What’s Happening In Amherst?

by Art and Maura Keene

There are lots of interesting events happening in our town. You can help us make our events calendar more useful by sending us your listings and including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send events listings to amherstindy@gmail.com.

SINGLE DAY EVENTS

SATURDAY APRIL 8: HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE SPRING STUDENT DANCE CONCERT. Hampshire College Main Dance Studio. Doors open at 7 p.m. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The event will feature student choreography that highlights dance as an expansive, inclusive, and incisive art form.Tickets are available for free or for donations of $3, $8, and $15. Make ticket reservation

SATURDAY APRIL 8: SECOND ANNUAL GREAT MILL DISTRICT EGG HUNT. Three Sessions at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. in front of the Mill District General Store at 91 Cowls Road. To complement the egg hunt, organizers have arranged photo-ops with Lavender, The Funny Bunny, and an opportunity to meet live rabbits. Youngsters will also have the chance to find one special Golden Eggs each round, with a $25 General Store gift card inside.   Participation is limited to the first 40 kids registered in each of the three sessions. Register at the Mill District General Store Facebook event page with a link to Eventbrite: https://www.generalstorelocalgallery.com/events.

SATURDAY APRIL 8: JAZZ AT AMHERST PRESENTS SWING DANCE! 9 p.m. at the Amherst College Power House. Join us for the return of Swing Dance in the Powerhouse! Jazz @ Amherst presents Project Gemini and Libra performing an evening of swing music and invites you to join the dance floor. Sponsored by Jazz @ Amherst and Student Activities. FREE, and open to the public.

MONDAY APRIL 10: REDEDICATION OF GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT MURAL AT UMASS. 1 p.m. Lower Concourse, UMASS Campus Center. To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the signing of the landmark British-Irish peace accord known as the Good Friday Agreement, the University of Massachusetts will welcome the return of muralists Danny Devenny and Mark Ervine for a rededication of their mural “Justice, Diversity, and Opportunity,” Monday, April 10 at 1 p.m. on the lower level of the Campus Center. The artists will join the hybrid event virtually. More information

MONDAY APRIL 10: ACCIDENTAL WEDDING COMEDY SHOW. Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk 2-3 p.m. A hilarious encounter with a wouldn’t-be groom, an irate match maker and a tall tale like they write tall tales about. A highly interactive, roll-in-the-aisle comedy you won’t want to miss. This original comedy will be performed by Steve Henderson. Program is supported by the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

TUESDAY APRIL 11: GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT. Grace Episcopal Church, 7:30 p.m. To benefit Amherst A Better Chance (ABC). Featuring Amherst Area Gospel Choir, Amherst Regional High School Chorale, Hampshire Young People’s Chorus, UMass Gospel Choir. Please join us for light refreshments prior to the concert in the room adjacent to the Grace Church sanctuary. Greet and congratulate our 2023 Local Hero Award recipient Talib Sadiq, and visit with the ABC scholars and resident directors Nancita Alejandro and Tom Blessed. Requested donation $20.

TUESDAY APRIL 11: PANEL DISCUSSION – AMHERST COLLEGE, BLACK LIVES AND THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY. Amherst College will host a panel discussion on Slavery, Amherst College and Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley on Tuesday April 11 , 7:00 p.m. -8:30 p.m. in the Cole Assembly Room of Converse Hall at the college. The event is free and open to the public. The event will be recorded and made available on line shortly afterwards. More information

TUESDAY APRIL 11: DINE TO DONATE FUNRAISER FOR ARHS PGO. The ARHS PGO is pleased to announce that Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant in Amherst is sponsoring Dine to Donate on Tuesday, April 11. Dine at Garcia’s (or order takeout) and present this flyer, and they will donate 20% of the proceeds to the ARHS PGO. The PGO uses this money to fund community-building and enhancement activities in the school all year long. Support your students and our teachers and staff, and enjoy a night off from cooking!

WEDNESDAY APRIL 12: UMASS DISTINGUISHED FACULTY LECTURE -YOUNG MIN MOON – THE AFTEREFFECTS OF WAR IN CONTEMPORARY KOREAN ART. 4-6 P.M. Old Chapel, UMass. Reception to follow. Over the past century, the Korean Peninsula has seen a succession of violent ruptures, and it remains a flashpoint for the world’s superpowers. The peninsula is still gripped by Cold War geopolitics, long after the fall of the Communist bloc. In the aftermath of the Korean War, South Korea was built on androcentric nation building, anti-communism, and a relentless drive for industrialization. In the period of compressed development from the poverty-stricken 1950s to the global success of today, countless lives have been lost to the state apparatus—lives whose memories must be contextualized in the history and politics of the Cold War. More information

WEDNESDAY APRIL 12: UMASS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT. 7:30 p.m. Tillis Performance Hall, UMass. Morihiko Nakahara, conductor. Featuring our Concerto Competition winners: Brian Carr, saxophone; Luca Kevorkian, violin & Zhen Tu, piano. Repertoire to include – Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Mvt. I (Zhen Tu, piano), Creston: Saxophone Concerto, Mvt. I (Brian Carr, saxophone) and Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Mvt. I (Luca Kevorkian), plus Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition. Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Seniors/Students, UMass Amherst Students Free Call the Box Office at 413-545-2511 or Buy Tickets online

WEDNESDAY APRIL 12: FIRST CLASS, DANCING OUTSIDE THE LINES. 3-4:15 p.m. Improvisational dance class taught by Joan Green. Meets at the Barn Studio, 20 Dickinson St., Amherst. Class will continue until through June 7 (9 sessions). Fees: Semester $188, Single session $22. This class is for adults with any amount of experience or beginners who want to put dance in their lives in a joyful, musical, edgy, non-competitive way. Come try the first class and see if this is for you! If you plan on attending, please send me an email to joangreen@gmail.com or call for more information 617-955-4947. Joan Greenis a choreographer, dancer, visual artist who recently moved from Cambridge to Shutesbury. She has taught Dancing Outside the Lines in Cambridge for many years and for three terms in Amherst. She is passionate about improvisation and building community through dance. She was the co-founder and co-director of the Cambridge Performance Project (children), Back Porch Dance Company and Back Pocket Dancers. Her training has included modern dance, ballet, African dance, Contact Improv, Release technique and theater improvisation. She has taught dance to folks of all ages, including elders. 

THURSDAY APRIL 13: DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN AMHERST. 4-5:30 p.m. Amherst Neighbors and the League of Women Voters Amherst is pleased to host Adrienne Terrizzi and Cathy Schoen for a special discussion of the issues surrounding the new elementary school project in Amherst and its impact on our community. Adrienne led the Amherst League of Women Voters working group in comparing our local policy positions on Education and Schools and Energy, comparing those with the new school building project and the ways it will impact our residents. Cathy, as a Town Council member, has led the Elementary School Committee on behalf of the Council. 

LWVA recently voted to support both a yes vote and attempts on the part of the Town Council to mitigate the effect on taxpayers by utilizing funds from the Town’s Cash Reserves.  Adrienne and the working group ensured that the Elementary School proposal is in accord with our League policies and positions. Free and open to all. Register here.

THURSDAY APRIL: 13: AUTHOR TALK – COLSON WHITEHEAD. 5:30 p.m. Campus Center Auditorium, UMass. Troy lecture, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow, Colson Whitehead. Free and open to the public.  More information.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: BOOK LAUNCH PARTY CELEBRATING THE PUBLICATION OF ZAPATISTA STORIES FOR DREAMING ANOTHER WORLD BY SUBCOMANDANTE MARCOS. 4 p.m. Amherst Books, 8 Main Street. More information. Join members of the Colectivo Relámpago/Lightning Collective in celebrating the publication of Zapatista Stories .   Members of the Lightning Collective, which is a translators’ collective of Zapatista solidarity activists based here in Amherst, include Antonia Carcelé Estrada, who got her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UMass in 2019.   She currently teaches oral & postcolonial literature at USFQ in Quito, Ecuador; Margaret Cerullo, who teaches sociology, feminist studies, & Latin American Studies at Hampshire College; Marina Kaplan, who is professor emerita of Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies at Smith College; & Zack Zucker, who is an ER nurse out of Turner’s Falls.

FRIDAY APRIL 14: CONCERT- UMASS SYMPHONY BAND AND WIND ENSEMBLE. 7:30 p.m. Tillis Performance Hall, UMass. Matthew Westgate & Lindsay Bronnenkant, conductors. Madeline Wight, & Richard Sargent, graduate conductors. The Wind Ensemble performs Ingolf Dahl’s Sinfonietta, Ryan George’s Firefly, and Omar Thomas’ Come Sunday featuring saxophone soloist, UMass jazz professor Felipe Salles. The Symphony Band performs the Leonard Bernstein Suite from Mass and works by Shapiro, Vaughan Williams, and more. Tix: $10 Adults, $5 Seniors/Students, UMass Amherst Students Free. Call Box Office at 413-545-2511 or Buy Tickets Online

SATURDAY APRIL 15: 40th ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND SAXOPHONE SYMPOSIUM AND COMPETITION. Saxophone Symposium and Competition, which will take place throughout the day on Saturday, April 15 in the Music Wing of the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts. All symposium events are free – For registration and other general information, visit the department’s events calendar. Organized by UMass Saxophone Studio professors Jonathan Hulting-Cohen and Felipe Salles, the Symposium features concerts and interactive clinics by faculty and guests, including former UMass faculty member Lynn Klock, who founded the event in the mid-1980s. The day-long symposium will commence on Saturday, April 15 at 8:30 a.m. with a free breakfast sponsored by D’Addario Woodwinds. The day’s events will also include the finals of the annual Gerry’s Music High School Competition, where winners will receive $300 in Gerry’s gift cards plus a special performance opportunity during the afternoon.  The symposium also features the popular Symposium Saxophone Ensemble, which gives sax players of all skill levels the chance to rehearse and perform with participants from all over New England, plus a 2 p.m. classical sax concert featuring Lynn Klock and the Zach Robarge Quartet, and a 7:30 p.m. jazz concert by Braxton Cook and members of the UMass Jazz Faculty Combo. 

SUNDAY APRIL 16: A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF JOHN OLVER. 1 p.m. John W. Olver Design Center at UMass, 551 North Pleasant Street. There will be a memorial service on April 16 for former U.S. Representative John Olver who died on February 23 at age 86. Parking for the service is available in lot 62 or nearby lots. Carpooling is encouraged. Olver had a long career in state and national politics. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 2nd Hampshire District from January 1969-January 1973, the Massachusetts Senate from the Franklin and Hampshire District from January 1973- June 1991, and U.S. House of Representatives for the Massachusetts 1st District from June 1991- January 2013. He chose not to run again in 2012 when most of his district had been eliminated after the 2010 census. Prior to serving in Congress, Olver was a chemistry professor at UMass.

THURSDAY APRIL 20: UMASS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE – SARA DOBROW – DOROTHY KENYON, THE ACLU AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMINIST JURISPRUDENCE. 4 p.m. 601 Herter Hall at UMass. Free and open to the public. In 1945, 25 years after its founding, the American Civil Liberties Union established a Committee on Discrimination Against Women. This committee represented a victory, and a launching pad, for Dorothy Kenyon, a lawyer who had joined the Board of Directors of the ACLU in 1930. As chair of this committee, Kenyon led the organization’s fight for women’s rights until her death in 1972. This talk explores how Kenyon convinced the ACLU to put women’s rights on their agenda and how she developed the ACLU’s earliest legal strategies to fight sex discrimination, strategies that would be successfully deployed in the 1970s by Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project. More information

THURSDAY APRIL 20: ART FORUM ONLINE WITH KAREN IGLEHART. 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. See the Gallery A3 website ( www.gallerya3.com )  to register for this online event, which is free and open to the public. Iglehart will hold a dialogue about her practice with Alison Rabinowitz, Art Consultant at Bonhams Art Auctions, and welcome questions from the audience. Information at Igelhart’s exhibit at Gallery A3

SATURDAY APRIL 22: 12TH ANNUAL 5K DASH AND DINE TO BENEFIT THE AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER. The 5K features a USA Track and Field-certified course for runners, walkers and participants in wheelchairs. After the race, all are welcome to have a free lunch courtesy of the top-ranked campus food program in the country at either the Hampshire or Berkshire dining commons. The race fee is $10 for all UMass and Five College students, $20 for UMass Amherst faculty and staff, and $25 for the general public and includes registration, a T-shirt and a complimentary lunch. Children 8 years and under may participate for free at the annual fun run at 10 a.m.  Online registration ends April 19. Day of registration available on site. Race check in at top of SW horseshoe. Course map and more information

SATURDAY APRIL 22: PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKEBACK DAY. Parking lot of Wildwood School, 71 Strong Street (with other drop off points throughout Franklin and Hampshire Counties). 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with local police departments and the Hampshire and Franklin Sheriff’s offices and the DEA will be offering an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unneeded drugs, keeping them safely away from potential misuse. More information

SATURDAY APRIL 22: AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL. Amherst Town Common. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event offers a day of family fun, education and entertainment with something for everyone including vendors of renewable energy, energy efficiency product suppliers, advocacy groups, and sustainable crafts and artisans.  Check here for more information and program updates.

SUNDAY APRIL 23: UMASS DANCE MARATHON. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Campus Center Auditorium, UMass. This is the largest student-run philanthropy at UMass Amherst that raises over 100,000 dollars for Baystate childrens hospital. Our event will be filled with a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, and a lot of (bad) dancing. All of your donations and support help provide essential care to the kids of Baystate Children’s Hospital located in Springfield, Massachusetts, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. More information

TUESDAY APRIL 25: UMASS CAMPUS INSTALLATION OF BERLIN WALL SEGMENT. 2 p.m. Memorial Hall Patio, UMass. The University of Massachusetts Amherst will celebrate the installation of a 12-foot segment of the Berlin Wall painted by famed French artist Thierry Noir on Tuesday, April 25 at 2 p.m. at the Memorial Hall patio. Sonja Kreibich, Consul General of Germany to the New England States, will join UMass President Marty Meehan, UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and other campus officials for the event, which is the highlight of a week of art exhibitions and film screenings related to the history, impact and legacy of the structure that divided Germany’s capital for four decades. More information

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26: ECAC EDUCATION SERIES – ELECTRIC VEHICLES 101. 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Link here. The Amherst Energy and Climate Action Committee (ECAC) invites you to join us for a webinar on electric vehicles presented by the Drive Green Team from the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. Interested in making the switch? Bring your questions! The public is welcome to join the full ECAC meeting, starting at 4:30 pm on April 26. Or join us for the presentation only, starting at 5:30 pm.

FRIDAY APRIL 28: THE PEOPLE’S SCIENCE FAIR. Noon – 4 p.m. At the UMass Campus Pond. The event will showcase diverse efforts by Western Massachusetts residents to harness STEM for social, economic, racial, environmental, climate, and cultural justice. Participants will include campus-based researchers with justice-oriented projects, grassroots organizers whose work involves STEM knowledge, and student activists committed to building a just future. Look here for up-to-date information.

SUNDAY APRIL 30: 13th ANNUAL DAFFODIL RUN FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 5K AND 10K races beginning and ending at the Amherst Town Common. Start time 10 a.m. Virtual participation option also available. Registration information and more

ONGOING AND MULTI-DAY EVENTS

SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: OPEN MIC NIGHT AT THE DRAKE. 44 North Pleasant Street. Free event. Performers arrive by 5:30 p.m. Stage time: 6 p.m – 10 p.m. All ages. Younger performers will be slotted earler. All performers and styles of performances welcome, including but not limited to: music (of all kinds) – acoustic, folk, rock, hip hop, jazz, classical, etc…comedy, spoken word / readings, poetry, dance, performance art. House rules and more information.

FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: NORTHAMPTON JAZZ WORKSHOP. The Drake. 44 North Pleasant Street. 7:30 p.m. Free (donations accepted). Featuring the Green Street trio with a special guest. Featured set at 7:30 followed by an open jam session. Bring your axe. Full calendar of events here.

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: COVID 19 VACCINE CLINIC. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. 3:00-5:00 p.m. Free. The clinics offer Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent Boosters for ages 12 and up and Pfizer Bivalent Booster for ages 5 and up.  Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are accepted. To schedule an appointment, click here. More information

LAST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: CRAFT AND CONVERSE. Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery, 91 Cowls Road. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Are you tired of creating in solitude? Looking to connect with other artistic individuals? Grab your sketchbook, knitting bag, or water color gear and join our monthly coworking group! Craft and converse, hosted by Easthampton artist Kaia Zimmerman, is held the last Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This welcoming, intentional space is designed for community members to come together for a casual, social evening while pursuing their own creative projects. Drop-ins welcome, but registration encouraged for any weather-related changes in schedule. Bring your own arts or crafts project (BYOA) to work on. Ages 16+.

EVERY WEDNESDAY : CAN’T REMEMBER CAFE. Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Are you or a loved one experiencing memory loss? At the Amherst Senior Center, we understand memory changes and have developed a new program based on the popular Memory Café format. The Can’t Remember (CR) Café offers fun, relaxation, and of course, snacks. This program is perfect for caregivers, people with mild memory loss, or anyone in the community who enjoys good conversation and strong coffee. Each Can’t Remember Café opens with a coffee and conversation hour, followed by a group activity. Join us on Wednesday, November 30th for a performance by our special musical guests, “Healing Hearts with Harmony” at 11:00am. Come for the coffee, stay for the connections! Email seniorcenter@amherstma.gov or call 413-259-3060 with questions. 

LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH : LAST FRIDAYS AT THE DRAKE POETRY SERIES HOSTED BY LYRICAL FAITH. 44 North Pleasant Street. Join us every last Friday of the month* for Last Fridays at The Drake hosted by Lyrical Faith for an unforgettable open mic and poetry night experience featuring award-winning spoken word artists from across the country. Come through for music, drinks, and artistic expression where poets take center stage to share new work, old work, or any work that helps them get free. Doors and bar open at 5PM. Early arrival is encouraged to get a slot on the sign-up sheet. The cover charge is $5 with a college ID or $10 general admission. More Information. Full Events Calendar at the Drake.

THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER: CARS AND COFFEE AT THE MILL DISTRICT. Hosted by the Mill District General Store, 91 Cowls Road, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. It is free for collectors to display their cars and compete for trophies in four categories: best domestic, best foreign, best exotic, and best overall, based on votes of the public. Plus, there will be coffee from Futura Coffee Roasters which will soon be joining the Mill District. Cars and Coffee will be held rain or shine.

now through SUNDAY APRIL 23. FIFTH BIENNIAL BACH FESTIVAL AND SYMPOSIUM. Festival runs April 21-23 with prelude events beginning March 26. Concerts, workshops, master classes. Look here for full description and listing of events.

Now through April 29: “BECOMING FORM”. ABSTRACT PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AT GALLERY A3. 28 Amity Street 1 D. Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 2-7:00 p.m. A one-person show of abstract paintings and photographs by Karen Iglehart, explores the emergence of form in the layering of color. While she primarily works with paint on canvas, Iglehart’s exhibit also includes photographs taken in Gloucester and Venice that inspired and relate to recent paintings. More information

NOW through FRIDAY MAY 12: PORTRAITS IN RED: MISSING & MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN & GIRLS. Paintings by Nayana LaFond. Augusta Savage Gallery, New Africa House, UMass, 180 Infirmary Way. Portraits in Red: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls began on May 5, 2020 with one painting, “Lauraina in RED,” created for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. Nayana LaFond put out an open call, saying she would paint a couple more portraits if people sent information on subjects. She received more than 25 the first day with stories and photos, and decided to dedicate herself to painting all she receives. Each portrait is of someone who is missing, was murdered, survived, their family member or friend, or an activist/hero fighting for the cause. Through her work LaFond hopes to make sure the missing and dead are never forgotten, to raise awareness about this serious issue, and to provide help with healing to the families she works with. LaFond continues to receive new images and stories and has an ongoing queue of 20-30. Opening Reception: Monday, January 30, 5-7 p.m. Artists talk: Tuesday, February 8, 6 p.m.

NOW through SUNDAY MAY 14: 60 YEARS OF COLLECTING -AN ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PERMANENT COLLECTION. Bottom Floor of the UMass Fine Arts Center. Look here for gallery hours and additional information. Free. The exhibit can be viewed on line here.

now through FRIDAY JUNE 2: A RECIPE FOR SAVING SEEDS. (Beginning TH MAR 12). 10 A.M. – 5:00 p.m. –
(MON-SUN). University of Massachusetts Amherst, Science and Engineering Library,740 N Pleasant St.
The exhibit consists of a series of ten seed-saving recipe cards. Each card provides easy, step-bystep instructions for saving seeds of specific flowers, herbs, and vegetables, with images and text. Reception: April 7, 1-3 p.m.

now through SUNDAY JULY 2: GOD MADE MY FACE: A COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT OF JAMES BALDWIN. Meade Art Museum, 41 Quadrangle Street, Amherst College. Look here for days and hours. This exhibit presents works from iconic artists such as Richard Avedon, Marlene Dumas, and Kara Walker alongside archival materials in order to explore the life, work, and legacy of James Baldwin (1924–1987). More information

now throughout -SUMMER 2023: ANCESTRAL BRIDGES EXHIBITION AT FROST LIBRARY TO CELEBRATE BLACK AND AFRO-INDIGENOUS FAMILIES WHO LIVED AND WORKED IN AMHERST Frost Library at Amherst College, 61 Quadrangle Drive, 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. This exhibition, the first partnership between the Ancestral Bridges Foundation  and Amherst College, seeks to center this long-neglected aspect of town history and to reveal the rich and complex lives of the Black and Afro-Indigenous community of Amherst. Our families’ old black-and-white photographs complement oral histories–some yet to be recorded – and other artifacts available locally and at the college. I hope these images and stories raise questions, prompt further research, and challenge us all to meet our collective responsibility to build a more just and equitable future. All are welcome. On view through the summer of 2023. Free.