Mercedez Holtry started as a youth poet at Warehouse 508 in 2012. Through passion and dedication for spoken word and poetry, she emerged as the Poetry Ambassador and Outreach Coordinator for Warehouse 508, helping youth connect to their community using poetry. 

With the support of Warehouse 508 and help from her community, Mercedez founded the ABQ Unidos Slam Poetry Project, where poets from the Albuquerque poetry community visit classrooms, centers and after school clubs to facilitate writing and performance workshops. Youth are then invited to come express their poetry at the ABQ Unidos Poetry Slam and Open Mic every 2nd Friday of the month at Warehouse 508. This program is growing into one of Warehouse 508's biggest and most outspoken programs!

Our youth poets participate in regional and local events including the Annual Green Chile Youth Poetry Invitational. Youth poets from around the Southwest Region travel to Albuquerque for two days of community building, writing workshops and competition. Additionally, the UNM Chicano/a Studies Symposium "Resistencia: Writing Across Borders" is a week full of poetry activities and community gatherings held each year during poetry month in April. 

Our youth poets are working hard to represent Albuquerque at Brave New Voices, the international youth poetry festival, in 2019! Show up! Donate! Support our youth! 

Youth freindly events include: 
ABQ Unidos Youth Poetry Slam & Open Mic - 2nd Fridays, 7pm, Warehouse 508
Lobo Slam - All ages poetry slam and open mic - 3rd Wednesdays, 7pm, at Winnings Coffee Co 
W.O.C - Women of Color Open Mic - 4th Thursdays, 7pm, El Chante Casa De Cultura 
 

FOR INFORMTAION CONTACT: MERCEDEZ HOLTRY

Poetry Ambassador

mercedezholtry@Warehouse508.org