The Labor of Love Showcase hosted by the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) was held at CSUN for the Black History Month celebration. This event showcased the various talents, performers and creative artists on campus. It took place on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Black House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students attended to support the artists, socialize, and purchase creative products.

From colorful and expressive artwork to detailed handcrafted jewelry, the showcase featured a range of creative endeavors that included art, photography, performances and more. What stood out was that the showcased artists were faculty and staff, highlighting their passion for what they have crafted. The artists were there to engage with people, discuss their work, and share what inspired them to create.

“The event went really well, it actually went better than we even expected. People came and gathered here at the Black House, where it’s our center for cultural activity in the Black community here on campus,” Jade Huell said, vice president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA). She is part of the organizing team, as well as an artist and professor in the Communications Department.

Jade Huell’s focus on the Communications department is performance studies. She is the director of the Performance Ensemble and trains students on how to be better performers. The Performance Ensemble travels locally and nationally teaching performance, while also performing their work.

“My particular Labor of Love is jewelry and crafting, and I generally like making things. I love texture, color, and culture,” Huell said.

There were paintings on canvas that represented culture, society and the Black community. Artist Danielle Samuel shared what inspired her to create her art and how she continues to use her art as a form of therapy.

“My art is under ‘Joy and Liberation,’ and I started it within the pandemic, and one of my art pieces is related to the George Floyd murder, and since then I have been using it as a way to release, to find joy, to find liberation through my art,” Danielle Samuel said, artist and professor in the department of Educational Psychology & Counseling.

within the department of Educational Psychology & Counseling, Samuel teaches for the marriage and family therapy program and uses her art for therapeutic reasons.

“This is my way of giving back to myself and filling up my cup and finding non clinical things to do, creative ways of releasing what’s going on for me,” Samuel said.

Another artist showcased photography and jewelry, where her art reflects her passion and childhood.

“It’s really important to us because it’s an opportunity to share with each other and other people about what we take advantage of and what we do to relax and unwind from true labor that we do on a day-to-day basis,” said Mechelle Best, Dean of the College of Health and Human Development.

Best is also the chief administrator for the College of Health and Human Development at CSUN. She is responsible for over 300 tenure-track and part-time faculty, about 60 staff throughout nine departments, nine chartered centers and the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing.

“This labor of love that we are showcasing today is just what we do to be well enough to take care of others.” Best said.

More information about the Black House and the Black Faculty and Staff can be found on CSUN’s website.