We are excited to introduce July’s featured Poet of the Month: Miles E. Johnson!
Miles will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7PM-8:30PM on Thursday, July 23th, 2026 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St.
Doors open at 6:30PM and close promptly at 7PM.
A 15-minute tarot reading with RavenFox, Raven (Greeshma) and Fox (Franki), hosted inside Twelve Gates Arts' current exhibition A Traveler Weeps, A River Laughs.
Free to attend. Tips are warmly encouraged.
Myths and Dreams of Red and Blue is a one-night-only performance by sāgar kāmath weaving together Kathak dance, painting, video, and sound in an exploration of diasporic identity, nostalgia, and the American Dream. Created in relation to his work in A Traveler Weeps, A River Laughs at Twelve Gates Arts.
Presented in partnership with ArtPhilly 2026 and the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design.
We are excited to introduce February’s featured Poet of the Month: Raina J. León!
Raina will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7PM-8:30PM on June 9th, 2026 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St.
Doors open at 6:30PM and close promptly at 7PM.
To celebrate this milestone of The Poets' Studio's first anniversary, we are inviting back all our featured poets from year #1 for a special reading, conversation, and Q&A. These writers bring such a beautiful range of style, approach, and care to what poetry can be.
Read on to know who's on our line-up, and RSVP to join us on April 23rd, at 7pm sharp!
Twelve Gates will host a public scholarly conversation that engages 12G's iteration of Common Ground, honoring Mohammed Omer Khalil's legacy.
The panel will explore Khalil's work on view and draw connections between his practice and South Asia. The conversation will feature scholar of Black Diasporic Art, Anna Arabindon-Kesson, Sudanese historian, Bayan Abubakr, and others, to be announced.
*Maximum of 2 tickets per person
In this watercolor monotype printmaking workshop, students will learn the art of spontaneity and collaboration with a printing press. By working directly onto plexiglass with water-soluble crayons, students will learn how to transfer images and forms onto paper.
This workshop will be instructed by Jazmine Catasús.
*Maximum of 2 tickets per person
This performance featuring vocalist Doozyah (Sophia Pradhan) unfolds within Karen Dias: A Dotted Line as a live, embodied response to the exhibition's exploration of borders, bodies, and systems of control.
We are excited to introduce February’s featured Poet of the Month: Saskia Kercy!
Saskia will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7PM-8:30PM on February 3rd, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St.
Doors open at 6:30PM and close promptly at 7PM.
12G is thrilled to announce our 2026 Fundraiser in collaboration with Fire Museum Presents! Please join us for a special night of Qawwali music performed by the Saami Brothers! Please join us on Saturday, January 17th at The Neighborhood House for music, food, and drink! Your attendance at this event supports our artists and programs.
TICKETS SOLD OUT
On Saturday, December 13th, we will be hosting the closing event for Between Material and Being: a screening of Julietta Singh’s new feature film, "The Nest" from 2-4PM. Please join us for an afternoon experiencing this incredible film followed by a conversation with Julietta herself! There will also be a giveaway of a few of Julietta’s key works including “Unthinking Mastery” and “No Archive Will Restore You”, courtesy of Julietta.
We are excited to introduce December’s featured Poet of the Month: Kai Davis!
Kai will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on December 2nd, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
Please join us on November 14th, 6-8PM to celebrate our current exhibition, Between Material and Being: What Persists, What Emerges with an artist talk! Art historian Alpesh Patel will engage three of our exhibiting artists: Meena Hasan, Omer Wasim, and Zainab Zulfiqar. After the conversation, there will be a reception to follow.
The 7th iteration of the Contemporary Video Art Exhibition continues to celebrate contemporary video art—using recorded moving images— by artists from South and South-West Asia, North Africa (SSWANA), as well as artists of indentured Indian descent and their diasporas. The 7th edition of the juried show will be co-presented by Twelve Gates Arts (12G) and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF).
oin us for a calligraphy community workshop with artist Zahid Mayo! The workshop will be hosted at Haraz Cafe in Fishtown and will be FREE to attend!
We are excited to introduce November’s featured Poet of the Month: mace dent johnson!
mace will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on November 4th, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
Celebrate the launch of Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion at Twelve Gates Arts in Philly on Saturday, October 18th, 2025 from 2 - 4 PM! Join award-winning novelist poet Bushra Rehman for the launch of her critically acclaimed book. The afternoon will feature a reading, talk, and book signing.
We are excited to introduce October’s featured Poet of the Month: Marina Avery Robinson!
Marina will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on October 7th, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
We are excited to introduce July's featured Poet of the Month: Dilruba (Ruba) Ahmed!
Dilruba will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on July 1st, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for 12Gates & PAAFF’s Contemporary Video Art Exhibition 2025!
The 7th iteration of the Contemporary Video Art Exhibition continues to celebrate contemporary video art—using recorded moving images— by artists from South and South-West Asia, North Africa (SSWANA), as well as artists of indentured Indian descent and their diasporas. The 7th edition of the juried show will be co-presented by Twelve Gates Arts (12G) and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF).
12 Gates Arts is pleased to present Queer Short Films and Stories, an evening dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging and established queer BIPOC artists that were selected through 12G’s recent open call.
Through film and written word, the featured works explore identity, memory, intimacy, and resistance offering nuanced reflections on the queer experience across a range of cultural and personal contexts.
This year’s featured artists are:
Sharon George, Nikita Shah & Lawhore Vagistan, Nae Vallejo, Sushma Khadepaun, and Lunise Cerin
We are excited to introduce July's featured Poet of the Month: Aishvarya Arora!
Arora will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on July 1st, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
Twelve Gates Arts is seeking original short stories and short films from queer BIPOC artists and writers! Selected works will be showcased at Twelve Gates Gallery, and featured artists will be invited to speak about their process during the event. Each participating artist will also receive an honorarium.
Deadline to submit: Thursday, June 19th
Live showcase: Thursday, June 26th
In-person only: Philadelphia
We are excited to introduce June's featured Poet of the Month: Kirwyn Sutherland!
Kirwyn will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm-8:30pm on June 3rd, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30pm and close promptly at 7pm.
Curated by Sanam Sheriff, THE POETS' STUDIO is a monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, sharing, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with lyric and the written word.
Sanam Sheriff is a queer poet, artist, and educator from Bangalore, India. They have received support from the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Kundiman, Brew & Forge, The Watering Hole, and The Seventh Wave, among others. Sanam’s work has been published in Indiana Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Academy of American Poets, Washington Square Review, Outlook India, and elsewhere. Sanam holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. They currently serve as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College where they organize the Reading Series. Sanam is working, with much love, on their debut poetry collection.
This Month’s Poet is Kirwyn Sutherland, who will be giving a reading and leading us through this June’s writing workshop where poets will have the opportunity to generate and share new work.
Kirwyn Sutherland is a Clinical Research Professional and poet who makes poems centering the black experience in America. He was one of 5 poets to represent the Philadelphia Pigeon Poetry Slam Team at the National Poetry Slam in Oakland California in 2015. Kirwyn’s work has been published in American Poetry Review, Cosmonauts Ave., Blueshift Journal, Voicemail Poems, APIARY Magazine, FOLDER, The Wanderer and elsewhere. Kirwyn has served as Editor of Lists/Book Reviewer for WusGood magazine, poetry editor for APIARY Magazine and is a Watering Hole fellow. Kirwyn has a chapbook, Jump Ship, on Thread Makes Blanket Press.
We are excited to introduce May's featured Poet of the Month: Raena Shirali!
Raena will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7 PM - 8:30 PM on May 6th, 2025 at 12Gates, located at 106 N 2nd St. Doors open at 6:30 PM and close promptly at 7 PM.
Curated and facilitated by Sanam Sheriff, the Writing Workshop is part of THE POETS' STUDIO--a two-part monthly gathering for local poets who are interested in writing, revising, and connecting through poetry. This event is free and open to all who are interested in engaging more deeply with poetry.
Sanam Sheriff is a queer poet, artist, and educator from Bangalore, India. They have received support from the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Kundiman, Brew & Forge, The Watering Hole, and The Seventh Wave, among others. Sanam’s work has been published in Indiana Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Academy of American Poets, Washington Square Review, Outlook India, and elsewhere. Sanam holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. They currently serve as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College where they organize the Reading Series. Sanam is working, with much love, on their debut poetry collection.
This Month’s Poet is Raena Shirali, who will be giving a reading and leading us through this April’s writing workshop where poets will have the opportunity to generate and share new work.
Raena Shirali is the author of two collections of poetry. Her first book, GILT, was released by YesYes Books and won the 2018 Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award. Published by Black Lawrence Press in October 2022, her second book, summonings, won the 2021 Hudson Prize and was shortlisted for the Julie Suk Award. Winner of a Pushcart Prize & a former Philip Roth Resident at Bucknell University, Shirali is also the recipient of prizes and honors from VIDA, Gulf Coast, Boston Review, & Cosmonauts Avenue. Her work has appeared in American Poetry Review, The Nation, The Rumpus, & elsewhere.
Twelve Gates is excited to invite you to our first Revision Workshop for The Poets' Studio. Facilitated by Sanam Sheriff, we will be workshopping three poets with priority given to those who attended April's Writing Workshop. To submit your work for consideration, please fill out the Google form linked below. While we hope you will all attend in the spirit of collaboration and conversation around the work, we will only be workshopping 3 poets, collectively providing our reflections and feedback. Those who attend will also be given priority for next month's Revision Workshop.
Doors open at 6:30 PM and will promptly start at 7:00 PM. The workshop will run until 8:30 PM.
Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIQsQWKYEUyUQJjHbcctaVpE5ZQBmpo_CjMTcQ_8TmUNxxSA/viewform?usp=header
Click here to RSVP to the Writing Workshop on April 29th, 2025 at 6:30pm.
Sanam Sheriff is a queer poet, artist, and educator from Bangalore, India. They have received support from the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Kundiman, Brew & Forge, The Watering Hole, and The Seventh Wave, among others. Sanam’s work has been published in Indiana Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Academy of American Poets, Washington Square Review, Outlook India, and elsewhere. Sanam holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. They currently serve as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College where they organize the Reading Series. Sanam is working, with much love, on their debut poetry collection.
This Month’s Poet is Taylor Alyson Lewis, who will be giving a reading and leading us through this April’s writing workshop where poets will have the opportunity to generate and share new work.
Taylor Alyson Lewis (he/him) is a poet and educator. He holds a BA in English from Spelman College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University-Camden. At Rutgers, he taught first-year composition and was a research assistant and project manager at the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice. He has also been a visiting instructor in creative writing at Bryn Mawr College and a high school English and Social Studies teacher. Taylor has received fellowships to support his writing from Lambda Literary, Fine Arts Work Center, Tin House Summer Workshop, and Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, where he was awarded the Queer Writer Fellowship in Prose. His work appears in Nat. Brut, Poetry Online, Voicemail Poems, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere.
Twelve Gates is so excited to announce the first writing workshop of our upcoming event series, THE POETS’ STUDIO. In collaboration with Sanam Sheriff, we will be hosting monthly workshops and social gatherings for folks interested in connecting with others through poetry. Poets who attend April’s Writing Workshop will be given priority for April’s Revision Workshop at the end of the month.
Click here to RSVP to the Writing Workshop on April 8th, 2025 at 7pm.
About THE POETS’ STUDIO:
THE POETS’ STUDIO is a two-part monthly gathering for poets in Philadelphia who are interested in writing, revising, and connecting through poetry. We will be playful and rigorous, precise and expansive, providing a space for poets to commune, generate new writing, and workshop their poems.
THE WRITING WORKSHOP
Every first Tuesday, our Poet of the Month will give a reading and lead us through a generative writing workshop from 7pm to 8:30pm at 12G. A forthcoming Open Call will allow local poets to apply to feature for future sessions.
THE REVISION WORKSHOP
Every last Tuesday of the month, we will workshop three poets with priority given to those who attended The Writing Workshop. Those on the waitlist will be given priority the following month. Workshops will be reflective, curious, and critical, but ultimately steered by the poet themself. Facilitated by Sanam Sheriff, The Revision Workshop will take place from 7pm to 8:30pm at 12G.
Sanam Sheriff is a queer poet, artist, and educator from Bangalore, India. They have received support from the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Kundiman, Brew & Forge, The Watering Hole, and The Seventh Wave, among others. Sanam’s work has been published in Indiana Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Academy of American Poets, Washington Square Review, Outlook India, and elsewhere. Sanam holds an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis. They currently serve as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College where they organize the Reading Series. Sanam is working, with much love, on their debut poetry collection.
This Month’s Poet is Taylor Alyson Lewis, who will be giving a reading and leading us through this April’s writing workshop where poets will have the opportunity to generate and share new work.
Taylor Alyson Lewis (he/him) is a poet and educator. He holds a BA in English from Spelman College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University-Camden. At Rutgers, he taught first-year composition and was a research assistant and project manager at the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice. He has also been a visiting instructor in creative writing at Bryn Mawr College and a high school English and Social Studies teacher. Taylor has received fellowships to support his writing from Lambda Literary, Fine Arts Work Center, Tin House Summer Workshop, and Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, where he was awarded the Queer Writer Fellowship in Prose. His work appears in Nat. Brut, Poetry Online, Voicemail Poems, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere.
PAAFF (Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival) and Twelve Gates Arts present a showcase of emerging Iranian women filmmakers! Experience the Philadelphia premiere of 4 bold narrative & experimental short films - plus a live performance by the Shiraz Ensemble!
Join us on Thursday, March 13th or Thursday, March 27th from 5:30-7:30PM for this special screening & reception!
Check out the film schedule here.
PAAFF (Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival) and Twelve Gates Arts present a showcase of emerging Iranian women filmmakers! Experience the Philadelphia premiere of 4 bold narrative & experimental short films - plus a live performance by the Shiraz Ensemble!
Join us on Thursday, March 13th or Thursday, March 27th from 5:30-7:30PM for this special screening & reception!
Check out the film schedule here.
12G BENEFIT WITH FIRE MUSEUM PRESENTS – JANUARY 24
On Friday, January 24th, 2025, 6:30 PM, there will be a benefit fundraiser for Twelve Gates Arts! In collaboration with the Fire Museum, and featuring author, Sham-E-Ali Nayeem, and musicians, Swetha Narasimhan and Julius Masri!
We invite you to spend a pleasant evening with us at Twelve Gates and with the featured guests–whose expertise and craft will certainly bring forth a night of beautiful music and written word. Your presence and contributions will support another year of Twelve Gates’ programming and our mission to highlight South Asian American artistic expression.
Click here to buy tickets!
