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 Northampton and Transperformance.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Lyra Music Festival at Smith College July 2nd-22nd


Lyra Music Festival, a classical music festival in residence at Smith College, July 2nd- 22nd, Northampton, MA. Lyra Music Festival

“Lyra does it beautifully.” -- Alexandra Keller, Director of Film and Media Studies, Smith College

“The concerts by artists of international stature were just thrilling.” -- Grant Moss, Senior Lecturer in Music, Smith College

“Stupendous in quality!” -- Eleanor Wakin, Northampton Resident

Lyra Music is a non-profit classical music organization directed by Akiko Sasaki and Rachel Odo that combines a world-class music festival with a nurturing, conservatory-style summer music program for young pianists and string players. The 8th Annual Lyra Music Festival offers participants and the community an exciting chance to hear and work with some of the most compelling classical music talents of our time. Lyra Music is grateful to the Northampton Arts Council, Mu Phi Epsilon, the Seligman Foundation and all of the private donors who make it possible to bring classical music to life everywhere.

Lyra Music 2017 Guest Artists: Alexi Kenney, violin; Spencer Myer, piano; and Deborah Pae, cello. All events take place at Earle Recital Hall in Sage Hall at Smith College (unless otherwise noted). For a full listing of events and for tickets: Lyra Music Event Calendar and Tickets

Monday, June 26, 2017

Double Edge Theatre’s Summer Spectacle: WE THE PEOPLE opens July 19


WHAT: Double Edge Theatre’s Summer Spectacle: WE THE PEOPLE
WHEN: Previews: July 14-15, Performances: July 19-Aug 6 (Wed-Sun) & Tues Aug 1 8pm, rain or shine
WHERE: Double Edge Theatre, 948 Conway Road, Ashfield, MA

Purchase tickets at www.doubleedgetheatre.org
or call 413.628.0277 for more info

We The People has its roots in Double Edge’s thirty-five-year question of what makes up identity. What are the paradoxes, stories, and dreams that make up a human being, a community, a society? The audience will experience the beauty of the hills, pastures, and gardens of the Farm surrounded by music and flight, weaving through different paths toward a culminating grand scene.

Through this work we ask how we choose to define ourselves and our evolving communities, beyond what we are told by the dictating voices and forces of our society. The audience will walk freely between intimate installations where characters from nature, history, and imagination create and inhabit lyrical, integrated worlds. We The People is a traveling rumination on finding freedom through creativity, a profound relationship with the land, and a curiosity and reverence for past generations. 

Zea Mays Printmaking Exhibit in Hosmer Gallery


WHAT: Zea Mays Printmaking Studio New Works
WHEN: July 5-31, 2017 Reception: Monday July 31, 5:00-7:30 PM
WHERE: Hosmer Gallery, Forbes Library, 20 West Street. Northampton, MA.

A collection of new prints by 63 members of Zea Mays Printmaking Studio will be on display in July. The exhibit features a wide breadth of styles and techniques, all using non-toxic, alternative printmaking processes with a clear commitment to innovation and quality.

Founded in 2000, Zea Mays Printmaking is a studio, workshop, gallery, educational facility and research center dedicated to the safest and most sustainable printmaking practices available. Attracting artists worldwide, Zea Mays Printmaking shares its
research into safer printmaking practices through workshops and tutorials. 

Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest saxophonist Scott Mullett


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest saxophonist Scott Mullett
WHEN: Tuesday June 27th, 7:30 to 8:30PM and again at 9PM
WHERE: City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St, Northampton.

We are looking forward to playing again with one of our most popular and longest running guest artists. Scott Mullett, besides being and exciting and powerful saxophonist is also an exceptional and committed teacher. He has been teaching at Keene State for many years and has been instrumental in bringing along and inspiring many gifted young musicians, some of whom participate regularly in our jam sessions. 

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Donna Verville’s Digital Photography at Arcadia



Donna Verville’s Digital Photography

WHEN: July 2017, Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-3:00 pm
WHERE: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary 127 Combs Rd., Easthampton, MA 01027

Gallery Information:
The gallery is located in the Nature Center.

Gallery Hours:
Monday-Saturday 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Sunday seasonally

Contact Information:
413-584-3009
arcadia@massaudubon.org

The Mother Plucker Harpists at Hotel Northampton Every Thursday





WHAT: The Mother Plucker Harpists & Other Plucker Valley Musicians
WHERE: The Hotel Northampton, 36 King St, Northampton, MA
WHEN: Thursdays, 5:00-7:00pm

Local harpists including Rosemary Caine and her fellow colleagues play every Thursday in the Hotel Northampton Atrium (lobby) from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The artists play for the benefit of Whole Children, a local organization that works for children with disabilities. The hotel series features a great roster of some of the Valley's best harpists.

Upcoming Performances:
June 22 - Rosie Caine, Harp
               Ann Walaszek, Harp
               Corki Demers, Guitar / Mandolin
June 29 - Piper Pichette, Harp

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest tenor saxophonist Houston Person



Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest tenor saxophonist Houston Person 
Tuesday, June 20th, 7:30 to 8:30pm and again at 9:00-10:00pm
City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St. Northampton, MA.

This week we have a special treat in store for us all. The great tenor saxophonist Houston Person will be fronting to band for two sets; at 7:30 and then again at 9PM. As a result there will be no jam session. Houston is one of the most respected tenor players in world today, having recorded over 80 albums under his own name and appearing on many more as a sideman. He is most known for his sassy sound in the soul-jazz idiom but is a master of swing and bop and ballad for sure. He started recording and touring in the 60's and hasn't slowed down a bit, still traveling all over the globe making great music. This will be Houston's fifth appearance with us and we can't wait. Come early for good seats but again, there will two shows so hopefully we can accommodate everyone interested in hearing this master of the music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Person

Join Make Music Day Northampton 2017


Make Music Day Northampton 2017
Wednesday June 21 6:00pm
Forbes Library Lawn, 20 West Street. Northampton, MA. 

Since it was started in 1982 in France as "Fete de la Musique", musicians have been gathering in cities all over the world to play music together on the summer solstice. This year Northampton is joining the party with a multi-part celebration on the lawn at Forbes Library. Our ukulele club, AEIOUkes, will be hosting a sing-along at Forbes Library lawn at 6 pm next Wednesday, June 21. We'll be singing six songs:

When The Saints Go Marching In
All My Loving
You Are My Sunshine
Five Foot Two (Eyes of Blue)
Jambalaya
This Land Is Your Land

We'd love you to join us. Come around 5:30, bring your stringed instrument and your voice. If you'd like sheet music for the songs, reply to this email and I'll send it to you. When it's over, stick around for a show by our great local reggae band, the Alchemystics.



Vive La France! En Plein Air Painting Festival Falls on Bastille Day

“En plein air” is a French term referring to the act of painting outdoors with natural subjects and light. On Friday, July 14, ten notable local artists will showcase their skills al fresco throughout the late afternoon and evening as part of what has become an annual festival for downtown Northampton--Arts Night Out En Plein Air. Please join Susan Barocas, Valerie Bassett, David Brewster, Jeffrey Gatrall, Paula Gottlieb, Elizabeth Lehman, Robert Markey, Robert Masla, Scott Prior, and Jan Ruby-Crystal in the open air “studio of Pulaski Park 4-8 pm.

By happy coincidence, July’s Arts Night Out falls on Bastille Day, a national day of celebration in France and a great opportunity to add a little French flare to the occasion. Everything is free and interactive as artists welcome onlookers to watch them work on original pieces and engage in conversation about the technique. Robert Masla will be doing two exciting hands-on demonstrations using special canvases and paints. The public is also invited to create their own en plein air paintings by borrowing one of 20 water color kits provided by Chartpak.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

TheatreTruck presents THE MILL PROJECT

WHAT: TheatreTruck premieres a new original work: The Mill Project
WHEN: June 22-25 7:30 PM
WHERE: The Leeds Common. 1 River Rd, Leeds, MA 01053

TheatreTruck presents THE MILL PROJECT: an exploration of women’s bodies in labor and resistance in the age of industrialization.

This performance, featuring five local actors, was devised by the ensemble using historical research to launch an investigative and creative process. The Mill Project is the result this exploration into the first generation of American women who worked outside the home: their freedoms and exploitations, their strengths and the dangers they faced, and the expectations society held for them. Using original music, movement and primary source text, The Mill Project puts the “mill girls” of factory towns like Leeds and Lowell into relationship with the experience of American women today.

The Mill Project was conceived by TheatreTruck cofounders Brianna Sloane and Elizabeth Pangburn and created by Sloane and Pangburn with Emily MacLeod, Emma Ayres, Christine Stevens, Jayme Winell, Robyn Sutton- Fernández, Maya Lapping Rivera and Julia Read. Performances June 22-25 at 7:30pm on the Leeds Common across from the historic Nonotuck silk mill. The audience is invited to bring a blanket or chair and picnic. This performance is recommended for ages 14 and up.

APPLY NOW! Collaborative Workspace Program


APPLY NOW! Collaborative Workspace Program

MassDevelopment and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development are pleased to announce a new partnership with the Barr Foundation, and a second round of Collaborative Workspace Program funding to support the creative and innovation economy!

New and established collaborative workspaces for artists, entrepreneurs and innovators can now apply for grants through MassDevelopment's Collaborative Workspace Program. Created by the Commonwealth through the Legislature's support for Governor Baker’s “Opportunities for All” bill, and enhanced by a three-year commitment from the Barr Foundation targeting artists’ coworking spaces, the program will make availablematching seed or fit-out grants to organizations that own or operate collaborative workspaces.

Volunteers Needed for Northampton Family Fourth Celebration


WHAT: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Northampton Family Fourth Celebration
WHEN: Saturday June 24th, 5:00pm-9:00pm
WHERE:

www.northamptonfamilyfourth.com
https://www.facebook.com/NorthamptonFamilyFourth

We can't do it without the awesome volunteers!! Here’s your opportunity to be a part of the 7th annual "Northampton Family Fourth” Celebration! Come celebrate our independence with your family, friends and our community. Each year over 7,000 people enjoy the event!

Join us on Saturday, June 24th, (raindate the 25th) held at Look Memorial Park. It’s sure to be another exciting evening of fun carnival games, bounce houses, food, and FIREWORKS! And you will receive a free volunteer shirt!

How can you help? We are in need of people to collect donations at the entry area, sell carnival tickets, face paint, run games, and greeters to answer questions and to direct people. June 24th (raindate Sunday, June 25th) from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at Look Park, 2 hour shifts or more if you’d like!


Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features guest saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky 
WHEN: Tuesday, June 13th, 7:30 to 8:30PM  followed by an open jazz jam until 10:30 PM
WHERE: City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton.

Back again and with a brand new recording is the St. Petersburg, Russia native alto saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky. We always enjoy playing with Dmitry and look forward to playing some of his new music. This will be Dmitry's fifth appearance at the Workshop. http://www.dmitrybaevsky.com

Linda Batchelor and Catherine Swift show at Oxbow Gallery



WHAT: Linda Batchelor and Catherine Swift June exhibit in the Oxbow Main Gallery
WHERE: The Oxbow Gallery, 273 Pleasant Street. Northampton MA 01060
WHEN: Show dates: June 1-25
Artist Reception: Friday, June 9, 5 - 8 pm, Arts Night Out

Linda Batchelor and Catherine Swift will be exhibiting in the Oxbow Main Gallery from June 1st until June 25th.

Linda’s show is titled “In the Sandbox” and includes both oil and acrylic paintings and printmaking. www.lindabatchelor.com. Cathy’s is a show of abstract paintings titled “Transitions”.

For more information please see www.oxbowgallery.org.

The Oxbow Gallery
273 Pleasant Street
Northampton MA 01060
Telephone: 413-586-6300





Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Paint This Box! Final Artists Selected

Peter Zierlein @ Hawley/Main Street Box

Mo and Cher Williams @ Pleasant/Main Street Box

Ryan Murray @ West/Main Street Box

Corinne's Design at South/Main Street Box

Paint This Box! is proud to announce that Mo Willems, Corinne Cascioppo, Ryan Murray, and Peter Zierlein are the selected artists who will be creating unique and imaginative paintings on the utility boxes in downtown Northampton.

Paint This Box! is a downtown project aimed at continuing the momentum of transforming Northampton into a public art community. Brian Foote, Arts and Culture Department Director, and of the Northampton Arts Council and Jonathan Goldman, the lead on the 2015 BenchWalk Project, are organizing Paint This Box!. Paint This Box! was inspired by local artist Peter Zierlein’s work in downtown Northampton & the second pilot.

Following the success of BenchWalk in 2015 and the recent renovations of Pulaski Park, Goldman and Foote were interested in continuing to grow Northampton as a public art community. “Not only are we thrilled to bring terrific public art to Northampton, but this is also an opportunity to continue building onto the recent initiatives to enhance the downtown experience,” said Goldman. “In addition, this will help move our city towards future art projects, which will continue to beautify our community.”

In preparation for the painting of the utility boxes, the Northampton Arts Council and local volunteers will be priming the boxes in downtown Northampton on Wednesday, June 7th. Throughout the day on Sunday, June 11th, the artists can be found painting the utility boxes in downtown Northampton. The four utility boxes that will be painted as part of Paint This Box! are located at the intersections of Bridge Street/Hawley Street/Market Street, Main Street/Pleasant Street/King Street, Main Street/State Street/New South Street, and Main Street/Elm Street/West Street. Artists will be using an oil-based, weather resistant, outdoor paint by Van Gogh for the utility boxes donated by local paint company Royal Talens.

If you are interested in donating your time or resources to this great public art project please email hamppublicart@gmail.com. Donations are 100% tax deductible.

Paint This Box! is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and City of Northampton. Paint This Box! was awarded a Local Cultural Council Grant awarded by the Northampton Arts Council and has received donations from Smith College and Florence Bank. In addition, Foster Farrar is donating supplies to help support Paint This Box!.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

On View at City Hall: NoHo to Noho: A Photo Story by Maddy Neely



On View at City Hall: NoHo to Noho: A Photo Story by Maddy Neely

Arts Night Out Opening Reception: August 11, 2017, 4:30–6:30 PM
Show runs: August 11, 2017 – September 5, 2017
City Hall Gallery - 210 Main Street, Second Floor, Northampton, MA 

NoHo to Noho, a photo story, details similarities and differences of Maddy growing up in the neighborhood of NoHo in Greenwich Village of New York City; and her current life in Northampton MA, also called NoHo. Come along with Maddy as she compares and contrasts the two Noho’s, with their ordinary and extraordinary sights such as quaint cafes, local bookstores, city crosswalks and bicycles racks. No matter where you live, you will enjoy this stimulating pictorial adventure.

This exhibit features a total of 20 photos; 10 photo comparisons.

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