Poems written by residents are now embedded in the sidewalks throughout the southside of Billings.
After more than two years of work, local construction business Knife River stamped the final poem into sidewalks a few months ago.
Community Health Improvement Project Manager Eden Sowards with the Healthy By Design Coalition says public art improves quality of life.
The main goal of the project, Sowards says, is to encourage people to get exercise while giving community members a sense of ownership.
"To have these poems scattered throughout the neighborhood to make it more enjoyable for people to go walk and explore," she said.
Phyllis Morgan-Reno has a poem stamped in front of the home she was born in and has lived in for several decades. She says she hopes the project will help improve the perception of what life in the historically low-income neighborhood is like.
"From when I went to school, when my kids went to school, there’s always been a prejudice against the southside," Morgan-Reno said. "It was like, 'oh, you live on the southside,' like you’re less human being."
The Southside Poetry Project will celebrate the completion of the poetry installation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for next month.
The project was a partnership between the Healthy By Design Coalition, Billings Public Works, Signature Signs, Knife River, Anna Paige and Tami Haaland of Young Poets, and Western Heritage Center, with funding from the Kresge Foundation.