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.

Monday, April 23, 2018

ArtsEZ Grant Round Deadline May 18th






The Northampton Arts Council is pleased to announce the opening of our ARTSEZ 2018 SPRING GRANT ROUND with a deadline of May 18, 2018. Individuals as well as schools and arts organizations are encouraged to seek funding for creative projects to be held in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds. The grants are funded by the proceeds from the Arts Council’s signature events: The Silver Chord Bowl, Transperformance, and First Night.

The Arts Council will award up to $20,000 in grants to local artists and arts groups.

Grants will be awarded in the following categories: dance, film/video, literature, mixed media, music, schools, theater, and visual arts. Individual artists and arts organizations will receive equal consideration for grants. Last spring, the Council awarded $18,000 to 34 recipients with grants ranging from $250-$1,000.

To apply, please complete the ArtsEZ Spring 2018 Online-Only Application Form. It is a simple form with short questions, a place to upload supporting materials and a required project budget. Only one grant application per person or organization will be considered. Please carefully review the Arts EZ Spring 2018 guidelines for criteria and eligibility requirements.

Guidelines are available on our website: www.northamptonartscouncil.org/p/grants

Projects must start no earlier than July 1, 2018, and must be completed by June 30, 2019.

This local round of funding would not have been possible without the support of numerous local businesses, arts organizations, and artists that have helped make our fundraising efforts such a huge success.

Contact Brian Foote with grant questions bfoote@northamptonma.gov or 413-587-1069.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Karinne Keithley Syers: A Tunnel Year at A.P.E

WHAT: Karinne Keithley Syers: A Tunnel Year
WHERE: A.P.E. Ltd. Gallery126 Main Street. Northampton, MA
WHEN: May 3-10th
Performance on May 5 at 5 & 8 pm $10
Gallery hours for A Tunnel Year: Monday – Sunday, 12-5, Friday 12-8. 

A Tunnel Year is a three-part book with a play at its center, built from a few years’ worth of interrupted thoughts crammed into one-line scenes voiced by animals. Germinated in the Bardo of parenthood and compelled to work in the form of the fragment, it asks: Did I escape? Or am I lost? A Tunnel Year will be installed as a walk-though comic book, and also performed as a live radio play with a cast of five actors from the 2016 New York production at The Chocolate Factory Theater.

Karinne Keithley Syers is a writer, performer, and book maker now based in Northampton after 20 years in the downtown New York experimental communities bridging dance, theater and poetry. Her installation/chamber opera, Montgomery Park, or Opulence, won a 2011 New York Dance and Performance "BESSIE" Award for Outstanding Production. fancystitchmachine.org

Photo by Brian Rogers

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Northampton Jazz Workshop features saxophonist Tim Armacost


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features saxophonist Tim Armacost 
WHEN: Tuesday, April 24th, 7:30 to 8:30PM followed by an open jazz jam session until 10:30 PM 
WHERE: The City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton.

This will be Tim's second appearance at the Workshop. Here's an excerpt from his bio: After a life of travel and discovery on three continents, Grammy nominated saxophonist Tim Armacost has established himself as one of the most important improvisers on the New York scene today. Armacost was born in Los Angeles, but came of age as a musician in Tokyo, New Delhi and Amsterdam, where he burnished his reputation as an upcoming talent, with a big tenor sound and an impeccable rhythmic sense. He tours regularly around the world both as a sideman and a leader. Armacost has worked with a phenomenal number of jazz greats, including Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Peter Erskine, Ray Drummond, Roy Hargrove, Don Friedman and Randy Brecker.

Upcoming Guest Artists:
5/1 - Steve Santoro - vocalist with Jocelyn Pleasant on drums
5/8 - Fred Haas - alto sax with Claire Arenius on drums
5/15 - Don Braden - sax and flute with Jimmy Maddison on drums
5/22 - Steve Davis - trombone with Jon Fisher on drums
5/29 - Hendrik Meurkens - vibes and harmonica with Jon Fisher on drums

The concert set starts at 7:30, followed immediately by the jam session until 10:30. $5 per person room charge for the concert set. City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA. 413-584-4830

For photos and videos of past NJW shows and related news, events and buzz, please see (and Like us) on FB at: www.facebook.com/Northampt onJazzWorkshop

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Youth call for 16-year old vote in Northampton


The Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission calls for lowering the voting age to 16 for all municipal elections.

The NMYC, along with at Large City Councilor William Dwight, is sponsoring a resolution calling on the Northampton City Council to petition the Massachusetts Legislature to allow sixteen and seventeen-year-old citizens to join the ranks of enfranchised voters for all municipal elections.

This action comes at a time when youth engagement in critical issues is rising and voter participation is declining. The local March for Our Lives demonstration on March 24th illustrated the desire of younger people to participate in our democracy and to have a say in how they are governed.

"As the issue of gun violence becomes more prevalent,” said Youth Commission Chair Margot Shocket-Greene (16), “the youth of America have realized that we must be the voice to push for gun control laws and advocate for our own lives.”

“In order to have a voice and be represented by our government and to make the necessary changes in our community, access to voting is essential so that the youth can be a part of bettering the community and country.” Schocket-Greene added, “I believe this could greatly improve both levels of voter turnout and political engagement"

Currently there are no communities in the Commonwealth that have been granted this authority although there are several towns and cities that are pursuing the right to lower their minimum voting age. Should the Legislature accept the petition the measure would likely be referred back to the citizens of Northampton as a ballot question.

“A democracy works best when participation is expanded,” Councilor William Dwight, liaison to the Youth Commission said, “and we have been led most recently more by the consciences of teenagers than self-identified adults. If we can retain the energy and commitment that they have displayed then we will all be better off for their involvement.”

The resolution will be on the agenda for the City Council meeting of April 19th at which time the Council may vote to approve the resolution in first reading or refer it to committee for further discussion.

“Our democracy is an ever-evolving experiment,” said Northampton Council President Ryan O’Donnell. “In fact, debating the fundamental rules of our democracy is an important democratic act in and of itself. I appreciate that that the Youth Commission has started this debate in Northampton.”

(Draft resolution included below)

Contact:

Margot Schocket-Greene
Phone or text: 413 275-5679
Email: 64mschocketgreene@northampton-k12.us

Bill Dwight
Phone or text: 413 262-6710
Email: bdwight@comcast.net

Monday, April 16, 2018

Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra Premieres Concerto



WHAT: Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra Premieres Concerto for Guitar Orchestra by Peter Blanchette
WHERE: Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College 144 Green Street Northampton, MA. 
WHEN: Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 pm.

The Center for the Arts is pleased to present composer, performer, and guitar innovator Peter Blanchette directing the critically acclaimed Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO) at Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College on Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 pm. The concert is the world premiere of Blanchette’s Concerto for Guitar Orchestra. This three-movement work, the first-ever of its kind, celebrates the composer’s earliest musical memories, fragments of pop and ethnic music, absorbed in countless, solitary sessions, teaching himself to play the guitar by ear.

Steve Waksman, Chair of the Smith College Music Department writes, “Peter Blanchette's Concerto for Guitar Orchestra is a wonderfully rendered fusion of rock energy with the discipline of contemporary art music, like the Rolling Stones meets Philip Glass, using deceptively simple riffs to develop complex structures. Blanchette’s fine attention to the nuances of guitar tone really sets the piece apart. It takes an incredibly subtle ear to pull together the purest sounds of a nylon-string instrument and the overdriven bite of a solid-body electric without one overpowering the other, but here they sing in perfect harmony."

The concert also serves as a farewell performance for Blanchette, the founding musical director for HVGO. Beginning this summer, Joe Ricker of Amherst, MA, will take over the position. Blanchette on his tenure and retirement from HVGO: “About 70 guitarists have played with us since 2009. It’s been an amazingly rich experience for me, one that proves people can get together and make very new music and that listeners will enjoy it. Now that HVGO has a home again with the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley Street, it’s time for me to move on to other personal artistic activities that I have set aside. So many people, including my whole family, have contributed to the project, and for that I am deeply grateful.”

HVGO is an avant-garde music ensemble founded by Peter Blanchette in 2009, with a roster of 15-20 acoustic and electric guitarists from widely varied traditions. Since its inception, HVGO has been a resident company of the Northampton Center for the Arts. It is supported by the D’Addario Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Frank Lucchesi Trust.

Though known as a Bach specialist, Blanchette has a repertoire of unusual and celebrated musical arrangements that run from medieval to contemporary to ethnic styles. He is a recipient of New England Public Radio Foundation’s Arts & Humanities Award for Outstanding Individual and is a veteran performer at Spain’s Cordoba Festival of the Guitar, Boston’s Symphony Hall, NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Town Hall, New York City.

Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults, $12 for students and children. They are available in advance at www.nohoarts.org or Brown Paper Tickets and at the door from 6:30 pm on the evening of the performance. Door sales are cash or check only.

Photo credit: Ron Mann

Audio demos from the Concerto: https://sites.google.com/view/hvgo-audio-demos/home

Friday, April 13, 2018

Kathy Ford Quilts at Arts Night Out


WHAT: Kathy Ford Quilts at Arts Night Out
WHERE: Friday, April 13th 5-8pm
WHEN: Northampton Community Arts Trust 33 Hawley Street Northampton, MA.

Join Kathy Ford in the downstairs studio for a special Arts Night Out featuring a quilt display and live music beginning at 5 pm, followed by a reading and book signing at 7 pm.Kathy will share excerpts from her recently published book, Adding Wood to the Fire, A Quiltmaker’s Way, with candid writing and over sixty pages of rich color illustrations.

Kathy offers an inspiring account of how art and life come together to be seen. Part tale of artist finding voice, of quiltmaking process, and of awakening, the heart of this book is a story of creative spirit. Her body of work can be seen at www.kathyford.net




Übeer Fest returns to Easthampton April 28th

WHAT: Übeer Fest
WHERE: Eastworks Building, 116 Pleasant Street Easthampton, MA.  
WHEN: Saturday, April 28th from 4-7 pm

Übeer Fest, western Massachusetts’s most diverse and eclectic beer festival, returns to the Eastworks Building in Easthampton on Saturday, April 28th from 4-7 pm. Übeer Fest is presented by the Valley Beer Trail and Provisions Northampton. Übeer Fest focuses on quality local, regional and global brews.

“Übeer Fest features a dozen local breweries, plus carefully chosen regional brews and exceptional global brews,” says Mark Lattanzi, Event Director. “We celebrate the creativity of local and regional beer culture, and the heritage of some of Europe’s great breweries and beer styles. Übeer Fest is truly all killer, no filler.”

In addition to the 12 western Mass breweries at Übeer, local importer Shelton Brothers will bring a selection of some of the global brews they’re famous for, like experimental brewery Mikkeller, and legendary lambic makers from Europe.

“Übeer Fest offers guests the opportunity to taste incredible beer not easily found outside of a few select stores and pubs, plus the latest, freshest offerings from the amazing western Mass brewing scene,” says Lattanzi.

Two food trucks will attend Übeer. Murphy’s Mobile, the food truck of Murphy’s Pub in Agawam, offers hearty pub food. Sun Kim Bop brings creative Korean fusion tacos and more.

Advance tickets are available right now for $35 ($45 at the door) at www.valleybeertrail.com.

Übeer Fest is presented by Valley Beer Trail and Provisions Northampton, with support from Atkins Farms Country Market, Country Hyundai, Country Nissan and Northampton Volkswagen.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Presents the 8th Annual Barbara Elleman Research Library Lecture with Anita Silvey


WHAT: 8th Annual Barbara Elleman Research Library Lecture with Anita Silvey  
WHERE: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art - 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA
WHEN: Saturday, April 28th at 2:00pm

Editor, author, and scholar Anita Silvey will deliver the annual Barbara Elleman Research Library (BERL) Lecture on Saturday, April 28th at 2:00pm at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The BERL Lecture is an annual event featuring the country's preeminent scholars, book collectors, researchers, editors, authors, and illustrators in the field of children's literature.

Anita Silvey's lecture Celebrating the Caldecott: The Stories Behind Some of the Great Caldecott Medal and Honor Books takes a look "behind the curtain" as she reveals insights into the publishing and promotion of these Caldecott treasures. Silvey will draw from her 40 years of experience in publishing and evaluating children's books, including her work as publisher of children's books at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company (formerly Houghton Mifflin) and as editor of The Horn Book magazine. The lecture is free with museum admission and a reception and book signing will follow.

At noon, prior to the lecture, educators, librarians, and caregivers are invited to participate in Sharing Caldecott Medal Books, an informal discussion sharing their experiences introducing Caldecott Medal books to children. This program will be given by Susan Schiller and Barbara Weber, volunteers in The Carle's Reading Library, and Susan Wells, school librarian at Wildwood Elementary in Amherst. Reservations are required for the noon discussion; visit www.carlemuseum.org for more information.

Guests will also have time to explore The Carle's special exhibition, Eighty Years of Caldecott Books, co-curated by Barbara Elleman and Chief Curator Ellen Keiter. The exhibition celebrates artistic achievement in picture books, presenting a chronological display of the winning Caldecott titles from 1938 to the present. 

Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail


WHAT: Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail
WHEN: April 28 & 29, 2018
WHERE: Western MA Studio Tour: Greenfield, Northfield, Shelburne Falls, Florence, Hadley, Pelham

This self-guided, free studio tour winds along the beautiful back roads and scenic historic towns of the so-called Asparagus Valley, a local name for the upper Connecticut River valley of western Massachusetts. The Pottery Trail celebrates the rich agricultural history and cultural vitality of the area, as well as the longstanding connections between pottery and food. Just as the asparagus is coming up - we invite you to visit 23 potters at 9 studios for our 14th annual studio tour this spring! 

http://www.asparagusvalleypotterytrail.com

After Hours Party & BBQ at Snow Farm, Saturday, April 28 with food from Local Burgy and "Pottery Trail Ale" from Lefty's Brewery.

Pottery demonstrations, kiln opening, and live music. Come celebrate community and clay with all the artists.

Party Info: http://asparagusvalleypotterytrail.com/party/

Thursday, April 12, 2018

On Ramp: Songwriters in the Round is a benefit for The Northampton Recovery Center



On Ramp: Songwriters in the Round - A Benefit for the Northampton Recovery Center

When?
Friday April 13, 2018
Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm

Where?
The Parlor Room, 32 Masonic Street, Northampton, MA 01060

How Much?
$30, it's a benefit for the Northampton Recovery Center

Ticket Outlet?
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1655412

Donation Link?
On Ramp-Donate Now

What?
Songwriter Mikey Sweet, in partnership with Signature Sounds presents and the Northampton Arts Council, invites you to “On Ramp: Songwriters in the Round” Friday April 13, 2018 at 7:30 pm at the Parlor Room on Masonic Street in Downtown Northampton. Will you join us on the recovery road? Through an evening of song and narrative, Mikey Sweet and Peter Newland together on stage will explore their own experiences with addiction and their travails on the road to recovery.

“For 2017, there are 1501 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths and DPH estimates that there will be an additional 433 to 518 deaths.” -Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Harnessing the voice of Northampton’s artist community, On Ramp: Songwriters in the Round aims to put a spotlight on the opioid crisis, which has impacted the lives of so many of our family, friends, and neighbors. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Northampton Recovery Center, a safe, peer-driven community that provides a positive welcoming environment for people on all pathways and in all stages of recovery from addiction, as well as for their families and allies.

We hope to see you at this impactful community event, more information and tickets can be found at Signature Sounds presents, https://www.signaturesoundspresents.com.

Brought to you in part by Cooley Dickson Health Care, ServiceNet93.9 The River, WHMP, and Hits 94.3 








2018 BJ Goodwin Memorial Fund Awards




This month the Northampton Arts Council was pleased to grant two BJ Goodwin Memorial Fund Awards to local artists: Serious Play Theatre Ensemble of Northampton for their Edinburgh Fringe Performance Exchange and Max Wareham of Northampton for the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom and study at the world-class folk arts center The Cecil Sharp House.

The Board of Directors of the Northampton Arts Council, Inc, on the recommendation of the BJ Goodwin Memorial Fund committee, voted to award Serious Play Theatre Ensemble, $1,000 and Max Wareham, $750 in support of these invaluable opportunities.

About Serious Play Theatre Ensemble: For the SERIOUS PLAY! THEATRE ENSEMBLE theatre is a potent art form. We work collaboratively to seek the truth in each dramatic moment by creating a physical form of expression that engages audiences in a fresh new way, as a true theatrical celebration! We challenge ourselves to explore our individual histories, creativity and voices and to fuse our experiences into powerful theatre with strong contemporary messages through “total physical expressiveness on stage.” We hope to revitalize American theatre and attract audiences back to the magic of the live moment.

About Max Wareham: Max Wareham’s voice is always about to break, warbling and true. Known primarily as bassist in psychedelic-pop-rock band Sun Parade, and contributing songwriter to studio-collective Cousin Moon, his solo work is influenced by British folk music, early country music, astronauts, ancestors, deep-sea divers, and Medieval English poetry



Created in 2003 after BJ Goodwin’s passing, this fund has provided support for valley based artists to travel, exhibit, learn and perform all over the world. Since 2004 artists have travelled to Austria, Israel, Scotland and Sweden to perform theatrical and dance works, record music and exhibit installations in galleries. The BJ Goodwin fund has supported touring musicians including And The Kids, Sun Parade and Boy Harsher in their travels across the United States. Closer to home the fund has provided assistance for the 2008 Storefront Art project using empty storefronts for artist space.

For over a decade the BJ Goodwin Fund has provided artists with the support necessary to bring their work out in the world and helps provide affirmation and recognition for both them and the Northampton arts community they call home. This memorial fund is very unique and should not be thought to replace funding that can be found in the traditional ARTSEZ spring and MCC/LCC fall grant rounds to artists and arts organizations.

The Northampton Arts Council, Inc. always accepts donations from the community towards the continued building of this endowed fund. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

"More Eyes on Western Massachusetts" at Hampshire College


WHAT: "More Eyes on Western Massachusetts"
WHERE: The Leo Model Gallery at the Jerome Liebling Center for Film, Photography, and Video at Hampshire College 893 West St. Amherst, MA
WHEN: Opening on April 19th from 5pm-7pm
              Show runs mid-April through August

From mid-April through August, the Leo Model Gallery at Hampshire College will host a photography exhibition titled  "More Eyes on Western Massachusetts." This show features work from over a dozen local artists. Please join us for the opening on April 19th from 5pm-7pm.
The Leo Model Gallery is located within the Jerome Liebling Center for Film, Photography, and Video at Hampshire College 893 West St. Amherst, MA. The Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, and Saturday-Sunday 1pm-5pm.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Northampton Jazz Workshop features vocalist Rebecca Parris


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features vocalist Rebecca Parris 
WHEN: Tuesday, April 17th, 7:30 to 8:30PM followed by an open jazz jam until 10:30 PM 
WHERE: The City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton.

We are thrilled to welcome back for her second appearance the amazing and hard swinging Boston based jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris. I hope you can join us because she is one of the masters of her craft and a great person as well.

Upcoming Guest Artists:

4/17 - Rebecca Parris - vocals
4/24 - Tim Armacost on tenor sax

5/1 - Steve Santoro - vocalist
5/8 - Fred Haas - alto sax
5/15 - Don Braden - sax and flute
5/22 - Steve Davis - trombone
5/29 - Hendrik Meurkens - vibes and harmonica

The concert set starts at 7:30, followed immediately by the jam session until 10:30. $5 per person room charge for the concert set. City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA. 413-584-4830

For photos and videos of past NJW shows and related news, events and buzz, please see FB at: www.facebook.com/Northampt onJazzWorkshop


Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Song & Story Summer Reading Celebration at Lily Library with Davis Bates & Roger Tincknell


WHAT: A Song & Story Celebration with Davis Bates & Roger Tincknell
WHERE: The Lilly Library, 19 Meadow St, Florence, MA.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 10 at 6:00 pm.

The Lilly Library will celebrate its Summer Reading Program “Libraries Rock!” by presenting Parents’ Choice Award winning performers Davis Bates & Roger Tincknell in a participatory program of songs & stories for all ages. Entitled A Song & Story Celebration, this concert is an exciting journey that celebrates reading, the roots and branches of rock and roll, and cultural diversity. Be prepared to sing, move and dance, especially to the closing song, La Bamba. There will also be a short lesson on how to play the musical spoons and an appearance by a dancing wooden dog named Bingo.

Davis Bates and Roger Tincknell have over eight decades of combined experience performing for families, in community settings throughout the Northeast. They are known for their humor, their strong vocal harmonies and for their warm and participatory performing style. Pete Seeger has called Davis "thoughtful, creative, human, and a fantastic storyteller." His traditional style of telling empowers and encourages audiences of all ages to join in the fun, and to take the stories home with them to share with others. His storytelling cassette, Family Stories, won a Parents Choice Gold Award, and was recently named one of the year’s best audio recording by Booklist magazine. Roger Tincknell is an accomplished musician, singer and song-writer, whose concerts include a wide variety of guitar styles, as well as banjo, mandolin, bazouki, harmonica and piano playing. His repertoire ranges from folk to rock and roll, and often includes some show stopping yodeling. Roger also won Parents Choice honor awards for his album of environmental songs, entitled Earth Rhythms, and his most recent release, Carnivalito.

A Song & Story Celebration is appropriate to all ages and will take place at the Lilly Library on Tuesday, July 10 starting at 6:00 pm. This performance is funded, in part, by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency supported by the MA Cultural Council. For more information call (413) 587-1500. Be sure celebrate reading at this wonderful family-oriented entertainment event.

"Memory Flow: Narratives of Land, Water and Displacement" art and action conference


WHAT: "Memory Flow: Narratives of Land, Water and Displacement" conference.
WHERE: Deerfield Business Center, 110 N. Hillside Rd. South Deerfield, MA
WHEN: April 28th 10am-5pm & 29th 10am-3pm

The event is hosted by activist from Visioning B.E.A.R Intertribal Coalition and artist from Metonymy Collective (based in Northampton).

We will interweave workshops and artistic performances which explore the history, present and future of land, water and displacement in the Northeast.

The art exhibitions and performances will specifically focus on the creation of the Quabbin Reservior (the source of Boston's drinking water) and on the memories of displacement, environmental destruction, and indigenous genocide hidden under its surface.

At the end of the conference, art and discussion will blend together and lead to a "Land, Water and People Plan of Remembrance and Action."

Here is our website: www.metane.me/water

Monday, April 9, 2018

SCDT Presents UNDER|STAND


WHAT:
THE SCHOOL FOR CONTEMPORARY DANCE & THOUGHT presents UNDER | STAND
with AUTHOR/CHOREOGRAPHER/CONFLICT MEDIATOR DANA CASPERSEN

WHEN:
SUNDAY APRIL 29TH 3-6PM

UNDER | STAND is an action dialogue on racism—an opportunity for local communities to connect, reflect, and exchange, using simple forms of motion like walking, listening, tapping, mirroring, and speaking. The project has recently been realized in New York City and Los Angeles, and will next take place in Berlin, Germany. But first it is right here in the Pioneer Valley!

This event is FREE and OPEN TO ALL, and will be followed by shared food and drink and more conversation. We invite you to join our diverse group in bringing this creative project to life by lending your voice, experience, and spirit!
________________________

Dana Caspersen holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution and mediation and has worked professionally in the fields of dance and theater for forty years. An author and award-winning performing artist, she has toured works worldwide—principally as the primary collaborator of choreographer William Forsythe and as a member of the renowned ensemble Ballet Frankfurt. For the past eight years she has ben developing choreographic public dialogue projects internationally.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Perugia Presents Poetry: IDA STEWART, SARAH SOUSA & CINDY VEACH




WHAT: Perugia Presents Poetry: IDA STEWART, SARAH SOUSA & CINDY VEACH
WHEN: Saturday April 7, 5:30-7:00 pm
WHERE: Eileen Fisher, 24 Pleasant St Northampton, MA

Join us for a poetry reading with three stellar poets hosted by the Eileen Fisher Store in Northampton, MA. The reading showcases Perugia Press poet Ida Stewart and CavanKerry poets Sarah Sousa & Cindy Veach. This is the local book launch for Sarah's new book: See the Wolf! Don't miss this line-up of incredible voices in a beautiful space. Celebrate Poetry Month with us!

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks at NHS Auditorium


WHAT: Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks 
             Presented by NHS Theater, Eggtooth Productions and Hilltown Productions 
WHERE: Northampton High School Auditorium - 380 Elm Street Northampton, MA.
WHEN: Friday, April 20 at 7:00 PM

In response to and support of the March For Our lives and National Walk Out Day, Northampton High School Theater, Stephen Eldredge, director, in collaboration with Eggtooth Productions and Hilltown Productions present Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks on Friday, April 20 at 7:00 PM in the auditorium at Northampton High School. Tickets are by donation at the door to benefit Everytown/Moms Demand Action.

Written specifically for April 20, the day of the National Walk Out and the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School, Natural Shocks explores the issues of gun violence and domestic abuse. Based a bit on Shakespeare’s Hamlet - called Natural Shocks follows a woman as she shelters in place during a tornado and wrestles with a dark truth she needs to share.

Said Gunderson, “I was a junior in high school when Columbine happened in 1999 and it spurred me into activism instantly. I wrote an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shaming the NRA and their spokesman Charlton Heston, who were holding their annual conference only an hour away from that mourning community. I organized a student protest at the GA statehouse; I went to Washington to speak to my Senators. I was berated by our local conservative radio talk shows: called ignorant, naive, and unAmerican. I was 17, a teenager like all those amazing kids in Parkland who are taking up the cause of their lost classmates and making the biggest difference in this issue I've seen in my lifetime.

Nineteen years later here we are, another school shooting, but finally a freshly invigorated and seemingly unstoppable movement brewing. I happened to be working on a new one-woman play based a bit on Hamlet - called Natural Shocks - about a quirky, chatty woman with a dark truth she needs to share. I was just starting to send it out to trusted colleagues when the Parkland school shooting happened. And I saw how brave and tireless and convincing these kids were in saying "no more gun violence." And then I read that the most vocal of them were theatre kids…..So now the play is yours.”

Northampton Jazz Workshop features guitarist Draa Hobbs in a tribute to the late saxophonist and educator Scott Mullett



WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features guitarist Draa Hobbs in a tribute to the late saxophonist and educator Scott Mullett
WHEN: Tuesday, April 10th, 7:30 to 8:30PM followed by an open jazz jam until 10:30 PM 
WHERE: The City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton.

We will be remembering and paying tribute to one of our first guest artists, Scott Mullett who passed away suddenly several months ago. He was a good friend, a great musician and a mentor to an amazing number of young players. On Tuesday, many of those friends of Scott's will be playing music for him while also raising money to continue his legacy of inspiring and supporting young musicians. All profits and tips from the night will go to the Scott Mullett Fund for Jazz Education', which is managed by the Keene Jazz Orchestra. The music will start with guitarist Draa Hobbs along with the trio and then be joined by many others including Steve Cady (who is the new director of the Keene Orchestra), George Robinson, Franz Robert, Jahian-Cooper, John Stowell and many others. If you can't make the concert but would like to make a donation by mail you can send a check to and payable to:
Keene Jazz Orchestra
39 Ridgewood Ave
Keene NH 03431
memo Scott Mullett Fund

This night will be the 8th Anniversary of the Workshop so we will be remembering our beginnings and bassist Dave Shapiro who was a regular collaborator with Scott as well as a co-founder of the Workshop before his passing. I expect the place to be packed all night long so join us when you can.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

COMIENZO: a Flamenco performance featuring world-class artists



What : “COMIENZO” - a Flamenco performance featuring world-class artists.
Where : “Parlor Room”- Northampton, MA
When : Saturday, April 21s
t 7:30pm

COMIENZO transforms the Parlor Room in Northampton into a Tablao, the intimate venue in
which flamenco is traditionally performed. The show embodies the deeply personal and
communal nature of flamenco. This show celebrates new beginnings. COMIENZO, which
translates from spanish to ‘I Begin’, honors the strength and courage of taking a step forward
into the unknown. It recognizes that we do not begin alone, but with the support and love of our
community.

COMIENZO features world-class flamenco artists Chuscales (guitar) and Jesús Muñoz (Dance
and Percussion), and Felix de Lola (singer) whose mastery and unique styles influence
flamenco communities internationally. COMIENZO is produced by flamenco dancer, Amalyah
Leader, who first discovered flamenco as a high schooler in the Pioneer Valley with Inés
Arrubla. “This is my first introduction into producing and I wanted Northampton to experience
something special, so I went an extra step to feature these amazing world-class artists in an
intimate setting.” -Amalyah Leader.

Since then Amalyah has studied intensely in New York City and Spain. Amalyah is grateful to
have this opportunity to share her artistry and production with the Pioneer Valley community.
This show is both local and deeply universal. Together, through music and dance, they ask all of
us to think with our hearts and move with our community.

Who : Amalyah Leader (dancer/producer), “Chuscales” (guitar), Felix de Lola (singer), Jesús
Muñoz (dance/percussion).
What : “COMIENZO” - a Flamenco performance featuring world-class artists.
Where : “Parlor Room”- Northampton, MA
When : Saturday, April 21st
Time : 7:00pm
Price : Tickets: $25/Adv, $35/Door, $20/Students
Buy Tickets : Online: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1643785
Boxoffice: (413) 923-2800

"Four Ways In" New work by Sally Clegg, Claire Crews, Kevin Pomerleau, and Esther S White


Image by Sally Clegg


WHAT: "Four Ways In" 
             New work by Sally Clegg, Claire Crews, Kevin Pomerleau, and Esther S White
WHEN: April 4-29, 2018
              Artist Reception: Friday, April 13: 5-8 pm
WHERE: A.P.E Ltd. Gallery 126 Main Street Northampton, MA.

Esther S White, Kevin Pomerleau, Claire Crews and Sally Clegg present new work in conversation. The four artists have been meeting since September 2017, building a routine of collaborative thought and curation. Working independently, they have each created work that in a variety of ways addresses the subjects of touch, permeability, barriers, visualization, and proximity. Their work spans across the mediums of printmaking, textiles, book arts and sculpture and is concerned with these common themes: recognition of touch as a destructive force, textiles as a stand-in for intimacy or the domestic sphere, and documentation of time through printmaking. The artists work alongside one another at Zea Mays Printmaking and in this exhibition operate as a collaborative curatorial/studio art team, developing both existing personal projects and new collaborative artwork specifically for the gallery space at A.P.E.

Esther S White is a visual artist and curator. Her artists’ books, textiles, and prints reveal an experimental approach to materials and an interest in personal history. She is currently an Artist in Residence in Motherhood.
http://www.estherswhite.net

Sally Clegg is a visual artist and writer. Sally was awarded an MCC 2018 Artist Fellowship for Drawing & Printmaking. “My goal as an artist is to bear witness to private, protected, or otherwise invisible experiences or forces. My work integrates information from observation with invented content to create and manipulate narrative. I am continuously seeking the intersection of written and visual storytelling, and regularly experiment with utilizing literary tools in my visual practice, such as structural elements used in poetry, comics, and prose.”
http://www.sallyclegg.com

Kevin Pomerleau is a printmaker. His work focuses on telling stories through images of the textiles present during pivotal moments of his own life. Pomerleau’s work entices the viewer to peer into his world without actually allowing them to enter, touching on themes of isolation, connection, and the plights of the queer community.
http://www.zeamaysprintmaking.com/prints/flat-file/kevin-pomerleau-flat-file/

Claire Hawley Crews is a weaver and printmaker. Claire’s work interrogates digital technologies, memory and documentation, intimacy and ambiguity, from a growing technical knowledge of textile craft and intaglio printmaking.

Local Vocal Chord Bowl #10


WHAT: Local Vocal Chord Bowl #10
WHERE: Amherst Regional High School Auditorium, 21 Matoon St, Amherst, MA
WHEN: Saturday, April 7th at 7 p.m

Come out to hear some amazing a cappella music and support a great cause! The Local Vocal Chord Bowl, now celebrating its 10th year, is a community fundraiser concert produced by the Green Street Brew featuring contemporary a cappella groups from a variety of age groups. This year, all proceeds will be divided between the music programs at Northampton High School and Amherst Regional High School.

Set for Saturday, April 7th at 7 p.m. in the Amherst Regional High School auditorium, this year’s concert will showcase an exciting mix of high school, college, and adult groups, including the Northamptones, the ARHS Hurricane Singers, the ARHS Chorale, Duly Noted (from UMass), The Doo Wop Shop (from UMass), Chill Harmonics, On That Note and the Green Street Brew.

Advance tickets (available at A. J. Hastings and Atkins Farms Country Market in Amherst and Coopers Corner and State Street Fruit Store in Northampton) are $12 general admission, $8 students and children. At the door: $14/$10.

Mostly Blue: Fiberistas

WHAT: Mostly Blue: Fiberistas
WHERE: Forbes Library Hosmer Gallery, 20 West Street Northampton.
WHEN: April 2-30, 2018
              Reception: Saturday April 7, 2-4 PM

The many nuances of the color blue inspire the eight members of the Fiberistas. Working in several fiber media including quilting, felting, tapestry weaving, dyeing, surface design, stitchery, and paper and fabric collage, they explore traditional techniques as well as contemporary artistic trends including graffiti, illumination, and repurposing of materials.

Nina Compagnon, creator of garments both ethereal and substantial, finds that felting has helped her move through a year of personal challenges. Her studio has served as a sanctuary, enabling her to leave the outside world beyond her door, and become one with the wool. Sally Dillon has evolved artistically from many years as a professional silk painter to the creation of whimsical felted wall hangings. Her piece, “Plenty of Fish” recalls her mother’s reassurances to her during her dating days. Rebecca Fricke is particular interested in how cloth and quilts can be repurposed, and has created a series of “tagged” second hand quilts—cloth graffiti. Reactions to her use of other people’s quilts in this way have range from anger by some observers to her own exhilaration in moving in this artistic direction. Martha May’s tapestry weavings enable her to define with yarn a picture in her mind, as she moves her wool under and over the warp.

Martha Robinson quilts wall pieces using batiks, and works with clamped and stitched shibori dyeing techniques in cotton, silk, and, most recently, polyester. Flo Rosenstock, felter and dyer, has also created a series of pieces motivated by her ability to envision the sculptural potential of used packing materials. Using them as substrates for paper and fabric compositions has given new life to items that would otherwise be discarded. Margaret Stancer’s work in fiber includes dyeing, wearable art, quilts, and felted vessels. She has also repurposed used blue jeans to create nostalgic pieces reminiscent of various family members’ recollections and symbols. Nancy Young has explored many fiber techniques over the years, currently focusing on surface design and soft sculpture. The common threads running through her pieces are her love of color, texture, and whimsy as she creates using her own hand dyed and printed fabrics as well as commercial fabrics.

Gallery Hours:
Monday 9-9 ; Tuesday 1-5 ; Wednesday 9-9 ; Thursday 1-5 ; Friday & Saturday 9-5 ; closed Sundays and holidays.




Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Wesleyan Potters Executive Director Job Opening


WHAT: WESLEYAN POTTERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OPENING
WHEN: Closes April 20, 2018

Send cover letter and resume to:
EDWespots@gmail.com

WESLEYAN POTTERS - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Executive Committee and Board, the Executive Director is responsible for leading Wesleyan Potters in its primary mission: promoting the learning and development of skills in crafts. Working with the Board and Co-op Members, the Executive Director will establish goals and realize action plans that continue to propel Wesleyan Potters into a secure and dynamic future. The Executive Director has operational responsibility for the organization. The successful candidate will have proven leadership, fundraising, and relationship-management experience. Interest in Arts and Education is preferable.

One of the longest continuously running arts organizations in Connecticut, Wesleyan Potters is a nonprofit craft school and cooperative with close to 100 members. Co-op members are required to participate in the management and staffing of the organization, which is comprised of Weaving, Jewelry, and Pottery Studios, a Craft School, Gallery, and Annual Sale. Classes in all areas are typically fully enrolled with close to 1,000 students participating in 75 classes each year. Wesleyan Potters employees include one full-time position and six part-time positions.

Job Qualifications:
Track record of effectively leading non-profit organization
Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
Budget management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making and reporting.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
Demonstrated ability to lead change with transparency and integrity
Experience with strategic planning and program development
Strong public relations and fundraising and grant-writing experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders
Past success working with a Board
A bachelor’s degree or five or more years senior nonprofit management experience
Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable leader, with successful record of innovative approaches to business planning

Position: Permanent Part-time. On average 22 hours/week, dependent upon seasonal activites

Salaried: $30,000–40,000/year commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Favorite Poem Project at Smith College



WHAT:  FAVORITE POEM PROJECT at SMITH
WHEN: Submit by Thursday, April 5
              Reading on Tuesday, April 24

What’s your favorite poem -- and why? Tell the Poetry Center about it by Thursday, April 5. Selected participants will be invited to present the work that matters most to them (not their own) at a Favorite Poem Project reading on Tuesday, April 24. More detailed info can be found at this link:

Submit here!

The criteria for choosing participants will be a diversity of readers and poems. Poetry Center faculty and students will review the responses, and choose 10-12 readers for the event.

Poems should be geared towards a five minute presentation, comprised of reading the poem, and informally speaking about your connection to it. (You don't have to be a poet to submit--in fact, we're looking for a poem by someone else that inspires you.) Translations from other languages are encouraged. If the poem happens to be longer than the five minute range, it would be best for you to select a particularly meaningful excerpt.

Northampton Jazz Workshop features clarinetist Darryl Harper


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop featuring clarinetist Darryl Harper 
WHEN: Tuesday, April 3rd, 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.

This week we are presenting for the first time clarinetist and educator Darryl Harper. Originally from Philadelphia and currently the chair of the music department at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Darryl is just finishing a year here as guest faculty at Amherst College. https://darrylharperjazz.com/

From Northampton Jazz Workshop's Paul Arslanian:
"I am personally excited about playing with Darryl because it turns out he and I have worked with many of the same musicians from Philadelphia. While living in Philly I was the house pianist for a weekly session at the 23rd Street Cafe and used to sit in at another great session at a club called Ortlieb's. I think those experiences had a hand in motivating me to start this series. I hope you can join us and stick around for the jam session and also, please join us on April 10th to remember Scott Mullett and celebrate our 8th anniversary."

Upcoming Guest Artists:
4/3 - Darryl Harper - clarinet
4/10 - A Celebration of the life of Scott Mullett featuring Draa Hobbs on guitar and many, many others. This will also be the Workshops 8th anniversary celebration.
4/17 - Rebecca Parris - vocals
4/24 - Tim Armacost on tenor saxThe concert set starts at 7:30, followed immediately by the jam session until 10:30. $5 per person room charge for the concert set. City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton, MA. 413-584-4830

For photos and videos of past NJW shows and related news, events and buzz, please see (and Like us) on FB at: www.facebook.com/Northampt onJazzWorkshop

Monday, April 2, 2018

Valley Classical Concerts Present the Attacca Quartet


WHAT: Valley Classical Concerts Present the Attacca Quartet 
WHERE: Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall at Smith College, 144 Green Street Northampton, MA
WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 2018, 3 p.m.
A standard-bearer of an amazing generation of American quartets makes its VCC debut. Works by Pulitzer-winner Caroline Shaw, Mendelssohn (Op. 12), and Beethoven (the sublime Op. 132). “…very close to epitomizing the string quartet ideal.”
(Washington Post)

Gain insight into the music and the performances by attending the lively Concert Conversations with the musicians and VCC Artistic Director John Montanari, in Sweeney Concert Hall, (handicap accessible), at no additional charge, one hour in advance of each concert. Valley Classical Concerts presents this opportunity as part of its mission to enhance our audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the music.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Tesserae Event Celebrates Poetry & Community


WHAT: Tesserae: Poetry in Community
WHERE: The Parlor Room, 32 Masonic Street Northampton, MA. 
WHEN: Sunday afternoon, April, 22, 3:30-5:00pm

Northampton’s Poet Laureate, Amy Dryansky, will host a special event on behalf of several local agencies that work to welcome and support immigrants and new Americans in the community. The event, Tesserae: Poetry in Community, is a reading and celebration that will highlight the work of The Center for New Americans, The Literacy Project, International Language Institute, and the Pioneer Valley Workers Center.

The event is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, April, 22, 3:30-5:00pm at the Parlor Room in Northampton. It will feature readings by award-winning poets Leslie Marie Aguilar, Maria Luisa Arroyo, Tamiko Beyer, Kirun Kapur, Oliver de la Paz and Ocean Vuong.

According to Dryansky, the purpose of the event is to invite the community to learn about the experiences of immigrants and new Americans, and enjoy excellent poetry. She explains that she chose the name, Tesserae, after the pieces or shards that together, make up a mosaic. She believes it’s an apt metaphor for the many kinds of people who live in the Pioneer Valley, and the important contributions they make to our communities.

The event is free and open to all. Support for the program is provided by the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency supported by the MA Cultural Council. Additional support is provided by The Common, Hampshire College, Levellers Press, The Massachusetts Review, Meridiens, and the Poetry Center at Smith College.

For more information: https://amydryansky.com/

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