Springfield 2 Northampton
Music/Visual Arts Event
Presented by Flip Factory and ValleyCreates
Hosted by A.P.E.
October 3, 2025
7:30-10pm
Venue: A.P.E. Gallery, 126 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060
Contact: Kathy Couch kathycouch@apearts.org
Springfield 2 Northampton: This isn’t just another art event; it’s a ValleyCreates initiative with a mission—to bring together two communities that, for too long, have thrived in parallel but rarely shared the same creative stage. For the night of October 3rd, Springfield’s burgeoning hip-hop culture and visual arts scene will take up residence within the heart of downtown Northampton, carrying the energy and urgency inherent to the “City of Firsts.”
The night will feature four music producers showcasing their craft, demonstrating the range of Springfield’s hip-hop scene—from the esoteric and whimsical, to the hard-hitting and brutal. Alongside them, four Springfield visual artists will give concise presentations of their work, giving context to the music through sharp, moving exercises in storytelling and world-building.
This evening is about more than performances; it’s about building bridges across the Connecticut River, bringing the pulse of Springfield’s creative renaissance to Northampton, and inviting both communities into a shared future of connection and collaboration. Expect imagery, sound, and words that move at the speed of a heartbeat, weaving together hip-hop’s raw innovation with Northampton’s long-standing art scene.
Music Producers:
- NAGO (@love.nago)
- Truck Julius (@truckjulius)
- Lennos Barnel (@l3nn0s_barn3l)
- Boombostic Beats (@boombosticbeats)
Visual artists to be announced soon!
Come ready to listen, feel, and be changed.
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The Flip Factory is a collective that hosts monthly arts showcases that center the work of local hip-hop producers and performers.Traditionally, their events challenge multiple producers to 'flip' the same samples into music that shows off the producers' unique styles. A Flip Factory show is a relentless display of hyper-local hip-hop alchemy, with the records as straw and the beats as gold. While currently based in Make-It Springfield, they have also worked with the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, Raspberries Records II in East Longmeadow, and are slated to perform at Tower Square Park with White Lion Brewery on September 18th.
Founded in 1991, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts (CFWM) connects the generosity of donors with the energy and vision of community partners to enrich the quality of life for people in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. Through several programs, CFWM fosters a more vibrant, equitable, and resilient region. Its arts and creativity program, ValleyCreates, supports artists and arts organizations by providing funding, access to coaching, workshops, and opportunities for connection. ValleyCreates collaborates with Assets for Artists to ensure that local creatives have the tools, networks, and resources to sustain a robust arts and creativity sector. To learn more, visit http://communityfoundation.org/.
Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd. (A.P.E.) is an artist-led, artist-centered 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting contemporary artists working in all disciplines by stewarding the spaces in which they create, perform and exhibit their work. A.P.E is dedicated to fostering relationships, encounters, and exchanges that nourish the capacity for imagination.
apearts.org || 413.586.5553
A.P.E.’s work is made possible in part through ongoing support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ Valley Creates program.
