Syracuse, NY – The County of Onondaga announced that Ruthnie Angrand, a Syracuse-based Haitian-American poet and writer who performs as “Rae Sunshine,” will serve as County Poet Laureate through 2027.
Ms. Angrand is Onondaga County’s third poet laureate since the honor was established in 2022 by County Executive Ryan McMahon in collaboration with CNY Arts. This esteemed position recognizes artistic excellence and community impact through poetry, and supports the Laureate in fostering deeper public engagement through special grassroots-level creative programming.
“Congratulations to Ruthnie on this extraordinary honor,” said Mr. McMahon. “Being named Poet Laureate is not only a testament to your remarkable voice, but a celebration of the creativity that runs deep throughout Onondaga County.”
As a spoken word artist, Ms. Angrand draws heavily from her Caribbean roots, calling back to Haitian griots, as well as her love for Black arts and culture across the diaspora. Ms. Angrand sees herself as a “melting pot of art and culture,” bringing her oratory training and background in worship and chamber music, dance, and jazz studies to this role.
“To be recognized as the Poet Laureate is reverent to me and an honor to the poets and venues who host, teach, and cultivate poetry in our city. Syracuse accepted my art and trained the advocacy that fuels it. I am eternally in awe of this City’s spirit,” said Angrand.
“What has to happen next, for me, is that we do it better; we have to offer youth writers more welcoming venues, better organized poetry slams and connect them with arts organizations that honor poetry as a serious craft and stepping stone to bigger platforms,” Angrand continued. “Syracuse poets have gone on to be laureates in other cities as adults. There should be a young writer representing this region alongside an adult laureate by 2028.”
During her two-year term, Angrand will receive a $7,000 stipend to support two key initiatives: fundraising for a Youth Poet Laureateship program that will provide teens in Central New York an opportunity to connect and grow with young writers across New York State; and expanding a social media brand, Salt City Stages, to include a digital library of poetry performers and connect them to followers on Facebook and Instagram to promote literary arts in Syracuse.
Ms. Angrand’s predecessor is Poet Laureate Emerita Georgia A. Popoff, who served from 2022 through 2025. During her tenure, Ms. Popoff produced Voices in Verse, a program connecting elder and youth poets locally to write poetry inspired by their lived experiences and unique generational perspectives.
“Ruthnie Angrand is a keen choice for the post of Onondaga County Poet Laureate,” said Popoff. “Her commitment to the rich cultural fabric of our region is already proven. Through her professional career and her creative endeavors, she has fostered strong connections to many communities within the county. As an organizer, mentor, advocate, and artist, Ruthnie brings the perspectives that lay the foundation for the laureateship. We will see her build even more bridges among us throughout her term of service. I look forward to the outcomes and many successes in this work.”
The Poet Laureate position elevates and honors the artistic value of poetry and spoken word, acknowledging the power that both disciplines have to encourage dialogue and make a profound impact in the artistic vibrancy of our communities. Applications were reviewed by an independent panel of community members and creative peers who assessed submissions in terms of each candidate’s body of work and the feasibility and creative merit of their proposals.
Ms. Angrand is a member of Nu Rho Poetic Society and is a Legacy Underground Poet. She will be hosting a writer & artists National Poetry Month Meet & Greet—The Hub Pt.1: Poets, Writers, and Artists Mixer—on April 12, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at Black Citizens Brigade, located at 140 Bank Alley Syracuse NY 13202. More details at ruthnieangrand.com
To learn more about Ms. Angrand’s work, visit ruthnieangrand.com or email her at ruthnieangrand@gmail.com.
Headshot photo credit: Cocoa Rae
CNY Arts, Inc. serves arts, cultural institutions, and individual artists while fostering arts education in Onondaga, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, Oswego, and Cayuga counties through funding opportunities, marketing, technical support, and advocacy.
To learn more about CNY Arts, please visit www.cnyarts.org. CNY Arts welcomes outreach from arts organizations, individual artists, local cultural institutions or historic sites seeking assistance.
