Internationally acclaimed poet, spoken word artist and storyteller Kealoha will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Open Space for Arts & Community.

Named the first poet laureate of Hawaii in 2012, a National Slam Legend in 2010 and one of the nation’s top 10 best poets in 2007, Kealoha has made numerous television appearances and shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, Jason Mraz, Michael Franti (Spearhead), Don Carlos, Medusa and other slam poetry superstars.

An artist with a wide-ranging background, Kealoha graduated with honors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in nuclear physics, served as a business consultant in San Francisco and was a surf instructor before becoming a professional poet.

Kealoha was introduced to slam poetry in 2000 when he was working in San Francisco as a management consultant in nuclear physics. It changed his life, as he left the corporate world, inspired by what he felt was the perfect combination of thinking, writing and theater found in slam poetry.

According to poet Cristin O’Keefe Aptowica, Kealoha is more than just a poet: He is a one-man poetry movement, who practices what he preaches about mindfulness and positivity in art.

Kealoha will bring his gift of spoken and written verse to share with students at McMurray Middle School, where he will conduct two workshops on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Tickets for his show at Open Space are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and $8 for students. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com, Vashon Bookshop and at the door.