Twelve Literary Arts

Twelve Literary Arts is a Cleveland nonprofit founded in 2016 by poet, educator and youth activist Daniel Gray-Kontar, former chair of the literary arts department at the Cleveland School of the Arts. It describes itself as an ecosystem for poets and writers of color across generations, meeting at the intersection of identity and social justice, and works with writers from about age 14 into mid-career.

Its programs have included Room 201 youth residencies in Northeast Ohio schools and libraries, the Russell Atkins After School Fellowship, the Baldwin House Urban Writing Residency for adult writers of color, open mics and poetry slams, Twelve Arts Press, and the 2021 album In Search of the Land with producer Tall Black Guy. It has also brought residents' stories into neighborhood planning, including the East 66th Street project in Hough, and has made its home in Glenville.