What’s Happening in Amherst?
Photo: Flckr.com. Creative Commons
by Art and Maura Keene
You can help us make our events calendar more comprehensive 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 (more or less)
SATURDAY APRIL 19: SHADE TREE PLANTING. 9 a.m. to noon, Town Common. If you’re at risk of news overload, if you’re doom-scrolling on your phone, if you just haven’t gotten outside enough, we have the answer. That first slice of the shovel through spring soil can be magical – no, really. And then, once you’ve placed a tree in the hole, you can’t help but think about what it will look like in 20 years. That’s just good for the brain.
SATURDAY APRIL 19: MEET AND GREET WITH LAVENDER THE BUNNY. 11:30 to 2:15, Mill District General Store, 91 Cowls Road. Come to this FREE meet and greet with Lavender and snap photos with your personal devices. There will also be a coloring activity. Let Lavender know you are coming. RSVP here.
TUESDAY APRIL 22: OFFICE HOURS WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, State Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) announced her monthly community office hours for April. As she does every month, her office will be at the Amherst Survival Center on Tuesday, April 22, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. She’ll also be at the Jones Library on Friday, April 25, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have a time sensitive matter that needs assistance, Rep. Domb urges you not to wait for office hours. Instead, contact her office at your convenience (413) 335-1362.
TUESDAY APRIL 22: WONDERFUL WORLD OF BATS. 4 p.m., Woodbury Room, Jones Library, 43 Amity Street. Join Jerry Schneider to learn how vital bats are for maintaining a healthy environment. Via interactive dialogue and slides, children move beyond old stereotypes to understanding the importance of bats for farmers, fruit growers, the rain forest, and us! We will learn about echolocation calls, hibernation and migration. Following the presentation, kids will have the chance to make their own bat-themed T-shirts. Shirts will be provided at the event. Jerry Schneider, inventor of the award-winning Butterfly Game, has presented nature programs in schools and libraries for the past thirteen years throughout the Eastern US. His programs help inspire youth and adults alike to pay more attention to our friends, the butterflies, bees, bats, and other pollinators. Jerry Schneider has brought the wonderful world of bats to audiences since 2003, using amazing photos by Merlin D. Tuttle, former president of Bat Conservation International. This program is recommended for ages 4-10.
THURSDAY APRIL 24: THIRD ANNUAL NATIVE CROSSROADS FESTIVAL. 1:00 p.m. to 8 p.m., Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College. Hampshire’s Decolonization & Reciprocity Working Group invites you to join us for the Third Native Crossroads Festival. This day-long event brings Indigenous culture keepers, organizers and scholars to share their work with our communities. This is an opportunity to learn about Indigenous Sovereignty, decolonization and building right and reciprocal relationships with the land, ecosystems, and Indigenous communities. The festival features Indigenous artists and vendors who will bring native material culture from the region and raise awareness about the historical and contemporary importance of buying from Indigenous people.
THURSDAY APRIL 24: MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO: NO MORE WATER—THE GOSPEL OF JAMES BALDWIN. 8 p.m., Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Meshell Ndegeocello is known as a virtuoso of the electric bass, and as a songwriter and arranger whose work spans multiple genres. She is a thirteen-time Grammy nominee, and three-time Grammy winner. Her first album for the iconic Blue Note label, The Omnichord Real Book (2023), took the first-ever Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album. The critically acclaimed Omnichord found Ndegeocello creating at the intersection of jazz, R&B, funk, soul and other genres developed by Black American artists. Ndegocello notched her second consecutive Best Alternative Jazz Album Grammy with her second Blue Note release, 2024’s No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. A breathtakingly powerful record, No More Water marries Ndegeocello’s expansive vision of jazz with the words and ideas of the writer, orator, philosopher, and civil rights activist. Tickets start at $35. Students $15.
THURSDAY APRIL 24: DINOSAUR JR WITH RHUBARB DUO. 8 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Dinosaur Jr celebrating 30 years of “Without a Sound.” Dinosaur Jr was founded in 1984 and the group emerged among the most highly regarded in alternative rock. J. Mascis’ work continues to inspire a generation of guitar players and songwriters. This show is for 16 years and older. Tickets $45 in advance. See full calendar here.
FRIDAY APRIL 25: ALLISON MILLER: BOOM TIC BOOM. 7:30 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. A lauded drummer who’s mastered a vast array of musical settings and a renowned bandleader/composer in her own right, Allison Miller is always at the heart of the music. Tickets through Amherst College $28 general, $22 seniors, $12 students. See full calendar here.
FRIDAY APRIL 25: OFFICE HOURS WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 4 to 5 p.m. at the Jones Library, 43 Amity Street. State Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) announced her monthly community office hours for April. As she does every month, her office will also be at the Amherst Survival Center on Tuesday, April 22, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you have a time sensitive matter that needs assistance, Rep. Domb urges you not to wait for office hours. Instead, contact her office at your convenience (413) 335-1362.
FRIDAY APRIL 25: ANNUAL EQBAL AHMAD LECTURE. 4 p.m., Franklin Hall, Hampshire College. Join us on April 25 @ 4 p.m. in Franklin Patterson Hall’s Main Lecture Hall for the 26th annual Eqbal Ahmad Lecture. This year, our speaker will be Noura Erakat, professor of Africana studies and criminal justice at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Erakat is author of “Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine” (Stanford University Press, 2019), co-founding editor of “Jadaliyya,” and an editorial board member of the “Journal of Palestine Studies” and “Human Geography.” This event is held in memory of the late longtime Hampshire College professor and honors his teaching, scholarship, and activism. Professor Ahmad’s faculty colleagues, former students, family, and friends from around the globe have joined together to make this lecture series a continuing celebration of his life and work.
FRIDAY APRIL 25 THROUGH SUNDAY APRIL 27: BIENNIAL BACH FESTIVAL AND SYMPOSIUM. 4 p.m. Friday at Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Avenue, and free Coffee Cantata at 12 p.m. Sunday at Amherst Coffee, 28 Amity Street. Free scholarly symposium on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass. Saturday scholarly symposium 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass. For full schedule and tickets see here.
SATURDAY APRIL 26: 13TH ANNUAL AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Town Common. Coinciding with the regularly scheduled Amherst Farmer’s Market, this free and family friendly event brings together local farmers,
environmental vendors, live entertainment, hands-on demonstrations, and much more.
Festival highlights include:Environmental Vendors; Meet and learn from a variety of businesses and organizations dedicated to sustainability and environmental protection including renewable energy vendors, energy efficiency product suppliers, advocacy groups, and sustainable crafts and artisans.Live Entertainment: Enjoy a lineup of local musicians and artists providing dynamic performances throughout the event. Demonstration Area: Participate in hands-on learning experiences with experts in various fields. Activities Around the Common: Attendees can also check out performances by Henry the Juggler, an electric vehicle display with test drives, sustainable crafts, and the Amherst Fire Department’s first hybrid fire truck.
SATURDAY APRIL 26: CITY NATURE CHALLENGE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. 10 to 11:30 a.m., North Amherst Library, 8 Montague Road. The City Nature Challenge is a community event that connects cities worldwide in a friendly competition to discover and document the most wildlife – this includes plants, animals, fungi, microbes, and anything else found in nature. Join us at the North Amherst Library for a workshop where you will learn how to use the iNaturalist app to gather observations, followed by a stroll through Mill River Park. This event is open to teens and adults. Teens ages 13-17 must be accompanied by an adult. Please remember to bring your phone to the event so you can learn to use the iNaturalist app.
SATURDAY APRIL 26: 14TH ANNUAL UMASS DINING DINE AND DASH 5K. 11 a.m. at the Southwest horseshoe, UMass. Promote health and wellness at UMass Amherst while raising funds for the Amherst Survival Center. Over the past 13 years, UMass Dining has raised over $50,000 for the Amherst Survival Center. The schedule for the April 26 event includes check-in at the Southwest Horseshoe starting at 9 a.m., followed by a free fun run for children 8 years old and younger at 10 a.m. The race itself begins at 11 a.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 11:30 a.m., and lunch in the Berkshire Dining Commons at noon. The race fee is $15 for all Five-College students, $25 for UMass Amherst faculty and staff, and $30 for the general public. Children 8 years old and under are free to participate. The race fee includes registration, and a complimentary meal at the university’s award-winning dining facilities in the Berkshire Dining Commons. Online registration ends April 24.
SATURDAY APRIL 26: MOON HOOCH. 8 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Spring tour 2025. Moon Hooch started in the NYC subway platforms in 2010. They initially met as students at the New School and are currently touring the world. The band plays through what they call a reverse DJ setup, in which the live sound from their horns runs through Ableton software on their laptops to process recorded effects onto the output. The band uses an evolving arsenal of electroacoustic techniques to utterly demolish every possible barrier that could stand between you and the dance floor. Tickets $24 in advance, $27 at the door. See full calendar here.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: 15TH ANNUAL DAFFODIL 5K/10K WALK/RUN FOR BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 10 a.m., Town Common. This community event has become the first marker of spring for the town of Amherst and draws hundreds ofcommunity members to the area to participate and cheer on their family and friends. Look forward to 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run post-race party with delicious food, and family-friendly fun. The Daffodil Run helps sustain the power of youth mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters by connecting adult mentors with young people in our community. Once matched they go on to build a meaningful, positive relationship that empowers the potential inherent in each child. Register.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: ARBOR DAY TREE IDENTIFICATION WALK. 4 to 5 p.m., Wildwood Cemetery, 70 Strong Street. Join us on Sunday, April 27 from 4 to 5 pm at Wildwood Cemetery for the Arbor Day tree identification walk with Dan Ziomek from Sugarloaf Gardens.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: EXHIBIT OPENING: ALBERT CHASAN: PAINTING HIS PARENTS’ LIVES. 2 p.m., Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street.Growing up in 1930s New York City, Albert Chasan would listen to his parents talk in Yiddish about their harsh childhoods in the Russian Empire. Once he retired from the marketing communications firm he founded, Albert decided to commemorate his parents’ lives through a series of expressionistic, boldly-hued acrylics.Join us on Sunday, April 27 at the Yiddish Book Center for the opening of Albert Chasan: Painting His Parents’ Lives, followed by a conversation with Albert’s family.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: CHAMBER AT THE DRAKE: QUARTETTO MOSSO. 4 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Quartetto Mosso is a new Springfield chamber players ensemble, which made its premiere in the Berkshires last winter. Tickets $17.85 in advance. See full calendar here.
MONDAY APRIL 28: NO MORE CURSE! A HISTORY OF THE RED SOX. 7 p.m. on Zoom. Based on his research for his musical, author and historian David Kruh takes us to the roots of Boston baseball, when, just like today, the team captured the hearts of the people of Boston. We will look back at the real story behind Harry Frazee and his sale of slugger Babe Ruth. Relive the (sometimes frustrating) saga of the Boston Red Sox, and their ultimately successful struggle for a World Series championship. Register via Zoom. Presented by the Ashland Public Library.
TUESDAY APRIL 29: BENEFIT FOR A BETTER CHANCE (ABC) IN AMHERST: GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT. 7:30 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Avenue. A Gospel Choir Concert featuring: The Amherst Area Gospel Choir, Amherst Regional High School Hurricane Singers, UMass Gospel Choir. Before the concert: Please gather with other ABC community friends and meet the ABC scholars at a Welcome Reception. Join us for light refreshments from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the room adjacent to the Grace Church sanctuary. Suggested donation $20.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: NORTHAMPTON JAZZ WORKSHOP AND SHERYL BAILEY. 7:30 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Sheryl Bailey is a professor at Berklee College of Music and the Collective in New York. Elliot Simon of All about Jazz coined her “a sizzling guitar goddess.” A jam session will follow the main set of the Green Street Trio with Sheryl Bailey. Musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments. $10 cover at the door, $5 for students. (free for jam participants). See full calendar here.
FRIDAY MAY 2: GENOCIDE BAD: SIM KERN IN CONVERSATION WITH HANNAH MOUSHABECK. 7 p.m., Mahar Auditorium, UMass. Join author Sim Kern in conversation with their editor Hannah Moushabeck, as they discuss anti-zionism, collective liberation, and more. Sim Kern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Free People’s Village, an Indie Next Pick. As a journalist, book influencer, and anti-Zionist Jewish activist, Kern has used their social media platform to share educational content about Palestine and raise more than half a million dollars in direct aid for families in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.
FRIDAY MAY 2: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE: THE SABRINA CARPENTER DANCE PARTY. 8 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. We’ll be dancing all night long to your favorite pop girlies, including Ariana Grande, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo and more. 18 and over. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
SUNDAY MAY 4: RETIREMENT TRIBUTE TO YIDDISH BOOK CENTER FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT AARON LANSKY. 2 p.m. on Zoom. This special celebration will include a musical performance by Eleanor Reissa and Friends, a short tribute movie by filmmaker Asaf Galay, and, of course, closing remarks by Aaron. Purchase a virtual ticket here. $54.
WEDNESDAY MAY 7: SNEAK PEAK: ANCESTRAL BRIDGES NEW LOCATION. 4:30 to 6 p.m., 29A Cottage Street. Take the next step on our journey as we enhance the arts and culture landscape of Amherst, MA, guided by the authenticity and vision that stems from its Black and Afro-Indigenous roots. A new cultural anchor where archives pulse with the vibrant heartbeat of a community. This initiative celebrates an opportunity to honor, share, and uplift narratives that connect us all. Together, we can cultivate a spirit of connection, reciprocity, and support, ensuring that every story becomes a treasured element of our collective experience.
FRIDAY MAY 9: POP-UP COMMUNITY DANCE PARTY. 7 to 9 p.m., Munson Library, 1046 South East Street. Our second free community pop-up dance party. This joyful gathering is open to everyone—bring your friends, family, and dancing shoes! With beats by DJ Funkadelic Fern, the evening promises two hours of music, dance, and connection. The venue is fully accessible. The vibe is all about having fun, connecting with each other, and shaking off the winter. this community-focused event is all about sharing joy through dance and coming together—no strings attached, just good music and good vibes. We ask that folks carpool where possible and to leave the parking spaces near the front door open for those who have more need of them. Imbibe before or after, this is an alcohol-free event. This event is made possible with the support of Everyday Wellbeing and Redefine Connection.
FRIDAY MAY 9: BRUCE HORNSBY & YMUSIC PRESENT BRHYM. 8 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass. The grand finale to an unparalleled season is Bruce Hornsby with yMusic on May 9. Many have followed Hornsby since the release of his Grammy-winning debut album, The Way It Is, in 1989. Deadheads know him as keyboardist for the Grateful Dead in the early 1990s. Others have joined his following along his journey through twenty-four rock, jazz, blues, and bluegrass albums, thirteen Grammy nominations, and three Grammy wins. Bruce Hornsby, with the chamber music sextet yMusic, brings a performance you simply cannot miss. Tickets $54-$99, Students $19-$34.
SATURDAY MAY 10: POETRY WALK. 10 a.m., Emily Dickinson Museum, On May 10, In honor of the 139th anniversary of the poet’s death, join the Emily Dickinson Museum for the annual Poetry Walk through downtown Amherst, the town she called “paradise.” This year’s Walk celebrates the opening of the newly reconstructed carriage house with stops that explore its significance to Amherst’s cultural landscape and to the poet herself. Take the walk at your own pace, but be sure to head to Dickinson’s grave in West Cemetery in time for the 12 pm final poems and a lemonade toast to our favorite poet! The Walk takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. Participants begin at the Homestead at any time between 10am and 11am to pick up their Poetry Walk map and daisies to lay at the grave. The Walk stations close at 11:45am so that all participants can make it to the final stop at noon in West Cemetery. Free, but advance registration required. Registration for the walk does not include admission to the museum. For museum tickets click here.
SUNDAY MAY 11: AUTHOR TALK: LOUIS B. MAYER AND IRVING THALBERG: THE WHOLE EQUATION, WITH KENNETH TURAN. 2 p.m., Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street and on Zoom. Join former Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan for a conversation about his new book, Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation. One was a tough junkman’s son, the other a cosseted mama’s boy, but they dreamed the same mighty dream: that the right movies could make a profit and change both the culture and individual lives. Sharing a religion and an evangelical zeal for film, Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957) and Irving Thalberg (1899–1936) were unlikely partners in one of the most significant collaborations in movie history. Over the course of their decade-long relationship, as key players at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and major players in Hollywood, they joined forces in redefining and mastering the template for the film industry.
WEDNESDAY MAY 14: THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE: YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM. 5 to 7 p.m., Bangs Community Center Room 101 and online. For grades 6-12. The Amherst Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is excited to hold workshops led by Citizens for Juvenile Justice. Free. Refreshments provided. Register here.
ONGOING AND MULTI-DAY EVENTS
EVERY MONDAY EXCEPT HOLIDAYS: AUTOHARP WORKSHOPS. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Senior Center, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Join Marie Hartwell-Walker and autoharp players throughout the country who participate on Zoom. Participants on Zoom also welcome.
EVERY TUESDAY: RACIAL JUSTICE VIGIL 4:00 p.m. -4:30 p.m., downtown Amherst in front of the Bank of America.
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: COUNCIL ON AGING SENIOR LUNCH. Noon. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk.
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. RAINBOW COFFEE HOUR. 10-11 a.m. Amherst Senior Center, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. The Rainbow Coffee Hour is a new LGBTIA+ social coffee group for ages 50 and above. Join us for this welcoming space to socialize. No format, no agenda, just community. The July coffee hour will be held on July 11, due to July 4 being the first Tuesday of the month.
SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH: ARTIST SOCIAL AND CRITIQUE. 6 to 8 p.m., Local Art Gallery, Mill District, 91 Cowls Road. All local artists, both beginners and established, are invited to attend our Artist Social and Critique that meets every 2nd Thursday of the month in The Local Art Gallery from 6-8pm. Help us create a safe space for a supportive and constructive artistic feedback while expanding your connections to other artists. Artist social time from 6 to 6:30 p.m., Artist critique from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Share digital images by emailing to gallery@cowls.com in advance. For information, contact Shannon Borrell at gallery@cowls.com or 413-835-0966.
EVERY WEDNESDAY: WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MARKET. 10 to 11:30 a.m., Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Since its launch in May 2024, the Wednesday Market has served over 700 community members. The Market is open to all, and there’s no registration and no questions asked. Just come and enjoy. We distribute fresh produce, dairy, prepared food, and delicious treats.
EVERY WEDNESDAY IN APRIL: DROP-IN VACCINE CLINIC. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Amherst Public Health Department, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Free flu and COVID shots while supplies last. Individuals over 65 are eligible for a COVID booster this spring. Protect yourself and others. Stay healthy! For more information, email publichealth@amherstma.gov or call 413-259-3077.
EVERY WEDNESDAY: BEGINNER BIRDING. 9:00-9:30 a.m. Notch Visitor Center, 1500 West Street. For ages 12 and up. An easy, level, 1/4-mile guided hike to discover more about birds: their behaviors, needs, habitats and significance. Listen, observe, sketch, photo or journal. Free
LAST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH (EXCLUDING JULY AND JANUARY): 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.
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 : 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. Our 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 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.
EVERY THURSDAY: STITCH CIRCLE. 4 to 6 p.m. Mill District Local Art Gallery and General Store, 91 Cowls Road. Grab your needles, venture to the General Store, and join us for our first Stitch Circle. Knitters, quilters, embroidery artists, and crocheters are all invited. Free.
FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH: VETERAN’S COMMUNITY BREAKFAST FOR ALL -8 a.m – 9 a.m. Large Activity Room, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. At each breakfast (bagel/donut/coffee), a veteran or veteran ally, will tell his or her personal story regarding military service. Generation after generation reveals that those going to war to defend our country come back spiritually and morally wounded, regardless of the bodily consequences of combat. We want to bring veterans together for food and friendship to help coalesce a spirit of camaraderie to enable authentic, veteran-oriented communities to flourish. WELCOME: Veterans, Spouses, Caregivers, Amherst Community Members. Let’s Build a Thriving Veterans Community. There are 387 Veterans in town! Sponsored by CRESS. FOR MORE INFORMATION: CALL THE CRESS OFFICE, (413) 259-3370 OR GENE HERMAN, VIETNAM VETERAN, (240) 472-7288 – CRESS VETERAN’S OUTREACH VOLUNTEER.
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS: LIVE JAZZ AND GOOD EATS AT THE BLACK SHEEP. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Black Sheep Deli, 79 Main Street. Frist and third Saturdays: Masala Jazz, Second, Fourth and Fifth Saturdays: Simmer Music Presents, Sundays: the Catalytics. Tip Jar.
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY APRIL 26 : PAINTER NANCY MEAGHER – CLOSED AND WIDE OPEN SPACES. Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street 1D, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Gallery Hours are Thursday–Sunday, 2:00–7:00 p.m. More information
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: PAINTINGS BY ELAYNA STURM. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Town Hall Art Gallery, 4 Boltwood Avenue. The public is invited to meet the artist at a free reception in the gallery on Friday, March 7th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Elayna’s mediums range from murals, visual art, creative writing, and fiber arts to education and coaching. A self-described hopefully curious person, Elayna blends the divine and the mundane to expose overarching patterns in a visual storytelling of interconnectedness. About their art, Elayna says, “Shedding Layers explores both what we can shed to feel lighter and what we can transform to create the lives and worlds we want to be a part of. Venturing to get to the core of what matters, Shedding Layers seeks to cultivate brighter joy and deeper roots.” Elayna resides in Western Massachusetts and has ties to the North Shore of Massachusetts, the Bay Area of California, and the Olympic forests of Washington state.
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: MULTIVERSE: AN EXHIBIT FEATURING MULTIPLE ARTISTS. Hampden Gallery, UMass. curated by D. Dominick Lombardi, from Feb. 17-April 30. “Multiverse” focuses on the recognition, conscious or subconscious, and interpretation of the concept of the multiverse in contemporary visual art. Showcasing digital art from Europe and the Americas juxtaposed with analog works by artists from the northeastern U.S., Lombardi gives visitors the opportunity to see and discuss previously unimagined possibilities. A reception and curator’s talk with Lombardi is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Friday April 4. Information.
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: BE REVOLUTIONARY: UMASS STUDENT SOLIDARITY WITH CENTRAL AMERICA IN THE 1980s: STUDENT CURATED EXHIBIT.9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Lobby of Bromery Center for the Arts. In the fall of 2024, students in a UMass Amherst graduate history course set out to research, curate and design an exhibit on the history of student activism at UMass Amherst in conjunction with this year’s Feinberg Series, What Are Universities For? Struggles for the Soul of Higher Education. Focusing on anti-imperialist organizing in the 1980s, the exhibit tells the story of how UMass students joined forces with the broader Central America solidarity movements in Massachusetts and across the country to demand the end of U.S. military aid to authoritarian regimes. Titled Be Revolutionary: UMass Student Solidarity with Central America in the 1980s, the exhibit opens on Thursday, April 3 from 12-2pm, with a student-run program featuring remarks by Professor Diana Sierra Becerra and a panel with the curators, followed by dedicated time to reflect on the exhibit through art-making and alter-creation. Student- and community-oriented workshops organized by the UMass Alliance for Community Transformation will be held in the space from 4-6pm. The exhibit will remain on display through April 30 in the Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby. Join us! Openiing Thursday, April 3, 12 to 2 p.m.
NOW THROUGH THURSDAY MAY 8: Daily performances by the UMass Department of Music and Dance. Most are free. Various locations for performances by UMass students and faculty. See here for a complete listing.
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9: (OFF) BALANCE: ART IN THE ATE OF HUMAN IMPACT. UMass Museum of Contemporary Art. The Graduate Curatorial Exhibition, co-curated by Adeyemi Adebayo, M.F.A. studio arts candidate, Eva Barajas, M.A. art education candidate, and Bo Kim, M.F.A. studio arts candidate, invites viewers to explore the intricate ways we interact with, interpret and shape our environment and challenges audiences to reflect on themes of transformation, human intervention and the tension between destruction and conservation. Opening reception Wednesday, March 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. Information.
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9: IS ANYTHING THE MATTER? DRAWINGS BY LAYLAH ALI AND HIGH FIVE/TAKE FIVE. UMass Museum of Contemporary Art. “Is anything the matter?” includes more than one hundred drawings by Ali dating from 1993 to 2020. Though the drawings range in format – including ink, colored pencil, soluble crayon, colored marker and mixed media works – each piece explores Ali’s ongoing interest in the amalgam of race, power, gendering, human frailty and murky politics. High Five / Take Five” is an interactive exhibition featuring five art works from the museum’s permanent collection. Each piece will be accompanied by a prompt that asks participants to engage their senses, look closely and respond to the artworks through drawing, listening and writing. Gallery Talk: Wednesday, February 19, 4 to 5 p.m. More information.
NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7: PORTRAITS IN RED: MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BY NAYANA LAFOND. D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums. In her powerful series of portraits, artist and activist Nayana Lafond sheds light on the crisis affecting Indigenous peoples, particularly women, who are eleven times more likely to go missing than the national average. Each portrait depicts a missing or murdered Indigenous person, a family member, or an advocate, rendered in shades of gray and marked by a vivid red handprint—the only color visible to spirits—to raise awareness, inspire action, and honor the lives and stories of those impacted by this crisis. Lafond, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, graduated from Amherst High School and lives in Western Massachusetts. After studying at the Massachusetts College of Art, she became a full-time painter and has served as a curator and community arts organizer for over twenty years. Visit her website.