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.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC vibraphonist Warren Chiasson


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC vibraphonist Warren Chiasson
WHEN: Tuesday, October 9th, 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

Please join us as we welcome back for his third appearance the great vibraphonist Warren Chiasson. Warren plays with unending enthusiasm and energy and we are thrilled to get another chance to play his music. Here is an excerpt from his bio:

Originally a member of the George Shearing Quintet, he has emerged as his own man with a distinctive four-mallet technique that he weaves into a percussive, melodic style.
Prior to forming his own group, Chiasson was for many years best known for his creative contributions to the Chet Baker Quartet, the Tal Farlow Trio, and jazz/pop diva Roberta Flack. In addition to recording his own albums, he has played on over 100 recordings with such artists as Eric Dolphy, Bill Dixon, Hank Crawford and was featured on a Grammy Award winning album with B.B. King.
http://warrenchiasson.com

Upcoming Guest Artists:
10/9 -   Warren Chiasson on vibes with Jon Fisher on drums
10/16 - Michael Rabinowitz on bassoon
10/23 - Greg Abate on sax and flute
10/30 - Gary Smulyan on bari

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/NorthamptonJazzWorkshop 

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Vermont Crafts Council’s Fall Open Studio Weekend

Encaustic by Jen Wiechers of Laughing Lizard Studio

WHAT: Brattleboro area studios take part in statewide Open Studio Tour
WHEN: Oct. 13-14, 10am-5pm
WHERE: Brattleboro, Vermont

With 18 art studios and one gallery just a short drive from Interstate 91, visitors to the Vermont Crafts Council’s Fall Open Studio Weekend Oct. 13-14 will find an entire weekend’s worth of fine art and craft in Brattleboro and its neighboring towns.

Studios will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with many sites offering demonstrations as well as the opportunity to purchase art and craft and talk with the professional artists and artisans who made them.

Poised at the southern gateway to the Vermont, the Brattleboro area offers the highest concentration of sites on the VCC’s statewide studio tour.

Members of two local arts groups will be well-represented on the tour. Of 19 participating artists and crafters, nine are members of Brattleboro-West Arts (brattleboro-west-arts.com), a group of about three dozen artists who create their art and make their homes within the watershed of the Whetstone Brook. Additionally, four participants this fall are members of Rock River Artists (rockriverartists.com), a collective of professional artists residing around the Rock River basin in Southern Vermont that holds its own studio tour each summer. Potter Matthew Tell is a member of both groups.

The weekend coincides with American Craft Week (americancraftweek.com), a nationwide effort to celebrate art and craft events happening from Oct. 5-14. For the past several years, BWA has organized its members and other local artists to make Brattleboro a prime destination on the VCC tours, which are held each fall and spring. In 2017, BWA received an award naming Brattleboro’s fall tour as American Craft Week’s Best Collaborating Artist Event.

Following is the lineup of local tour stops, listed according to their site numbers on the statewide tour. The studios marked with * are those of Brattleboro-West Arts members, and those marked with † are Rock River Artists members.

ACADEMY OF MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS: ASKING FOR IT WITH ADRIENNE TRUSCOTT


WHAT: ACADEMY OF MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS: ASKING FOR IT WITH ADRIENNE TRUSCOTT
WHEN: Saturday, October 27th at 8pm, Doors at 7:30 pm
WHERE: Academy of Music Theater

The Academy of Music Theatre presents Asking for It with Adrienne Truscott on October 27th at 8pm, which mixes humor, dance, and video while undoing the rules and rhetoric surrounding rape and comedy. Adrienne straddles the world of stand-up and performance art in this one-woman show dressed only from the waist up and ankles down. With commentary from George Carlin, Louis C. K. and Robert De Niro, she takes on ducks, mini-skirts, rape whistles, Daniel Tosh, and Rick Ross all while drinking enough gin & tonics to get a girl in trouble. Heavy at its core but light on its feet, Adrienne makes jokes about rape all night long…even if you ask her to stop. *This show contains nudity and strong language.

“Brutal, brilliant and brave…if you miss it you will miss the moment in the history of stand-up comedy wherein a woman actually took the genre and did something with it that no man could do. This is without doubt the most powerful hour of comedy.” – The Scotsman (UK)

“Truscott is always a step ahead… with firecracker wit, sophistication and luminous humanity.” (Guardian, UK)

“I’d heard rumors of the audacity and excellence of Ms. Truscott’s ‘Asking for It’ in the midst of the performance festivals that crowd New York each January…Those rumors are true” (Alexis Soloski – The New York Times)

Tickets are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling or visiting the Academy of Music Box Office.  We are open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM and can be reached at 413-584-9032 ext.105.  Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.aomtheatre.com.

Ticket Prices:
$20.00 (plus applicable fees)

Ticket Information:
Academy of Music Box Office Open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM
Call: 413-584-9032 ext.105 (Service fees will apply with purchase)
Online Tickets: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1718074

PRESS INQUIRIES
Emily Curro, Development and Marketing Manager
ecurro@aomtheatre.com
413-584-9032 ext.101

 # # # # #

www.aomtheatre.com
https://twitter.com/aomtheatre
https://www.facebook.com/academyofmusictheatre

Request For Proposals - Arts Hub




The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) announces the release of a Request for Proposals for the planning of a regional Arts Hub.

The proposed Arts Hub is intended to strengthen the field of arts and creativity across the three counties through connectivity, visibility and coordination. The Arts Hub will serve arts and creativity organizations, primarily, and their audiences, secondarily.

Successful proposals will outline a specific plan and strategy that enables community-wide collaboration and connection between arts organizations and visibility to cross-county audiences. 
Funding Period: Successful proposals will receive funding to cover a four-month planning period for further research and design of a regional Arts Hub. 
Funding Amount: Up to $15,000 will be available for each selected planning proposal. 
Eligibility: Nonprofits or for-profits; individuals or companies/organizations. Collaborations of the above may apply.
Selected Proposals: Up to three proposal may be selected for funding.
Deadline: October 19th, 2018 at 5:00pm EST


Additional questions? Contact us at ValleyCreates@communityfoundation.org

What is ValleyCreates?

ValleyCreates is a new initiative to strengthen and connect the diverse community of arts and          creativity nonprofits in the Pioneer Valley. 

YOUNG@HEART in MASHUP VI with JESUS PAGAN Y SU ORQUESTA

WHAT: YOUNG@HEART in MASHUP VI with JESUS PAGAN Y SU ORQUESTA
Woodstock: The Performance Peace Meets a Night in Old San Juan
Special Guests: The Green Sisters
WHEN: Sunday, October 21, 2018 @ 3PM
WHERE: Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060

Tickets on sale now at aomtheatre.com or call the box office 413-584-9032 x105

Photo by Lynne Graves. Other photos upon request.
On October 21st, we present our 6th annual Mashup Concert. Young@Heart Chorus will be
joined on-stage by special guests Jesus Pagan Y Su Orquesta, and the Green Sisters. From
Woodstock to Old San Juan this Mashup will have you dancing in the aisles! That afternoon we
will also hold a Cold-weather Clothing/Toy Drive to benefit displaced families from Puerto Rico
and elsewhere (more info below).

In preparation for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock (2019), Young@Heart will do an opening
set of music from the iconic Woodstock album, but set in a very different context from hippies in the Catskills. Young@Heart has built our reputation on surprising audiences with unexpected work. Our extensive international touring continued in May with a tour of Holland. We were the singers in E*Trade’s popular “This is Getting Old” ad from this past season's Super Bowl. Since 2014, we’ve conducted weekly rehearsals with the incarcerated in our local prisons. And we were the subjects of the Fox Searchlight indie film Young@Heart, which to this day ranks as one of the Top 50 most viewed documentaries of all time.

This year Young@Heart is honored to share the stage with Jesus Pagan Y Su Orquesta, a fabulous 12-piece salsa band of all-star Latin musicians from Puerto Rico, New York, and New England, who will perform a second set of all original material. Jesus, some of his musicians, and the Green Sisters will join in on Young@Heart's take of Woodstock while Young@Heart will accompany Jesus and his orchestra on a few of their tunes in the second set. The orchestra's leader and vocalist, Jesus Pagan, was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. He grew up in a musical family playing aquinaldos, bomba, plenas, boleros and his first love -- salsa. He has since shared the stage with such Latin music legends as Cheo Feliciano, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Larry Harlow, and Tito Nieves, among others. He’s released 5 albums, received accolades at the Grammys and Latin Grammys, numerous Artist-of-the-Year awards and was the Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican parade in Holyoke in 2016. Some of his greatest musical moments include singing with salsa superstar Gilberto Santa Rosa at a sold-out Carnegie Hall in 2013 and singing lead with Orquesta Dicupe at the Macarena Arena in Medellin, Colombia in front of 20,000 salsa fans.

Sprouting from a small farm in rural Massachusetts, the Green Sisters have had a deep love of
music from birth. They’ve been playing venues in Massachusetts and New Hampshire regularly
for three years and have garnered quite a following. It’s hard not to smile when treated with their tight harmonies and high energy tunes; they bounce their jovial banter around the stage as only siblings can. Their debut album, “Endless Blue” was released in June 2018 and has been called “a familial gem” (the Valley Advocate), while Sheryl Hunter of the Greenfield Recorder wrote: “As soon as the disc opens...we are already won over; instantly captivated by the sisters’ gorgeous vocals.” The four gals jump easily from bluegrass to barbershop to blues to Celtic to originals of all styles.

Clothing and Toy Drive
As an arts organization, Young@Heart wants to do more than provide entertainment. We are
committed to improving and enriching the lives of our community’s most vulnerable members.
The one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico is later this month.
We are constantly reminded of how dire the situation in Puerto Rico has been and continues to
be, and we are aware that the Pioneer Valley is a major destination for recently displaced families from the island. For example, Springfield enrolled 590 new students within four months of the hurricane, according to Superintendant of Schools Lydia Martinez. In concert with community partners, Young@Heart will be collecting donated cold-weather jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, and kids toys from our fans for these families at our Mashup Concert on October 21st at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton. It will be an afternoon of incredible music and joy to share with these families.

Donated items should be unwrapped and in very good or “like new” condition. All sizes, male
and female, are appreciated. Those not attending the concert are still urged to drop off their
donations at the Academy of Music Theatre at 274 Main St, Northampton on the afternoon of
the show in the large donation boxes at the entrances. Donations can also be dropped off at The
Northampton Senior Center at 67 Conz St, Northampton between 8-5pm Mon-Fri.

Sponsors
Greenfield Savings Bank, Lathrop Communities, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Valley Advocate,
93.9 The River, WHMP, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

www.youngatheartchorus.com

Local Communities Connect Through Reading

September 25, 2018 - Four communities are coming together during October and November in a partnership called All Hamptons Read. The inspiration for this multi-community initiative is the book Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, a National Book Award finalist. Spearheaded by the public libraries in Northampton, Florence, Easthampton, Southampton and Westhampton, All Hamptons Read is sponsoring dozens of events exploring slavery and the underground railroad, nationally and locally, through discussion, walking tours, art, film and lecture. We are thrilled to have the author speaking at a culminating event, Escaping Slavery, Envisioning Freedom, on November 27 with Barbara Krauthamer (UMass) at the new Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley Street. Community partners for this project are wide reaching including: Historic Northampton, UMass Amherst Public History Program, The David Ruggles Center for Early Florence History & Underground Railroad Studies, Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee, Northampton Film Festival and Northampton Community Television.

“All Hamptons Reads is a community project rich with the possibility of generating moments of shared understanding and aesthetic, with rich opportunity for shared discussion and celebration of the art of reading a book.”
-- P. Al Williams, Executive Director, Northampton Community Television

“Erica Armstrong Dunbar’s Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge changes the way we think about American history, the Founding Generation, and the reality of slavery as a crucial institution in the formation of the United States. By telling this history  from the vantage point of Ona Judge, this book challenges our national narratives by forcing us to confront, face to face, the contradiction of slaveholding among those who professed a love of liberty and a commitment to building a nation rooted in the Democratic ideals. Those who love a great story, meticulously researched and told by one of America’s premier historians, must read Never Caught!”
-- Ousmane K. Power-Greene, Associate Professor of History, Clark University, author of Against Wind and Tide: The African American Struggle Against the Colonization Movement

Copies of Never Caught are available to borrow from the participating libraries and locations in each community. Ebooks and eaudio are also available through Overdrive. For a complete list of events and exhibits please visit forbeslibrary.org/hamptonsread.

Concurrent with All Hamptons Read, the traveling exhibit Lewis Hayden and the Underground Railroad is coming to Northampton at Forbes Library during the month of November. An exhibit entitled “Chaotic Freedom and the Scars of Slavery” will be exhibited at Historic Northampton beginning on October 12th and the David Ruggles Center for History and Education will preview the upcoming exhibit, “The Underground Railroad in Northampton and Florence: People, Places and Paper,” in conjunction with their walking tour on October 28th.

We are thankful to our co-sponsors, including:
UMass Amherst’s Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series
UMass History Department
Amherst College English Department
Mt. Holyoke College Africana Studies Department
Northampton Community Television
Florence Bank
Friends of Forbes
Easthampton Emily Williston Memorial Library Friends
Southampton Edwards Library Friends
Westhampton Library Friends
Historic Northampton
David Ruggles Center for History and Education


Convention of former slaves, Wash., D.C. , 1916. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001706148/.

Nancy Dickinson's Acorn People diorama on display at Forbes Library




If you stop by the Hosmer Gallery or Forbes Library Arts & Music Department, you'll find the newly installed diorama by Nancy Dickinson. It’s a peek into the lives of her civilization of Acorn People. The scenes will change occasionally, probably with the seasons. Currently they’re spending a day in the park, strolling with their children, feeding the wildlife, or playing the flute.

Nancy has been creating miniature worlds since childhood. About the Acorn People, she writes: “They live mostly in tree stump houses in the woods. Everything in their homes is made from things found in nature. They keep busy bringing in wood for their stoves, cooking natural foods, white water racing, sailing on the ponds, and training squirrels. I do my best to build everything in this world, even the animals.”

Nancy Dickinson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Rhode Island School of Design, and has received an award for her photography from the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. She has exhibited her work at numerous museums, galleries, libraries, schools and other cultural institutions throughout the Northeast.

For more information about Nancy’s art, see http://nancydickinson.net/.



CALL TO ARTISTS FOR: PROJECTS, CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AT 33 HAWLEY STREET


Submit proposals to A.P.E. for creative projects at the Arts Trust Building at 33 Hawley St. in downtown Northampton.

Space is available for classess, workshops, rehearsals, and performance/visual arts projects. 

Please contact Jen Polins, jen@scdt@gmail.com or Lisa Thompson, lisathompson@apearts.org

Mr. Fumblebody created and performed by Lars Vik


WHAT: Mr. Fumblebody created and performed by Lars Vik

With Two Performances:
September 30, 1pm @ Double Edge Theater, 948 Conway Rd, Ashfield, MA
Tickets $8-$15. Purchase HERE

October 8, 3pm @ Shea Theater, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA
Tickets $10-$15. Purchase HERE


MR. FUMBLEBODY, is a hilarious show for families, combining physical slapstick with vivid audience participation and on the spot improvisations. It’s the story of an ordinary day with Fumblebody at his “Help Agency”. People call him at his office to get help in solving all kind of problems. No problem is too little, no problem is too big! The audience will pretty soon understand that Fumblebody himself is the one in need of help.

CALL FOR ARTISTS - Northampton, MA


Seeking illustrators/tattoo artists to contribute their talent for a retail display at THELō Home &
Modern Wellness. A portion of the sales of the display will go to THE SURVIVAL CENTER in
Northampton, MA.

The project entails decorating a life-size classical plaster bust with tattoo imagery. All styles and
designs are accepted.

Although a stipend is not available, your name will be credited and displayed at Thelō as well
as all social media platforms, and your work will contribute to this local charity.

To apply, submit work to mikala@thelohome.com. Include 5-10 images from your portfolio and
a brief CV or bio.

Thank you.
Mikala Hammonds
Owner, Thelō Home & Modern Wellness

STUDIO4 presents HUT_18: Words Music Movement


WHAT: HUT_18: Words Music Movement
WHEN: SATURDAY, Oct 6, 2018 at 8PM
WHERE: STUDIO4, 25 Main St, Suite 444, Nothampton (located on the fourth floor of 25 Main Street in Northampton, across the street from Strong Ave.)

STUDIO4, the vibrant performance space and arts center located in the heart of Northampton, is proud to announce the next installment of HUT—the interdisciplinary performance series co-curated by SCDT Director Jennifer Polins and sound artist Jake Meginsky. As part of STUDIO4’s Fall season packed with performance art, HUT showcases three artists in three short sets, in an evening of music, dance, and words. HUT has so far presented a wide range of internationally recognized contemporary artists including Bill Nace, Jason Lesceleet, Shura Baryshnikov, Andrea Pensado, Jen Nugent, Steve Gunn, Sarah Gerard, Cori Olinghouse, Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano, Carole Maso, and Wendy Woodson, among many others.

SEASON FIVE kicks off with HUT_18 on SATURDAY, Oct 6, 2018 at 8PM with performances by AESY QUARTET (Music), writer LEX BROWN (Words), and MEREDITH BOVE (Movement).

 $10 / Reservations (413) 570-4491 / studio4noho.com

MOVEMENT
Meredith Bove is a choreographer and writer based in Northampton, Massachusetts. She approaches movement as a practice for experiencing the body as unfixed, mutable, and process-oriented. Her work has been seen at various venues and festivals across the US and in Berlin, Germany. She has performed in the work of Jérôme Bel, Luis Lara Malvacías, Sharon Mansur, Stephanie Miracle, and Jillian Peña, among others, and collaborated with choreographers Andrea Jenni and Jessie Laurita Spanglet, conceptual artist Luke Munn, and sound artist Layne Garrett. In 2018, she was artist-in-residence at A.P.E Ltd Gallery with Lailye Weidman, researching dramaturgical practices and creative companionship. Meredith has taught at Hollins University, Montgomery College, Springfield College, The Dance Exchange, The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, and the Collective (Baltimore). Her writing on performance has appeared on ThINKingDANCE and Culturebot, and most recently on and for The Making Room (2018), a collaboration between choreographers Bebe Miller and Susan Rethorst. Currently, she teaches in the Theater and Dance Department at Keene State College, and is Editorial Associate for Contact Quarterly. She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and an MFA from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. meredithbove.wordpress.com

WORDS
LEX BROWNis an artist, musician, and writer. Her work plays with the scale of personal and emotional experience in relation to large scale systems of social and economic organization. Brown graduated from Princeton University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Archaeology and was a resident at Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture that same year. She received her M.F.A. in Sculpture from Yale University School of Art, where she was the recipient of the Susan B. Whedon Award in Sculpture. She has performed and exhibited work at the New Museum, the High Line, and the International Center of Photography in New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, REDCAT Theater and The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; and at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. Her first work in fiction, My Wet Hot Drone Summer, a sci-fi erotic novella that takes on surveillance and social justice, is available from Badlands Unlimited.

MUSIC
AESY QUARTET-Neil Cloaca Young,Wendy Eisenberg, Donald Warner Shaw,Andy Allen-reeds
ANDY ALLEN on reeds is known for Hollow Deck and Creative Healing as well as projects with Arkm Foam. WENDY EISENBERG is a solo songwriter and improviser who plays guitar and banjo. She's known from her work with Birthing Hips, recent collaborations with John Zorn, Zach Rowden, Trevor Dunn and Ches Smith. In a few months, Wendy will have a burst of records, released on Feeding Tube, VDSQ, and Tzadik. DONALD WARNER SHAW III (bass and saxophone) and NEIL YOUNG (percussion) are best known for their membership in Fat Worm of Error, but also have solo electronic and electroacoustic recording and performing projects on their own and in collaboration. Young also makes films and helped bring Milford Graves Full Mantis into the world.

Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC tenor saxophonist Houston Person


WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC tenor saxophonist Houston Person
WHEN: Tuesday, October 2nd, 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 week we have a very special treat for all of us. The great tenor saxophonist Houston Person will be fronting the band for two sets at 7:30 and then again at 9PM. As a result there will be no jam session. Houston is one of the most respected tenor players in world today, having recorded over 80 albums under his own name and appearing on many more as a sideman. He is most known for his sassy sound in the soul-jazz idiom but is a master of swing and bop and ballad for sure. He started recording and touring in the 60's and hasn't slowed down a bit, still traveling all over the globe making great music.This will be Houston's sixth appearance with us and we can't wait. Come early to get a good seat but do know we will be doing a second show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Person

Also, on drums with us this week will be another master on the drums, Jimmy Madison. Hope you can join us.

Upcoming Guest Artists:
10/2  -  Houston Person on tenor with Jimmy Madison on drums
10/9 -   Warren Chiasson on vibes with Jon Fisher on drums
10/16 - Michael Rabinowitz on bassoon
10/23 - Greg Abate on sax and flute
10/30 - Gary Smulyan on bari

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/NorthamptonJazzWorkshop

So what is this FRINGE thing?

The view from our window
I am awakened at 6am, kill the first alarm, and then hit snooze on the second alarm. After all, we have been up until 1am the night before. John has already had his first breakfast, and is discussing last night’s performance notes and observations with Sheryl. I open the window toward a cool breeze, and gaze out across Canongate Kirk, the graveyard across from our Old Tolbooth Wynd flat. I see if I can get a befriended seagull to take the stale bread we’ve been saving. We have named the seagull Brian.

The shower’s hot water soothes the soul, and I grab my computer, check the times for the daily shows we’ve bought tickets to that day, having chosen last month from the over 3,000 offered. I also check our list of Fringe Central Artist/Producer Workshops and networking brunches for that day. Next I tweet about something I’ve experienced recently, and grab a cell phone photo to go with it. Sheryl and I then head out the door for the one to three times a day we will struggle uphill on High St. (also known as The Royal Mile), past the gelato shop, the multiple whiskey, fudge, cashmere, shortbread, and kilt shops to the intersection with South Bridge and North Bridge Streets.

This meeting of roads at the bottom of the crazy pedestrianized portion of The Royal Mile is the orientation point for most Fringe goers. Grassmarket is to the west and best reached by going left than quickly right avoiding the various buskers and juggling acts then heading steeply downhill to Cowgate.
Up the hill on the Royal Mile
We watch every time we even think about stepping into the street. Our “US sense of safety” is woefully backwards in the land of right-side driving. Rarely a day goes by when you don’t find yourself about to step into the path of a bus that literally is only inches away, as it whizzes past from the direction you weren’t looking. But even with the narrow and winding cobblestone streets with huge buses elbowing their way past tiny cars and foreign jaywalking tourists, it all seems to work.

And you can go the whole day jostling for position at ticket counters, hardware stores, markets, pubs, restaurants, newsstands, and never hear an unkind or discourteous word. The worst I heard was from cabbies bashing Theresa May and the whole Brexit mess. Remember Scotland wanted to stay in the EU. And Czar Trump often came up and while we were, by right of being at the Fringe, deemed NOT to be in league with the devil. We certainly got an earful once our accents revealed our home turf.

Fringe Central Lobby
So we are headed to a Fringe Central workshop on touring rural Scotland- or even London or Australia and more. We stay on Southbridge finding just enough space on the narrow sidewalk with the mix of performers, tourists, city workers, tour groups, and beleaguered city residents, trying to get to work. And did I mention the posters. Everywhere there are posters which either by their size or number, try to convince you why you should see their show over the 2,999 others visually lobbying for your attention and money. (Many trees gave their lives for this excess of promotional exuberance.)

Walking past the Tesco convenience market and Poundsavers, discount everything knock- off store, past the Surgeons Hall venue, where John performed so successfully in 2016, and onto the row of consignment stores for Cancer, Save the Children, and others- great places to pick up odds and ends. We continue past Coffee Angel. A cappuccino and scone at Coffee Angel on the trek home, have often been the perfect fix after long workshops on Touring Contracts and Artist Visas. But the day is young, so it’s around the corner and our destination Fringe Central, a gathering place for all Fringe artists and producers with important and helpful guidance from the Fringe Arts & Industry and Media Office staff.

Lots to learn about the various producing groups bringing shows to rural Scotland & London. But before that we have arrived at Fringe Central in time to chat a bit with Claudio and Armando, the Italian and Mexican talented classical clown duo with whom we keep crossing paths.  They had finished their conversation with Miguel, the solo performer in STARDUST. His show aims to rescue the reputation of his home country, Colombia, so often stereotyped as a haven for heroine drug lords.
Next we trek a few more blocks to one of our favorite venues, Summerhall. Lots of the more experimental theatre work goes on in various classrooms, lecture halls, surgical amphitheaters and assembly rooms that once housed medical students. We saw many performances here. It’s a great place to hang out either in their open café, or the pint-fueled courtyard, or at the Royal Dick which had been temporarily renamed the Royal Pussy in keeping with the presence of Russia’s Pussy Riot performances and an exhibit on their aims, artwork and approach to change. Putin was not invited. 

Robin at Coffee Angel
We pick up a few more tickets this day for STATUS, EVROS:CROSSING THE RIVER, and GLORIOUS LOVER. Time to head back to catch Mairi Campbell’s new show AULD LANG SYNE at the Storyteling Centre back on High St. Mairi has become a really good friend and collaborator since we first met in 2016 after seeing PULSE. Serious Play was able to bring that show to the Shea Theater last December. She and her husband Dave Francis are insightful creators, and both value performance as an art form.

After Mairi’s show, it’s back to the flat to see what John is up to. He has a very disciplined daily regime with exercise, guitar practice, and rest in the afternoon of a performance. And keep in mind every day for a month except Sundays, he performs Serious Play’s THE RED GUITAR at 9:10 pm, with two performances each night the last two weeks of the FRINGE, when Serious Play adds in the new trio DO IT NOW: Manual Override at 10:20pm nightly. We throw together something to eat, often noodles with cheese, bread or sometimes a salad from Pizza Express just across the street and down a hill. Ask us about “the duck print” on the wall at Pizza Express someday. After dinner John warms up, and then it’s off to theSpace Niddry St.,Venue 9. Once there, we wait while the Drag show ahead of use finishes, and then rush to get in and set up.  I check with Matteo and Ben, our venue assistants, to quickly take over the tech, get a thumbs up from John after a sound check, and in comes the audience, with Sheryl making sure they all get seated comfortably and with a program. John launches into another unique evening of great guitar riffs and the personal story of his life in sound, always incorporating new nuances of gesture, focus, timing- and another memorable evening unfolds. Bows, handshakes and enthusiastic audiences, but we have to make way for the next show, generally led by a young woman running in, carrying a large black blow up sofa -- and we are out of there to meet with our audiences who await us outside.

The Group at Mairi and Dave's flat
Then it’s off to the High St Pub, and some relaxed conversation with local tourists, audience members or residents- making sure as little as possible is about Trump. It’s 12:30pm by the time the pints are dry and we need to get back to Old Tolbooth Wynd, so downhill we go, guitars, pedal board, album cover, and mic stand in hand. After a bit more decompression and talk, we finally hit the sack around 1:30am. Before you know it, the alarm sets the whole ritual in motion again for yet another day in our month long and ever so fulfilling saga.
      ----Robin Doty (Managing Director, Serious Play)

Stay tuned for more to come on what shows we saw & what we choose to try to bring to Valley audiences

*ALSO- Help support the ongoing SERIOUS PLAY/ EDINBURGH FRINGE PERFORMANCE EXCHANGE--
Join us for Serious Play’s RETURN FROM THE FRINGE Oct 5 & 6 at 7pm-A.P.E@HAWLEY/ Arts Trust Building/Tickets www.brownpapertickets.com $18 / at door $20

Thursday, September 20, 2018

The Phillips Festival 2018: An Evening of Original One Act Plays


WHAT: The Phillips Festival 2018: An Evening of Original One Act Plays
WHEN: September 29 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Leslie Phillips Theater, Holyoke Community College, 303 Homestead Ave, Holyoke, MA

Please join us for the PHILLIPS FESTIVAL 2018, a celebration of creativity, friendship and original theater. For the third year, a talented group of HCC alumni, students, and staff, will showcase one-act plays that are produced, script to stage, in just 24 hours ... yes, ONE DAY ... for the delight of the audience and to honor the legacy of Leslie Phillips, founder of the HCC theater department

Double Edge Theatre presents 7 Songs of the Refugee, Grenland Friteater of Norway


WHAT: Double Edge Theatre presents 7 Songs of the Refugee, Grenland Friteater of Norway
WHEN: September 28 and 29 at 8:00 PM
WHERE: Double Edge Theatre, 948 Conway Rd, Ashfield, MA

This September we welcome back Norway's acclaimed Grenland Friteater with two different performances. 7 Songs of the Refugee, created and performed by Geddy Aniksdal and directed by Tor Arne Ursin, will have its United States debut at the Farm after a sold-out run of Geddy Aniksdal’s My Life as a Man in 2016.

The drama takes us to China twelve hundred years ago to the downfall of the mighty Tang dynasty. We meet the hermit Tu, an old man who is "exiled forever." He fell from a position of high office at the Emperor's court: "It was a misunderstanding: I expressed myself too clearly." Now he is a refugee, living on the few herbs he can find under the snow. In a flashback he remembers his years as a soldier at the front, how he had to leave his family, and the bloody battles he fought.

For tickets click here

Silverthorne Theater Company presents DELECTABLE DURANG


WHAT: Silverthorne Theater Company presents DELECTABLE DURANG: A Collection of Six Unruly Comedies
WHEN: September 27, 28, 29 and October 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 PM, September 30 at 2:00 PM
WHERE: Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St, Greenfield

This production will be an ‘homage to the theater‘ featuring Durang’s most pungent satirical takes on the world of the stage. The six plays are The Actor’s Nightmare, Women in a Play Ground, Nina in the Morning, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, One Minute Play & Medea. Every theatrical element will be in full view of the audience throughout, as the actors function as a mini-repertory company, portraying a variety of multi-dimensional characters with serious personal issues who fearlessly leap into Durang’s world of comic mayhem with emotional abandon and a bountiful sense of play.

Tickets here

The XTCA Art Parade performs the Commons in the street!

WHAT: The XTCA Art Parade performs the Commons in the street!
WHEN: Saturday, September 22nd, 3:45pm 
WHERE: Parade from UMASS FAC to Kendrick Park in Amherst, along East Pleasant Street, Amherst

We are all walking together- Double Edge, TheatreTruck, UMCA community groups, artists, makers, performers, union members, academics, local businesses- from UMASS FAC to Kendrick Park in Amherst, along East Pleasant Street, Amherst.

Double Edge Theater leads the Parade with music, the route follows the series of XTCA sculpture and performance installations- Art in Public Spaces yes! As we find our way through the landscape, we will be joined by more performers, musicians, musicians local makers, artists, academics, families and community groups- all ready to fly our flags over the intentional spaces we collectively imagine and make.
Together, our feet voices and memories will radically transform East Pleasant Street! Let's go make some art y'all!

Rain or shine, after the symposium. Costumes and props encouraged! Bring Big- I shut down the street just for us!

We are also hosting a Flag Making Workshop in the Atrium of the FAC before the Parade. Free and open to all, fly your colors high!

Here is the official language:
The XTCArts Parade invites all age groups to join in the celebration art and creative expression! Beginning at the Fine Art Center, the parade will foster a direct encounter with both the physical environment and the community artists and performers that made this project possible. Participants will then be led down Haigis Mall, across Massachusetts Ave and along North Pleasant Street up to Amherst's Kendrick Park. We will engage “town” and “gown” by coming together in the streets, experience sculpture & performance along the corridor and celebrate the value of art and culture in building community.

The Parade, organized by Elizabeth Pangburn, Co-Artistic Director of TheatreTruck, will include performances by members of Double Edge Theatre and others.

XTCA: Cross Town Contemporary Art
is an outdoor public art exhibition that seeks to reveal our interconnecteness as citizens and to highlight the gateway district between downtown Amherst and the University of Massachusetts. The University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) has partnered with the UMass Architecture Department and the Town of
Amherst to build an art and culture bridge– a series of public sculptures–to activate the North Pleasant Street corridor and connect downtown to campus.
The exhibition features work by 13 nationally recognized artists,
local artists and members of the academic community. The goal of this project is to generate a robust public dialogue about the value of art and culture in building community.

Join the parade and fill the corridor with color, noise, movement and performance!

JOIN FACEBOOK EVENT

Mind Reading After Hours : Dinner + Performance


WHAT: Mind Reading After Hours : Dinner + Performance
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 8:00PM
WHERE: Iconica Social Club, 1 Amber Ln, Northampton, MA 01060

Private Dinner, Dessert & Coffee, Mind Reading Theater

A demonstration of modern mental magic. Around a table, over a glass of champagne, we will explore the degree to which minds can be read, predicted, and influenced.  No need to come with an open mind: it will be opened! Held after hours (8PM) at Iconica Social Club, in downtown Northampton.  Limited seating.  Advance tickets required. 

Just a few tickets remain for Saturday 9/29. Reserve yours today at hereadsminds.com. It will sell out!

Following a sold-out run in spring/summer 2018, Alexander returns to the Iconica Gallery for another round of intimate immersion into modern mental magic. On 3 special dates the magic extends, in partnership with Iconica Social Club, for "Dinner + Performance".

Guests enjoy a multi-course meal designed in-house by Chef and Owner, Em, in collaboration with Juice Master and Co-Owner, Fitzpatrick. The meal features seasonal, fresh ingredients in innovative ways, paired with fresh cold-pressed juice made in house + wine intuitively selected by Alexander, and concludes with a decadent selection of house-made baked goods and coffee/tea. We have reserved the entirety of Iconica Social Club for your private use on these special Dinner + Performance evenings.

Come enjoy the best of Iconica in one truly magical engagement, a full treat for all the senses!


Parklet Music Series


WHAT: Parklet Music Series
WHEN: Friday, September 21, 7:00pm-9:30pm
WHERE: 1 Amber Lane, Northampton MA

Lily Sexton supporting Greg Hall
upbeat country and thoughtful folk

How Much? FREE

Academy of Music Theatre and New England Public Radio to Present Third Best of Valley Voices Story Slam


WHAT: Best of Valley Voices Story Slam
WHEN: Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 7:30 pm, Doors at 7:00 pm
WHERE: Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main St, Northampton, MA

The Academy of Music Theatre and New England Public Radio present their third Best of Valley Voices Story Slam October 13, 2018 at the Academy of Music Theatre as part of the Academy of Music Theatre 18.19 Season Series. Audience members have selected the top three stories from the four Valley Voices Story Slams held during the winter and spring of 2018. These top stories by local storytellers will be shared on the Academy stage to compete for the top prize – Best of Valley Voices! Join us as we choose the winner of this competition based on the art of first person narrative storytelling. It puts emphasis on content and performance, encouraging storytellers to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. It’s an exercise in crafting stories within a set time limit, without notes or props, and it’s great entertainment! The evening will also include music by accomplished fiddler Zoë Darrow, an artist who is “destined to add savory spice to the global mix” (Celtic Heritage Magazine), and the words of guest storyteller Susanne Schmidt (2015 Best of the Valley Voices winner/Moth Story Slam winner, host, and regional producer).

Tickets are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling or visiting the Academy of Music Box Office.  We are open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM and can be reached at 413-584-9032 ext.105.  Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.aomtheatre.com
Ticket Prices:
$20.00 (plus applicable fees)
Ticket Information:
Academy of Music Box Office Open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM
Call: 413-584-9032 ext.105 (Service fees will apply with purchase)

PRESS INQUIRIES
Emily Curro, Development and Marketing Manager
413-584-9032 ext.101
# # # # #

Departures #11


WHAT: Departures #11 in collaboration with Northampton Print & Book Fair
WHEN: Saturday, October 29 @ Sunset: 6:35pm
WHERE: Pulaski Park, Main St, Northampton, MA

What you will find here:
- A collaboration between Departure and 2018 Northampton Print & Book Fair for a weekend-long celebration of the written word and its publication
-Recorded and layered readings by Andrea Lawlor, Rachel B. Glaser, Andrew McAlpine, and Jack Chelgren, played with:
-Video art by Thea Cohen and Alexis Hott
- Baskets to collect a suggested donation for No Bayou Bridge Pipeline - Solidarity Campaign
- Some blankets and chairs and friendly folks aplenty

October in the Hosmer Gallery: Paintings by Anne-Marie Taylor and Anne LaPrade Seuthe


WHAT: Paintings by Anne-Marie Taylor and Anne LaPrade Seuthe
WHEN: October 2-30, 2018
WHERE: Hosmer Gallery at Forbes Library, 20 West St, Northampton, MA

Anne LaPrade Seuthe presents a series of paintings titled Variations on a Theme.

Description:
In Variations on a Theme LaPrade-Seuthe shows a range of paintings
that depict various aspects of the landscape of Western, MA. She uses a limited palette, and simplified compositions that run the gamut from representational to abstraction.

Anne LaPrade Seuthe holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts. Her public and collaborative projects include X Marks the Spot, DUMBO Arts Festival, Brooklyn, NY, Intrude 366 at the Zendai MoMa in Shanghai, China, Physical Geography/Psychological Landscape at the Goethe Institute in Dresden, Germany and at the Distillery Gallery in Boston, MA.

LaPrade Seuthe, See Through, Diptych, acrylic on panel,  30 inches by 24 inches (each panel) 2018

Anne-Marie Taylor


Description:
Art and life are inseparable.  For me both have become a quest.  My first memory in life is of drawing a picture.  But, like so many, I was discouraged from studying because representational art was supposed to be dead.  Instead, I got an M.A. in French and a Ph.D. in History, taught (French in the U.S. and English in France), wrote (Young Charles Sumner, UMass Press, 2001), was a caregiver — and dreamt desperately of more time to draw as my world became increasingly empty and unbalanced.

The opportunity finally to study art with Nancy Fernald came as a second chance at life.  The Boston School tradition, in which she teaches, marries classical drawing techniques with an impressionist sense of light and color.  As I worked with these two poles I found myself particularly drawn to such apparently opposite artists as Chardin and Sargent, the one for his hushed serenity, the other for his sparkling vitality, and for something more elusive that these two principles seemed to hold in common.  The reality of drawing and the spirit of light and color, the concrete presence of objects in the real world and the beauty and glow that make them transcend it, the facts of daily life and the inspiriting beauty that makes them worthwhile, the opposing needs of peace and vitality and the meaningfulness promised by their union — this has become my quest in life and art.



Anne-Marie Taylor shows at The Greenfield Gallery in downtown Greenfield and at the Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville, Vermont, and with the Academic Artists Association.  She has had exhibits with the Friends of the Agawam Library juried show, and at other places, including the Burnett Gallery and Hope and Feathers Gallery in Amherst, the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, and the Lathrop Community of Easthampton, Massachusetts.

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


SUBMISSIONS OPEN NOW!

2019 Perugia Press Prize for a First or Second Book by a Woman

Prize: $1000 and publication
Submit manuscripts between August 1 and November 15, 2018

Click here for complete submission guidelines



Melissa Etheridge presents her Holiday Show at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Saturday, December 1st.


WHAT: Melissa Etheridge: The Holiday Show
WHEN: Saturday, December 1st, 8PM, Doors at 7PM
WHERE: Calvin Theatre, 19 King Street, Northampton, MA

Tickets on sale this Friday, Sept. 21st at 10AM.

Melissa Etheridge is one of rock music’s great female icons. Her critically acclaimed eponymous debut album was certified double platinum. Etheridge’s popularity built around such memorable songs as “Bring Me Some Water,” “No Souvenirs” and “Ain't It Heavy” for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album, Yes I Am, featuring the massive hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” a searing song of longing that brought her a second Grammy. The six times platinum album spent more than two and a half years on the album chart. Etheridge is also an Oscar winner for Best Original Song in 2007. In 2011 Melissa made her Broadway debut as St. Jimmy in Green Day’s rock opera, American Idiot, where she replaced Billie Joe Armstrong for one week, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In fall of 2016, Etheridge released Memphis Rock & Soul, her first album since 2014. Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, the album features original material as well as interpretations of classic songs from the legendary Stax catalog.

For this special holiday show, Melissa will be performing songs from her 2008 holiday album, A New Thought For Christmas. Songs will include fan favorites and holiday classics such as “Merry Christmas Baby,” Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “O Night Divine” and more.


Tickets + VIP Packages: On Sale this Friday (9/21)
Northampton Box Office 413-586-8686 daytime.
IHEG.com

Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC baritone saxophonist Claire Daly

WHAT: Northampton Jazz Workshop features NYC baritone saxophonist Claire Daly
WHEN:Tuesday, September 25th, 7:30 to 8:30PM followed by an open jazz jam session until 10:30PM
WHERE: The City Sports Grille at Spare Time Northampton, 525 Pleasant St., Northampton.

On Tuesday the 25th we welcome back NYC baritone saxophonist Claire Daly.  Always a fun, wild and uplifting ride. Claire loves making music and her spirit is infectious and can't wait to see what she has in store for us. This will be Claire's sixth appearance with us. http://www.clairedalymusic.com/index.html


Upcoming Guest Artists:
9/25  - Claire Daly on baritone sax with George Schuller on drums
10/2  -  Houston Person on tenor with Jimmy Madison on drums
10/9 -   Warren Chiasson on vibes with Jon Fisher on drums
10/16 - Michael Rabinowitz on bassoon
10/23 - Greg Abate on sax and flute
10/30 - Gary Smulyan on bari

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/NorthamptonJazzWorkshop 

“Pattern Play!”: 24th annual Paradise City Arts Festival


WHAT: “Pattern Play!”: 24th Annual Paradise City Arts Festival
WHEN: Saturday October 6 & Sunday October 7: 10am-6pm, Monday October 8: 10am-4pm
WHERE: Three County Fairgrounds (Indoors and Under Tents), 54 Old Ferry Road, Northampton, MA 01060

Admission:
Adults: $14 | Seniors 65+: $12
Students: $8 | Three-day pass: $16
Children 12 and under free (no dogs)
Tickets available here

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

Meet 250 outstanding artists and master craft makers traveling from more than 20 states to show and sell original works in ceramics, painting, decorative fiber, art glass, furniture, jewelry, metal, mixed media, photography, sculpture, wearable art and woodworking.

The 24th Annual Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton, Massachusetts is an extraordinary event for such a small city, drawing attendees from all over the northeast and beyond. This expansive showcase for the arts features three large, carpeted Exhibition Buildings, plus cuisine by Northampton’s best chefs under the 12,000 square-foot Festival Dining Tent, craft demonstrations and workshops, themed exhibits, a benefit silent auction and an array of large-scale outdoor sculpture and garden pieces. Most importantly, it’s all about the 250 artists. Each one has a story to tell, a skill to share and a passion for their work that is inspiring and infectious.

The Festival has become a tradition. It also takes a lot of time and effort, as preparations for each show starts months in advance. But as the Directors told Business West Magazine, “Every day we’re surrounded by all these beautiful objects and creative people. That’s a really good way to have to work.” For many thousands of people, coming to the Paradise City Arts Festival in October has become their tradition, too.

One aspect of the Paradise City Arts Festival that really sets it apart is the enormous range of the work on display. A blend of fine art and fine craft provides a synergy that can inspire collectors to look at something new. Attendees who come expecting to see just functional crafts find themselves inspired by the work of painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Paradise City is unusual in that it has successfully integrated art and handmade craft into one show where both are taken seriously.

Pattern Play! Rhythm and Decoration in Art and Design
Playful, mesmerizing seductive, even startling — patterns captivate us with their clever, intricate rhythms. Patterns are all around us, playing an important role in our ability to navigate through life. Some scientific studies suggest seeing patterns will even make you smarter! You’ll see mesmerizing patterns and rhythmic decorations everywhere you look at Paradise City, but the theme really comes to life in the special exhibit “Pattern Play!” mounted in Exhibition Building 2. Across all disciplines, in art and sculpture, textiles and fashion, ceramics, glassblowing, woodworking and all manner of metalsmithing, the imaginative use of this effective design element has become indispensable to the creative process.

For more than ten years, the themed shows-within-a-show at Paradise City Arts Festivals have enchanted and educated the public, while offering the artists an opportunity to be extra creative and think outside the box. Discover the mysterious power of patterns to communicate ideas, create new connections, and spin a web that draws you deep into the artist’s imagination.

Silent Art Auction to Benefit WGBY Public Television
WGBY 57, the public television and PBS member station for Western New England, is the beneficiary of Paradise City’s popular Silent Art Auction. PBS provides multi-media ABC’s for kids, mystery and drama series, and fascinating scientific, political, historical and cultural programming. Paradise City’s exhibiting artists have generously donated hundreds of beautiful items to be auctioned each day of the Festival. 100% of the proceeds from the auction will benefit WGBY and public television in the region. Paradise City has raised over $400,000 over the years to benefit regional non-profits.

International Foods under the Festival Dining Tent
The 12,000 square-foot Festival Dining Tent at the Paradise City Arts Festival is a microcosm of Northampton’s vibrant restaurant scene, with music wafting through the air and recipes that span the globe. Expect lots of tasty surprises from the region’s restaurants at this fall’s show, using locally grown foods straight from the Valley’s farms. Sample exotic curries, pad Thai, crisp-crusted pizza, lobster rolls and corn chowder, pulled pork sliders, poutine with duck gravy, dim sum, locavore burgers, Asian tacos, overstuffed burritos, mango lassi, pumpkin moon pies, apple fritters and fresh homemade ice cream.

Restaurants include: Sierra Grille • Mama Iguana’s • Local Burger • Amber Waves • Great Wall • Spoleto • Pizzeria Paradiso • India House • Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream • 3 County Fair Bar • Café & Bar in Exhibition Building 3

See How They Do It
From workshops and demonstrations to fascinating talks, Paradise City keeps your hands, eyes and brain busy. Get a glimpse of the technique and thought process behind each piece of art or craft, whether it’s during a formal demonstration or just talking to individual artists. It’s one of the many pleasures of this event.

Master ceramist and sculptor Tim Scull shares the secrets of his studio and demonstrates on the potter’s wheel, while Alan and Rosemary Bennett lead clay sculpture workshops for children (and the young at heart). The changing installations and large-scale sculpture along the Sculpture Promenade between the Dining Tent and the Exhibition Buildings are catnip for kids, Instagram heaven and full of fantastic decorating ideas for the attendees’ own gardens.

American Craft Week
Join Paradise City Arts Festival during American Craft Week, when the nation recognizes the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy. Paradise City is proud to be a sponsor of American Craft Week. Diane Sulg, a founder of American Craft Week, writes, “We thank Paradise City for all you do to keep American-made craft alive and well. Your shows are a wonderful tribute to the very best in today’s arts and craft world!”

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Center For The Arts Names Managing Director

Christian Herold in Front of the Center's Shared Space at 33 Hawley Street in Downtown Northampton
Northampton, MA—The Center for the Arts introduces Christian Herold as its new Managing Director. As long-time Executive Director Penny Burke is retiring from her position, the Center is transitioning to a new management structure. Herold will work with Program Director Kelly Silliman, who has been with the organization since September 2017.

Christian Herold moves here from Cambridge MA, where he directed People’s Sculpture Racing, a group that stages races of wheeled, artistic sculptures and produces educational family workshops. He served as Executive Director of the Munroe Center for the Arts in Lexington MA, where he spearheaded the town’s first open studios and organized multicultural performances. He created news and art videos as a Citizen Journalist with Cambridge Community TV. At an earlier time in Cambridge, he taught creative drama, ran a theater company, and sang with the MIT Chorus and B.U.‘s Inner Strength Gospel Choir.

Prior to working in Lexington, Christian led the life of an artist, academic, and activist in New York City. As an academic, he taught for many years at New York University’s Undergraduate Theater Program and sat for ten years on the editorial board of Women and Performance, a Journal of Feminist Theory. He published academic papers and lectured internationally on performance and politics. His verse drama was produced in Manhattan, and his sound art has been published by MIT Press. Born and raised in Washington DC, he received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and a Master’s in Performance Studies from NYU.

"I look forward to living in Northampton and to contributing to the creative community by developing arts-supporting infrastructure and organizing projects and events, “ says Herold. “I am proud of my success in building projects that serve both the broad community and advanced artistic practice. I am especially excited to play a part in launching the Center in its new role at 33 Hawley Street.”

Christian is no stranger to Western Mass. His brother, Nat Herold, is a lifelong resident of Pioneer Valley and owns Amherst Books.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Breakfast TACO Benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society


WHAT: Breakfast TACO Benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
WHEN: Saturday Sept. 29, 8-11am
WHERE: Belly of the Beast, 159 Main St, Northampton MA 

$30 donation includes:
- 3 tacos, including a “Sally Signature” taco
- Breakfast pasteries, specially made by Katy Beyer (Florence Pie Bar)
- Juice provided by Minim Juice | Iconica Social Club
A special mimosa will also be available featuring New City Ginger Beer

To donate email sally@lisaekus.com or click here

“We’re so excited to see everyone at the event. $30 donation = 3 tacos, pastries, and juice. Please donate in advance to secure your spot! Checks and cash also accepted at the door. Open to the public, so please bring friends! To Donate: email me at Sally@lisaekus.com or go to my donation page”
— Sally Ekus

The ArtSalon RED DOT DASH **Call for Artists**


Everyone is invited to apply!

Since 2009, The ArtSalon has introduced to the public some of the area’s most vibrant artists. These selected artists present their work in a Japanese style called PechaKucha (pronounced peh-chak-cha) for six minutes; twenty slides for twenty seconds each. The ArtSalon wants to provide an honorarium for these artists for their time and effort. To fund this endeavor The ArtSalon will host its FIRST ANNUAL RED DOT DASH BENEFIT EXHIBITION at the new 33 Hawley Street, Northampton Community Arts Trust Building on Friday, November 9, 2018 at 6-9 pm. It will coincide with the November Arts Night Out, Northampton. Come to our exhibition/party after checking out the gallery openings!

The RED DOT DASH will offer an affordable and exciting way to add to a collection, support art makers (50% of a sale goes directly to the artist), and fund honorariums at the same time! Buyers have the opportunity to acquire original 10” x 10” sized works by established and emerging artists for ONLY $88 EACH. Each piece is exhibited ANONYMOUSLY and is offered on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS. The identity of the artist is revealed only after the work is purchased.

Here are the details to participate:

DROP OFF/MAIL WORK to A.P.E. Gallery, 126 Main Street, Northampton, November 3 – November 4. All work must be delivered/received by November 4.
Hours: Friday 12-8, Saturday 12-5

To participate, please apply at https://goo.gl/forms/75wmlupfFXi9NoUC3.
Then download the fillable PDF form to attach to your artwork Red Dot Dash Forms. You will need this form when you drop off/send your piece.

– There is no fee to participate.
– Any and all artists over 18 years old are encouraged to submit ONE original work up to 10”x10”.
– Artwork can be in any medium ON PAPER OR BOARD, including drawings, photographs, paintings, printmaking and mixed media, as long as it is a maximum of 10”x 10″ inches, UNFRAMED. Please indicate TOP with an arrow.
– The exhibition and sale is not juried. All work that arrives by the deadline and meets the submission criteria will be displayed.
– All work will be displayed ANONYMOUSLY, however PLEASE SIGN and PRINT NAME on THE BACK ONLY.
– All participating artists will be listed in exhibition materials.
– Artists will be contacted via email 4-6 weeks after the event regarding sales and collector information.
– 50% of a sale will go to the artist (e.g. $88 artwork sale = $44 to artist via check)
– UNSOLD artwork must be picked up by Saturday, November 17, 2018 at A.P.E. Gallery. If you would like your UNSOLD artwork to be returned, please enclose a self addressed stamped envelope with your piece.

Questions? Email valleyartsalon@gmail.com.

LEARN MORE

Valley Kids Festival and Craft Fair


WHAT: Valley Kids Festival and Craft Fair
WHEN: Saturday, September 29 at 10 AM – 4 PM
WHERE: Amherst Town Common, Amherst MA

The VALLEY KIDS FESTIVAL & CRAFT FAIR is a re-creation of an old-fashioned New England community fair, coupled with the presentation and sale of beautiful art and fine crafts. Held on the Amherst Town Common, the Festival includes a generous space for professionally presented
 crafts as well as a midway of family-oriented activities. Free Admission!

Fresh Local Food
Fried Dough from All Things Maple, Foley's Franks, Chill Out Shaved Ice, Atkins Farm wraps and pastries, Spuds with Love French Fries and Paul's Sugar House Maple Products..be sure to come hungry, there's something for everyone!

Local Artisans
Beautiful handmade items ranging from jewelry and soaps, to pottery and quilts. Find Christmas gifts for your loved ones, or indulge in some luxurious items for yourself! Lots of kid friendly items too, from making your own stuffed animal to Slime Gift boxes.

Entertainment
Lots of family fun activties are scheduled. Pop in the Entertainment Tent for some great sing-a-longs, take a turn on our obstacle course, or visit our Education Tent to find out about the opportunities in our area for your children.

Proceeds benefit the Amherst Family Center

Municipal Employee Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver/ Laborer Job Fair


WHAT: Municipal Employee Heavy Equipment Operator/Truck Driver/ Laborer Job Fair
WHEN: Wednesday, September 19, 2018, 3:00pm to 5:00pm
WHERE: Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz Street, Northampton, MA

Join Franklin Hampshire Career Center to learn about opportunities for DPW heavy equipment operator/truck driver/laborer positions with the Northampton Department of Public Works.

Do you have a valid MA CDL B license with Air Brake endorsement? and/or MA Hoisting Engineer's License2B? If you answered YES to either of these licenses,  please come prepared to apply for employment! If you need one or both of these licenses please come to learn about training opportunities to help you qualify for openings!  Full time employment and opportunities for further
licensing and job advancement.



Serious Play Theatre Ensemble's RETURN FROM THE FRINGE


WHAT: Serious Play Theatre Ensemble's RETURN FROM THE FRINGE
WHEN: October 5 and 6,  at 7pm
WHERE: Flex Space/A.P.E@Hawley, Arts Trust building

JUST BACK from a month of performance at the 2018 FRINGE & much success -
Catch Serious Play Theatre Ensemble's  RETURN FROM THE FRINGE
October 5 and 6,  at 7pm  Flex Space/A.P.E@Hawley, Arts Trust building.

Each evening two shows: THE RED GUITAR with master guitarist John Sheldon,
& DO IT NOW: Manual Override with John,Tony Vacca & Paul Richmond
Both directed by Sheryl Stoodley (one 10 minute intermisson)
Continue your support for the ongoing Serious Play / Edinburgh Fringe Performance Exchange Project.

Tickets: $18 at www.brownpapertickets.com
              $20 at the door

Thank you to this year's Performance Exchange sponsors: BJ Goodwin Fund / NAC, Tanyss & David Martula, Nancy Wheeler, Alyssa Wright Consulting & several anonymous others

Northampton Print and Book Fair

WHAT: Northampton Print and Book Fair
WHEN: Sunday, September 30, 2018 12pm-6pm
WHERE: A.P.E. Ltd. Gallery at 126 Main Street, Northampton, MA

Free and open to the public, the Northampton Print and Book Fair will bring over thirty artists, publishers, and collectives to downtown Northampton for a one-day event. In its fourth year, the Northampton Print and Book Fair is Sunday, September 30, 2018 12pm-6pm at the A.P.E. Ltd. Gallery at 126 Main Street, Northampton, Mass.

Saturday, September 29, 6:30pm, the Departure Reading Series will host a pre-fair “drive-in” style poetry reading at Pulaski Park. The curators of the Departure Reading Series will also be exhibitors at the fair, presenting the work of poets who have read in the series.

The Northampton Print and Book Fair was established to promote contemporary prints and publications, celebrating local talent while bringing regional artists and publishers to our community. Artists, independent publishers, and art collectives are invited to display and sell their work—including artists’ books, zines, chapbooks, mini-comics, screenprints, letterpress prints, etchings, photographs, photobooks, digital prints, and ephemera. Exhibitors come from across New England and New York, including both new voices and veterans to the fair. The NPBF was established in 2015 by George Meyers, Trevor Powers, and Esther S White with support from the Northampton Arts Council. This year, the fair is sponsored by Catlabs of JP.

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