Northampton Arts Council

The Northampton Arts Council is a city board and a non-profit organization whose goal is to support and promote the arts in Northampton. Originally created as a Local Arts Lottery Council, it began its work by administering a grants program in which proceeds from a state lottery are distributed to local artists, arts groups, and public schools.

Welcome

The Northampton Arts Council works to support and nurture the arts in the city of Northampton. The Council awards grants twice each year to artists and arts groups from both state and locally-raised funds, and seeks to improve public awareness of the arts. Its' goals include maintaining and preserving the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Northampton, programming such annual events of interest to the community as First Night, Summer Concert Series, Transperformance and Silver Chord Bowl, and advocating on behalf of the arts community.

Founded in 1980, the Northampton Arts Council has an all-volunteer board, and staff, consisting of a full-time executive director, a full-time arts events producer, one seasonal assistant producer, and one student intern from Smith College. Each fall, the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency, allocates money to all of Massachusetts' 351 cities and towns through 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs), of which the Northampton Arts Council is one, in support of community arts activities. This is the largest decentralized program of its kind in the United States.

In addition to administering the LCC program, The Northampton Arts Council was the first cultural council in the Commonwealth to raise money for a second round of funding every spring, with only a few other LCC's following our lead. The ArtsEZ Spring Grant round is made possible by two major fundraising events produced by the Northampton Arts Council; first, Transperformance, an end-of-summer music festival at Look Park held every August, and second, the Silver Chord Bowl. In addition to grant programs, the Northampton Arts Council helps to program arts enrichment programs in the public schools, initiates public art projects and advocates for the arts in the city. We also produce or help produce many other events in Northampton including but not limited to Northampton Summer Concert Series, RETROFAIRE, Cinema Northampton, Bi-ennial Exhibit at Forbes Library, Northampton Film Festival, Northampton Print and Book Fair, and First Night.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Brooklyn Youth Chorus + Young@Heart = Mash Up V



WHAT: MASH UP V
Young@Heart + Brooklyn Youth Chorus + Singers from the Y@H Prison Project
WHEN: Sunday, November 19, 2017 @ 3PM
WHERE: Academy of Music Theatre 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE
or call 413-584-9032 x105

Performing with Y@H will be the renowned Brooklyn Youth Chorus, a nationally recognized collective of young singers and vocal ensembles, now in their 25th year, re-envisioning choral music through artistic innovation, collaboration, and their distinctively beautiful sound.

"The sheer beauty of their singing was captivating..."
-The New York Times

With an incredibly versatile range and repertoire, Brooklyn Youth Chorus combines intensive voice training and music study with performance experiences from Carnegie Hall to the Barbican Theatre. Their artistic excellence has made them the go-to chorus for leading New York orchestras, recording artists, and arts presenters. Founded in 1992, BYC's after-school program encompasses over 600 students in multi-level training divisions and advanced performing ensembles. Joining Young@Heart on-stage will be BYC's premier Men's Ensemble.

"A consistently bold organization that regularly commissions works from composers representing an unusually broad stylistic range." -The New York Times
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Monday, September 25, 2017

Departure Reading Series #4 at Pulaski Park



WHAT: Departure Reading Series #4
WHEN: Saturday, September 30 at 7 PM - 10 PM
WHERE: Pulaski Park Northampton, MA

The next Departure Reading arrives on September 30th. Come to witness the writerly stylings of:

Dan Chelotti
Shana Bulhan Haydock
Alex Raz
John Sieracki

Bring a few $$ for the Prison Birth Project.

Also, bring a candle to light the night if you'd like.

This event is generously supported by the Northampton Arts Council
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The 23rd Annual Paradise City Arts Festival


WHAT: Paradise City Arts Festival
WHERE:  3 County Fairgrounds 54 Old Ferry Rd., Northampton, MA
WHEN: October 7, 8 & 9, 2017
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm
Monday, 10am-4pm

Come October, Northampton’s Paradise City Arts Festival is New England’s cultural, creative, culinary and leaf-peeping destination.

Meet 250 outstanding artists and master craft makers traveling from 25 states to show and sell original works in ceramics, painting, decorative fiber, art glass, furniture, jewelry, metal, mixed media, photography, sculpture, wearable art and woodworking.

The 23rd Annual Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton, Massachusetts is an experience like no other – beautiful, unique, festive and fun. This sprawling, thrilling showcase for the arts features three airy new Exhibition Buildings filled with visual art and design, plus cuisine by Northampton’s best chefs under the 12,000 square-foot Festival Dining Tent, live music, craft demonstrations and workshops, themed exhibits, a benefit silent auction and the new Sculpture Promenade.

This award-winning event offers the chance to see the remarkable work and hear the stories of 250 extraordinary artists from every corner of America. Over 10,000 attendees, many traveling long distances, visit the flagship show held during the peak of New England’s fall foliage season. AmericanStyle Magazine named Paradise City the “#1 Arts Festival in America” in 2008 – and one of the top five in the country for eight years running – calling the event “truly innovative”.

For over 23 years, Paradise City’s guest books have recorded names, addresses and comments by visitors from all 50 states and five continents. A sampling from the last show:
“Incredible variety of artistry here, and so wonderful talking with artists about their work. Like being at a museum except you get to take some art home.”
“We drive an hour and a half one way to attend this show, and it’s definitely worth the trip. Seeing the scope of creativity is amazing, and we go home all revved up.”
“I must say that we were really impressed by the new buildings the show is in. There is more room for the attendees, the atmosphere is bright and airy, and the vibe is really friendly and relaxed. The art at the show had terrific selection and depth. Kudos to Paradise City!” 

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Pedal People 15th Anniversary Party


PEDAL PEOPLE ANNIVERSARY PARTY 2017

WHAT: PEDAL PEOPLE 15th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
WHEN: Sunday, October 1st, 1:00pm-4:00pm 
WHERE: Veterans Field 88 West St., Northampton, MA

Come celebrate 15 years of worker-owned, human-powered bicycle hauling and delivery
services in Northampton. All are welcome!

Schedule:
* 1:00 Pizza, Art & Activities
* 2:00 Singing of the Pedal People Anthem
Speakers & Stories (Share your favorite Pedal People story!)
Anniversary Logo Presentation & Award
* 2:30 Cycle Circus! Car Piñata!
* 3:00-4:00 More art/activities, including silkscreening t-shirts w/
anniversary logo

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Groundbreaking Celebration for Smith College's new Neilson Library


Join faculty, students and staff, along with members of the local community, to celebrate this milestone moment in Smith's history.

What: Groundbreaking Celebration for Smith College's new Neilson Library
When: Thursday, October 19, 2017 4:30 p.m.
Where: Seelye Lawn, Smith College

Featured Speakers:
Maya Lin, architectural designer
Kathleen McCartney, president
Deborah L. Duncan '77, chair, board of trustees
Katherine Rowe, provost and dean of the faculty

A reception with light refreshments will follow.
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Sunday, September 24, 2017

STUDIO4 presents HUT XI




WHAT: STUDIO4 presents HUT XI: WORDS MUSIC MOVEMENT
WHEN: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 at 8PM
WHERE: STUDIO4 / 25 Main St. Suite 444 Northampton, MA.

STUDIO4, the vibrant performance space and arts center located in the heart of Northampton, is proud to announce the third season of HUT—the interdisciplinary performance series co- curated by SCDT Director Jennifer Polins, sound artist Jake Meginsky, and writer Chelsea Hogue. As part of STUDIO4’s new season packed with performance art, HUT showcases three artists in three short sets, in an evening of music, dance, and poetry. HUT has so far presented a wide range of internationally recognized contemporary artists including Bill Nace, Jason Lesceleet, Andrea Pensado, Paul Matteson, Jennifer Nugent, Matt Krefting, Vic Rawlings, Laura Warman, and Chris Corsano, among many others.

The series resumes with HUT XI on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 at 8PM, and features acclaimed violinist SAMARA LUBELSKI, contemporary novelist and essayist CAROLE MASO, and nationally recognized dance-maker DANTE BROWN.

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Friday, September 22, 2017

7th Annual Pedal Poker Run



WHAT: Bike for Community 7th Annual Pedal Poker Ride
WHEN: Sunday October 1st 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: Look Park - 300 N Main St, Florence, MA 

7th Annual Pedal Poker Ride
Presented by Valley Community Development
Grand Prize - $500 Martha's Vineyard Getaway!

45-mile Orchard Ride
25-mile Vineyard Ride
10-mile Bike Path Ride
Register Here!



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