BANGOR, ME- Husson University’s campus center hosted the Blue Black Evening this past Thursday in an attempt to allow students and faculty to share their art work. The English department at Husson put on the event, but it was sponsored by the School of Science and Humanities as well as Student Life. The work ranged from paintings, drawings, poems, stories, memoir’s, and music. Many people who participated in the event were there for a class, but at the same time many people came on stage to share their work for fun. Although some of the music were covers of famous songs, the majority of the work that was shared throughout the event was their own personal work.
According to Maria Cahill, one of the professors involved in putting on the event, the name was inspired by poet Robert Hayden’s poem, “Those Winter Sundays.” Blue Black is in reference to cold winter mornings, as the poem describes, a name people of Maine can easily relate to. Last fall the event brought it around 110 people, this year’s turnout ranged more around 70-100. It is more of a come and go event, where people come to support a friend, or just to enjoy a certain kind of art. In addition to the free artwork you get to enjoy, they also had a table with an assortment of finger food for people to enjoy as well.
Although in the past for events people could come up to the mic as they please, this year they had a strict deadline for people performing in the event. Professor Cahill and Professor Kathy Smith were both involved in the planning of the event and hope to put it on again next year.
“I’ve never been before but it was nice to see Husson students coming together and sharing their work,” Jennifer Armstrong, a School of Business student at Husson shared of her experience watching the event.
Many of the students who participated had never gotten in front of a stage to share their work before so it was a very new experience for some. First timer and Creative Writing student Jennifer Richardson said, “I was extremely nervous leading up to my turn, which was last, but once I got on stage it was simply a matter of reading from a piece of paper.”
Although many had never been to the event before the turnout was definitely not disappointing to the English department, they look forward to another successful year and hope that everyone enjoyed their time there.
