2026 Festival Artists
Our footprint logos.
Our footprints were designed by Shay Alexi.
Shay Alexi is an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller based in Atlanta, GA. Their full-length poetry collection unbridled was nominated for Georgia Author of the Year, and their writing has been featured in WUSSY magazine and Apogee Lit amongst other journals. Shay holds a BFA in Acting and videos of their performance poetry have garnered over 5 million views. Their graphic design has been featured by publications like The Rumpus and utilized in social media campaigns, logos, and book covers. Shay is earning a master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Agnes Scott College. These intertwined pursuits articulate Shay’s focused curiosities: narrative power, precise language, and the poetics of design. Connect at shayalexi.com or on social media @_shayalexi_
The Bigfoot Poetry Festival’s 2026 Poster.
Our poster this year was designed by Anis Mojgani.
Anis Mojgani served two terms as Oregon’s 10th Poet Laureate and is a two-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam. Winner of the International World Cup Poetry Slam and a recipient of an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellowship, Anis has done commissions for the Getty Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. His work has appeared on HBO, National Public Radio, and as part of the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day series; and in the pages of the NYTimes, Rattle, Platypus, Winter Tangerine, Forklift Ohio, and Bat City Review. Anis has been awarded residencies from the Vermont Studio Center, Caldera, AIR Serenbe, The Bloedel Nature Reserve, The Sou’wester, and the Oregon Literary Arts Writers-In-The-Schools program.
Known for his performances and well regarded for them the world over, Anis has performed at hundreds of universities across the U.S.; festivals around the globe, including the Sydney Writers Festival, Jamaica’s Calabash festival, and Seoul’s Young Writers Festival. Co-creator of the Oregon Poetry Telephone Line and the librettist for the opera, Sanctuaries, Anis is the author of six books of poetry––his latest being, The Tigers They Let Me––and his first children’s book is forthcoming from Holiday House/Neal Porter Books. Originally from New Orleans, Anis currently lives in Portland, OR.
Doug Furr and our First Place Bigfoot Trophies.
The creator of our mascot, Douglas Furr, as well as our 1st Place Giant Bigfoot trophies is Cassandra Eggert.
Cassandra (she/her) is a wife, millennial, #boymom, and the upbeat creative who makes toys and artwork. She loves keeping her hands busy and expressing her creativity. It makes her feel fulfilled and purposeful! She started Calou (kah-loo) Shop shortly after becoming a mom as a way to reclaim this creative part of herself. As Calou Shop and her talents have evolved, she’s started to identify as both a toy maker and an illustrator. Check out her web-site to browse her work, as well as see her statement on her commitment to social justice, anti-racism, and eco-consciousness.
Festival
Photographer.
James Sheridan will be taking pictures at the Bigfoot Poetry Festival for a fourth year in a row!
James Sheridan is a local photographer, writer, educator, and general geek. He has been taking pictures since film was a necessity, rather than trendy. His work ranges from still life and portrait to performance. He is simply very happy to be in community with so many talented artists, both locally and abroad.
Festival Photographer.
Aileen Sheedy, the photographer at our first ever festival in 2019 (and came back for 2025), is returning to take pictures at the 2026 Bigfoot Poetry Festival!
Aileen Sheedy is a filmmaker and photographer who writes poetry and fan fiction in her spare time. She has contributed to the production of over a hundred film projects, from feature films to shorts to episodic series, and her photography focuses on finding the small moments of beauty and joy within both the natural world and the human experience. Aileen lives in Portland with the world's least graceful cat, and you can find her online at aileensheedy.com.