On Saturday, February 22, the Hart Gallery on Market Street in Brockport opened its doors to the public for its fourth open mic. The open mic is an opportunity for anyone to volunteer and tell a story, read written work such as fiction or poetry, play music or do comedy.
Owners Sarah and Benton Hart enjoyed the night and were happy that it was their most attended open mic since last November.
“After last Saturday, we believe we have successfully launched Open Mic Night. We simply loved the great energy the crowd brought to our gallery. There were 14 different performances, with the room at full capacity – in fact many were in back standing. We’ll have to get more chairs, a good problem to have. It indeed takes a village, so thank you for coming out and supporting our endeavor,” an email sent to attendees said.
Sarah Hart took inspiration from a young person who was coming to the figure drawing events the Hart Gallery held and requested an open mic.
“We used to have a poetry reading, but I liked the idea that she had, because with open mics you have comedy, stories, music, poetry. I liked the idea of the variety. Absolutely anybody can come,” Sarah Hart said.
The open mic was the most attended event of that kind yet, and the impact on the local community could continue to grow.
“There’s lots of people in the community who just want to come and hear a show. There’s a lot of people who have been coming that just want to be entertained, maybe they don’t have something to contribute but they’re interested in seeing what’s going to happen. We’re trying to have them [open mics] every month,” Sarah Hart added. “There’s not really any pressure, we want people to feel welcome, because for us, it’s the idea of, where can you go to read a poem? So naturally we want people to feel like this is a safe, perfect place to come see how people receive your work.”
Her husband Benton Hart is the other half of the Hart Gallery. The couple purchased the building seven years ago and have been running it since.
“I’ve spent pretty much my lifetime here. So you know the community is very near and dear to us. We’ve never done anything like this before, but we feel like we’re living in a time where people need to express themselves. They need to feel safe and supportive,” Benton Hart said.
With a pandemic of loneliness impacting the younger generation in particular, Benton Hart believes that events like these will help young people connect with their community.
“Having grown up here, there used to be a time when the Downtown Village Proper was teaming up with the people and the students and interesting little shops. It’s not like that anymore, and even the bar scene isn’t what it used to be. So I find that students are either in their room or using social media and not out as much. I would love to see more young people here,” Benton Hart said.
Six SUNY Brockport students were in attendance, including Jadore Thomas and Sharvani Regmi.
“The whole setting was very intimate but open, and it made me feel comfortable enough to share my poetry even though it’s not something I tend to do. I think it’s great that the owners made it so accessible to the community and it definitely made me feel more at ease with being in Brockport,” Thomas said.
“It was my first open mic night at the Gallery. It went better than I thought. I was pleasantly surprised to see the room full of people from all ages. I came to see my friend perform but I ended up performing as well. I’m excited to go to more open mic nights and meet other Brockport community members now,” Regmi said.
There were 14 performances in total, with audience members filling the gallery and people were standing for half of the show. One of those 14 performances was given by Brynn Grandusky.
“It was my first time performing at an open mic night. As I watched so many people present their art and their work, I was many times moved to tears. It occurred to me that so many people in our community are writing poems, songs, playing instruments and experiencing life in such a beautiful way but don’t have the means to express it. It was an opportunity to come together and not shy away from our art, which oftentimes is getting us through everything else in our lives, but to support each other in sharing our thoughts and words with others. Uniting in this way around different art forms can help us bring back an appreciation and value for the arts that we have lost in modern times,” Grandusky said.
The next open mic is Saturday, March 22 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Performers are encouraged to arrive at 6: 30 pm to sign up for a performance slot.
