Category: Events

Events for adults, families and kids in Newton, MA.

Sam Durant: The Meeting House | Opens August 2016

The Meeting House, by renowned multimedia artist Sam Durant, will be open to the public on August 5th at The Old Manse in Concord, a National Historic Landmark in Massachusetts, through October 2016. The site-specific, participatory installation is part of a two-year outdoor art initiative—Art and The Landscape—presented by The Trustees and curated by guest curator Pedro Alonzo.

Constructed on the North Field of The Trustees’ Old Manse property, Durant’s project refers directly to the historical site through a structure based on the houses of the first emancipated African men and women in Concord. The pavilion features an open, transparent framework that is designed to function as a platform for the public to share and explore history, artwork, and issues of race, while reactivating The Old Manse as a setting for critical discussions.

The Meeting House focuses on the African presence in colonial and post-revolutionary Concord and seeks to make the connection between our difficult past, slavery and segregation, and the fact that we are still today unable to create the just society that our revolution promised.

Beginning in August and running through October, The Meeting House will feature a series of public programs through which visitors may gain a deeper understanding of the background and challenges of African Americans in the region and explore and discuss many of the same issues faced today. When not in use for public programs, the pavilion welcomes Old Manse and the Minuteman Historical Park visitors to engage in contemplation and discussion through interpretive information built into the structure.

Another aspect of the project takes place inside the Old Manse itself. This interior exhibition, curated by Durant, is comprised of replicated post-colonial African artifacts as well as a reinterpretation of existing pieces through the lens of the enslaved people who may have impacted them. Items displayed include a manuscript written by Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American female poet; a warning poster from April 1851 directed at freed slaves; a slave ship plan view from Boston’s Museum of African American History; a pamphlet from the Concord Anti-Slavery Society, and more.

Programming will begin in August and includes workshops, readings, and discussions focused on African American writing, philosophy, music, food, and spirituality. Four core events—or “Lyceums”—in the spirit of 19^th century gatherings, will enable dialogue about the issues in question. For a complete list of upcoming programs, please visit thetrustees.org/art.

Saturday, August 13: 12PM-2PM
The Picnic: Food on the table brings families and communities together. This event, in partnership with Haley House, deals with food culture as a means to start a willing dialogue of healing.Saturday, September 24 2PM-4PM
Poetry Reading: A select group of leading poets will be invited to compose new work specifically for a reading at The Meeting House. Featuring: Kevin Young, Danielle Legros Georges and Robin Coste-Lewis.

Saturday, October 15 2PM-4PM
A New Framework for Dialogue: While explicitly racist policies and structures have been dismantled, systemic forms of racism and inequality remain. A panel discussion will be moderated by Tim Phillips and Beyond Conflict and will include artist Sam Durant. Panelists include Ebrahim Rasool, former South African Ambassador to the US, Penny Outlaw of the Royall House & Slave Quarters, and Adam Foss, Assistant District Attorney.

Sunday, October 16 2PM-4PM
The Artist Listens: In the spirit of a town hall meeting, the public is invited to share their thoughts about The Meeting House. The artist and curator will be present for the discussion to listen and respond. This will be moderated by Mary Jane Jacob.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Sam Durant is a multimedia artist whose work takes a critical view of our social, political and cultural tropes and icons. Often referencing American history, his work explores the varying relationships between culture and politics, engaging subjects as diverse as the civil rights movement, southern rock music, and modernism. His work has been widely exhibited internationally and in the United States.ABOUT THE OLD MANSE: Although Durant has often referenced American history in his work, he has never been granted access to a historical site of such prominence as the Old Manse, a National Historic Landmark built in 1770 that served as the center of Concord’s political, literary, and social revolutions in the mid-19^th Century. Leading Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller discussed the issues of the day within its walls and author Nathaniel Hawthorne lived and wrote there for a time with his new wife Sophia. The Old Manse is located next to the Old North Bridge and Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord, where the first revolutionary battle was fought and draws two million combined visitors each year.

ABOUT ART AND THE LANDSCAPE
As part of its yearlong 125^th Anniversary celebration, The Trustees, Massachusetts’ largest conservation and preservation nonprofit, is featuring a multi-year, site-specific outdoor art initiative entitled Art and The Landscape. With the help of independent curator Pedro Alonzo, the new initiative is designed to present compelling contemporary art in a public landscape to create inspirational and meditative experiences for visitors at some of its most iconic and historic properties. The Meeting House, by renowned multimedia artist Sam Durant, is on display at The Old Manse in Concord, a National Historic Landmark, through October 2016. A site-specific installation, A New End, by Jeppe Hein, will be on view at World’s End in Hingham starting in August 2016.

ABOUT THE TRUSTEES: Many of The Trustees’ statewide scenic, cultural, and historic properties have served as a dynamic inspiration for artists, thought leaders, and innovators throughout the organization’s 125-year history. Today, Trustees historic homesteads and gardens, farms, woodlands, beaches and trails are popular recreational and cultural destinations visited by more than 1.6 million people in 2015. The Trustees’ Art and The Landscape initiative is also part of a year-long celebration of The Trustees 125^th Anniversarywhich will create new opportunities for visitors to explore and experience the organization’s landscapes and landmarks, some of the most important and iconic in Massachusetts.

If the installation inspires questions or comments for the artist, you can leave a message for Sam Durant via the phone numbers posted around the property: 857-244-0651.

August 4, 2016
Bringing the Colors of the Maya to Jamaica Plain

Bringing the Colors of the Maya to Jamaica Plain:

Indigenous Arts and Music Festival features Maya paintings from Guatemala

On Saturday, Aug. 6 and Sunday, Aug. 7 from 10am-5pm, Indigenous artists and musicians from across the globe will come together for Cultural Survival’s free admission Native arts and cultures Bazaar. Greater Boston is invited to join them to enjoy Indigenous music from Mali, Ecuador, and the US northeast, as well as art whose purchase supports the livelihoods of Indigenous communities around the globe. One attendee has called it “the best place to get unique global gifts while supporting Indigenous cultures!”

Among the artists to be featured at the Bazaar will be representatives of the Guatemala Art and Culture Connection, whose vision is to utilize arts and crafts as a means of producing intercultural connections across borders as well as to support local initiatives in the communities that they work with.

The organization, founded by Imre and Lorna Kepes of Western MA, specializes in original, authentic art from Mayan villages located around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Atitlán, in southern Guatemala. In this picturesque setting, the artists depict scenes of harvest, markets, ceremonies, and other facets integral to the life and culture of the Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel Maya people. The artists are known for their unique style; some of them have had work exhibited in the Smithsonian and in other exhibitions abroad.

With the sale of these colorful paintings and intricate beadwork, the organization donates a portion of the proceeds to help fundAyudame a Pintar Mi Futuro (Help Me Paint My Future), an afterschool youth art program that supports children from families suffering from poverty and other problems in the community of San Pedro La Laguna on the lake’s southern shore.

Also at the Bazaar, attendees will enjoy live music, as well as crafts from over a dozen Indigenous cultures worldwide.

Cultural Survival is a Cambridge-based NGO that advocates for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience since 1972. Since 1982 the Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Each year the Bazaars generate roughly half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects benefitting Indigenous communities around the world.Providing a unique space especially for Indigenous artists and their supporters, the Bazaars take attendees on “a trip around the world’s bazaars,” promoting both artistic and socio-political education.

Event information:

Loring-Greenough House

August 6-7, 2016

12 South Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

10am – 5pm

Live music

Free admission // Rain or shine

Free parking
15 min from Green St. stop on the Orange line; Buses 32, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41 stop right outside

Food TBA

Musical guests: Bear Fox, Sidy Maiga and Afrimanding, Yarina, and others TBA

August 1, 2016
How to Create and Edit Promotional Videos

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce and ACMI will partner on August 2 and August 23 to present a workshop to teach business, non-profits and individuals how to create and edit their own professional looking promotional videos on an iOS device.

$40 per person – Chamber Members
$65 per person – Non Chamber Members
Registration Fee is for 2 sessions and includes a 6 month membership to ACMi
Class size is limited to 20
Coffee and bagels will be served

SMART PHONE VIDEO PRODUCTION

You already have all the gear you need to create your own videos in your pocket! In this hands-on class, you will learn the foundations of real-world storytelling and how to use your iOS device to craft a product demonstration or testimonial using minimal gear to gain maximum access. At the conclusion of this 2 session class, you will have created a peer-reviewed video ready for sharing online or on TV.

Second session will take place on August 23 – 8:00 – 9:30 am

Requirements: All participants will be required to have an iOS device (iPhone or iPad). Please download and install iMovie for your device before the start of class. Also, it is strongly suggested that you have a pair of headphones that have a built-in mic. All iPhones come packaged with a pair or you can purchase a $15 pair by skull candy at Target.

Sign up here.
Jonathan B. Barbato has a passion for media. He is a freelance media producer engaged with the Harvard Kennedy School, the Mass Literacy Foundation, the Boston Herald, and others to create effective branded content. Jonathan had previously been a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 161 as a Script Supervisor based out of New York, working with some well known clients, including Hasbro, HGTV, MTV, PBS, Showtime, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Revolution, and more. Currently, he is the Production Manager at Arlington Community Media Inc. where he oversees the strategic direction for their Public channels. Jonathan empowers individuals and organizations with the know-how to create effective videos and marketing materials. He’s developed personalized filmmaking workshops and has spoken at national conferences. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys constructing 3D paper dioramas and traveling the country. Jonathan can be reached by phone at (617) 716-9915 or email at jonathan.b.barbato@gmail.com.

For more info: http://bit.ly/2aiiR73

July 30, 2016
Run & Ride at CambridgeSide KIDS ONLY!

Family Fun – Run & Ride at CambridgeSide, KIDS ONLY Duathlon – Sunday, July 31, 2016

Run & Ride at CambridgeSide is a FREE event for kids 5-13 years old, with prizes, race t-shirts, giveaways, entertainment and more!

Do you love to ride your Bike and Run?

Compete in the 7^th annual, kids only duathlon with biking and running in and around CambridgeSide.

Run & Ride at CambridgeSide is a FREE event for kids 5-13 years old, with prizes, race t-shirts, giveaways, entertainment and more.

iPad awarded for each race winner.

Registration starts at 8:30AM and event begins at 10AM.

All event elements are first come, first served. While supplies last.

Pre-register for FREE today at www.cambridgesidegalleria.com/run-and-ride. Handicap accessible.

July 24, 2016
Free Drive-In Movie: Inside Out

The Arsenal Project – Inside Out at the Drive-In

July 23, 2016
Picture Book Signing at Newtonville Books

Maria Gianferrari, is having a double picture book signing this Sunday at Newtonville Books

Double book launch: Penny & Jelly II + Coyote Moon

WHEN: Sunday, July 24 at 2:00 PM

WHERE: Newtonville Books 10 Langley Road Newton, MA 02459

Penny and Jelly Under the Moon is the sequel to her first Penny and Jelly picture book.

Coyote Moon is her newest picture book about wild animals in suburban spaces.

She shares her ten favorite nature picture books and we are giving away three copies of Coyote Moon here.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

July 22, 2016
Cultural Survival’s Bazaars in Jamaica Plain

On Saturday, Aug. 6 and Sunday, Aug. 7 from 10am-5pm, Indigenous artists and musicians from around the world will come together for a free admission festival celebrating their cultures. The Jamaica Plain community is invited to join them to enjoy Indigenous music from Mali, Ecuador, and the US northeast and art whose purchase supports the livelihoods of Indigenous communities around the globe. An attendee has called it “the best place to get unique global gifts while supporting indigenous cultures!”

The Bazaars bring a complementary burst of color to the arts community in Jamaica Plain, with Indigenous makers demonstrating and telling the stories behind their crafts and selling one-of-a-kind pieces of art for various budgets. Attendees enjoy the chance to meet people from around the world in an intimate, community-like space. Picnickers are welcome to munch while listening to all-day concerts.

Since 1982, Cultural Survival’s Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects benefiting Indigenous communities worldwide. Attendees can enjoy craft-making demonstrations, free concerts, and one-on-one conversations with representatives of dozens of different Indigenous cultures.

Many vendors represent cooperatives that make it possible for children to attend school and provide a singular source of income to women. Whether working with ancient techniques or modern materials, the artists produce unique pieces and intricate designs that fascinate viewers. One attendee said, “It’s like a trip around the world’s bazaars.”

About Cultural Survival: Cultural Survival is an international GBO whose mission is to advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and support Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience.

July 21, 2016
Garden Buds Community Clean Up July 20th

Hello Fellow Newtonians,

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer and the new gardens and benches on Forest Avenue. Thank you again to all of you who helped beautify our neighborhood and make the project a reality.

We are planning a community clean-up day for this coming Wednesday, July 20^th. We plan to be on the islands (at 233 Highland Avenue) from 11:00am until 2:00pm. Please join us if you are available and inclined. Come for an hour or the whole time – but please try to stop by.

We need your help and would love to see you!

Please bring garden gloves.

Thank you!

Dana & Newton Garden Buds ~ Carol, Susan, Sarah, Kajy & Deirdre

www.newtongardenbuds.com

July 19, 2016
Sidewalk Sale at The Street

The Street will host its second annual Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, July 23^rd from 10am-8pm. The Sidewalk Sale is an annual event with incredible summer discounts, perks and entertainment. This year will be all the more unique as artist Curtis Kulig will unveil a site specific mural and host an interactive public sticker installation at the event. The Street is located at 55 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA;www.TheStreetChestnutHill.com.

At the Sidewalk Sale, The Street will debut its fifth major public art initiative in less than two years. Presented in association with Art Production Fund, artist Curtis Kulig will unveil an original, site specific mural – ‘99.9% Happy’ – at The Street and host an interactive public sticker installation that afternoon from 12-2pm.

The mural and stickers will feature Kulig’s iconic Love Me, a simple, two-word manifesto spotted in cities around the world, including London, Paris, Istanbul and Tokyo. His signatureLove Me catapulted Kulig into fame, garnering coverage from The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Vogue, attracting attention from collectors, celebrities and creative directors alike, including Bobbi Brown, the Kardashians, Karlie Kloss, Pharrell Williams and Seth Rogen, and leading to multiple fashion collaborations.

Specifically, ‘99.9% Happy’ is comprised of 53 black and white Love Me signature smiley faces and one frowny face in red. The mural will be located on the façade of 33 Boylston Street and spans 8.2 feet wide and 54.5 feet tall. During the Sticker Installation, participants will receive small versions of Kulig’s signature smiley stickers and have the opportunity to work alongside the artist by placing the stickers on designated surfaces at The Street. The mural and stickers will be permanently on view at the property.

In addition to this exciting new art, The Street’s Sidewalk Sale offers incredible summer discounts, perks and entertainment across the property’s 43 stores and restaurants. Shoppers will find highlights such as 60% off select styles at VINCE; 25% off at Ku De Ta; 15% off at Polkadog Bakery; discounts on gift cards at Showcase Super Lux; complimentary hand facials from skoah; and $5 gift cards towards future purchases with every $25 spent at Juice Press. Former brands in The Pop-Up will have creative activations around the property, including florist Alice’s Table, bagel masters OMG! Bagels, and dessert experts, Sweet Lydia’s.

The first 200 shoppers will also receive a complimentary limited edition canvas tote, designed by Kulig exclusively for The Street, and a Love Me green juice from Juice Press. The Love Me green juice features Kulig’s iconic mark on the bottle and is made with green apple, spinach, kale, and lemon. The juice first debuted in 2015 and has been popular ever since.

The full schedule of events for The Street’s Sidewalk Sale is as follows:

Saturday, July 23, 2016
10am to 8pm
*Rain Date July 24, 2016

10am-8pm
Sales and perks across all 43 restaurants and shops, including VINCE, Ku De Ta, Portobello Road, skoah, Jonathan Adler, Splendid, Juice Press,
Shake Shack, and MiniLuxe

11:00am to 1:00pm
Live Music by Paul Hansen of The Grown Up Noise
Balloon Animals

12:00pm to 2:00pm
Interactive Sticker Installation led by renowned artist Curtis Kulig

2:00pm to 4:00pm
Live Music by Jenna Lotti

3:00pm to 5:00pm
Face Painting

6:00pm to 8:00pm
Live Music by Gretchen and The Pickpockets

The Sidewalk Sale is part of Summertime at The Street, a three-month series which features free fitness classes, live music, and kid-friendly events five days a week. The complete calendar for Summertime at The Street is available online: www.thestreetchestnuthill.com/events.

July 18, 2016
7th Annual HopeWalks: Register Now!

The Newton-Wellesley Hospital Charitable Foundation has announced that its seventh annual HopeWalks event will be held on Sunday, October 2, 2016. HopeWalks is a 3.3 mile neighborhood walk to benefit cancer patients and their families by supporting the Integrative Support Services offered at the Vernon Cancer Center. These life-enhancing services for cancer patients optimize healing and comfort throughout treatment. Newton-Wellesley Hospital wants to continue making these services available to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Online registration is now open at www.nwh.org/hopewalks.

“HopeWalks has become such a wonderful community event, and we look forward to coming together once again for our 7^th HopeWalks to benefit the Vernon Cancer Center,” said Joan Archer, president, Newton-Wellesley Hospital Charitable Foundation. “To see so many people walking in honor of those who have fought or are fighting cancer is extremely powerful. Supporting HopeWalks by walking or donating really does give hope to all our cancer patients and their families.”

The HopeWalks route will begin and end at the hospital and all ages are welcome. Check-in will begin at 9:00 AM, with opening ceremonies starting at 9:30 AM. The walk will then set-off at 10:00 AM. Each walker is asked to raise a minimum of $100.

The online registration fee is $30 per walker. For those who register by paper or on the day of the event, the registration fee is $40. Children 10 and under are free. Corporate sponsorships at all levels are available. For more information, please contact Maryann Zschau at (617) 243-5915 or hopewalks@partners.org.

July 14, 2016