Duane Kirby Jensen is a painter and a poet. He was inspired to paint as a child while he watched his grandmother and grandaunt paint scenes of their Stanwood, WA community. He comes from a long line of painters, photographers, carvers, inventors and storytellers.
As a poet, he has seen his work published in six chapbooks, and a variety of other publications, both in print and on-line. Since 1990 he has read and continues to read at numerous venues throughout the northwest.
During the 1990’s he published Everett’s Independent Voice (an arts and entertainment magazine) and The Drifter: A Poetry Journal. He also coordinated the Mill Town Poets open-mic. Since September 2013, he has been the host of Everett Poetry Nite that meets every Thursday night.
His work evokes those places which linger beneath the surface underscoring the narrative of being, the fragility of identity, the gravity of emotion and the ease in which it can be lost.
He does this through a mixture of ‘magical realism’ and what he refers to as ‘emotional realism.’ He has been called an ‘outsider artist.’
He received the 2013 Mayor’s Arts Award for Artistic Excellence & Contribution to Everett’s Cultural Vitality.
Duane Kirby Jensen is an Everett, WA based poet and artist.
