Last week, Harlem Hospital announced a book drive in collaboration with Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) and Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). This partnership is the latest arts initiative between the HAA and the hospital to serve the community.
A few dozen books, out of the thousands donated — from novels and Black history classics to self help — were on display during a press conference at Harlem Hospital, which featured Voza Rivers, director of the New Heritage Theatre (NHT) and Harlem Arts Alliance; hospital CEO Georges Leconte; and Marcia Pendleton, consultant of Audience Development for MTC and founder of Walk Tall Girl Productions. The drive was inspired by the Broadway play, “Eureka Day” from Jonathan Spector which takes place in a library and played its final performance on Sunday at MTC.
“Books live with you. And to be able to come to the hospital to give books to patients, to give books to families, is such a wonderful marriage. And I’m so glad that the Harlem Arts Alliance, New Heritage and, of course, Manhattan Theatre Club, have come together to give books to the patients, to their relatives, and to have them for the staff,” Rivers shared.
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Rivers says the thousands of books were donated over a two week period, after releases were sent out from HAA and from MTC, and that there was barely any room to move at his offices located on 135th Street between St. Nicholas and Eighth Avenue.
The books will be donated to the adult inpatients at the hospital as well as age-appropriate books for pediatric patients in the clinic and emergency room.
“The partnership with the Arts Alliance is truly one of those great partnerships that really works, not just for Black History Month, which is special, but all year round. It is something that allows us to be able to give art to our patient population,” Leconte said. “Arts does help heal a lot of individuals, and we’ve been using that here at Harlem (Hospital) for many years.”
Last year, through the NHT and Community Works, various artists offered to donate the “harlem is . . . Music, Theater & Dance” exhibit permanently to the hospital. The installation highlights the rich Harlem history of various figures and is available to visit on the second floor outside the Herbert Cave Auditorium. Other photos and pieces of art in partnership with the HAA can be found throughout the hospital including the new Mural Pavilion gallery.
Rivers celebrates NHT and HAA being down the block from the hospital and as well as their work together along the historic 135th St.
“It’s a nice relationship that our theater company is on 135th Street, the entrance to this hospital and the original building is on 135th Street, and that the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is on 135th Street,” Rivers said. “And it’s Malcolm X Blvd. This is an important corridor, and I’m glad to be a part of it in the contributing legacy of this particular area, because I grew up here.”