ABERDEEN, S.D. –NSU is working with Safe Harbor, United Way and Red Rooster to present “A Night of Art and Poetry,” an upcoming arts event in downtown Aberdeen to raise money. The event will once again collaborate Northern student poets with student designers to create works of art that will be sold to raise money for Safe Harbor.
“A Night of Art and Poetry” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at the Red Rooster Coffee House, 218 S. Main St. The event is a collaborative effort involving NSU students and faculty, Safe Harbor and local high school students.
The event, which is free and open to the public, honors National Poetry Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Proceeds from artwork sold will benefit Safe Harbor, Aberdeen’s domestic violence shelter.
Featured guest will be Author Marcella Remond of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, who will offer readings of her award-winning poetry. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals, and her poems have been selected for prizes by journal editors, and by judges Odilia Galván Rodríguez and Molly Peacock. Her first full-length manuscript, “The Book of Crooked Prayer,” won Honorable Mention in the 2017 Stevens Poetry Manuscript Competition from the National Association of State Poetry Societies. Her chapbook, “The Sea is My Ugly Twin,” was published by Finishing Line Press in 2018.
NSU English Professor Dr. Lysbeth Benkert and some students will also read poetry at the event, and there will be time for an open mic session.
To create the artwork on display at “A Night of Art and Poetry,” Benkert’s students will provide snippets of poems to students of NSU Art Professor Sara Christensen Blair. The design students will then create visual pieces incorporating the poetry. Local high school students will collaborate to create artwork in the same way.
“A Night of Art and Poetry will provide students an opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and apply their skills to the real world – that’s what education at NSU is all about,” said Benkert. “The education you get isn’t just about getting the degree. It’s about being a well-rounded person. It’s about making your life mean something.”
For more information about “A Night of Art and Poetry,” contact Safe Harbor at 605-226-1212.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $55 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.