Nycole Marvelous, Artist, and Melody Gamba, MA, R-DMT

Join Nycole and Melody as they share their community-based, anti-oppressive pedagogical approach in engaging students in DNC-310 in the story of Black Americans while examining their own power and privilege through the making of art. This presentation will share the methods they explore to build trust and community within the classroom with the hope of cultivating the next generation of compassionate social activists embodying the mercy mission beyond Salve’s gates. Learn more about the course’s community engagement project in collaboration with local artists Nycole Marvelous and Jy-Tique Harris to plan, design, and install a Black Lives Matter community art piece at McKillop Library. Salve Regina Community members who are interested in collaborating in this necessary and important work are welcome to reach out via email: nycolemarvelous@gmail.com, melody.gamba@salve.edu.

Art Work Credit: Nycole Marvelous

Nycole Marvelous is an artist, arts educator, community activist, and social justice advocate. Nycole is a member of several boards and is working toward equitable business ownership opportunities for artists of color in the North End of Newport. She can be found every week hosting a livestream event for community engagement and art making on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nycolemarvelous/

Melody Gamba, MA, R-DMT (she/her) is a dance artist, educator, mental health counselor and dance/movement therapist who is an advocate for inclusive and equitable educational outreach, therapeutic interventions and social justice programming within her community. She is currently a program therapist at Butler Hospital and an adjunct professor in the Theater, Music, and Dance department at Salve Regina University. Learn more about her collective work at: diversityinmotionresearchcollective.com