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Category: All About Newton
News, events, children’s activities in Newton, MA.
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Turtle Lane Public Hearing Tomorrow at 7pm
The public hearing on the revised plans for Turtle Lane will be held tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall. According to the plans filed with the City, the developer has eliminated the restaurant component and approximately 3000 sq. ft. of office space and has replaced this with six residential units.
I also wanted to let you know that there will be a community meeting on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00 PM at the Auburndale Community Library with the Petitioners regarding the proposed project for a new restaurant called Ward 4 at 271-283 Auburn Street. Please come and see what the Petitioners have planned and let them know what your thoughts are regarding the proposal.
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New Public Art Installation at The Street
The Street is pleased to present its second public art installation in collaboration with Art Production Fund. Following the popular Deborah Kass exhibit, which has been on view at the property since September 2014, The Street will now debut Objects of Desire, a 44-banner photography series by the talented Jessica Craig-Martin, whose works have been recognized by such cultural institutions as the Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and in magazines such as Vanity Fair and Vogue. With a deep commitment to celebrating art and culture, The Street strives to delight guests and enhance its shopping experience with this intriguing series. The Jessica Craig-Martin exhibit will be on view outdoors throughout The Street from Thursday, May 21, 2015 through fall 2015.
To fully celebrate the installation and support artists in their own community, merchants throughout The Street will generously donate a portion of proceeds on May 21st to Artists for Humanity, a Boston based non-profit whose mission is to bridge economic, racial, and social divides by providing under-resourced youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.
In strolling The Street, guests will find a series of vibrant photographs that depict objects of desire in high-contrast, cropped, and fantastical compositions — a woman’s heeled foot alongside a dog’s paw, the jewel-like splendor of a chandelier, the center rift of a blonde woman’s French twist. The images on view are exemplary of Craig-Martin’s distinctive approach to photography and her ongoing interest in abstract forms of fashion portraiture.
“We are very excited to showcase Jessica’s work. She is an amazing talent whose images so incredibly capture the most beautiful but often-missed details that surround us. We hope that the show will be a welcome cultural break in the midst of peoples’ busy lives and not only make people smile but also provoke lively conversation,” said Samantha David, Head of Up Markets, a division of WS Development, which owns The Street. “We are also truly thrilled to be partnering with Artists for Humanity the day of our opening. We salute their mission of providing paid creative opportunities to Boston teens that result in these expressions of art and design, and which provide a path to developing entrepreneurial skills for their future.”
“Craig-Martin’s work brings an exciting example of contemporary art to an unexpected and uniquely appropriate public venue,” said Art Production Fund Co-Founder Yvonne Force Villareal. “We were inspired by the prospect of working in uncharted territory and within an unexpected forum, and hope this work engages the local community.” -
Minecraft Competition Combines Shakespeare
Competition to imagine Shakespeare’s final home launched on Minecraft
School children and grown-up gamers are invited to get creative and imagine what Shakespeare’s final home may have looked like in a brand new competition using popular online block building game, Minecraft.
Use your imagination to design what Shakespeare’s home may have looked like behind these gates (credit: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust)
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the non-profit organisation that cares for the world’s greatest Shakespeare heritage sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, has launched its Shakescraft competition where budding digital architects from all over the world can, for the first time, use their imaginations to digitally design New Place, the grand family home in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare and his family lived for 19 years.
Shakescraft is free to enter, and available in three different age categories; under 11’s, 12 – 16 year olds, and over 16’s. Judges are looking for Minecraft fans to design their very own version of Shakespeare’s home based on the footprint of New Place, with the most imaginative creations in with a chance to win some fantastic Minecraft and Shakespeare goodies worth £100.
The competition coincides with work starting on the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s project to transform the site of Shakespeare’s New Place into a contemporary heritage landmark in celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare’s legacy.
Julie Crawshaw, Shakespeare’s New Place project manager at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: “We recently welcomed dozens of local primary school classes to the site of New Place and it was really encouraging to see their interest and enthusiasm for Shakespeare. I know from personal experience how kids of all ages love Minecraft, so this competition is a fantastic opportunity to ignite young people’s interest in Shakespeare, and have fun at the same time. Although his house no longer stands, we’re sure of the footprint of the site thanks to recent archaeological discoveries, so it’ll be really interesting to see people’s ideas of how Shakespeare would have lived and entertained in this grand family home.”
For details on how to enter, visit www.shakescraft.com. The competition closes on 31 August 2015, with winners announced in September.
About Shakespeare’s New Place
William Shakespeare bought New Place in 1597 at the height of his career as a successful playwright, and was considered the largest house in Stratford-upon-Avon at the time. Sadly, New Place no longer exists after it was demolished in 1759 by its then owner, Reverend Francis Gastrell, who was reputedly annoyed by visiting fans of Shakespeare, as well as a tax dispute with the local parish.
With much of its heritage hidden below ground or in the extensive archives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, it has been difficult for many visitors to get a real sense of the site’s significance and history. But now, the £5.25million project to re-imagine the site of New Place will tell the story of the world famous playwright at the height of his success as a family man, writer and prominent citizen of Stratford-upon-Avon. This is the single most significant Shakespearian project anywhere in the world to commemorate 400 years of Shakespeare’s legacy, and due to reopen on 23 April 2016, the 400th anniversary of his death.
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New Offerings for Kids at HipStitch
New offerings at HipStitch include printmaking, weaving, jewelry and soap making, masks and muilti media art. They use alternative materials by recycling or upcycling instead of pre-made crafts.
Check out their new space with upcycled materials like old doors, old flooring that was torn up & wood pallets to create a truly unique experience.
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Pro Men’s Volleyball Exhibition Match
The New England Midnight Riders will play an exhibition match against the US Air Force Team at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Saturday, May 16th at 2pm.
The Riders are comprised of the best players from New England and are part of the Premier Volleyball League. This professional volleyball league is comprised of teams representing USAV regions from across the country. This will be the last tune-up for both teams before they compete in Detroit at the US Open Championships.
The Raiders will hold an open practice beginning at 12:00 and all are welcome to come and watch the team run through drills and prepare for the match.
The match will begin at 2pm and it is free for all fans. It will be held at Lincoln-Sudbury High 390 Lincoln Rd in Sudbury, Ma.
The teams will play 5 sets and there will be a serving contest with great prizes for any interested fans between sets 3 and 4.
Come and watch some amazing men’s volleyball and cheer for your favorite team on May 16th!!
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Historic Newton’s 33rd Annual House Tour
Historic Newton’s 33rd Annual House Tour Set for Sunday, May 17, 2015
Historic Newton’s 33rd Annual Newton House Tour is set for Sunday, May 17, 2015 from noon to 5 p.m. The event offers the public a rare opportunity to tour seven beautiful private properties located in several of Newton’s historic villages. The tour showcases outstanding renovations, restorations, old and new architecture, interior design, and landscaping.
This year’s properties include:
- A bright and fun colonial revival home in Auburndale previously featured on “This Old House” remodeled by local architect Chris Chu
- A stately Romanesque revival building in Newtonville with an exposed wood and steel roof structure in the attic
- A sleek mid-century modern home in Oak Hill with original built-in cabinetry and a sensitive addition
- A light and airy West Newton Victorian home featuring Chinese, Japanese, and Korean décor
To kick off the House Tour, Historic Newton will host a Preview Party on Saturday, May 16, with sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, fine wines, and a preview of the House Tour properties.
Newton House Tour tickets purchased by Friday, May 15 are $35 each or $25 for Historic Newton members. Ticket prices increase $5 on Saturday, May 16. Preview Party tickets (available until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8) start at $125. Purchase advance House Tour and Preview Party tickets online at www.historicnewton.org, by calling 617-796-1450, or in person at the Jackson Homestead and Museum at 527 Washington Street.
All House Tour tickets are held for pick-up on May 17. The box office will open at 10 a.m. at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds at 286 Waverley Avenue in Newton. Properties on the House Tour open to the public at noon. House Tour ticketholders are invited to visit the Durant-Kenrick House for a discounted admission rate of $5 on Sunday, May 17.
Contact Hannah Weisman at hweisman@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1463 with questions.
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KIND comes to the Franklin Park Zoo!
KIND is partnering with discovery-based online retailer, zulily, to host kindness safaris at 20 zoos across the country to show kids how easy and fun doing kind acts every day can be.
The kindness safaris will include a scavenger hunt booklet which features interactive kindness activities inspired by animals (i.e. see a bear; give somebody in your family a bear hug!). In addition, attendees will receive a take-home kindness kit that comes in a complimentary lunch tote that kids can color on.
As we will be hosting a kindness safari at Franklin Park Zoo on May 16th from 10am-2pm. We first wanted to see if you would like to attend with your family. If so, we’d be more than happy to provide complimentary tickets.
Also, KIND is hosting a #kindawesome art contest so if my readers submit photos or art of what kindness means to them and their kids – using the hashtag #kindawesome, you can win a mixed case of KIND bars and tickets to the kindness safari at Franklin Park Zoo.
You must go to this link in order to redeem a coupon and receive the special offer for children.
Just leave me a comment and email me your photo or art to pragmaticmomblog (at) gmail (dot) com.
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$75K Fellowship for Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists is looking for the next Eugene C. Pulliam Editorial Fellow. Do you have what it takes to earn this $75,000 fellowship?
Deadline to Apply: June 22nd.
The recipient will have the opportunity to travel, take courses or pursue other opportunities to deepen his or her knowledge of a public-interest issue.
Then you write about it — the fellow must produce editorials or other writings within 18 months of receiving the award. Applicants must have at least three years experience as an editorial writer or columnist to be eligible. A grant from the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation supports this educational fellowship.
Apply by June 22 for the opportunity to enrich your career as an editorial writer. Visit SPJ’s website to learn more and submit your application materials.
Also, while you are at it, make your nominations by the same deadline for the First Amendment Award
This $10,000 award salutes an individual, group or organization who works to preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. This isn’t just for journalists — the SDX Foundation will consider anyone who upholds this pillar of democracy.
For more information, to submit your application or to view the list of past honorees, visit SPJ’s website.
Contact SPJ’s Awards Coordinator Abbi Martzall at awards@spj.org with any questions. Call SPJ HQ at 317.920.4791.
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CakeWalk Fundraiser for Birthday Wishes
Bright and early on Sunday morning, May 17, 2015, Birthday Wishes will celebrate its fourth annual CakeWalk at Millennium Park in West Roxbury, MA. CakeWalk is our signature fundraising event, reflecting the grassroots nature of our organization and the importance of kids helping kids.
Participants can sign up to walk either a 5K or half-mile route, and can participate as individuals or form a team with family, friends or colleagues. CakeWalk is a festival-like atmosphere which includes kids’ activities such as face painting, tattoo station, soccer clinic, field games, entertainers, kite making, live music and free healthy snacks.
All registered walkers receive free CakeWalk T-shirts. Wally the Green Monster will be visiting CakeWalk signing autographs for our young walkers. We have a fabulous family raffle including Taylor Swift tickets! Don’t miss out on the fun.Please register today. And get fundraising! The team that raises the most money for Birthday Wishes will win four tickets to a Boston Red Sox game this summer!
