The Poet – Venus Jones
Award Recognition:
Poet Laureate and BAJABA Griot Award, Jazz Line Institute, 2024
WildSound Film Festival, “Best Animation,” Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood, 2024
Poppy Jasper Intl. Film Festival, “Best Director”, Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood, 2024
Portugal Indie Film Festival, “Best Animation” Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood, 2024
Center for Cultural Innovation Grant for Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood, 2023
Harlem Book Fair Honor – “Keeper of the Gate,” 2023
Mosaic America Fellow and Grant Recipient for (R)evolutionary Healing 2019 to 2022
Pushcart Nominee for the poem “The Elements,” 2019 – 2020
Finalist for the Santa Clara Poet Laureate, 2019
Youth Speaker University Scholarship Recipient 2018
Multicultural Artist Leadership Institute, MALI 10 Fellow 2017-2018
APCA Showcase Artist- 2017
Black Pearl Award for Community Service, Tampa, FL 2015
Featured Playwright in Tampa Bay Theatre Festival, Tampa, FL 2015
Graduate Leader of the Year, Student Leadership and Mills of Color Awards 2014
Ardella Mills Prize for Creative Non-Fiction, Honorable Mention, Oakland, CA 2014
Langston Hughes Family Museum Book Endorsement for “Lyrics for Langston” 2012
Over $25,000 in Scholarships for Creative Writing Graduate Studies, Mills College 2012
Most Inspiring Solo Performance Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival 2012
Nomination: Onyx Award Performing Arts 2009
Nomination: Onyx Award Performing Arts 2006
Poetry Slam Finalist: Austin International Poetry Festival 2004
Third Place: The Artists Embassy International, San Francisco, CA 2002
First Place: 2nd Annual Bay Area Spoken Word Contest, Tampa, FL 2002
First Place: 1st Annual Bay Area Spoken Word Contest, Tampa, FL 2001
First Place: Poetry Slam Joffrey’s, St. Petersburg, FL 2001
A sample list of notable partnerships and performances:
Graduate Leader of the Year, Student Leadership and Mills of Color Awards 2014
Ardella Mills Prize for Creative Non-Fiction, Honorable Mention, Oakland, CA 2014
Langston Hughes Family Museum Book Endorsement for “Lyrics for Langston” 2012
Over $25,000 in Scholarships for Creative Writing Graduate Studies, Mills College 2012
Most Inspiring Solo Performance Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival 2012
Nomination: Onyx Award Performing Arts 2009
Nomination: Onyx Award Performing Arts 2006
Poetry Slam Finalist: Austin International Poetry Festival 2004
Third Place: The Artists Embassy International, San Francisco, CA 2002
First Place: 2nd Annual Bay Area Spoken Word Contest, Tampa, FL 2002
First Place: 1st Annual Bay Area Spoken Word Contest, Tampa, FL 2001
First Place: Poetry Slam Joffrey’s, St. Petersburg, FL 2001
Dated Performances
Feature Poet, Juneteenth Celebration, Cisco- 2021
Feature Poet, “May the 4th be With You,” Google – 2021
Feature Poet, Tampa Bay TEDx – 2011 (https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/653)
Feature Poet, The new age of Caregiving Symposium, Ruth Eckerd Hall – 2011
Feature Poet, WMNF’s anniversary celebration, The Palladium – 2011
Feature Poet, Voices for Peace, Straz Center – 2011
Feature Poet, Nuyorican Poetry Cafe, New York – 2008
Feature Poet: Got Jokes Improv Comedy Troupe – 2008
Feature Poet, Hillsbourough Arts Council, Poetry Jam Facilitator –2006/07
Feature Poet, Zora Neale Hurston Festival – 2008
Feature Poet, Busboys and Poets, D.C. – 2007
Feature Poet, WMNF’s Holiday Bazaar 2006 and 2007
Feature Poet, Eckerd College Introduced Nikki Giovanni 2007
Feature Poet, Creative Clay presents Folk Fest 2007
Feature Poet, Artists and Writers presents Deep Carnivale – 2007
Feature Poet, Community Tampa Bay Volunteer Recognition –2007
Feature Poet, Youth Leadership Conference, University of Minnesota-Duluth –2007
Feature Poet, Pasco Hernando Community College – 2007
Feature Poet, Ms. Magazine third annual fundraising cruise –2007
Feature Poet, On this Earth Benefit Concert Series -2006
Feature Poet, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists Griot Drum Awards—2005/06
Feature Poet, Hillsborough County Dept. of Children’s Services Heritage Program 2005
Feature Poet, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Symposium –2005
Feature Poet, Finalist at the Austin International Poetry Slam, 2004
Feature Poet, Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL, 2004
Feature Poet, Delta Sigma Theta’s Literary Luncheon, 2003
First Resident Poet, Sunday Forum, WMNF, 2003
Publications:
“Why I Write” World Poetry Day Mini Anthology, Poets For Human Rights 2025.
Scarlet’s Thorn, Venusian Publishing, 2024.
Where the Light Enters You, Venusian Publishing, 2024.
“Falcon”, Red Wheelbarrow, 2024.
“Eye Make Up”, Caesura, 2023.
“Plight” Black Fire This Time, anthology (Willow Books),2022.
“Building Beyond the Burning”, Release Me, anthology (Greenwood Rising, LLC), 2021.
“Is there courage in the coach?”, Choice magazine, 2020.
“The Elements”, “For Earth and Heaven Sake,” “Silver Birches,” Sequoyah Cherokee River Journal, 2020.
“Fly”, Galley Way, 2020
“A Conversation with the Devil & Grim Reaper”, Semi-Finalist Engage Art, 2020.
“She Loved us Fiercely,” African Voices Magazine, 2020.
“In memory of the Miser,” Red Wheelbarrow, 2019.
“Dear Broken Black Girl” and “She Rose,” She Rises, Volume 3. 2019.
Kwanza: Living on Principle ebook, Venusian Publishing, 2018.
“Holy Rubbish” and “I’m Sorry for Saying I’m Sorry”, Red Wheelbarrow, 2018.
“Is Barack the Butler?”, Obama-Mentum: An Anthology of Transformational Poetry, 2016.
“Bumper to Bumper on the Bridge”, Tiny Moments, 2016.
“Life on Bailey St.” Lament for the Dead, 2015.
“In Remembrance”, Whirlwind Magazine, 2015.
“Blacker Than Thou”, “Kernel of Truth”, “Is Barack the Butler?” Reflections Magazine, 2015.
“Telling Time,” Aleola Journal of Poetry and Art, 2015.
“My Hang ups”, “Football and Feminism”, The Womanist, 2013.
“Suffering in Silence”, SF Peace and Hope, 2013.
Lyrics for Langston, Venusian Publishing, 2012.
Eating like there’s no tomorrow,” Poet Lore, 2010.
Kwanzaa: 7 days, 7 principles album, Venusian Publishing, 2009.
“Chasing Freedom”, Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul anthology, Outskirts Press, 2009.
Polly Ticks album, Venusian Publishing, 2008.
“Little Girl in Me” introduction of Nikki Giovanni, Eckerd College printed program, 2007.
“Good Hair”, A Generation Defining Itself, anthology (M.W. Enterprises), 2007.
“Gender Rules” appeared in A Time to Rhyme, anthology, 2006.
“Amen” and “Poetic Soldier” appeared in Communication Line, 2006.
She Rose, Venusian Publishing, 2006.
Buffalo Soldiers ebook, Venusian Publishing, 2006.
“Heavy,” for Good Night Sleep (Community Action Stops Abuse) printed program, 2005.
“Adopted”, X Magazine, 2004.
“The Candle”, “Death of a Soldier Part II”, Map of Austin Poetry / (MAP)
Venus in Retrograde album, Venusian Publishing, 2004.
“I Need a Man”, Underground Poetz, collaborative album, 2003.
Venus to Earth album (A trip around the word), Venusian Publishing, 2003.
The Actress – Venus Jones
* Principal
+ Featured
Film & Television
Name
The Punisher (w/ Travolta)
Out of Time (w/ Denzel)
The Root of All Evil
The ‘A’ List
Out of Hand
Sheena (w/ Gena Lee Nolin)
The Jersey (w/ Eddie George)
Role
Attorney+
Driver
Kim*
Assassin*
Merchant+
Hostage+
Student
Production Company/Director
Artisan Pictures & Marvel Studios/Johnathan Hensleigh
MGM/Carl Franklin
Acshun Productons
Tampa Digital Studios/Gene Howes
MFP Entertainment/Jefferson Kirk
Corsica Productions (UPN)/John Guillermin
Red Lizard Films (Disney Channel)/David Miller
(complete listing available upon request)
Theatre
Name of Play
For Colored Girls
Floridiots
Places
Vagina Monologues
Colored Museum
Fires in the Mirror
A Raisin in the Sun
Role
Lady in Green
Elvis, James Brown & Mildred
Dancer & Grandma
Six-year-old & Southern
Normal Jean
Al Sharpton, Mo, Rabbi
Beneatha
Production Company/Director
The Studio at 620,
St. Petersburg, FL/Leonard Williams
Coconuts Comedy Club,
St. Petersburg, FL/Mary Jane Heath
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center,
Tampa, FL/Fred Johnson
StageWorks,
Tampa, FL/Anna Brennan
Weathervane Playhouse,
Akron, OH/Fran Dorsey
University Theatre,
Akron, OH/William Lewis III
Weathervane Playhouse,
Akron, OH/William Lewis IIIiller
(complete listing available upon request)
Commercials
Featured in over 100 local, regional, and national commercials through the following production companies/directors:
Tony Kaye Productions/Tony Kaye
Costa Creative Group/Joe Costa
Tampa Digital Studios/Jeff McKown
100 Street Films/Scott Durban
Devine Comm./Glenn Arscott
3BG/John Swoosher
Birthmark Entertainment/John Minor
Visitors Bureau/Curtis Graham
Foote Cone & Belding/Francois Girard
Momentum/Larry Israel
Alleywood/Jeff Jones
Epoch Films/Enda McCallion
Red Lizard Films/Rob Allen
Charley Bregg/Lord & Lasker
Video Proof/Brett Scott
Grey House Films/Curtis Graham
NFL Films/Tripp Dixson
Hot Spots/Henry Less
Storyville Pictures Inc./Dirk Aspen
USA Broadcasting/Rex Hall
SteffnyWallace/Erika Zain McKay
Cohen & Co./Charlie Cole
Sendtec/Harry Greene
Cauputo Creative/Louis Caputo
(complete listing available upon request)
Radio & Industrials
Product
Publix
Shapes
Buddy’s
WEDU
Eckerd
Badcock
Winn Dixie
WZIP-FM
Role
Narrator* (Voice)
Spokesperson* (Voice)
Customer (Voice)
Grandma (Voice)
Employee
Customer
Employee
On-air Personality
Production Company/Director
Publix /Gene Howes
Devine Communications/Glenn Arscott
Devine Communications/David Allen
Public Broadcasiting Station (PBS)
Jay Gross Studios/Christian Moriarty
N Focus/Joe O’Brien
Winn Dixie/Al Doane
WZIP-FM
(complete listing available upon request)
Education
MFA Poetry / Mills College
BA Communications / The University of Akron
Acting Coaches:
Jean Blair, Bob Collier, Ellen Jacoby, Ginny Kopf, Tom Logan,
Dick Schaal, Jim Sloviak, Susan Speers & Linda Zerne
Special Skills
Vocalist
Percussion
Swimming
Kung Fu
Rock Climbing
Modern Dance
Biking
Yoga
Poetry
Improv Comedy
Kayaking
Emcee
Honors
The American College Theatre Festival: Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Nominee
Oustanding Radio Personality: WZIP FM
Local Stringer: MTV Online
My favorite commercial shoot of all time (when you’re a big Black Cat and down for the chase)
https://youtu.be/S9q4Hl7nQrI – Poetic Performance Reel (when you’re a model poet)
https://youtu.be/qisxidWnB1E – The A-List (when you used to be on it but still had no lines)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUZerloI_sI&index=20&list=PL387B309E2B58D673 – Appointment (when you probe )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2odHnSJdz2Q&index=35&list=PLC60B9ED727EF250F – Red Wine (when you age well)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0NT_wtUkwQ&index=31&list=PLC60B9ED727EF250F – Assistance (when you write your own monologues based on true stories)