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, March 29, 2018

31st Gertrude P. Smith Trustees Award



















WHAT: 31st Gertrude P. Smith Trustees Award
WHEN: Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at 6:30 PM
WHERE: Coolidge Museum at Forbes Library 20 West St. Northampton, MA

The Trustees of Forbes Library will present Tim Umbach with the Thirty-First Gertrude P. Smith Trustees Award on Wednesday, April 4 at 6:30 P.M. The event will take place in the Coolidge Museum on the second floor of the library. The award presentation will be followed by an illustrated talk by local history librarian Elise Bernier Feeley on the life of Pastor Jonathan Edwards' wife Sarah Pierpont Edwards and the gardens she grew at their home in Northampton.
A reception will follow in the gallery. The public is cordially invited to attend.

The Gertrude P. Smith Award is bestowed on a community member who has given exceptional volunteer service to the library. This year’s recipient, Tim Umbach, served for over a decade on the Friends of Forbes Library board of directors as Treasurer, donating countless hours to the organization that raises funds and advocates for the needs of Forbes Library. The Friends will hold a brief annual meeting at 6:00 just prior to the award ceremony.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

LA ALTERNATIVA April 2018 Western Mass Tour



WHAT: LA ALTERNATIVA April 2018 Western Mass Tour
WHEN: April 3-15, 2018 
              (April 5-7, 12, 13 & 15th at SCDT 25 Main Street, Northampton, MA.

ALTERNATIVA, directed by dancer Kathleen Hermesdorf with musician Albert Mathias, is an apparatus for deeply integrated contemporary dance and music via collaboration, creation, improvisation, performance, production, curation and education. Active in San Francisco since 1998, the organization supports the creative work of the directors, the creative work of the directors, known for radical dance classes, performance projects and musical endeavors delving into the corporeality and ineffability of human conditions, behaviors and other curiosities. Activities, including an annual FRESH Festival, workshops in the Bay Area, residencies at universities, festivals and studios worldwide and PORCH/Ponderosa in Germany, engage an extensive population of artists, audiences and participants. ALTERNATIVA is fiscally sponsored by Dancers’ Group and has received support from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, William + Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, CA$H Grant, CHIME/MJDC, San Francisco Arts Commission and The Suitcase Fund. www.la-alternativa.us | www.freshfestival.org

Kathleen Hermesdorf is an international dance artist, educator and producer based in San Francisco. She directs ALTERNATIVA, with musician Albert Mathias. Hermesdorf has been dancing in the Bay Area since 1991 and teaches, performs, improvises, creates and curates around the world. Her work has been presented in the Bay Area, New York, Seattle, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dakar, amongst other locations, in commission for universities, companies and independent dancers, and in collaboration with art partners worldwide. She was a member of Bebe Miller Company, Contraband/Sara Shelton Mann and Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, and co-director of Hermesdorf & Wells Dance Company with Scott Wells and Collusion with Stephanie Maher, a partner in PORCH summer/school at Ponderosa in Germany since 2010. Hermesdorf brings over 20 years of experience from the field, studio and stage to her work and holds a BFA and an MFA in Dance Performance + Pedagogy.

Albert Mathias is a multi-disciplinary musician based in San Francisco since 1991. He creates and performs composition and sound design for dance, theater, film, video and audio mediums, and is the music director of ALTERNATIVA, with director/dancer Kathleen Hermesdorf. He was a member of Bebe Miller Company and Contraband/Sara Shelton Mann, and has created original sound scores for myriad dance companies. In 2000, he was nominated for an IZZIE Award with ALTERNATIVA and received a BESSIE Award in 2006 with Bebe Miller Company. Mathias has produced 15 records of original music and collaborated in numerous bands, most notably LiveHuman, an internationally acclaimed improvisation-based trio with DJ Quest and bassist Andrew Kushin. Mathias attended California Institute of the Arts, training in tabla, voice and accompaniment, and has had the honor of private study with Pandit Swapan Chauduri, Sri Ravi Bellare and Tony Williams. His eclectic sounds can be found on I-Tunes, Bandcamp and CD Baby.

Franklin Cultural Council to hold COMMUNITY ARTS ADVOCACY DAY on APRIL 7th




WHAT: Action & Impact: COMMUNITY ARTS ADVOCACY DAY 
WHERE: Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill St, Franklin, MA 0203
WHEN: April 7th 8:00am-2:30pm

An event to support the arts and arts education programs in the Commonwealth.

Action & IMPACT: Community Arts Advocacy Day is a multi-town event bringing together artists, art advocates, cultural organizations, and local businesses to participate in a day of grassroots activism and education to support the growth and effectiveness of the arts and arts organizations in Massachusetts.

This second annual Community Arts Advocacy Day (CAAD) offers ten free workshops to attendees, as well as a variety of grassroots arts advocacy activities. CAAD will be held on Saturday, April 7 from 8:00 - 2:30 at the Franklin Senior Center. Attendance is free, though registration is required. In addition to members of the Franklin Cultural Council, Norfolk Cultural Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council and MASSCreative, MA Representative Jeff Roy will speak on how and why to advocate with legislators; he will also participate in one of the advocacy workshops, allowing participants to role play advocacy conversations with him. Any organization from any town is welcome to attend. To register for CAAD, go to: http://bit.ly/CAAD2018register.

Monday, March 26, 2018

google gogol at A.P.E



WHAT: google gogol
WHERE: A.P.E. Ltd 126 Main Street Northampton, Ma
WHEN: Friday, March 30 & Saturday, March 31, 8:00 PM
open rehearsal Wednesday, March 28, 8 PM
All performances and rehearsal are Free

No Theater presents google gogol, inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s Ревизор, (Revizor - The Government Inspector), the 19th Century comedy about how the corrupt officials of a small Russian town, headed by the Mayor, react with terror to the news that an incognito inspector (the revizor) will soon be arriving in their town to investigate them.

No Theater rarely performs locally. During the 70s and 80s they regularly performed on Thornes Third Floor such original works as The Elephant Man, DFS (de fiance suction), Last Resort, and Dupe. Their most recent local production was Richard Maxwell’s Cave Man, which previewed here for several months before its run in New York. No Theater’s work has been performed throughout Europe and also in Japan and Australia.

The cast of google gogol includes Barton Byg, James Emery, Tony Giardina, Charles Holt, Jane Karakula, Tom Mahnken, Tom Schieding, Peter Schmitz, and Sheena See. Directed by Roy Faudree. No Theater is in residence at APE the month of March creating the new work.

The image above is the logo for the Gogol Center (ГОГОЛЬ-центр), the Moscow Drama Theatre named after Nikolai Gogol, whose Artistic Director is currently under house arrest by the Russian government. Google Kirill Serebrennikov for details.



Friday, March 23, 2018

Three Fundraising Performances for Serious Play / Edinburgh Fringe Performance Exchange



WHAT: Three Fundraising Performances for Serious Play / Edinburgh Fringe Performance Exchange
WHEN & WHERE:
Friday April 27, 8PM, Shea Theater in Turners Falls
Saturday May 12, 8PM, Gateway City Arts in Holyoke
Friday June 1st, 8PM, Hallie Flanagan Theater, Smith College in Northampton

An international exchange of compelling performances. Taking work of inspiring Valley performers to the Fringe festival every August, and bringing back bold and authentic work for local audiences.

Tickets: In advance at www.brownpapertickets.com ($15 Seniors & Students / $18
General Public, $20 at the door )

Time: Each show is 50 mins with an intermission in between
Additional information: seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com or call 413-588-7439

The Serious Play Edinburgh Fringe Performance Exchange:
That's our focus going forward; work with Western Mass artists to bring high quality performances to Scotland and select dynamic new work there to bring back to the Valley. It started by taking The Red Guitar to Scotland in 2016 and we returned with Mairi Campbell's PULSE and Nassim Soleimanpour's White Rabbit Red Rabbit. We are headed back this year and will need regional support to keep up the momentum. Your help is most appreciated.

Serious Play is taking John Sheldon's The Red Guitar back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the month of August. After a 5-Star review in 2016 from The Herald, a return was only a matter of time.

Eager to bring even more talent from Western Mass to the world stage in Scotland, Serious Play will also produce DO IT NOW at the Fringe Festival this August. Tony Vacca (percussion) and Paul Richmond (spoken word) will join John Sheldon in a new piece called Manual Override.

A Project of Cultural Images Group, Inc
Phone 413-586-1438 or e-mail seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com
More Info:

Lyra Music Festival and Workshops 2018 Application Due March 31st


WHAT: Lyra Music Workshop
WHEN: July 8-28, 2018
WHERE: Smith College, Northampton, MA

Online Applications are due by March 31, 2018!

Join the outstanding Faculty and World Class Guest Artists of Lyra Music for an unforgettable summer music experience. 

Applications is open for classical String Players and Pianists (ages 9-18)
Applications and Information are online HERE

Experience College Life in a Smith College Campus Dormitory
Intensive, supportive conservatory-style training
Private lessons
Chamber music coaching
Master classes with Lyra Festival Guest Artists:
Kristin Lee, Nicholas Tzavaras and Gilles Vonsattel
Multiple performance opportunities
Outdoor activities
Swimming
Movie nights
Regional excursions

“Attending this summer camp was the highlight of my summer, and I wished it lasted a bit longer than three weeks honestly.” (Freddy, cello student)

“The staff was nurturing and supportive and made incredibly strong connections with each of the kids.” (Mary Kay, parent)

“The benefit to the students was obvious - in a few short weeks I noticed how much they were growing in awareness of the music they were creating, and how much they were learning about communicating their love for performance.” (Grant Moss, Smith College Music Faculty)



Thursday, March 22, 2018

Opportunity: Creative Community Fellows


Are you using arts and culture to create positive change in your New England community? Applications for @ArtStrategies Creative Community Fellows program are open through April 22! 

Apply: http://bit.ly/1SGiSAM

Creative Community Fellows brings a group of twenty-five creative change-makers across New England together, to be part of something bigger, creating a community of practice that holds Fellows accountable and helps them take their work to the next level. Fellows jump-start the program by living and learning together for one week in an incubator-like environment building their skills in strategy, leadership and design thinking. Over the course of five months, they take monthly online courses in topic areas such as community development, finding capital and support, budgeting and more. Together, they share updates on their projects and meet with leaders in the field who serve as mentors. Fellows test, adapt, and build on their work, walking away with clarity and a strategy to move forward. Applications are open through April 22, 2018.

Creative Community Fellows: Brochure

Help Forbes Library build a new web archive!



Forbes Library is pleased to announce that it has been chosen as one of only 15 public libraries nationwide to receive a grant from Community Webs, a two year program to provide education and support for public librarians in the field of web archiving from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Through this grant, the Internet Archive has trained Forbes Library staff on using web archiving software to capture historically valuable web materials documenting our local communities and provided the Library with five years of software and permanent digital storage of materials preserved.

Many public libraries have active local history collections of print materials, but much of the materials, discussion, and documentation of our communities today are increasingly found online. Digital content is, by its very nature, ephemeral. As Brewster Kahle, the founder of the Internet Archive, says "The average life of a web page is 100 days before it's either cleaned or deleted." Archives are embarking on new methods and practices to preserve the histories of their communities as they happen and the Community Webs grant provides a platform for Forbes to develop an archive of digital content. The role of public libraries as a trusted community resource makes them ideally suited to assume a role as information custodians, stewards of digital local history, and community anchors in the age of the web.

Forbes Library plays a unique role in our community because of its resources, staff and programming capabilities and our ability to act as facilitator for collaboration with our partners in the community. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to collaborating with members of the community to preserve the history being made every day in the region for the benefit of future citizens.

As we embark on this project, we are seeking input from our community partners and the public to answer the question:

What on the internet today should be preserved to best reflect the local community for future citizens and researchers?

Please fill out this form with ideas for particular subjects or websites you think we should consider including in this web archive.

Thank you for taking the time to assist Forbes Library in preserving our community's history. Contact Dylan Gaffney (dgaffney@forbeslibrary.org) for more details.

Forbes Library
20 West Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 587-1011www.forbeslibrary.org

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Body Lab: A Weekend of Experiential Biomechanics with Kelly Kane


WHAT: BODY LAB: A WEEKEND OF EXPERIENTIAL BIOMECHANICS with KELLY KANE
WHERE: STUDIO4 / The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought
                25 Main Street Suite 444. Northampton, MA
WHEN: HEALTHY HIPS - MARCH 23 FROM 10AM-12PM - $15/$12 (student)
HAPPY SHOULDERS - MARCH 24 FROM 3-6PM - $15/$12 (student)

CREATIVE ANATOMICAL LANDSCAPES FOR MOVEMENT EDUCATORS, YOGA INSTRUCTORS, DANCERS, BODY WORKERS, AND YOU....

REGISTER AT BOTTOM OF PAGE

HEALTHY HIPS::
FRIDAY MARCH 23 • 10AM-12PM
So many low back issues can be traced to imbalances in the psoas. When people present with pain and muscular spasm in their low backs it is often a spasm or imbalance in the iliopsoas complex. Understanding the psoas’ structure and function can help you understand how to experience a life free of low back and hip pain. In this workshop we’ll explore all the traditional concepts of structure and function and at the same time create a new schematic for understanding the psoas.

HAPPY SHOULDERS::
SATURDAY MARCH 24 • 3-6PM
This workshop will not only give you a clinical understanding of shoulder mechanics and anatomy, but will provide you with concrete tools to work with your clients and students so that they may enjoy a lifetime of strong and stable shoulders.

KELLY::
Kelly Kane studied Pilates with Romana Krazanaska and Hila Paldi, and at the Pilates Institute. She has studied BodyMind Centering™, Continuum Movement™, Iyengar Yoga, has trained extensively in Crossfit, and attended the Florida School of Massage. Kelly’s manual therapy repertoire includes Structural Integration™, CranioSacral Therapy™, and Visceral Manipulation. She furthered her perceptual skills through three years of human cadaver dissection. In 1999 she opened the KANE SCHOOL OF CORE INTEGRATION in NYC. Teacher training at The Kane School emphasizes anatomical know ledge and palpatory skills while exacting an understanding of the classic Pilates repertory. Kelly is a sought-after lecturer internationally and has presented at the Pilates Style Conference, ECA World Fitness, the Pilates method Alliance Conference, and Pilates on Tour, presenting specialized workshops on the biomechanics and anatomy of the shoulder, neck, lumbo- pelvic girdle, pelvic floor and feet, giving students real, highly effective tools to apply in their own practices.


STUDIO4/ The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought
scdtnoho.com

Thane and Henning Songwriting Workshop and Concert



WHAT: 2018 Forbes Library Music Residency with Rub Wrongways Records
             Event #2 - Thane and Henning Songwriting Workshop and Concert
WHEN: Wednesday, March 28 at 7 PM - 8:30 PM
WHERE: Forbes Library 20 West Street. Northampton, MA

In 1999, Thane Thomsen and Henning Ohlenbusch hosted a songwriting inspiration workshop for the Northampton Music Festival. It was at the Baystate Hotel. Demand for another was SO STRONG that 19 years later they are now presenting part 2 (the same thing again).
Come on out and let's figure out how to figure out what to write about.
After the brainstorming session, both Thane and Henning will play and maybe discuss 2 or 3 songs. What an adorable evening.

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/224622218089324/

Paradise City: A Staged Reading at 13 Queen



WHAT: A Staged Reading of the play "Paradise City" written by Chris Gonzalez
WHERE: 13 Queen - 13 King Street Northampton, MA.
WHEN: Sunday March 25th. 8:00pm

Paradise City is a one act tragic comedy set in downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. Rebecca, a recent widow, works with Liz, a half-baked medium, to converse with the ghost of her beloved. But over the course of the seance both Rebecca and Liz are forced to face something much more frightening than ghosts and spirits: themselves.

RVSP space is limited:
https://www.facebook.com/events/585015381831724/

13 Queen is an alternative Production Studio and Event Space - Producing Music, Video, Podcasts, Events, Music, Karaoke, Poetry, Comedy, Film, Live Streaming, Meetings. 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Announces The Art of Eric Carle: Seasons


WHAT: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Presents: The Art of Eric Carle: Seasons
WHEN: April 3, 2018 - August 26, 2018
WHERE: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd. Amherst, MA.

In 1970, Eric Carle published The Tiny Seed, which chronicles the life cycle of a plant across the four seasons. It was the first of many stories he would illustrate about the wonders of nature at all times of year. The Art of Eric Carle: Seasons celebrates five decades of Carle's seasonal imagery, from hibernating bears in winter and hatching chicks in spring to colorful flowers in summer and apple trees ripe for picking in fall. The exhibition, on view April 3 through August 26, 2018, features Carle's iconic collage art from 15 picture books as well as several never-before seen watercolors. It also includes a special display, Eric Loves Bobbie, of personal artwork Carle dedicated to his late wife throughout their 42-year marriage.

The Art of Eric Carle: Seasons features original art from Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too?, Draw Me a Star, Little Cloud, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, Animals, Animals, and I See a Song, among other titles. Carle's work for other authors, such as Norma B. Green's The Hole in the Dyke, Arnold Sundgaard's The Lamb and the Butterfly, and Alice McLerran's The Mountain that Loved a Bird are also on display. Linoleum prints, which Carle created in 1965 for the cookbook Red-Flannel Hash and Shoo-Fly Pie, are showcased. Also included are several never-before-seen watercolors and unpublished drawings and collages, all providing glimpses into Carle's working method and personal interests.

There are several activities for guests to enjoy in the gallery. A custom-designed "book garden"--which grows both felted vegetables and real books!--encourages visitors to harvest a story. There are flip-and-find character surprises among the exhibition graphics (including the Very Hungry Caterpillar!). In keeping with the theme of seasons, guests can manipulate felted tree forms to mirror the season they love most. 

Monday, March 19, 2018

North to East: 3 Mile Trail Procession from Northampton to Easthampton


WHAT: North to East: 3 Mile Procession Northampton to Easthampton
WHERE: Veteran's Field, West Street. Northampton, MA
WHEN: Saturday April 28th, 12-4pm

Join our procession from Veteran's Field Northampton to Millside Park, Easthampton with performances & activities at both locations. Parade is open to cyclists, runners, roller skaters, skateboarders, trail users of any kind and all abilities.

Come as you are or dress as your favorite Winged Creature!

More Info: www.fntg.net/NorthToEast
Contact: kris@fntg.net

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Young@Heart Chorus "Welcome to Your Life"


WHAT: Young@Heart Chorus "Welcome to Your Life"
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 2018 @ 8PM
WHERE: Academy of Music Theatre 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060

Buy tickets online or call the box office 413-584-9032 x105

On April 21st we perform the show "Welcome to Your Life". In the first half of the show we will preview the work that will tour to the Netherlands and Belgium. It features the re-interpretation of music ranging from the Talking Heads to Radiohead and Soft Cell to Sam Cooke. The second half of the show will be a very public celebration of Roz Cilman's 100th birthday (Born April 21, 1918!). Mrs. Cilman is the mother of Y@H Director Bob Cilman. The music of Laurie Anderson, Phil Ochs and the Specials will help put the frosting on the cake. The last time Young@Heart was able to celebrate a 100th birthday was for Anna Main back in 1995. 

Film Screening: A Place For Madness



​WHAT: Film Screening: A Place for Madness, PBS Frontline, 1994 (60 min.)
WHEN: Thursday, March 22, 2018 | 7 pm
WHERE: ​​Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060

This 1994 episode of PBS’s Frontline (60 min.) focuses on Northampton and the stories of families, individuals, lawyers, psychiatrists and caregivers as they dealt with the effects of the closure of Northampton State Hospital. It includes scenes filmed at Shaw’s Motel. According to PBS, this episode “examines the troubling conflict between protecting the rights of the mentally ill to live outside of the mental hospitals and safeguarding society from those who are dangerous to themselves and to others.”

Introductory remarks by and a follow-up conversation with Christopher Sparks, a local writer on Northampton State Hospital and dehospitalization.

Christopher Sparks is a lifelong Northampton resident who took an interest in the Northampton State Hospital shortly after it was abandoned. He researches and writes about the state hospital with the mission to analyze the history of Northampton State Hospital as a symptom of public intolerance of the mentally ill. Sparks is a web strategist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

www.northamptonstatehospital.org


Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Group Sing Information Session at Forbes Library



WHAT: Group Sing Information Session
WHERE: Forbes Library - 20 West Street. Northampton, MA.  
WHEN: Wednesday, March 14 at 7:00 PM

Anyone interested in participating in the fall community sing is invited to attend an information session at Forbes Library on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM in the Calvin Coolidge Room to learn more about the project and to provide feedback to help us shape the event.

Also here's the link that keeps you informed about Our Community Sing on the Forbes Library lawn in the fall of 2018 as it continues to develop:https://forbeslibrary.org/community-sing-2018/

Public Art Process for Artists Training


WHAT: Two-Day Intensive Public Art Process for Artists Training
WHEN: April 14th & 15th
WHERE: The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center 
(MGHPCC) 100 Bigelow Street. Holyoke, MA. 

Are you an artist interested in creating public art or community engagement projects? The Arts Extension Service will be offering a two-day intensive Public Art Process for Artists Training, April 14-15 at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke, MA. Open to artists of all mediums, this training explores public art from idea to ribbon cutting, focusing on three important segments: the business side of public art; understanding concept and fulfilling the proposal, engaging with the community or audience. This training will include several interactive components, information sheets, and plenty of time for Q & A. Read more about the workshop here.

The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) is located at 100 Bigelow Street in Holyoke. The MGHPCC has ample parking.

A light breakfast, snacks, coffee and other refreshments will be provided; please bring your own sack lunch. Note: there is no refrigeration available.

Cost: $40. Space is limited.

Priority Registration Deadline for Holyoke-based artists: Friday, March 16.

General Registration Deadline: Wednesday, April 11.

Contact aes@acad.umass.edu or 413-545-2360 to register.

Prior to March 16, artists based outside of Holyoke may put themselves on a waiting list and will be sent a registration link once general registration opens.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

SUNDAY STAGE, 12 local musicians across 6 hours


What: SUNDAY STAGE, presenting 12 local musicians across 6 hours.
Where: Iconica Social Club, One Amber Lane, Northampton, MA 01060
When: Sunday March 11, 2018 starting at 11:00am
How Much: FREE
Schedule:
3:00 Lonely Whale - Indie Folk
3:30 Claire Dacey - Folk Singer / Songwriter
4:00 Kalyani Kortright - Gypsy Folk
4:30 Kat Alexander - Bohemian Folk
5:00 Burris - 12-String Music
6:00 Jim Gipe - Wind Powered Sound Hallucination
6:30 Jennifer Stuart - Singer/Songwriter
7:00 Nick Roche - "Horrendous Guitale Player"
7:30 Hannah French - Traditional Roots Banjo/Fiddle
8:00 Doug Pi - Classic R&B
8:30 Christine Mark - Indie Pop Guitar/Uke

Flatbread pizzas will be served starting at 5pm.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Single Room Occupancy Opening Reception at Historic Northampton



WHAT: Single Room Occupancy: Portraits and Stories from Northampton Lodging 1976 - 2016
\WHEN: Opening Reception | Friday, March 9th 5-8PM Arts Night Out
WHERE: Historic Northampton 46 Bridge Street Northampton, MA

Northampton Lodging occupied an awkward place in town. Positioned just past Hampton Court, it marked the transition from the brightly lit storefronts, galleries, and restaurants of Main and upper Pleasant Streets to the less pedestrian friendly stretch of road that connects the city to the highway.

Initially constructed in 1967 as a dormitory for the now-defunct Northampton Commercial College, in recent decades, the property offered 58 single-room rentals with common kitchens and baths.

In the fall of 2016, the building was demolished and the newly constructed, yellow brick, Live 155 has risen in its place.

For the past two years, Cassandra Holden has been interviewing former residents of the Lodging and members of the community about what it was like to live in and/or interact with that place. The stories of camaraderie and mutual support stand in stark contrast to those found in the police blotter.

Photographer Paul Shoul got to know many of the former residents and captured thoughtful portraits of them just before they were relocated.

The exhibition, which will run from March 9th - June 10th, traces the waning years of boarding house living in Northampton and raises questions about how we enfold those at the edges of our community.

This project was made possible with the generous support of Way Finders, Northampton Arts Council, and Historic Northampton.

NCTV's 7 Day Film Sprint in the Starting Gates


WHAT: 7 Day Film Sprint - www.7dayfilmsprint.com
WHEN: Monday April 2nd 7:00pm
WHERE: Northampton Community Television Studios, 380 Elm St. in Northampton, MA.

The annual 7 Day Film Sprint kicks off once again Monday April 2nd at 7:00 pm at Northampton Community Television Studios at 380 Elm St. in Northampton, MA. The studios are located in the same building as the Northampton High School, with an entrance around the far back of the building accessed by hugging the structure all the way around.

The Sprint calls upon teams of filmmakers, from aspiring to professional, to tap into their creativity and produce an entire short film of up to five minutes in length, from start to finish, in the span of just 7 days. Each team will be assigned a prompt or series of prompts for their film.

New works in all these genres will emerge over the course of the next week out of self-organized community groups. Some teams are as few as one person, but a typical team is 3-5 people. They are composed of students, of neighbors, of friends looking for a creative adventure. Teams have names like Sad Penguin Productions, Chaos Jello Visions, State Street Symposium, and Valleywood.

“People want to be creative. We believe that. They want to tell stories. They want to have fun and express and that is a healthy form of play that we don’t engage in enough in our culture. We want to invite the community to spend some time doing that.”, said Al Williams, Executive Director of NCTV.

This is NCTV’s fourth 7 Day Film Sprint, and this year the project includes partner Hadley Media as they revision their media center. Teams will hand in films on a one week deadline and a public screening will be held for them at The Parlor Room in Northampton at 7pm on Tuesday, April 9th.

For more information, contact Al Williams at 413-587-3550 or palwilliams@northamptontv.org

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

A.P.E Events on Arts Night Out March 9


WHAT: Arts Night Out at A.P.E 
WHEN: Friday March 9th 5:00pm-9:00pm 
WHERE: A.P.E. Ltd 126 Main Street Northampton, MA

5:00 pm: Group Sing
Come learn songs that will be part of a large community sing that will take place on the lawn of Forbes Library the fall of 2018. Learn More

5 - 8 pm: Exhibition opening: 6'1":Work by Luke Cavagnac, Jil Crary-Ross, Maclyn Milsark, and Kevin Pomerleau: Exhibition dates: March 6-31

8:00 pm: Big Dance Theater’s CAGE SHUFFLE starring Paul Lazar
( LOCATION CHANGE FROM 33 HAWLEY ST. TO A.P.E. 126 MAIN ST.)
Returns to Northampton for One Night Only!

$10.00 admission / Seating is limited:
Reservations recommended: 413 586-5553

Cage Shuffle is a 50 minute dance/theater solo. In Cage Shuffle Paul Lazar speaks a series of one-minute stories by John Cage from his 1963 score Indeterminacy, while simultaneously performing a complex choreographic score by Annie-B Parson.

More Info:

Thursday, March 1, 2018

March Medley Writing Workshops Presented by Straw Dog Guild Writers Guild & The Northampton Center for the Arts


WHAT:  MARCH MEDLEY WRITING WORKSHOPS
WHERE: The Northampton Center for the Arts - 33 Hawley St. Northampton, MA.
WHEN: Sundays in March (4, 11, 18 & 25th) 1-3PM  $5/WORKSHOP

Email to Register: ADMIN@STRAWDOGWRITERS.ORG

Presented by Straw Dog Guild Writers Guild & The Northampton Center for the Arts
Held in memory of Eli Daniel Nemetz Todd, made possible by donations to NCFA in Eli's honor.

Finding the Voice of Your Story with Dori Ostermiller
March 4, 2018

There’s lots of talk these days about voice in narrative, but what is it, exactly? If the voice of our story is the doorway through which readers enter, how do we let them in? How can we consciously create a voice that is compelling, readable and true? In this one-day workshop, we will explore what factors go into creating voice, in fiction and memoir, study some examples of amazing voices in literature, do some writing, and learn techniques for crafting a memorable narrative voice—one that not only engages the reader but also invites surprise and discovery. There is nothing more exciting, for both reader and writer, than following a live, candid and curious mind on the page.

Dori Ostermiller holds a BFA in writing from the University of Redlands and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals. Dori has worked for over two decades as a professional editor, and has taught literature and writing at the University of Massachusetts, Westfield State College, Springfield College and Bay Path College. She is the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist’s Fellowship, a Tobias Wolf Fiction award and a Walker Gibson award, and is the founder of Writers in Progress, a literary arts center in Western Massachusetts.

Collage and Writing with Becky Jones
March 11, 2018

The workshop will provide images, paper, scissors, glue sticks and tape, though you are free to bring images of your own, if you would like. You provide your openness to the process of discovery, along with pen and paper. People will have the optional opportunity to share both their writings and collages.

Becky Jones has been leading bereavement writing groups for 17 years. In this workshop, we have the opportunity to use one of her favorite exercises that combines collage and writing. Originally intended to explore grief and deepen connections to departed loved ones, it can be used equally well to get in touch with characters in your writing or to gain insight into an issue that is niggling away at you.

How to Begin Writing 10-Minute Plays with Meryl Cohn
March 18, 2018

One of the most common questions about writing plays is how to get started. The germ of an idea for a play may present itself in theme, in situation, or in character. We will discuss various ways to enter the life of a play and do writing exercises to get started on a 10- minute play.

Meryl Cohn's play REASONS TO LIVE was named Favorite Play by The Cape Cod Times. Awards include The 2015 Eventide Arts Jeremiah Kaplan Award, The ATHE Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, finalist for the MCC Playwriting Award, and semifinalist (twice) for the O’Neill National Playwriting Award. Meryl’s work has been produced or developed at The Skylight Theatre, The Open Fist Theatre, N.Y. International Fringe Festival, The Provincetown Theatre, W.H.A.T., The Soho Playhouse, Counter Productions, The Road Theatre, and Smith College, among others. She earned her MFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is the author of the humor book DO WHAT I SAY: MS. BEHAVIOR’S GUIDE TO GAY AND LESBIAN ETIQUETTE, published by Houghton Mifflin. everal of Meryl’s recent short stories have been Glimmer Train Finalists, and she is just finishing (she hopes) her first novel.

Songwriting 101 with Pamela Means
March 25, 2018

There is no such thing as writer's block. Dubious? Come to the Pamela Means Songwriting Workshop and learn new tools, tips and tricks of the craft to tease out more brilliance from your brain. You will never suffer from blank pages again. Acclaimed songwriter, Pamela Means, will help inspire you to push the envelope, stretch and take risks as a writer. You will expand your lyrical menu through myriad exercises and broaden musical, melodic and chord choices with a teaspoon taste of music theory for songwriters. You will be pleasantly surprised with what comes up! Bring your instrument, notebook and a favorite writing utensil.

A multi-talented performer, singer, songwriter, composer and producer, Pamela Means's multiple honors include being named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's "# 1 Most Wanted New Artist," "Wisconsin Folk Artist of the Year," "Wisconsin Female Vocalist of the Year," and her politically provocative album, Single Bullet Theory, was voted 2004's "Outmusic Outstanding New Recording." Her latest CD, Plainfield, was released last fall.

Connect & Follow

Artist News

    Council News

      Search This Blog

      Blog Archive