Gospel Open Mic Night provides opportunity to be heard
For brave artists eager to perform, putting their names down on a sign-up sheet will secure that chance.
The sheet will be passed around the room at the Community Folk Art Center on Thursday for those willing to participate in the center’s Gospel Open Mic Night.
The event is just one part of the series ‘A Journey through Music of the African Diaspora,’ co-sponsored by the Syracuse Connective Corridor and Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development at Syracuse University. At the event, the center will let the community know about its 40th anniversary in April.
‘We want to draw the Syracuse community in to CFAC and reach out to the community as a whole,’ said Tamar Smithers, the center’s creative arts coordinator. ‘We want to bridge the gap between the university and the community.’
Hosted by Joan Hillsman of the Joan Hillsman Music Network, the event will feature musical artists and spoken word poets from the campus and the community. Community groups like the Underground Poetry Spot and soloists from SU’s Black Celestial Choral Ensemble will take part in the event.
Since opening in 1972, the Community Folk Art Center has been a cultural staple of Syracuse. The late Herbert T. Williams, a former African American studies professor at SU, began the center with other members of the SU faculty, students, local residents and artists. They wanted to provide a venue to showcase visual and oratorical art, as well as allow artists to share dialogue and interact, according to the CFAC website.
The center started as a small storefront on the corner of South Salina Street and Wood Avenue. The center then moved to an auditorium on the Eastside of the city and has grown into a community center open to those who appreciate its mission.
Kheli Willetts, a professor in the African American studies department, heads the Community Folk Art Center. He also organized and originated the Music of African Diaspora evenings. The center hosts diverse events, including film screenings, gallery talks, workshops and exhibitions in performing and expressive arts.
Last November, CFAC hosted Paul Steinbeck, a musicology African American studies SU professor who is also a bassist and composer, as part of its Jazz and Blues night. In February, the series will feature the Syracuse community’s own Jamel ‘Mr. R&B Singer’ Lorick for its Rhythm and Blues evening.
After the sign-up sheet is filled with participants’ names for Thursday’s Gospel Open Mic Night, acts will take the stage one-by-one to share their talents.
Smithers said: ‘Hopefully people will be brave enough to grace the stage and sign-up.’
Published on January 18, 2012 at 12:00 pm
