In 2024, Indiana experienced a Total Solar Eclipse. Brick Street Poetry Inc. received a Microgrant from the IU Center for Rural Engagement, including training in the science of an eclipse, to provide poetry programming in Indiana cities of less than 50,000. With the help of our sponsors list on this page, we collaborated with local governments, artists organizations, and other community groups to bring educational and entertaining projects to four Hoosier communities: Greencastle, Martinsville, New Harmony, and Vincennes. We explored possibilities with each community on what would work best for their area. Three of the four communities opted for banner projects. In those communities, poets wrote haiku to NASA images showing a series of eclipse phases. The display of these haiku banners in their town square brought each community and their visitors together in insightful ways in anticipation of the event and reminded them of the occasion throughout National Poetry Month. Special programs for reading the haiku were filled with poetry, imagery, and eclipse-created music. Another community opted to have poets write poetry about eclipses and paired those with artwork done in glass, weaving, painting, music, etc.
We wanted the youngest of our communities to be included so we also created an illustrated children’s book about how animals react to an eclipse. This was written as a collaborative poem with 12 poets each writing about a different animal. We sent poets into schools and libraries for readings and gave each young participant a free book.
When Animals Miss The SunDePauw University in Greencastle was sending eclipse glasses to alumni and they included a bookmark with Joe Heithaus’ banner haiku below with each pair.
moon’s smoke shadow drifts
false night falls on azure earth
people cover eyes
The Hidden Sun complete program video please click the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NEJeNfx_sdXnslAKsS1ME2fk02BIQOCp/view?ts=65f9a06b
Indiana Humanities was a major supporter of the Greencastle event.
Martinsville streets sparkled with eclipse haiku banners with
special thanks to 
Poet Linda Neal Reising (Cheroke Nation)
at New Harmony reading beside shaw weaved in celebration of her poem.
For New Harmony The Hidden Sun reading April 7, 2024 click here:
https://www.facebook.com/NewHarmonyArtistsGuild/videos/407263435360511
The Red Shelton Museum and Theater provided the perfect setting for our Vincennes
The Hidden Sun program, featuring reading of the banner haiku from The River Walk
and special eclipse piano piece by Marjorie Rusche and performed by Yujun Cao.
With major help and support from IU Center for Rural Engagement. 
To view the madcap hanging of the banners in Vincennes click below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15LLnkDWAYsifEBp5LvcCrloieiZsIKIp/view?usp=drivesdk