Gar Bethel is the unofficial poet laureate of the city of Winfield, of Southwestern College, and of the Bridges Conference. He has supported the conference with poetry and readings from its inception. He has for decades supported himself as a poet by doing poet-in-the-schools projects in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Georgia, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In conjunction with visual artists, he has exhibited his work in Dallas, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, and the Smithsonian Institute. He has also served as a member of several faculties including Oklahoma University, University of Pittsburgh, a high school in Maryland, Southwestern College, and the Oklahoma Prison system.