91制片厂

It鈥檚 raining sideways as a Nor鈥檈aster roars across the New Hampshire Seacoast. But inside the tidy Portsmouth home of Richard Haynes, all is calm.

Smartly attired in a crisp shirt and bowtie 鈥� he鈥檚 spent the morning on campus with prospective Wildcats 鈥� Haynes, 91制片厂鈥檚 associate director of admissions for diversity and a 2018 winner of the Presidential Award of Excellence, sits at a yellow table in his bright dining room. He鈥檚 the embodiment of hope and optimism when racial and ethnic enmity seem to be increasing around the world. He鈥檚 animated as he discusses his art, working with students, his many community projects, and life. 鈥淭his is my art gallery,鈥� he says, glancing around the room. He鈥檚 literally surrounded by his work; his photographs and large, contemporary drawings (he works primarily in wax crayon, a technique called caran d鈥檃che) hang on nearly every wall of his rainbow-hued home. Each room is painted in bold colors 鈥� purple, orange, green, yellow 鈥� vibrant backdrops for his art.

Haynes, who is black, uses his color-saturated, semi-abstract drawings to share his personal history and communicate messages about love, racial unity and building community: grownups of different races sitting on a curb, chatting; children of various ethnicities playing games together; women gossiping over tea; slaves moving through the Underground Railroad; blues and jazz music.

An artist his entire life, he describes himself as a maker and keeper of cultural mores. 鈥淎rtists are the ones paying attention to what鈥檚 happening around them,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the cultural keepers and cultural makers.鈥� As Haynes speaks about his own challenges and those faced by the students he meets, his empathy and love of humanity are palpable. Hope, love, spirituality and an education are key to surviving life鈥檚 challenges, he believes. 鈥淚f you really embrace those things, you can become the best you so that you are the best for others,鈥� he says. Haynes wants nothing less than to change the world. 鈥淚 want you to look at my art or hear one of my presentations and say, 鈥榶ou鈥檝e inspired me鈥�,鈥� Haynes says. 鈥淚 want you to look deeper at the world, and then make a change in your own life.鈥�
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FINDING HOPE
Haynes鈥� positivity didn鈥檛 come without struggle. The middle child in a family of seven, he spent his early years in segre- gated Charleston, South Carolina, where his parents picked cotton in summer and worked as 鈥渢he help鈥� 鈥� servants 鈥� the rest of the year and racism was a daily fact of life. In 1957, the family moved to Harlem, part of the Great Migration of African American families searching for new jobs and oppor- tunities, but the reality was the extended family living in crowded, sometimes rat-in- fested, apartments, passing heroin addicts on the street corner, and Haynes enduring regular beatings for his southern drawl. After one such beating, Haynes asked his grand- mother a bewildered question: This was better? 鈥溾�橞etter,鈥欌�� he recalls her responding, 鈥淵es. But only if you make it better.鈥欌�� Haynes got a taste of 鈥渂etter鈥� at the age of 9, when he saw the movie 鈥淏en Hur.鈥� Fascinated by the color and the action, he knew then that he wanted to be a photographer. His mother gave him a Brownie camera, and he was off, shooting photos whenever he could. In middle school, 鈥渂etter鈥� got a boost from art teacher Miriam Powers, who suggested that Haynes com- bine his photography skills with his artistic ability. On weekends the duo explored New York City鈥檚 world-famous art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He was hooked. 鈥淪he told me my ability to make photographs would strengthen my artistic ability,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 use photographs to create my paintings. When I paint, I try to capture moments, very much like photography.鈥�

His artistic talent aside, Haynes was an indifferent high school student, and with the Vietnam War approaching, he was drafted shortly after graduation, spending four years as an Air Force dental technician both in Guam and at New Hampshire鈥檚 Pease Air Force Base. Returning home in 1972, he was met at the airport by Powers, who announced, 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to finish your educa- tion.鈥� Haynes attended community college, then went on to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in fine art from Lehman College (where he also met his wife, Marita) and a master鈥檚 degree in photography from Pratt Institute. He established a successful career as a photographer for several of the world鈥檚 largest book publishers as well as CBS Publishing, and he and Marita welcomed three children.

Then, in the late 1980s, Haynes moved his family to Portsmouth 鈥� a city he鈥檇 discovered during his time in the military at Pease. They loved the area, but despite his commercial success in New York City, Haynes couldn鈥檛 find paying work. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if I couldn鈥檛 find a job because I was a man of color,鈥� he says, but he soon found himself struggling to hold on to a piece of wisdom his mother had given him years earlier: 鈥淪he told me, 鈥榙on鈥檛 allow anyone鈥檚 opinion of you to become your reality.鈥欌�� A year passed, and then two more. Haynes borrowed from his parents to keep his family afloat and plunged into despair.

With his trademark candor, Haynes says he was making plans to end his life when a woman he鈥檇 never met before 鈥� Elise Gray, a local minister 鈥� approached him at a wedding, tapped him on the shoulder and told him he needed to come to her church the following day. Though he was skeptical, he complied, slipping in late to take a seat in the back row. 鈥淚 figured that way I could leave easily, but every passage she read, every hymn we sang, spoke to me that day,鈥� he recalls. Then and there, he realized he needed to tell his own story and to will into being the reality he wanted for himself and for his family. He picked up his pencils and wax crayons and started drawing.

Soon, what began as a way for Haynes to work through his emotions became a continuous form of self-expression and observation. His art is vibrant and multi-layered with meaning; using bold colors is intentional.

鈥淐olors give hope, they鈥檙e the celebration of life,鈥� he says. 鈥淏right, bold colors help us stay hopeful in the middle of a storm.鈥�

Inexorably, Haynes emerged from his own storm. Photo assignments started coming in 鈥� first from Pearson Education in Boston and soon from other clients. He joined the faculty of McIntosh College in Dover as a photography and fine art professor and began reading admissions applications part-time for 91制片厂. In 2005, he was named the university鈥檚 associate director of admissions for diversity, recruiting and mentoring students of color from across New England. And he kept creating the world he wanted to see through his art, including exhibits in Portsmouth and Manchester and numerous community mural projects at 91制片厂 and across the state.

Last summer, as part of an artist-in-residency at Portsmouth鈥檚 Gov. John Langdon House, Haynes brought to light the virtually unknown story of Cyrus Bruce, a free black man employed by New Hampshire Gov. John Langdon in the late 18th century. The residency coincided with an exhibition of Haynes鈥� work, 鈥淎 Life in Color: Two Cultural Makers, Centuries Apart.鈥� Delving into what little research existed about Bruce, the artist discovered the servant was renowned locally for his colorful attire. 鈥淗e was one of the best-dressed men in Portsmouth,鈥� Haynes says. Haynes created three different studies of Bruce for his portrait, and members of Historic New England and the Black Heritage Trail, organizations sponsoring his residency, voted on which color to use for Bruce鈥檚 waistcoat. The final portrait, now part of the Langdon House and Historic New England鈥檚 permanent collection, shows Bruce as he may have appeared, greeting visitors at the home鈥檚 open door, resplendent in purple. Bruce鈥檚 face, like all of the faces in Haynes鈥� portraits, is featureless because, Haynes notes, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 give a lot of attention to individuals of color.鈥� His mother鈥檚 advice is a mantra he repeats through his art.

鈥淧art of creating Cyrus Bruce鈥檚 portrait was to convey the message that, no matter how difficult your life is, don鈥檛 allow anyone鈥檚 opinion of you to become your reality. In the midst of his servitude, Bruce had pride and dignity,鈥� he says.
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DEFINING THE PATH TO FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY
Education, Haynes believes, is another medium for creating the world you want to live in, and as an admissions officer, he commands an auditorium full of fidget- ing high school students as boldly as he paints. He wants students to understand that they鈥檙e in charge of their lives. 鈥淚 want students 鈥� all students, not just students of color or first-generation students 鈥� to believe in themselves,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 tell them, 鈥榊ou are who you are because of what you put in your mind.鈥�"

Dressed in a suit and his trademark bowtie, Haynes speaks to an estimated 2-3,000 middle and high school students annually in a territory that encompasses far western Massachusetts and inside Boston鈥檚 Route 128 corridor. His presentations usually include a dramatic retelling of his childhood in South Carolina and Harlem. Striding back and forth, his voice rising and falling like a minister speaking to his congregation, Haynes captivates his young audiences. He tells them that education offers opportunity and that they鈥檙e in charge of the college admissions process, using his own high school experience as a cautionary tale. 鈥淢essing up in high school made me an exemplary admissions officer,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 tell students, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e just as good as anyone else. You鈥檙e all born to win, but you must plan to win, prepare to win and never expect not to win.鈥�

Students respond to Haynes鈥� message. Xiomara Alba虂n 鈥�10, associate director of admissions at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, remembers Haynes visiting her Springfield high school when she was 16. 鈥淚鈥檇 thought about going to college, but meeting Richard really put it in perspective for me,鈥� Alba虂n says. 鈥淗e was the only person of color I met during the admissions process. As a Latin American woman, this was powerful. He made attending 91制片厂 realistic for me.鈥�

Throughout her Wildcat experience and as a student leader, Alba虂n found Haynes a caring mentor who checked in regularly to see how she was doing, socially and academically. After graduation, she worked for Haynes as a 91制片厂 admissions officer.

鈥淓ducation equals freedom and opportunity 鈥� I learned that from Richard and used this to motivate myself through my own life experiences,鈥� says Alba虂n. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to share the value of education as a professional with other students. Richard is a continuous reminder of compassion and dedication towards others. He genuinely wants us to become better versions of ourselves.鈥�

Yamilex Bencosme 鈥�16, who met Haynes during her senior year of high school, considers him a lifelong mentor. A Spanish-speaker, Bencosme was the first in her family to attend college. 鈥淚 was walking through our high school college fair, and I was completely overwhelmed,鈥� she remembers. 鈥淩ichard looked at me and said, 鈥楥ome over here.鈥� We chatted, and he said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a bilingual Spanish speaker, do you know how far you can go in this world?鈥� I went to 91制片厂 because of Richard.鈥� Bencosme went on to become a 91制片厂 diversity ambassador, work- ing under Haynes to recruit students of color, as well as a McNair Scholar.

Rob McGann, 91制片厂鈥檚 director of admissions, says Haynes鈥� efforts are helping boost enrollment at 91制片厂 among students of color, who account for 10 percent of the first-year population in 2018-2019. McGann believes Haynes鈥� strength is building relationships. 鈥淗e nurtures personal relationships with students and helps them feel confident about the admissions process and the possibilities of an education at 91制片厂,鈥� McGann says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 intensely focused on helping students see the possibilities that their lives hold for them when enhanced by a 91制片厂 education.鈥�

MAKING IT BETTER
Another way Haynes brings together his work at 91制片厂 and his art: community-focused art projects aimed at fostering racial unity. Last year, he co-created 鈥淐ulture Keepers, Culture Makers鈥� with 91制片厂 col- leagues Kristen Butterfield 鈥�08 and Sylvia Foster, education program coordinator for the university鈥檚 Office of Community, Equity and Diversity. At workshops in Exeter and Durham, Haynes asked participants, 鈥淲hat do you want people to discover from your drawings? How will you show them what it was like to be living in a time when we were emerging into a world without racism?鈥� Based on the group鈥檚 responses, participants created original art work depicting their views of that new world, which were featured in an exhibit that traveled to libraries around the New Hampshire Seacoast throughout the summer.

鈥淩ichard gave us the gift of working from his center 鈥� his desire to make the world better for his grandchildren,鈥� Foster says. 鈥淗e not only opens people鈥檚 minds to see injustices, he inspires people to imagine what equitable and just systems can look like.鈥�

Haynes鈥� current passion project is a tribute to Marita, his wife of 46 years, who passed away in November 2017. 鈥淲hispering Quilts鈥� is both an art book and a story about a family鈥檚 journey out of slavery, aided by coded pictures found in quilts. Marita, who worked part-time for 91制片厂 admissions, conceived the story and a friend finished the manuscript after she succumbed to pancreatic cancer. The limited-edition portfolio book 鈥� only 20 copies have been published 鈥� is illustrated with numbered gicle虂e prints of Haynes鈥� work, a colorful interpretation of quilting squares superimposed on semi-abstract images of slaves escaping the South via the Underground Railroad.

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Later this year, still another project of Haynes鈥� will be on exhibit at Boston鈥檚 St. Botolph Club. Called 鈥淟ove,鈥� it features a series of images 鈥� clasped hands, the dove of peace, human bodies that form the tree of life 鈥� all framed within circles that represent the universality of his message. 鈥淎fter telling my own story all these years, I decided it was time to tell a world story,鈥� Haynes explains. The images are circular both to represent the globe and to illustrate the unifying power of love. 鈥淲e鈥檙e putting everyone in boxes right now,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 troubling us now in the world. Love doesn鈥檛 put you in a box, love breaks you out of the box.鈥�

Love. Hope. Optimism. Haynes says that it鈥檚 because of all the adversity he has faced 鈥� not in spite of it 鈥� that these are his enduring message. 鈥淪truggles are good for you,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey bring about perseverance. Endurance. Character. And at the end, you lack nothing.鈥�