Louisa Calio is an internationally published award winning writer and arts advocate. She won First Prize in the 4th Concorso Di Poesia Internazionale – Messina, Città D’Arte, Sicily, November 30, 2013, for “Bhari”; Words of Gold- Concorso di Poesia Il Parnaso premio Angelo LA VECCHIA, Agrigento, Sicily 2016, for “Sky Openings”; First Prize Princess Ronkonkomo Productions in 2016, for “Song of an Italian American Woman”; First Prize, IL Parnaso International, Canicatti Sicily, January 2017 for “Signifyin Woman”. Was a finalist for Poet Laureate of Nassau County in 2013, Winner of the Connecticut Commission of the Arts Award & Grant to individual writers (1978), the Barbara Jones and Taliesin Prizes for Poetry (Trinidad & Tobago), an Arts grant for a multimedia production of her first book of poetry, In the Eye of Balance, (Paradiso Press), Women in Leadership Award Connecticut 1987, & honored with Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, and others as a Feminist Who Changed America (1963-75) at Columbia/Barnard in 2006. Director, author and performer of multi-media performances set to dance and music by jazz composers, Oliver Lake and Leo Waddah Smith, she was Founding member and first Executive Director of City Spirit Artists, Inc. (1976-1981) a non- profit arts organization in New Haven, Ct., where she worked with divergent groups, joining Yale University, Center for Theater Techniques for Gifted and Talented, Yale’s African American Center, educators and businessmen and women to make arts readily accessible to the community while empowering artists for over 25 years. She has a BA in literature, Magna Cum Laude with Special Honors in English from SUNY at Albany, a Masters Degree from Temple University and is a Certified English and Yoga Instructor. Director of the Poets and Writers Piazza for Hofstra’s Italian Experience for 2001 – 2013 her latest book Journey to the Heart Waters was published by Legas Press in 2014.
