, said Renee Angle, education director of the center.

Held one Saturday each month, “Family Days” will include popular programs like Poetry Joeys, a youth workshop for kids up to 10 years old, and interactivity programs with exhibitions like Speak Peace.

Angle said educators can spend time working with students, especially refugee students, to reflect on the issues of war and peace and formulate their own responses when visiting Speak Peace at the center, which will run from Aug. 29 to Sept. 23.

The center will also feature an artist’s installation piece in the children’s corner so that visitors can add their own writing to the center.