COURTESY PHOTO
The Harlem Renaissance Gala will be held at Lynn Museum on Feb. 23.
By BILL BROTHERTON
LYNN — Dennis Hicks, the new director of Student Engagement at North Shore Community College, realizes he’s entering uncharted territory by holding cultural events off campus.
But Hicks, a Michigan native and Marshall University grad who arrived here after serving a similar role at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., is confident students and faculty will turn out for the Black History Month programs he’s organized. “Artful Prose: A Spoken Word Event” will occupy the LynnArts Gallery on Feb. 9. A festive “Harlem Renaissance Gala” will follow at Lynn Museum on Feb. 23.
The fact that NSCC is a commuter school and that most students work, some more than one job, poses unique challenges, said Hicks. At George Mason most of the 6,000 students lived on campus, so Hicks had a ready audience for his programs, which included music (One Republic, Ludacris, Gym Class Heroes, All-American Rejects), comedy (Wanda Sykes, Lewis Black, Wayne Brady) and speakers (George Takei).
“This is the first time North Shore Community College has scheduled programs like this off campus, outside of school hours and not tied to a specific class. I’m hopeful students, faculty and the community will respond. Everyone at the college has been supportive and excited about it,” said Hicks.
“Plus, many of our students come straight from high school,” he said. “They haven’t attended many super-dressy events, except maybe for prom. The Harlem Renaissance Gala is not a jeans and T-shirt event. Smart-casual to sassy-chic attire is preferred.”
The Lynn High School Jazz Band is expected to perform at the gala. Boston-based actor Alan White will recite poems and stories from the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural, social and artistic explosion that revitalized Harlem, N.Y., in the 1920s.
The “Artful Prose” night is an open mic, spoken word showcase. Everyone is invited to participate and all will be given up to three minutes to share their talent. The subject matter need not be related to Black History Month.
Hicks said the programs are not limited to faculty and students. “Both events are free and open to all. I just request that people sign up in advance (links at the bottom of this story).”
“There is a great ambiance in the museum and gallery space,” said Hicks, who splits his time between NSCC’s Lynn and Danvers campuses. “I brought up the idea of Black History Month and (staffers) Elena (Hershman-Seide) and Carolyn (Cole) had some great ideas, very supportive.”
“The gala will be a fun, lively social event with music and food. It will be a swanky night,” said Hicks. “Everyone will have a great time.”
“Artful Prose: A Spoken Word Event,” Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-8 p.m., at LynnArts Gallery. To perform, use this link: https://goo.gl/xh5kIY. To attend, use this link: https://goo.gl/kkSQ4G
“Harlem Renaissance Gala,” Thursday, Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m., at Lynn Museum.
For free tickets, use this link: https://goo.gl/cfNFAH
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Bill Brotherton is The Item’s Features editor. He can be reached at [email protected].