Northampton Arts Council

City of Northampton Invites Letters of Intent for Vacant Storefront Program

2024-03-22T10:42:00.004-04:00

City of Northampton Invites Letters of Intent for Vacant Storefront Program

NORTHAMPTON – The City of Northampton, recognized as a designated Vacant Storefront District by the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC), is pleased to announce the opening of interest for its Vacant Storefront Program. This initiative encourages businesses and individuals to express their interest in leasing and occupying vacant storefronts that have been unoccupied for a minimum of twelve months.

“I am proud to continue this important initiative that assists two businesses that are investing in Northampton and are helping to restore our downtown economy by filling a storefront that has been vacant for at least a year,” shared Mayor Sciarra. “With the welcome support of the City Council, I am pleased to partner with the state for a second year of this terrific program.”

The Vacant Storefront Program is part of the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP), offering refundable tax credits, matching municipal support up to $10,000, for businesses or individuals looking to occupy a vacant storefront. To qualify, businesses or individuals must locate within the city’s Vacant Storefront District and apply to the EACC. Locations are considered vacant if unoccupied for at least 12 months, with the general area of focus being the Central Business District. Eligible applicants are invited to submit Letters of Intent to the Mayor’s Office by April 30, 2024. The EACC meeting deadline for a full application is May 15, 2024, with consideration at the June 20, 2024, meeting.

Prospective recipients are encouraged to submit Letters of Intent, addressing three key aspects:

Value to the Local Business Community: Articulate how your potential business will contribute to and enhance the local business environment.
Filling a Need/Void in the Downtown/Central Business District: Clearly outline how your project addresses a specific need or void within the downtown area, contributing to its overall vibrancy.
Synergy with Existing Downtown Businesses: Detail potential synergies and collaborations with other businesses in the downtown area, fostering a cooperative and thriving business community.

Businesses or individuals targeting vacant, first-floor storefronts within the Vacant Storefront District are eligible to apply. To determine eligible locations or inquire about storefront availability, please contact Annie Lesko at alesko@northamptonma.gov or 413-587-1212 or Alan Wolf at awolf@northamptonma.gov or 413-587-1067. Mayor Sciarra will select two qualifying projects to move forward for consideration.

The City of Northampton is committed to fostering economic growth and vibrancy in the heart of downtown. We encourage all eligible businesses and individuals to seize this opportunity. For more information about the program and additional requirements, please visit: https://northamptonma.gov/2480/MA-Vacant-Storefront-Program-MVSP, or contact the Mayor’s Office at mayor@northamptonma.gov or 413-587-1249.

The Third Annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival

2024-03-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

The Third Annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival

Dates: Friday, April 5, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Saturday, April 6, 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM & 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Location: Bombyx Center, 130 Pine St, Florence, MA

Self-Evident Education presents the Third Annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival, taking place on

Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Bombyx Center in Florence. This year's theme, "Building Community in the Midst of Chaos," underscores our commitment to fostering critical conversations around social and racial justice issues.

Based in Florence, Self-Evident Education utilizes multimedia storytelling to engage school and community groups in discussions about the histories and legacies of race and racism in the United States. The festival will feature the premiere of Self-Evident's newest lm, "Freedom's Battle at Christiana," produced for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additionally, attendees will experience an original theatrical production titled "Know the Ledge: Hip-hop History Live!" This performance features Dutch ReBelle, Marcia Gomes, Father Hotep, the Perceptionists and others. It will integrate music, storytelling, and dance to showcase powerful narratives from Self-Evident's film library.

Teacher Fellowship:

In conjunction with the festival, Self-Evident Education is proud to announce the inaugural Teacher Fellowship, funded in part by the Library of Congress/Teaching with Primary Sources Grant Program. Fifteen educators have been selected to participate in this fellowship, which aims to demonstrate the power of Self-Evident's library of resources and primary sources in deeply examining the histories and legacies of systemic racism. This approach provides educators with essential tools to engage students in meaningful dialogue about complex historical issues.

The fellowship cohort comprises seven local educators, including four from Northampton and one from Springfield, as well as eleven educators from across the United States and even the Bahamas. Hailing from Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and beyond, these teachers will engage in two days of intensive work with Self-Evident before attending the Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival.

Keynote Speakers:

• Tricia Rose, author of the groundbreaking book "Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives and How We Break Free," will deliver a keynote address exploring the themes of her work. (Saturday)

• Malia Lazu, leading DEI consultant and author of "From Intention to Impact," will share insights on organizational change and racial equity. (Friday)

Special Presentations:

Khalif Neville and Bayeté Ross Smith will discuss the use of Virtual Reality to tell important stories of our past, present, and future. A Virtual Reality exhibit featuring their work will accompany the presentation.

Youth and Local Presenters:

• Screenings of short documentary films by high school students.

• The Northampton High School wind ensemble will perform a set of music composed by contemporary and historical Black composers.

• Highlights from the work of "Blacks in the Valley" and the "Witness Stone" project will be showcased.

For more details about the festival program, please refer to this booklet or visit: https://thirdrow.live/power-of-truths/

Ticket Information:

GET TICKETS - https://bombyx.live/power-of-truths/

Both days of the festival are open to the public, with a special focus on Friday for high school and college students and educators. Ticket options include one-day or two-day passes, with separate tickets available for the Saturday night theatrical performance. Group discounts are available; please email kyla@selfevidenteducation.com for more information.

Sponsors:

The Third Annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival is sponsored by Self-Evident Education, in partnership with the Northampton Arts Council, with additional support from the Beveridge Family Foundation, the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Greenfield Savings Bank, the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium, Mass Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Northampton Department of Health and Human Services.

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact Michael Lawrence-Riddell at michael@selfevidenteducation.com or 617-869-9070.

KidsBestFest 2024

2024-03-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

WHAT: KidsBestFest 2024

WHEN: Monday, April 15, 2024 - Thursday, April 19, 2024, 11:00 AM showtime, doors at 10:30 AM.

WHERE: The Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main Street, Northampton, MA 01060

HOW MUCH: FREE, please donate to keep it free!

KidsBestFest is a week-long movie festival for kids and adults with free admission held during the spring school break at the Academy of Music Theatre. We show one movie a day and kick off the festival on Monday, April 15, 2024, at 11:00 AM, with doors open at 10:30 AM.

Monday 4/15/24 - The Emperor's New Groove (2000) at 11:00 AM.
In this breezy, slapstick-laden cartoon, a vengeful advisor to the emperor turns his boss into a llama. The voice cast includes David Spade, John Goodman, and Eartha Kitt. Directed by Mark Dindal. Rated G. Runtime 78 minutes. Cast: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick.

Tuesday 4/16/24 - The Great Muppet Caper (1981) at 11:00 AM.
The Muppets are in London covering a jewel heist. Directed by Jim Henson. Rated G.
Runtime 95 minutes. Cast: Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov

Wednesday, 4/17/24 - Singin' in the Rain (1952) at 11:00 AM.
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor star in one of the greatest musicals ever filmed. Musician Don Lockwood (Kelly) rises to stardom during Hollywood's silent-movie era--paired with the beautiful, jealous and dumb Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). When Lockwood becomes attracted to young studio singer Kathy Selden (Reynolds), Lamont has her fired. But with the introduction of talking pictures, audiences laugh when they hear Lockwood speak for the first time--and the studio uses Selden to dub her voice. Set during the advent of "talkies," this film's classic song-and-dance numbers celebrate the beginning of movie musicals. Directed by Stanley Donen. Rated G. Runtime
103 minutes. Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell.

Thursday 4/18/24 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) at 11:00 AM.
Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo are four turtle brothers with a unique set of skills and a penchant for mischief, which runs them afoul of New York City. Yet when a horde of sinister mutants begins to wreak havoc, the city must learn to rely on the turtles if they are to be saved. Directed by Jeff Rowe. Rated PG. Runtime 99 minutes. Cast: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri

Friday 4/19/24 - Holes (2003) at 11:00 AM.
Faithful, entertaining adaptation of Louis Sachar's popular, prize-winning children's novel about a bizarre juvenile-correctional facility run by an intimidating warden. Directed by Andrew Davis. Rated PG. Runtime 118 minutes. Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Tim Blake Nelson, Khleo (Khaleed) Thomas.

Headline Sponsors: A2Z Science and Learning Store, Gage-Wiley Investments

Media Sponsors: Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Republican, WRSI the River 99.3, WHMP

Organization Sponsors: City of Northampton, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Academy of Music Theatre

KidsBest is a co-production of the Northampton Arts Council and the Academy of Music Theatre.

Imagined Worlds Community Mural Paint Party

2024-03-20T10:18:00.000-04:00

WHAT: Imagined Worlds Community Mural Paint Party

WHEN: April 6th 1:30-3:30pm
WHERE: JFK Middle School Cafeteria 100 Bridge Rd Florence, MA 01062

Help us paint the new mural for the outside wall of the school!
Open to all ages, no experience required!

“Imagined Worlds” is a year-long therapeutic art initiative proposed for JFK Middle School. This program utilizes an art therapy approach which asks students to imagine and visualize a space where they can feel safe and positive.

www.colorcollaborative.org
www.sharonacolor.com
ig: @sharona_color

DANTE - call for crew

2024-03-19T14:47:00.001-04:00

MORE INFORMATION: https://www.artbyinde.com/

SCDT's Exchange: Young Artist Performance Project

2024-03-14T11:18:00.005-04:00

WHAT: SCDT's EXCHANGE: The Young Artist Performance Project

WHERE: The WORKROOM @ 33 Hawley St. Northampton, MA

WHEN: Sundays 11:00am-12:30pm

SCDT is continuing with our EXCHANGE YOUNG ARTIST PROJECT this spring.

Offering FREE FUN CREATIVE PROCESS WORKSHOPS to WESTERN MA TEENS! AGES 12 -18!
SUNDAYS 11-12:30 in NORTHAMPTON MA, at 33 Hawley in the WORKROOM

REGISTRATION LINK

DANCE- MUSIC- THEATER- VIDEO
LIVE ART LIVE ART LIVE ART LIVE ART
Together- we create something greater than ourselves

YOUNG ARTISTS- NEW NARRATIVES!
Join SCDT in celebrating innovation in the performing arts through performance and creation, inspiring generations through compelling arts education, and using performance art as a salve for current social issues, thus elevating the vibrancy, diversity and health of our communities!

EXCHANGE makes spaces for young artists to share their stories, and develop their creative voices and collaborative skills. Organized by The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought, EXCHANGE will engage western Ma teens over an 18 month project that will develop lasting creative collaborative relationships, offer workshops on skill building around all aspects of performance art, foster diversity, and most importantly; platform the teen creative voice. Check out more about future programming here!

This project is funded in part by ARPA, The Massachusetts Cultural Council. The New England Foundation for the Arts, The Northampton Arts council and many generous donors.

More Info: https://www.scdtnoho.com/exchange-the-teen-performance-project.html

Pre-register for the "Third Annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival"

2024-03-12T15:25:00.002-04:00

Join Us for the Third Annual Power of Truths and Apply for the Self-Evident Teacher Fellowship

Please join us on Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, 2024, to explore and celebrate the powers of arts and education as tools for collective power and racial justice. Engage with thought-provoking and inspiring presenters, performances, talks, panels, and workshops.

This year's keynote speaker will be Tricia Rose; her new book Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—and How We Break Free delves deeply into how systemic racism in America really works, revealing the vast and often hidden network of interconnected policies, practices, and beliefs that combine to devastate Black lives.

The full schedule will be available soon, but for now...for a sense of what you will experience, here is a listing of last year's sessions/programming, and here is a link to the flyers for last year's event.

Saturday night will feature "Know the Ledge: Hiphop History Live, Part ii", a multimedia performance using arts and storytelling to bring the audience on powerful journeys through history; a separate ticket is required for this event.

PRE-REGISTRATION LINK

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO STAY INFORMED

NOTE: We will also be hosting an educator fellowship in the days leading up to the Power of Truths. On April 3 and 4, we will work with 15 educators to explore the powers of the Self-Evident library and primary source documents in teaching accurate and honest history. Fellows will then attend the two days of the Power of Truths.

APPLICATION FOR THE SELF-EVIDENT EDUCATION: TEACHER FELLOWSHIP

The past two years Self-Evident Education has organized the Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival in Florence. This year will be the third annual. The gathering is dedicated to the powers of the arts and education as tools for racial and social justice and features inspiring speakers, workshops, keynotes, and performances. This year’s conference will be Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, 2024. Prepare to be immersed in thought-provoking presentations, captivating performances, and interactive workshops. Delve into fresh perspectives, experience profound emotions, and cultivate innovative ideas that will undoubtedly leave you inspired. This is not just an event—it's a transformative experience waiting to unfold.

MORE DETAILS

Friday, April 5, 2024, 9:30 am-3:30 pm, Day 1

The day will be filled with exciting, energizing, and inspiring workshops, performances, and presentations. The culminating session on Friday will feature a preview of "Know the Ledge: Hiphop History Live!", which will be the marquee event on Saturday night. (Here's a highlight from last year... Dutch ReBelle as Sojourner Truth).

Saturday, April 6, 2024, 9:30-5:00 (for the conference), Day 2, part i

The day will be filled with more exciting, energizing, and inspiring workshops, performances, and presentations. Tricia Rose will deliver the keynote address on Saturday; she will speak about the work she has done to help understand and ultimately dismantle systemic racism. (Here is the "media kit" for her new book)

Saturday, April 6, 2024, 7:30-9:30 pm, Day 2, part ii

Self-Evident’s theatrical production, "Know the Ledge: Hiphop History Live!", which will use music, storytelling, and dance to tell some of the powerful stories in the Self-Evident library.

Visit here for more information: selfevidenteducation.com/news/power-of-truths

Some other highlights:

- Khalif Neville and Bayeté Ross Smith will present on using Virtual Reality to tell important stories of our past, our present, and our futures. This will be accompanied by a Virtual Reality exhibit of some of their work.

- The premiere of "Freedom's Battle at Christiana" (click for a short preview), one of the films we are producing for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

- The Northampton High School wind ensemble will perform a set of music from contemporary and historical Black composers.

The History of Salsa with Dj Bongohead and Banda Criolla

2024-03-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

The History of Salsa with Dj Bongohead and Banda Criolla
@ Center for the Arts Flex Space at 33 Hawley, Northampton, MA 01060
Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2:00 PM

Get your tickets here: https://www.freshtix.com/events/the-history-of-salsa-live or over the phone. You can call 678-701-6114. Tickets are sent via email moments after the transaction is completed.

Join us on Sun, Apr 28, 2024, at 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, for an exciting journey through the roots of salsa music. Get ready to dance and learn from the best in the business. Pablo Yglesias and Banda Criolla will take you on a musical adventure you will remember. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich history of salsa. See you there! Featuring music, dancing, and history from DJ Bongohead and live salsa group Banda Criolla.

DJ Bongohead
Pablo Yglesias is one of the founders of Peace & Rhythm DJ collective & record label. He thrills us with his endless enthusiasm and knowledge of global funkiness. As a writer and historian he has informed on many musical subjects from latin & funk to jazz & punk via the likes of Wax Poetics, his Rough Guides overviews and more. The author/curator of Cocinando! Fifty Years of Latin Album Cover Art (PAP), he also regularly spins vinyl as DJ Bongohead and works in the fields of art and graphic design. His compilation series The Afrosound of Colombia has helped re-launch a worldwide focus on the riches of Colombian music. Peace & Rhythm are proud to be teamed with Vampisoul Records of Madrid to continue bringing the Colombian rare-groove heat! Thanks to Bongohead for all his dedicated hard work in the Discos Fuentes reissue program.

Banda Criolla
New England’s hottest Latin music ensemble! "Banda Criolla" is a 5-piece Latin Dance Band performing top Latino artists such as Luis Fonsi / Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias, Carlos Vives to standard Latin American/ Cuban Classics from Tito Puente, Santana, Los Panchos , Juan Luis Guerra, Gypsy Kings, Strunz and Farah, Celia Cruz and Banda Criolla. Hundreds of performances in USA, Puerto Rico and Cuba. The explosive rhythmic energy of today’s festive Latin music from Puerto Rico/ Cuba / Latin America!

Headline Sponsor: Lathrop Community

Media Sponsors: The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Republican, 93.9 FM the River, WHMP, Northampton Open Media

Organizational Support:
Massachusetts Cultural Council, City of Northampton

Montague Seeks Muralist for the Shea Theater

2024-03-07T11:54:00.006-05:00

Application deadline is at 11:59PM EST on Sunday, March 10, 2024

The Town of Montague seeks an experienced muralist to paint a 3,000 square foot mural on a wall of the Shea Theater Arts Cente r, located at 71 Avenue A in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. The mural will function as a gateway, with the goal of instantly branding the village as a creative community and encouraging residents and visitors and enjoy local retail shops, restaurants, and the art scene.

The Town is working with Common Wealth Murals (CWM) to assist with this project. CWM is a mural management nonprofit that partners with professional muralists and communities to create public art which reflects the hopes, histories, and heroes of their neighborhoods.

A mural steering group is comprised of Montague residents, business owners, and representatives from the Shea Theater, RiverCulture and the Montague Planning Department has been formed to provide oversight of this work. The steering group will assist with preparing the Artist Call/RFP, muralist selection process, public outreach and community engagement, and the review and approval of the final design. The muralist selection criteria will focus on previous work and experience, commitment to creating public art that reflects the community where the art is located, and increasing the diversity of artistic representation in Turners Falls.

The selected artist will be expected to create a mural design based on input from a community listening session and information provided by the steering group. The muralist will need to submit a to-scale, color concept sketch to the steering group for feedback and approval. Some sketch revisions based on feedback should be expected.

The selected muralist will receive an artist fee of $15,000. All paint, supplies, equipment, transportation, room and board will be provided. The mural is expected to be painted by September 2024.

To learn more and apply, please visit: https://shorturl.at/citN5. Application deadline is at 11:59PM EST on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

For questions/comments, please contact RiverCulture Director Suzanne LoManto at riverculture@montague-ma.gov or Montague Town Planner Maureen Pollock at maureenp@montague-ma.gov.

Brew & Forge Poetry Night: A celebration of BIPOC poetry in the Valley

2024-02-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

Brew & Forge Poetry Night: A celebration of BIPOC poetry in the Valley

Please join us for the first event organized by Franny Choi, the new Poet Laureate of Northampton, and Brew & Forge, an organization that builds connections between writers, artists, and social justice movements. Along with a reading by Franny, this event will showcase poets of color from across the Pioneer Valley and introduce attendees to powerful grassroots organizing happening locally. Readers include Jai Dulani, Abigail Chabitnoy, Lyrical Faith, Omkari Williams, and Cameron Awkward-Rich. Celebrate the richness of BIPOC poetry in our region, learn about local initiatives, and support writers and activists working for racial justice!

Doors open at 5:45. Admission is free. Donations are welcome and will go toward Brew & Forge’s work supporting poets and community organizers of color in Western Mass and across the Northeast.

The reading will be followed by a book signing and tabling by the Western Mass Bailout Project and the Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Northampton Center for the Arts Flex Space at 33 Hawley

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

RSVP HERE

Subverting the Motherhood Ideal: Reading and Conversation on International Women’s Day

2024-02-22T11:09:00.000-05:00

WHAT: Subverting the Motherhood Ideal: Reading and Conversation on International Women’s Day
WHEN: March 8 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EST

WHERE: Northampton Center for the Arts 33 Hawley Street Northampton, MA.

This Women’s History Month, on International Women’s Day, we bring together four prize-winning writers: Perugia board members Jennifer Jabaily-Blackburn and Arya Samuelson, and Perugia poets Gail Thomas and Carolina Hotchandani. They will read about being mothered and mothering (or not), choosing motherhood (or not), the cultural phenomenon glorifying caretaking, and the way we become mothers to our own parents as they age. Conversation with the writers and the opportunity to buy books will follow the reading. Free and open to the public (and held during Arts Night Out in Northampton). A grant from the Northampton Arts Council supports this program.

Participant bios:
Jen Jabaily-Blackburn’s first book of poems, Girl in a Bear Suit, was selected by Christopher Citro as winner of the 2023 Elixir Press Annual Poetry Prize and will be released in April 2024. Her recent work has appeared in or is coming soon from SIR, Arkansas International, Palette Poetry, Salamander, Fugue, Banshee, On the Seawall and Couplet Poetry, and her poems have twice been selected for Best New Poets. She is at work on a series of mixed-media blackout poems, hem, drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Originally from the Boston area, she now lives in Western Massachusetts with her family. In 2024, she joined the board of Perugia Press, and she is an associate editor of Nine Syllables Press, housed at Smith College, where she is the Program & Outreach coordinator for the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center.

Arya Samuelson is a writer, editor, and instructor living in Northampton. She is the winner of New Ohio Review‘s 2023 Nonfiction Prize and CutBank‘s Montana Prize in Nonfiction awarded by Cheryl Strayed. Her work has also been published in Bellevue Literary Review, Columbia Journal, The Millions, and elsewhere. She has lectured at Middlebury College on writing pedagogy and regularly teaches with a wide variety of literary organizations, in addition to offering private developmental editing and creative coaching services. Arya is training to be a somatic practitioner to help people unearth the stories of their bodies and transform them into art. A Perugia Press board member since 2022, she works full-time at an international nonprofit as a grant writer. Otherwise, Arya is probably obsessing over an adorable dog.

Gail Thomas has published six books, from Finding the Bear (Perugia Press, 1997) to her most recent, Leaving Paradise. Her poems have been widely published in journals and anthologies. Among her awards are the A.V Christie award from Seven Kitchens Press for Trail of Roots, the Charlotte Mew Prize from Headmistress Press for Odd Mercy, the Narrative Poetry Prize from Naugatuck River Review, the Massachusetts Center for the Book’s “Must Read” for Waving Back, and the Quartet Journal’s Editor’s Choice Prize. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony and Ucross, and several poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She teaches poetry with Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshops, visits schools and libraries with her therapy dog, and supports immigrant and refugee families in Western Massachusetts.

Carolina Hotchandani is a Latinx/South Asian poet born in Brazil and raised in various parts of the United States. Her debut poetry collection, The Book Eaters, won the 2023 Perugia Press Prize and was released in September 2023. She holds degrees from Brown, Texas State, and Northwestern universities. Her honors include scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Community of Writers, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, and Tin House Writers’ Workshop. Her poetry has appeared in AGNI, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Atlantic, Beloit Poetry Journal, Blackbird, Cincinnati Review, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, and other journals. She is a Goodrich Assistant Professor of English in Omaha, Nebraska, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Zea Mays Printmaking Offers Free Memberships to BIPOC Artists

2024-02-16T09:30:00.002-05:00

Zea Mays Printmaking Offers Free Memberships to BIPOC Artists

FLORENCE, MA – Community printmaking studio Zea Mays Printmaking is expanding its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with a new subsidized membership program for BIPOC artists. Artists that identify as BIPOC will be able to apply for a free year-long membership to the studio, which also includes 100 hours of access to the studio facilities for independent work. Zea Mays Printmaking plans to offer the BIPOC Artist Membership to two artists in 2024, with hopes that donations from members will make it possible to offer more in the future.

Zea Mays Printmaking has operated in Florence since 2000, when its founder, artist Liz Chalfin, opened the studio with the goal of researching, developing and teaching less toxic and more sustainable methods of fine-art printmaking. Since its inception, Zea Mays Printmaking has grown to over 180 members, a full faculty roster and a year-round workshop schedule. Zea Mays Printmaking members, who normally pay a minimum of $75 a year for membership, are allowed to purchase independent working time in the fully equipped printshop, receive a discount on workshop registration, and are given opportunities to display their work in the Zea Mays Printmaking Flat File and at other community exhibitions.

“At Zea Mays Printmaking, we believe environmental justice, social justice, economic justice and racial justice are inextricably intertwined. As part of our mission to help make printmaking safer for artists and the environment, we are committed to finding ways to remove barriers of access to our studio for artists from marginalized racial and ethnic groups.” Kaye Carroll, Zea Mays Printmaking Director of Marketing, goes on to explain, “A lot of forms of printmaking require access to equipment and training that many beginning artists, or artists facing institutional or economic challenges, do not have. Over the past couple of years, we have been seeking to address this issue through several changes, such as simplifying our membership application process, offering more beginner-friendly courses, providing scholarships for artists with financial need, and most recently this BIPOC Artist Membership program. Each of these initiatives is in service of the same goal: to let artists of all backgrounds, whatever their means and whichever stage of their artistic journey they are on, know that they are welcome and wanted in this community.”

Applications for the Zea Mays Printmaking BIPOC Artist Membership will be accepted until May 14th, 2024, and awardees will be selected by lottery on May 31st. Artists interested in applying should visit https://www.zeamaysprintmaking.com/education/scholarships/bipoc-artist-membership/

Partylonga NOHO Tango Fiesta

2024-02-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

WHAT: Partylonga NOHO Tango Fiesta
WHEN: March 1st 7:30 pm
WHERE: First Churches of Northampton

Join the Tango Fiesta: A Night of Passion, Rhythm, and Fun in Western Massachusetts!

Get ready to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of tango as Partylonga NOHO arrives in Western Massachusetts for a night of celebration at the Tango Fiesta!

This thrilling event promises an unforgettable experience filled with passion, rhythm, and fun, where every step tells a story and every beat ignites the dance floor.

Event Highlights:
Amazing Guest Teacher from Argentina, with international background who will guide you through the intricacies of tango with expertise and flair.
Tango Performance: Witness mesmerizing tango performances that will leave you spellbound.
Tango Class: Whether you're a seasoned dancer or a newcomer, join our tango classes tailored for both. Experienced dancers will have a class with Aldo and Laura, and beginners with Brian!
Social Dancing: Dance the night away with fellow enthusiasts to the best tango music, creating magical moments that will linger in your memory.

Get ready for a night like no other – full of laughter, connection, and the irresistible embrace of tango. Save the date, invite your friends, and let's make this Tango Fiesta a celebration to remember!

Event Details:

Date: March 1st
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: First Churches of Northampton
Hosted by: Laura Grandi & Western MA Tango

Official Hashtags: #TangoFiesta #DanceAllNight #TangoPassion #Milonga #TangoArgentino #NOHOPartylonga #Westermatango #Tangograndi

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1wQYlRzcr

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/partylonga-noho-tango-dance-tickets-828776722487?aff=oddtdtcreator

For media inquiries, please contact:
Laura Grandi
Host - Tango teacher
6468419028
tangograndi@gmail.com
www.tangograndi.com--

2024 Chinese New Year Culture Festival

2024-02-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

WHAT: 2024 Chinese New Year Culture Festival
WHEN: Sat Feb 17th, 2024 2:00pm-8:00pm
WHERE: Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School Building A, 80 Locust St, Northampton, MA

Culture Tours and Vendor Show

Live Performances

Dinner, Awards and Raffles

Chinese Association of Western Massachusetts (CAWM)

1399D Westfield St

West Springfield, MA 01089

www.cawm.us

Facebook Page

Silver Chord Bowl 40th Anniversary

2024-02-01T16:28:00.002-05:00

Silver Chord Bowl 40th Anniversary

As we celebrate the 40th year of the esteemed Silver Chord Bowl, the most revered collegiate a cappella showcase in the region, we invite you to witness unmatched talent at the iconic John M. Greene Hall on Smith College's campus. This year's event will be inaugurated with a soulful performance by Northampton High School's Northamptones, paving the way for six acclaimed groups from top colleges and universities around the Northeast. Prepare to be awed by Tufts sQ!, Eight Beat Measure – RIT's Original TTBB A Cappella Group, The Chorallaries of MIT, UCONN Extreme Measures "ExM," The Amherst College Zumbyes, Smith College Blackappella & POCappella. Join Steve Sanderson of the Northampton Arts Council/WRSI 93.9 the River, Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, and the Mayor of Northampton, Gina-Louise Sciarra, as they host the Silver Chord Bowl. This unique opportunity to experience the heart of a cappella is not to be missed.

When?
Sunday, February 11 – 2:00 PM Showtime, Doors Open at 1:30 PM

Where?
John M. Greene Hall is located on the Smith College campus, 60 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01060

How Much?
In Advance:

Price Premium Assigned Seating All Ages - $35
General Assigned Seating All Ages - $15 (Available online);

Day of at Door Price:
Premium Assigned Seating All Ages - $40
General Assigned Seating All Ages - $20

Online Advanced Ticket Outlet: FreshTix

There are 2 ways to buy tickets on FreshTix:

Online - https://www.freshtix.com/events/silver-chord-bowl

Over the phone. You can call 678-701-6114
Tickets are sent via email moments after the transaction is completed

Click here for more information about our opening hours and holiday information.

In-person Advance Ticket Outlets: State Street Fruit Store in Northampton and Cooper’s Corner in Florence

A limited number of General Assigned Seating Tickets All Ages for $15 will be available at State Street Fruit Store and Cooper’s Corner in Florence. The tickets are assigned seating, so please pay attention to the section, row, and section you buy. Only orchestra sections A and D, rows 18-25, are available at State Street and Cooper’s.

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Headline Sponsor:

Smith College

Organizational Support:
Massachusetts Cultural Council, City of Northampton, Smith College

Northampton Youth Cinema Festival Call for Submissions

2024-02-01T16:09:00.005-05:00

Northampton Youth Cinema Festival Call for Submissions

The Northampton Youth Cinema Festival is a relaunch of the YouthFilm Festival, last run in 2017. The festival ran for 17 years before it was shelved. The festival is being relaunched by two Northampton High School filmmakers collaborating with the Northampton Arts Council and Northampton Open Media.

The festival screenings will take place on April 19th, 2024, at the tail end of the week-long Northampton Kidsbestfest.

Call for Submissions

We encourage high-school and college-age filmmakers to submit their films. We are accepting film submissions that are under 30 minutes, excluding documentaries. The submission deadline is March 1st, 2024.

A selection committee will view submissions, and filmmakers will be notified in late March.

Selected films will be screened at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton on Friday, April 19th, 2024.

Rules and Regulations

NYCF IS ACCEPTING ALL FILMS EXCEPT DOCUMENTARIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

- MUSIC VIDEOS

- NARRATIVE FILMS

- ANIMATED SHORTS

- BIOPICS

Please keep all films under 20 minutes. Films between 20 and 30 minutes will be considered. Films over 30 minutes will not be considered.

By submitting, you agree for your film to be shown in person at the NYCF and virtually listed on Vimeo/Youtube.

SUBMIT HERE

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Northampton Youth Cinema Festival Screenings

When?

Friday, April 19th – 11:00 AM Showtime, Doors Open at 10:30 AM.

Where?

Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060

How Much?

FREE, please donate to keep it free!

Headline Sponsors: A2Z Science and Learning Store, Gage-Wiley Investments

Media Sponsors: Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Republican, WRSI the River 99.3, WHMP

Organization Sponsors:

City of Northampton, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Academy of Music Theatre

Physiotasmagorical at A.P.E. Gallery March 7 - 30, 2024

2024-02-01T12:53:00.001-05:00

WHAT: PHYSIO * TAS * MAGORICAL The Implicit Body
WHERE: A.P.E. Gallery 126 Main Street, Northampton, MA www.apearts.org
WHEN: March 7 - 30, 2024
March 8, 5 - 8 pm Opening Reception, Arts Night Out
March 29, 7 - 8 pm Gallery Talk by Curator

The artists in Physiotasmagorical investigate corporeal secrets that reside at the juncture of the clinical and the imaginary. The domain of these artists is a spectacle of implicit knowledge. They question what is inside the body as a search for the definition of who we are outside. What effects do our internal phenomena have on our defining characteristics of both body and mind? How does the somatic self reveal our unique human reality? Intentional awareness of sensation, our “gut instinct,” reveals knowledge that is an embodied subject of “self.” The wisdom of the body is vague, invisible and powerful; a cabinet of curiosities. If phantasmagoric refers to “dream-like blurring of real and imaginary elements,” the addition of “physio” associates these works of art to the body as fantastic conjurings of our internal selves. The subject of “self” is both democratizing and unique, human being to human being. curated by Susan Sensemann

Carolynn Desch Chicago, IL
Christa Donner Sunderland, MA
Michael Medeiros South Hadley, MA
Bobbi Meier Chicago, IL
Deb Mell Truro, MA
Melissa Oresky Bloomington, IL
Susan Sensemann Easthampton, MA

PHYSIOTASMAGORICAL

About the Artists:
(Quoted phrases are those of the artists)

Installation works by CAROLYNN DESCH embody her curiosity about “the emotional and physical fragility of the human mind and body” and the “physical part of the psyche.” Using wool, felt, sterling silver and industrial foam, she depicts blood, glands, and organs as they might appear and function as “unnaturally rational” if re-designed for greater simplicity, efficiency and style. “I look at the forces of our senses combined with our emotional response to our world and conceptualize my realizations. Always, there are the questions of why and how. How do the laws of chemistry, mechanics and physics, along with social and emotional forces come together to allow us to function?”

CHRISTA DONNER writes,“Drawing is my microscope and my scalpel: the tools with which I investigate the body and its metaphors. My recent work reimagines hybrid human anatomies visibly merged with the multispecies communities we are a part of. Every body is a complex ecosystem, a microbiome both impacting and impacted by what’s outside it. Paper offers an ideal matrix through which to explore the fragile but flexible nature of these interdependent systems. Through the fluid medium of ink, I propose speculative models that move between the emotional architecture of our own bodies and the layered history of the world we inhabit…I’m leaning into “super-natural” elements of the natural world…our own animal-ness and interdependence with other organisms.”

MICHAEL MEDEIROS is a poet, potter and historian whose writing and ceramic installations include references to organic systems in gardens, forests and the body. Metaphor drives the imagery of his work within subjects as diverse as Emily Dickinson’s home and poetry and the history of industry in New Bedford. Collaborative projects have included sound, participation by other artists, writers and passersby. "Achilles is an exploration, through ceramic and poetry, of notions of ability and disability, and of perceptions of functionality and how to exist with a failure to function as hoped and intended.” The “crocks”suggest generosity - personal and communal renewal.

BOBBI MEIER’S sculpture, tapestries and installations reveal “sex, secrets and surgery” as she explores desire and embarrassment toward the body, domesticity and family through humor in abstract form. Works like Strange Etiquette and Rebellious Fibers “are emotional repositories for the feelings we hide and thoughts that remain unspoken….In 2017, I made a grid of intimate soft sculptural objects titled Everything Was Going So Well, as a reaction to several years caregiving for sick and dying friends and family members. In 2020, anticipating a pandemic and looming lockdown, I made a sculpture a day using only existing materials in my home studio…The bundles bring me a sense of reassurance in a world that is never without madness and always in need of solace.”

DEB MELL’S paintings and sculptures are inhabited by hybrid beings, part human and part animal, that are nameless, vividly specific, familiar, totemic, comic, surreal, joyful and macabre. As they inhabit their own fields of dream, they embody the mysteries of the viewer’s desires, emotion and instincts. “I think of people and animals and nature as all part of one thing.” A recurring image is a domelike shape, the Cahokia Mounds near her home in Southern Illinois. “I think about my past and the stories that weren’t told. Your past and who you are is always with you.” Her work is encrusted with beads, bones, cut up cans, talons, plastic spiders, roses, pearls, matches, feathers, sequins, bones… layered and layered to make visionary creatures that are personal, political and spirit-ish.

The “brain” is re-fathomed in MELISSA ORESKY’S subjects as a fluid conversation of abstract forms. As a doubled Rorschach test of familiar and abbreviated parts of the body, this abstracted brain is constructed with layers of paint, ink and collage. The second piece, Specter 2, might be body - debris of human or plant organism that is rooted within her shifts between painting and drawing. Here, an imagined MRI converses with a tangled, jangled bit of lived experience as illness and healing unfold. Oresky’s current mixed media work includes video, sculpture and site-specific interactive projects. Her studio practice is one of “growing” her art through iterative processes over a long period of time like the aliveness of environmental consciousness and imaginative reconstruction.

SUSAN SENSEMANN’S large and mid-scale paintings, drawings and polymer clay sculptures, 2023 - 2024, are works in two ongoing series: Some-body’s Body and Corporeal Secrets. Her semi-anatomical imagery is derived from illustrations in Netter’s, Gray’s Anatomy and other medical texts as well as 18 c wax figures by the anatomist, Anna Morandi Manzolini. “Although a heart is a heart, and your pituitary gland resembles mine, I title each piece with specificity such as Woman Listening to Roy Orbison/lacrymal glands. We inhabit bodies that are remarkably and relatively similar as well unimaginably unique.” A series of giclee prints of cut paper collages are constructs of her cast of characters: Runaway, Queen, Painter, Moongazer and other familiars in an internal family of advisors, fools and fantacists.

Stay tuned for updates on our Upcoming page: http://www.apearts.org/upcoming.html.

Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. (A.P.E.) is an artist-led, artist-centered 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting contemporary artists working in all disciplines by stewarding the spaces in which they create, perform and exhibit their work. A.P.E is dedicated to fostering relationships, encounters, and exchanges that nourish the capacity for imagination. http://www.apearts.org; 413.586.5553

This event is made possible in part through support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

LABYRINTH FEATURING THREE PERFORMANCE EVENTS at the A.P.E. WORKROOM THEATER

2024-01-24T16:08:00.004-05:00

THE SCHOOL FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCE & THOUGHT PRESENTS:
The Hatchery young artist project in:
LABYRINTH
FEATURING THREE PERFORMANCE EVENTS at the A.P.E. WORKROOM THEATER
"teens who think on their feet" hampshire gazette

CELEBRATING and SPOTLIGHTING the inspiring and essential voices of
our TEENS
DANCE- MUSIC- THEATER- VIDEO
LIVE ART LIVE ART LIVE ART LIVE ART
Together- we create something greater than ourselves

WHAT?
HATCHERY presents: LABYRINTH
New works by HATCHERY dancers and pit band, featuring guests Young@Heart Chorus, and works by: Shakia the key, Brenden Drake

WHERE?
In A.P.E.’s Workroom Theater, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton

WHEN?
FRIDAY January 26 at 7:00 PM
SATURDAY January 27 at 7:00 PM
SUNDAY January 28 at 2 PM- WITH YOUNG@HEART and YOUTHFUL EXPRESSIONS

TICKETS HERE!

ArtsEZ 2023 Award Winners

2024-01-23T13:04:00.004-05:00

The Northampton Arts Council is pleased to announce the awarding of 16 grants totaling $11,475 in support of various projects from funds raised through event programming within the Northampton community. Our signature fundraising events include the Silver Chord Bowl, Performance, and First Night Northampton. The funding of these projects would not have been possible without our community members who continue to support our benefit events and the sponsors and donors who contribute time and again. Each year, we are in awe of the outstanding applications we have the honor of reviewing, and unfortunately, we were unable to fund many worthy projects. The Arts Council received 64 requests for almost $103,685 of funding.

Sarah Stefana Smith		“I can’t read little things like letters. I read big things like men.” Critical Fabulation as Broadsides of Sojourner Truth	Visual Arts	$1,500.00
Rebecca Muller	Hestia Mural Restoration Collective	Restoration of the mural, History of Women in Northampton 1600-1980" by the Hestia Art Collective"	Visual Arts	$1,200.00
Sharon Leshner	The Color Collaborative	Imagined Worlds	Visual Arts	$1,125.00
Carolyn Abbe Smith	Northampton Jazz Festival	2023 NORTHAMPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL	Music	$500.00
Roger Tincknell		Children's Songs and Singing Games	Music	$500.00
Timothy Lovett	Comedy as a Weapon	Comedy Cause 5: A benefit comedy show for The Care Center	Visual Arts	$1,000.00
Allen Fowler		The Elephant Vanishes	Multidisciplinary Arts	$650.00
Joey Baron		Community Artist in Residency	Music	$750.00
Jesse Freidin	Jesse Freidin Photographer	Are You OK? Local Photoshoot & Feature in Exhibition at Paper City Clothing	Visual Arts	$750.00
Ebbie Russell		Co-Creating Kin: A Movement Space for Young People of All Ages	Multidisciplinary Arts	$500.00
Ariel Shapiro	Burikes	Klezmer Night Out!	Multidisciplinary Arts	$750.00
Christina Webster	The Sphere c/o The DNA	Social Media Design Lab Stipends	Media Arts	$750.00
Dara Herman-Zierlein		Parenthood in a Political Climate	Visual Arts	$600.00
Nikki Gardner		Giving Voice—Immigrants & refugees share their stories	Visual Arts	$400.00
Sara Gately		Everyone is an Artist	Visual Arts	$250.00
Tim Eriksen		Echoes of Future Past- The Antique Concerte on Pyne Street Revival	Music	$250.00

‘LOVE YOU!’ a post Valentine’s Day Arts Cabaret

2024-01-23T10:29:00.007-05:00

‘LOVE YOU!’ a post Valentine’s Day Arts Cabaret

The Northampton Arts Council invites you to join us for a dynamic party with a showcase of talent to give our community a taste of the artistic vision of each of our recent grant recipients.

‘LOVE YOU!’ a post-Valentine’s Day Arts Cabaret, will take place at the Smith College Conference Center at 49 College Ln on the Smith College Campus on February 15, 6:30-9:30 pm.

Free and open to the public, there will be drink, music, AND dancing.

Click on this link to RSVP.

The Arts Cabaret Sub-committee of the Northampton Arts Council produces this event.

WINTERFEST 2024 presented by Downtown Northampton Association

2024-01-18T15:51:00.002-05:00

WHAT: WINTERFEST 2024 presented by Downtown Northampton Association

WHERE: Pulaski Park and locations across Downtown Northampton, MA

WHEN: Saturday, January 20 from 12pm - 4pm
FREE & Open to the Public

Welcome to WINTERFEST 2024! Come downtown and spend your Saturday afternoon with us! The Downtown Northampton Association will be slingin' hot chocolate, S'mores to be roasted over the fire, ice art in motion, crafts for the kids, dancing and karaoke this Saturday, January 20 from 12pm - 4pm.

Winterfest is free, open to the public and guaranteed to be the best reason to get out and actually enjoy the brisk, wintery air!

Facebook Event RSVP

www.northamptondna.com

Vote for the People’s Choice Award!
Simply check the box next to your favorite ice sculpture and the winning artist will receive $300. Ballot boxes can be found in Pulaski Park and at each of the ice sculpture locations.

Northampton Arts Council Announces FY24 Grant Recipients

2024-01-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

NORTHAMPTON, MA: Today, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra and the Northampton Arts Council announced the award of 32 grants totaling $22,705 in support of art projects and programming in Northampton. The Massachusetts Cultural Council's Local Cultural Council (LCC) program allocated funds to the city.

“I am pleased to continue Northampton’s long tradition of support for the arts community,” shared Mayor Sciarra, “I look forward to enjoying, along with our city residents, the outcome of these exciting projects.”

The Arts Council received 114 applications for $217,372 in requested funding. Grants were awarded in the following categories: Dance, Literature, Media Arts, Multidisciplinary Arts, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts.

“I wish we could have funded them all,” said Brian Foote, Director of the Northampton Arts Council. “The caliber of applications this round was extraordinary, which made the process extremely competitive among many worthy projects.”

The LCC FY24 Grant Recipients are:

APPLICANT	PROJECT TITLE	Project Location	DISCIPLINE	Award
Northampton Parents Center, Inc.	Weekly Drop-In Music Classes for Families with Young Children	Northampton Parents Center (lower level Edwards Church)	Music	$1,500.00
Pathlight, Inc.	Whole Children musical theater project	Smith College, Northampton	Theatre	$1,000.00
The Performance Project, Inc.	"Mother Tongue" by First Generation Ensemble	Hampshire County Jail, Northampton High School	Theatre	$1,000.00
Northampton Center for the Arts, Inc.	2024 Youth Performance Festival	Northampton Center for the Arts and Make It Springfield	Interdisciplinary	$1,000.00
Acosta, Pamela	Contra-corriente or the Pond-dwellers	The Hosmer Gallery at Forbes Library	Visual Arts	$1,000.00
Westwater Weekes, Naomi	The Reclamation Project: Honoring the Voices of People of Color in Folk Music	Ideally at Northampton Public Library or a Northampton Community center, but I am open to working with the LCC to find an accessible venue.	Music	$1,000.00
Barron, Shakia	The Gathering: Kia the Key & Company Community Hip-Hop Workshop	outdoor space at 33 Hawley	Dance	$1,000.00
Bombyx Brass Collective	Bombyx Brass Collective Masterclasses and Performance	Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity	Music	$1,000.00
Chinese Association of Western Massachusetts, Inc	Latern Festival and Chinese New year Culture Fair	Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, Northampton	Multidisciplinary	$750.00
Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School	The Viking Runestone	Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School	Humanities	$550.00
Carlino, Kim A.	BIPOC Curatorial Fellowship	Tiny Art 4 All Gallery Project, Northampton	Visual Arts	$750.00
Leader, Rachel	KlezCummington	Northampton and Cummington, MA	Multidisciplinary	$500.00
Lepore, Seth	Faces of Medicine	BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity	Media Arts	$750.00
Green Street Brew A Capella Group	Local Vocal #13	Northampton High School	Music	$750.00
Allen, Megan	Taking STEAM (Science-Technology-Arts-Math) into The Community: The STEAM-Mobile	greater Northampton, Florence Farmer's Market, Northampton Public Schools, Hampshire Heights, Florence Heights	Multidisciplinary	$750.00
pastorfield-li, elizabeth	home//made	33 Hawley Street	Photography	$750.00
The Parlor Room, Inc.	Trans Affirming Voice Training Masterclass Series	Parlor Room	Music	$750.00
Forbes Library	Hands-on art making workshops for adults	Forbes Library Community Room	Visual Arts	$697.00
Grow Food Northampton, Inc.	Grow Food Northampton Farmers Markets Music	Tuesday Market and Winter Market Northampton, MA	Music	$750.00
Translate Gender, Inc.	co-ACT Trans Youth Theatre Collective	Northampton, MA	Theatre	$750.00
Liberal Arts Popup Gallery	The "Strong and Pleasant Homecoming" festival music from the 80' and 90's	Liberal arts popup gallery LLC and Bishops lounge LLC	Music	$750.00
Valley Arts Mentors	Valley Arts Mentors: Mentorship Program and Webinar Series	Virtually	Multidisciplinary	$558.00
Freedman, Robert	MY MAMA AND THE FULL SCALE INVASION	Workroom APE Theater , 33 Hawley St, Northampton, MAA	Theatre	$500.00
Play Incubation Collective	2024 Play Incubation Collective Salons	A.P.E. Workroom Cooperative, 33 Hawley St	Multidisciplinary	$500.00
Self-Evident Education, Inc.	Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival	Florence, MA	Interdisciplinary	$500.00
Valley Art Salon	The ArtSalon	Smith College	Multidisciplinary	$400.00
Bridge Street School	Field Trip to see Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra	Greenfield High School Auditorium	Music	$500.00
Evers, Madge	Drawing With Light	Northampton High School and Northampton Center for the Arts	Visual Arts	$500.00
Morigan Welland, Pan	I Sing Earth	Northampton Center for the Arts, Flex Space	Interdisciplinary	$500.00
Mothers Institute for Collaboration and Art	MICAfest Art for Change: The M/others' View	Throughout locations in Northampton and Florence.	Interdisciplinary	$500.00
Lander-Grinspoon Academy The Solomon Schechter School of the Pioneer Valley, Inc.	MAPA: Dancing Through The Map of Diasporic History	Lander-Grinspoon Academy	Dance	$250.00
Theater Between Addresses	To Serve The Hive	Pine Box Studios, 221 Pine Street, Florence, MA	Theatre	$250.00

Northampton Arts Council Announces 2024-2026 Poet Laureate

2024-01-12T15:26:00.002-05:00

Poet Laureate to Host Poetry Night Celebrating BIPOC Poetry in the Valley

The Northampton Arts Council is thrilled to announce the appointment of Franny Choi as Northampton’s poet laureate for the 2024–2026 term. As Northampton’s 10th laureate, Choi joins the illustrious ranks of poets Karen Skolfield, Martin Espada, Janet Aalfs, Jack Gilbert, Lesléa Newman, Lenelle Moïse, Richard Michelson, Patrick Donnelly, and Amy Dryansky.

The Northampton Poet Laureate position is a two-year term and celebrates Northampton’s vibrant and diverse poetry community through activities of interest to the chosen poet and will educate the public about the importance of poets and poetry to Northampton’s civic and artistic life. The selection committee read poetry by various nominees, discussed a wide range of quality in all their work, and considered their success in the larger poetry world.

Franny Choi is the author of three poetry collections: The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On (Ecco, 2022), Soft Science (Alice James Books, 2019), and Floating, Brilliant, Gone (Write Bloody Publishing, 2014). Their writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Paris Review, and elsewhere. A recipient of the Lily/Rosenberg Fellowship, Princeton’s Holmes National Poetry Prize, and the Elgin Award, Franny is Faculty in Literature at Bennington College and the founder of Brew & Forge, an organization with a mission to build connections between writers, organizers, and movement workers. Franny is at work on a forthcoming essay collection. You can see their work at www.frannychoi.com.

Franny Choi and Brew & Forge will be hosting an event on Friday, March 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM, in the Flex Space at 33 Hawley Street. Along with a reading by Franny, this event will showcase poets of color from across the Pioneer Valley and introduce attendees to powerful grassroots organizing happening locally. Celebrate the richness of BIPOC poetry in the region, learn about local initiatives, and support writers and activists working for racial justice. Admission is free. Donations are welcome and will go toward Brew & Forge’s work supporting poets and community organizers of color in Western Mass and across the Northeast.

February at Hosmer Gallery: Birds & Desserts by Dora Dylanne Reyes and Don Carter, Oil Paintings by Lori Lynne Hoffer

2024-01-12T10:14:00.001-05:00

WHAT: Birds & Desserts by Dora Dylanne Reyes and Don Carter / Oil Paintings by Lori Lynne Hoffer

WHERE: Hosmer Gallery at Forbes Library 20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060

WHEN: February 2-29, 2024. Reception: Saturday Feb 24 3-5:30pm

Oil Paintings by Lori Lynne Hoffer
Bursting with exuberant color and light, Lori Lynn’s botanical paintings send a
powerful message that beauty and appreciation of nature are essential to human
happiness. Hopefully also reminding us humans of the imperative to create
climate solutions that preserve the magnificence of our planet.
This exhibit features her large ‘imagined’ garden squares as well as works from
two special places in the artist’s life - Florence Italy and eastern coast Florida.
Working with oils, Lori Lynn applies thick layers of highly saturated colors. Her
paintings typically begin on a black background and end quite vibrantly in a style
sometimes reminiscent of stained glass, with art deco/art nouveau graphic styles
also serving as an influence. Technique and approach are stylized and painterly,
bringing an emotional connection through simplified shape and a colorist focus.
WEBSITE: lorilynnfineart.com
EMAIL: lorilynn@waterlilydesign.com

Birds & Desserts is a unique collaborative art series created by baker-turned-artist, Dora Dylanne Reyes and graphic designer/illustrator, Don Carter (aka Edgar Allan Slothman). The 24x36" mixed-media prints are created digitally, sometimes combining watercolor. Inspiration is drawn from vintage botanical/zoological prints and sometimes classic cult films. Originally based on the work of John James Audubon, the series has expanded to include original birds and compositions.
WEBSITE: https://slothman.cargo.site/birds-desserts

MICAfest 2024 Open Call for Work

2024-01-11T10:58:00.002-05:00

WHAT: Open Call for Work - MICAfest Art for Change: The M/others' View

WHEN: Submit your proposal by January 31st. Month-long celebration May 2024

WHERE: Anchor House of Artists, Northampton Center for the Arts, First Churches & more.

Learn more and submit: http://experiencemica.org/micafest-2024-art-submissions/

Calling all m/other artists! Submit your proposal for the next MICAfest!

Mothers Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) invites you to submit your bold and innovative work for MICAfest Art for Change: The M/others' View, a city-wide, month-long celebration of diverse m/otherhood experiences in Northampton, MA, this May!

Push boundaries, challenge perspectives, ignite conversations. We seek visual artists, performers (dance, music, theatre), writers, and storytellers who dare to explore the many facets of m/otherhood through unique artistic visions. Cracks in the porcelain cradle: Share art that shatters stereotypes and dives into the raw, the real, and the unspoken.

Illuminate the spectrum: single, chosen, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and beyond.
Showcase your work: Opportunities include performances, exhibitions, and Arts Night Out events at renowned venues like Anchor House of Artists, Northampton Center for the Arts, and First Churches of Northampton! Don't miss your chance to be part of this groundbreaking movement!

Submit your proposal by January 31st and let your artistic voice spark change.

Learn more and submit: http://experiencemica.org/micafest-2024-art-submissions/

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