“A LIFE IN STICKY NOTES”

HUMANITIES WASHINGTON SPEAKER CLARE JOHNSON AT THE BAINBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Sunday, July 12, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. Free!

The Bainbridge Island Poet Laureate Program and Library U, a program of the Bainbridge Public Library, invite the community to an engaging conversation with Clare Johnson, a member of the 2026-2027 Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, on Sunday, July 12, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Public Library.

A LIFE IN STICKY NOTES. Every night for almost two decades, Seattle poet and artist Clare Johnson has drawn and written on a Post-it to save a small piece of each ending day. At 6,000 sticky notes and growing nightly, this sprawling yet deeply intimate work honors what normal communication can’t—all the separate times held within ourselves, endlessly overlapping, collapsing, and refocusing.

In this talk, the audience will learn about the project’s unlikely origins, discover how it responds to society’s erasure of queer histories, and experience hidden stories—from the dramatic to the lighthearted—behind individual Post-it notes. Johnson invites us to exercise curiosity about the hidden histories we each hold, explore the power of meaningful self-made ritual, and uncover strange magic in everyday life.

Clare Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist and writer celebrating overlooked spaces, histories, and memories. Honors include fellowships and residencies from Jack Straw, Hugo House, Crosstown Arts, Surel’s Place and James Castle House. Recent projects include an art scavenger hunt on the backs of traffic signs, a permanent supportive housing mural in Burien, window art in Cal Anderson Park about HIV and family, and co-editing the Washington State Queer Poetry Anthology.

About Humanities Washington: This free community event is made possible through a grant from Humanities Washington, a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening minds and bridging divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives. For more about Humanities Washington, visit www.humanities.org.

About the Speakers Bureau Program: In communities throughout Washington State, Humanities Washington presents free public programs on history, politics, music, philosophy, spiritual traditions, and everything in between. Its roster of over thirty Speakers Bureau presenters is made up of professors, artists, activists, historians, performers, journalists, and others—all chosen not only for their expertise, but also for their ability to inspire discussion with people of all ages and backgrounds. Images: Courtesy of Humanities Washington Clare Johnson – Headshot Humanities Washington Social Media Image – Clare Johnson