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.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

RETROFAIRE Open-Air Market 2017


RETROFAIRE 2017

The Northampton Arts Council presents the fourth annual RETROFAIRE, an open-air market featuring a bounty of vintage fashion, unique reclaimed and re-purposed jewelry & design, as well as hard-to find music gear and vinyl records to be held on Saturday September 9th.

RETROFAIRE will be held in the space between Thorne’s Market and the Northampton Parking garage. All proceeds benefit the Northampton Arts Council’s BJ Goodwin Fund. A grant designed to provide direct assistance to a Northampton-based artist, writer or arts organization in recognition of exceptional work and to support the further development of artistic talents.

Our vendors include Tiny Anvil, Vintage Steele, Spin That! Records, Rambling Sam & Sons, Vapour City Vintage & more. Why not spend a day supporting art, buying art and wearing art, all while listening to great music and enjoying the savory smell of fine foods wafting in the background. Come to RETROFAIRE and enjoy the search for quality items that will impress your friends of every generation.

When: Saturday September 9, 2017. 10:30am-6:00pm
Where: Armory Street Parking Lot, 1 Kirkland Avenue. Behind Thorne’s Market and the Northampton Parking garage.
How Much: Free & Open to the Public. (Bring Cash for Vendors)

DJ Lineup:
10am-11am- George Myers

11am-noon- DJ Cashman

noon-1pm- Matt Krefting
1pm-2pm- Lindsey Musielak
2pm-3pm- I-Ganic Soundsystem
3pm-4pm- Meghan Minior
4pm-5pm - Peace & Rhythm
5pm-6pm - DJ Rec

RSVP HERE

Shadow Puppetry in Pulaski Park with The Brothers Čampur


What: The Brothers Čampur: An Evening of Indonesian Shadow Puppet Theater
When: Friday, September 8, 2017, 7pm
Where: Pulaski Park, Main St, Northampton, MA 01060

The Northampton Arts Council welcomes The Brothers Čampur to the stage for an evening of Wayang Kulit, in the park. Wayang Kulit is a form of traditional shadow-puppetry from Bali, Indonesia that brings together elements from the island’s rich cultural traditions: Hindu epics, complex music, leather carving, ritual, movement, and slap-stick comedy.

Since 2012, The Brothers Čampur—puppeteers Putu Rekayasa and Panji Wilimantara, theatre artist Sam Jay Gold, and ethnomusicologist Ian Coss—have presented this dynamic art form to audiences in both Indonesia and the United States. They are thrilled to share their newest show under the stars in Downtown Northampton Pulaski Park for one night only. Witness heroes rescue loved ones, clowns fight demons, and Gods crack jokes about Twitter and Instagram — all from the shadows.

More info about The Brothers Čampur

On View at City Hall: Kristi Beisecker Solo Show


On View at City Hall: Kristi Beisecker Solo Show


Arts Night Out Opening Reception: September 8, 2017 4:30–6:30 PM
Show runs: Sept  8, 2017 – October 10, 2017


City Hall Gallery
Second Floor – City Hall
210 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Gallery Hours: MondayFriday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM


Local and internationally recognized photographer - Kristi Beisecker, has completed a 10 piece body of black and white kirlian photography, most commonly known as aura photography or electrography - this work is meant to depict energy within plant and organic material when it comes into contact with electricity. The photographs actually depict the water networks - or the xylem - of organic materials and show a display of enigmatic current that spreads throughout the objects. Inspired by science and botany, Kristi names her pieces after the materials used. The images in this portfolio are reminiscent of botanical illustrations.


This body of work is award-winning and holds the Award of Excellence from the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts through VSA, acknowledged in an "under25" exhibition at the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice, Italy through the Arte Laguna Prize, as well as Honored through the International Photography Awards. Through this artistic journey, Kristi has brought her process to Canada and Italy on residency, producing on-site images as a reflection of the region.

This exhibition features multiple 18x24" images in 22x26" frames, all encompassing similar characteristics creating a comprehensive and cohesive body of work.

The first annual Northampton Arts Council Artists’ Reception


Flyer by Anya Klepacki


The first annual Northampton Arts Council Artists’ Reception will be held September 8th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm to coincide with September’s Arts Night Out. It will be held at the Center for the Arts’ space in the new Arts Trust Building at 33 Hawley Street, which will have just opened to the public. The Arts Trust board will be giving tours of the building.

This new annual event is meant to celebrate Northampton Arts Council grant recipients, past and present. “Most of Northampton has no idea how many amazing artists and projects we as a community support,” says current board chairman George William Myers. “Even active members of our arts community do not see the breadth of what we do.”

The event will be a chance for the Arts Council board to meet all the current grant recipients, and for these grantees to meet many from past grant rounds, spring and fall. In addition, new grant applicants for this fall will be encouraged to attend, to learn how successful applicants and projects are wrought. “The evening is meant to bring all the disparate parts of our amazing arts community together in one room to celebrate one another and our city,” says Myers.

There will be a poetry reading by Northampton Poet Laureate Amy Dryansky, grantee Ben Hersey, and local poet Emily Hunerwadel. Music performances by Mibble, Vanelectro and Anjali Rose Kumar. Images from art shows, performances, and other arts projects funded by the Arts Council will run on multiple screens while music, food, and drink are served.

Perhaps most significantly, it will be the perfect opportunity for confused citizens to straighten out the differences, hopefully once and for all, between the Art's Council, the Arts Trust, and the Center for the Arts.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Wayne’s World | August 30th | 7:30 PM | Pulaski Park | PG-13 | 1h 34min

Wayne's World


Cinema Northampton presents:
Wayne’s World | Wednesday August 30th | 7:30 PM | Pulaski Park | PG-13 | 1h 34minParents Guide

  • We encourage you to bring drinks, snacks, bugspray, flashlights, and blankets to these free outdoor screenings.
  • 
Lawn chairs are allowed but must be set up towards the back and not block anyone's view.
  • 
The rain date for each screening is always one week after - the following Wednesday.
  • 
If a screening is cancelled due to rain we will update our Facebook page. You do not need an account to view these updates. This website may not be udated regarding postponements.
  • 
There are links to parental guides for each film on this website. The guides describe content that may be inappropriate for children.
  • 
Closed captioning will be on.
  • 
Screening times are based on when the sun sets.
Brought to you by:
Northampton Community Television
Forbes Library
Northampton Arts Council
Northampton Parks & Recreation


Friday, August 25, 2017

Eclipse Glasses to be Collected for Reuse


CITY OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
125 Locust Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-587-1570
Fax 413-587-1576

Eclipse Glasses to be Collected for Reuse

The City of Northampton will collect eclipse viewing glasses through September 15, 2017 for reuse. Drop off locations are at Northampton City Hall, 210 Main Street, and at the Northampton Department of Public Works (DPW), 125 Locust Street.

Pioneer Valley residents are encouraged to bring their usable eclipse viewing glasses to City Hall or to the DPW. Transfer Station permit holders may also drop them off at the Glendale Road Transfer Station on Wednesdays from 8:00am – Noon and on Saturdays from 7:00am – Noon, or at the Locust Street Transfer Station, Mondaythrough Saturday 7:00am – 4:00pm. Collected glasses will be donated to Astronomers Without Borders, which will arrange for them to be reused in South America and parts of Asia, both of which are anticipating eclipse events in 2019.

Glasses that are torn, scratched, or are otherwise rendered unusable can be recycled by removing and discarding the dark lenses and recycling the paper-board portion.

Memory Full – Zine Release + Slideshow Party


WHAT: Zine Release + Slideshow + Live Music + Poetry Reading, OUTSIDE! FREE! FUN!
WHERE: Northampton Community Arts Trust 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA. 01060
WHEN: 6:30 pm – Poetry Reading
7:30 pm – Memory Full slideshow with live soundtrack by Moondrawn (Boston) followed by Meghan Minior multimedia collage A TENSION

MEMORY FULL is a group publication created in 2011 as a way to show and share cell phone pictures away from a screen and in the real world. It is published on a very irregular basis, with each volume possibly being the last. This year's theme is: SECRETS.

The slideshow will include every single image submitted (over 200!), and the zine (68 pages!) will have an edited down selection of images.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Swing Shift Director's Cut at SCDT



WHAT: Swing Shift (Director's Cut)
WHEN: Thursday August 24, 7:00PM
WHERE: School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, 25 Main St, Fl 4th, Northampton, MA

The original director's cut of Swing Shift (1984) by Jonathan Demme (Stop Making Sense, Silence of the Lambs) is one of the holy grails of cinema.

Talked about but never shown publicly, it survives in a faded workprint, which has been combined with materials from a high-definition print of the studio cut to produce a version that matches Demme's exactly and is more than 60% HD.

This is a private restoration and can't be seen anywhere else yet.

FREE Admission, Open to the Public
Snacks and drinks will be provided but feel free to bring your own.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

FY2017 Northampton Arts Council Highlights

FY2017 Arts Council Highlights: Will award $18K of locally raised funds in May. Awarded $11,590 of LCC Funds to 26 artists, schools, and arts groups for activities in Northampton in December of 2016. Awarded the BJ Goodwin Grant three times on a case-by-case basis totaling $2,050. Donated $9K to the Public School PTO’s earmarked for arts enrichment. Co-hosted a statewide Cultural District Convention at Union Station with the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Produced and presented Summer Concert Series, Transperformance, RETROFAIRE, Northampton Print and Book Fair, and Four Sundays in February/KidsBestFest-YouthFilm. Opened the City Hall Art Gallery to the community with a new visual art show every month coordinated with Arts Night Out. Collaborated with Northampton Community Television to present Cinema Northampton and the Northampton Film Festival. The Paradise City Cultural District Online event calendar is ready for Alpha testing. We participated in some capacity with the Black Maria Film Festival, Ice Art Festival, Chalk Art Festival, and First Night. Joined the Events Committee of the D.N.A. Joined the fundraising committee for the Northampton Arts Trust. Joined the board of the Regional Creative Economy Network. Provided grant application support, consulting, and advice to local artists, arts organizations, and community members.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Eighth Annual Chalk Art Festival Enhances Vibrancy of Downtown Northampton


“Arts Night Out” welcomes a record number of talented artists to create colorful masterpieces in chalk on the sidewalks of 13 (or more!) downtown sites during the eighth annual Northampton Chalk Art Festival on Friday, September 8. The competitive event kicks off a festive weekend that includes the Northampton Arts Council’s RETROFAIRE on Saturday, September 9.

Drawing takes place from 10 am until 4 pm on Friday. The public is encouraged to watch chalk art pieces develop and to view completed work in the evening while enjoying Northampton’s monthly gallery walk 5-8 pm. Cash prizes of $300, $200, and $100 will be awarded by a panel of judges for the top three creations. Presentations are made by the Mayor on the steps of City Hall at 5 pm.

The public is also invited to an informal family free draw 5-7 pm. Participants will be asked to help “decorate” the RETROFAIRE site located in the area between Thornes Marketplace and the city parking garage. Plenty of sidewalk chalk will be on hand for anyone who wants to take part in the activity.

Individual chalk artists for 2017 feature former prize winners and seasoned competitors Linda Babcock, Jennifer Gutterman, Robert Markey, Chrissy Neithercott, and Sloan Tomlinson. They are joined by round-two veterans Erin Cleary, Jim DuBois, Rob Kimmel, and Sanket Sabnis. Team Bodalimadriguez, aka Stephanie Gerolimatos, Mark Bodah and Matt Rodriguez make a record-breaking 8th appearance! New to the event are artists Lauren Anderson, Corinne Cacioppo, and Nicole Singer.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Zea Mays Printmaking Residency Openings


Zea Mays Printmaking
320 Riverside Dr, Florence, MA

We still have some openings for Fall - Winter 2017-18 Residencies and we're expediting applications! Apply now and receive an answer within a week.

Full Residency - including private studio and on-site accommodations
December 4-17, 2017
January 2-14, 2018
January 30 - February 11, 2018
February 13 -25, 2018

Mini-Residency - 6 days in the members' studio with on-site accommodations
September 19-24, 2017
December 5-10, 2017
January 9-14, 2018
February 6-11, 2018
February 20-25, 2018

You can do a residency at Zea Mays Printmaking in two ways -

A Full residency includes a private studio with our largest press (Takach 40" x 72" etching press), access to all of our etching, photopolymer, screen printing and monotype facilities and equipment and accommodations in our lovely on-site apartment. Price is $1500 for 2 weeks.

A mini-residency brings you into our members' studio where you get two work tables and share a press with our members. Mini-residencies are 6 days long and include access to the studio and all of the facilities and equipment during open hours, plus accommodations in the on-site apartment. Price is $600 for 6 days.

Read more about both types of residencies and apply!

STUDIO4 Fall Season Announcement


STUDIO4 and SCDT FALL SEASON 2017 ANNOUNCEMENT

STUDIO FOR movement, music, art, film, STUDIO FOR performance, STUDIO FOR you!

STUDIO4, the vibrant community arts space located in the heart of downtown Northampton is proud to announce a packed season of DANCE, MUSIC, FILM and THEATER programs for all ages. STUDIO4 Fall 2017 programming launches some new series: SATURDOOZY- a kid’s night out on the 3rd Saturday of each month starting September 16th, COLLIDER- People STUDIO4 continues with dynamic interdisciplinary performance series that include HUT- 3 artists, 3 genres, 3 short sets on Saturday Oct 7th at 8 PM, and A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP- an experimental film series on Saturday Sept 22 at 8 PM. Tickets and details at studio4noho.com. Or at 413 570 4491.

STUDIO4 is the home to THE SCHOOL FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCE AND THOUGHT (SCDT) that offers movement classes for youth and adults, showcasing the teen dance company who recently performed at Jacob’s Pillow, HATCHERY. SCDT hosts space for local performers in WIP works in progress performance series and presents international artists for the fall season including local choreographer Michelle Marroquin, Italian vocalist and performer Massimiliano Balduzzi, and San Francisco based performance activist: Taja Will. scdtnoho.com

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Transperformance 2016 Documentary

Departure Reading Series #3 at A.P.E


Departure Reading Series #3
Thursday, August 17 at 8 pm.
A.P.E. Ltd - 126 Main Street Northampton, MA
FREE

Friends! Come to APE gallery on August 17th to witness the writerly work of:
April Grayce
Nico Gomez-Horton
John Goodhue
Maggie Foley

Expect an instruction at the door. For what? You'll have to come to find out, my curious ones. We promise it to be poetic & not embarrassing, unless you want it to be.

Molly McBride's wildcrafted teas will be there, & we will be accepting donations for the Prison Birth Project.

Departure Reading Series is a monthly series curated by Nellie Prior and G.D Harkavy. Each month will find us in a new container somewhere in Western Massachusetts as we attempt to challenge accepted conventions of poetry spaces.

This event is funded by the Northampton Arts Council.




Thursday, August 10, 2017

Big Dance Theater’s CAGE SHUFFLE starring Paul Lazar


Big Dance Theater’s CAGE SHUFFLE starring Paul Lazar

One Night Only!
Monday, August 14, 2017
8:00pm (running time: 50 min.)
$10.00 - No Reservations - Tickets at the Door
A.P.E. Ltd. Gallery 126 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060

In Cage Shuffle Paul Lazar speaks a series of one-minute stories by John Cage from his 1963 score Indeterminacy while simultaneously performing choreography by Annie-B Parson.
The stories are spoken in a random order with no predetermined relationship to the dancing. Chance serves up its startling blend of inevitable and uncanny connections between text and movement.

Local Artists Turn Downtown Utility Boxes into Artwork


Local Artists Turn Downtown Utility Boxes into Artwork


If you take a stroll down Main Street in Northampton, you may notice something a little bit different. Where there used to be four blank utility boxes, there now stand four beautiful pieces of artwork. Designed and painted by local artists, these four utility boxes are the product of the downtown art project, Paint This Box!


Paint This Box! began as a project inspired by Peter Zierlein, who had previously painted two utility boxes in Northampton. Peter saw his artwork as something that could be further replicated, so he reached out to Northampton Arts Council Director, Brian Foote, to see if they could collaborate. Brian was excited about this idea and they began to set the project in motion.


Following the success of BenchWalk, Brian contacted Jonathan Goldman who had helped lead that project. Jonathan happily joined the planning team and, within a few weeks, they had created a full plan for how to execute what was now being called, “Paint This Box!” The name was inspired by Peter who was hoping to see this project as both an opportunity for artists to be recognized and to get the Northampton community excited about public art.


Paint This Box! quickly caught on, and when the selection jury had received all of the submissions for the project, they were stuck with difficult decisions. Ultimately, the jury of Brian, Northampton Arts Council Member Joseph Pesce, and A. P. E. Associate Director Lisa Thompson decided on Mo Willems, Corinne Cascioppo, Ryan Murray, and Peter Zierlein.


On Sunday, June 11th, Mo, Corinne, Ryan, and Peter hit Main Street to paint their boxes. With great weather in the forecast, the artists were prepared to turn these seemingly boring objects into beautiful artwork. By the end of the day, when the artists hung up their brushes, they left behind four new, great additions to the expanding public art of downtown Northampton.


With Pulaski Park soon to be completed and more public art projects being thought up everyday, Paint This Box! is another step towards seeing Northampton grow as a public art community. Not only do projects like this help make our community more beautiful but they also help support the artists who call Northampton home.


Thank you to everyone who supported this project and made Paint This Box! possible. Without the generous donations from Smith College and Florence Bank, donations of supplies from Foster Farrar and Royal Talens, North America, and the generous support of the Northampton Arts Council, City of Northampton, and Massachusetts Cultural Council this project would not have been possible.

We can’t wait to see what else we can all accomplish if we work together to continue expanding Northampton as a public art community!

POZ @ Hawley Street and Bridge Street

Mo and Cher Willems @ Main Street and Pleasant Street

Brian Foote and Ryan Murray @ West Street and Main Street

Corinne Cascioppo @ South Street and Main Street

POZ @ Hawley Street and Bridge Street

POZ @ Hawley Street and Bridge Street

POZ @ Hawley Street and Bridge Street

POZ @ Hawley Street and Bridge Street

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Ordinary Devotion: A photography installation by Martha Fleming-Ives


Ordinary Devotion
A photography installation by Martha Fleming-Ives
August 8 – August 26, 2017
Artist Reception: Friday, August 11 , 6 - 8 pm
A.P.E. Ltd. Gallery 126 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060

​A.P.E is pleased to present Ordinary Devotion, an exhibition of new photographs by Martha Fleming-Ives. Taken during the artist’s first year of motherhood and her daughter’s infancy, Ordinary Devotion depicts her early experiences as a mother through images of her growing child, her changing body, and the domestic space immediately surrounding them. Over the past several years, Fleming-Ives’ photographic practice has focused upon unflinching portraits of members of her family, at times capturing vulnerable periods of transition and growth. Here, Fleming-Ives turns her lens to herself, identifying the mother-child relationship as a familial point of origin. Taking its title from English pediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott’s statement that an “ordinary devoted mother”—present rather than perfect—is enough for the healthy development of a child, Fleming-Ives’ series acts as a negotiation between the seemingly opposite mundane tasks of daily life tending to an infant and the blissful, often spiritual, sensuality present in caring for a new child.

Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra - Open Rehearsal

Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra
Outside the Box
33 Hawley Street
Wednesday, August 9, 7:30pm

An evening with one of the Valley’s greatest musical extravaganzas

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practice, practice, practice.

Founded in 2009 by musical director Peter Blanchette, HVGO is a true avant-garde orchestra, comprised of talented and enthusiastic guitarists — both acoustic and electric — from widely varied traditions. HVGO creates new and beautiful music that could only come from such an eclectic mélange, inspiring musicians to work together who might otherwise never collaborate.

This evening's open rehearsal offers an inside look — listen, more accurately — at how the collaborative creative process works. Recently returned from playing solo gigs in Europe, maestro Blanchette will lead, encourage and occasionally cajole his players through both old and new material.

This is a free event. Bring an old blanket to sit on or a low chair to lounge in. And please, take the opportunity to have a quick look inside 33 Hawley as we prepare to partially open the building this fall.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

On View at Hosmer Gallery: Works by Shannon E. Ryan, Ray Radigan and Lisa Yeisley


Half of America by Ray Radigan
'Secrets of the Sea' Underwater Photography by Shannon E. Ryan
Portraits and Drawings by Lisa Yeisley

August 2-30, 2017
Reception: Wednesday August 2, 5-7 PM
Hosmer Gallery, Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton MA 01060

It was on long, cross-country drives that Ray Radigan first glimpsed the American struggle between hope and despair that became the inspiration behind his paintings. His oil paintings of buildings depict this struggle: to repair or to demolish. They are not intended as commentary, only as observations. Each has its own history and tells a different story. Together, they help to exemplify a nation’s people caught between optimism and surrender.

After growing up in Pearl River, NY, Ray attended SUNY New Paltz where he studied art education. He earned his masters degree in illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Since graduating in 2008, he has worked for the National Park Service and non-profit museums on illustration and design projects. In 2013, he began painting his “Half of America” series.

Secrets of the Sea by Shannon Ryan: “Since I was 7 years old I have been deeply drawn to the ocean and the life it holds. As I grew older I became aware of just how vast and intricate the oceans really are, how all life is connected to the oceans, and how we as humans are treating this crucial part of our existence. My main goal in sharing my photographs is to bring both awe and knowledge to the public. I want people to be aware of the ‘Secrets of the Sea’ and understand their role in sustaining it. I am particularly drawn to preserving this invaluable resource including sharks, the planet’s most misunderstood marine animal. I am a local resident, certified as an advanced and nitrox scuba diver, and a third year student at Maharishi University of Management majoring in Sustainability.”

Lisa Yeisley is a portrait and figurative artist based in Western Massachusetts, near a lake with eagles, otters and the occasional double rainbow. She’s been drawing all her life, and after a decades-long detour into the world of graphic design, she returned to full-time art making because she was tired of keyboards and screens… and she really really missed getting her hands dirty.

Incision Objects Sound Installation by Jake Meginsky


Incision Objects Sound Installation by Jake Meginsky
July 31th- August 5th 2017
A.P.E. Ltd. 126 Main StreetNorthampton, Ma 01060

Performance event with dancers Katie Martin and Jenny Bennet
Friday Aug 4th from 6pm-8pm. Free

Regular gallery hours Aug. 1st–5th, 12-5 pm

Jake Meginsky's Sound Installation seeks to directly engage listeners with the normally unheard sonic properties of everyday structures and settings by using pure electronics and electro-magnetic transducers to set architectural spaces and materials into vibration. In this work, all musical elements of each piece—pitch, rhythm, duration and timbre—would be determined by the physical qualities of the vibrating objects and/or spaces themselves. In essence, this project exists as a dynamic intersection of music, sound and architecture.

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