Community Calendar

JooYoung Choi is an astro-futurist artist whose expansive practice blends autobiography and invention. For over a decade, Choi's work has centered on developing narratives within a highly structured imaginary realm known as the Cosmic Womb.

Adventures of the Quantum Soup Surfer brings together early and recent paintings, a sculptural installation, and video works that chronicle one character's journey of self-discovery. Long known as Nina Blue, the Quantum Soup Surfer first appeared in the Cosmic Womb as a professional imaginary friend, contributing to the journeys of several legendary heroes of the Cosmic Womb.

The exhibition follows Nina Blue's passage from supporting character to protagonist. She emerges as the Quantum Soup Surfer--a celestial superhero and thoughtful navigator who channels the spiritual energy of water to brave uncharted territories and share her story of resilience.

Inspired by the Cosmic Womb's motto--"Have Faith for You have Always Been Loved"--this exhibition foregrounds imagination, curiosity, and art as tools for resilience that have been significant for Nina Blue's transformation into the Quantum Soup Surfer and the hero of this story.

Adventures of the Quantum Soup Surfer is made possible by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

This exhibition will explore movement as an integral throughline in Kwame Brathwaite’s work—one that spans his deep engagement with social and political movements and his keen attention to the body in motion. Brathwaite’s images intimate the powerful and transformative ways that action can convey joy, beauty, strength, and hope, even in charged moments.

Brathwaite (1938-2023) is perhaps most recognized for photographs celebrating Black beauty and excellence in fashion, music, and athletics. His studio portraits and concert photography like his documentation of historic marches, the everyday life of residents in Harlem and The Bronx, and of athletes such as Muhammad Ali convey the power of the body as a symbol of cultural strength, resilience, and pan-African solidarity. Through a selection of original and new prints from archival negatives, the exhibition will offer an opportunity to experience the breadth of his work and its resonance today.

Curated in close partnership with Brathwaite’s son and daughter-in-law, Kwame and Robynn Brathwaite (Amherst College Class of 1996 and 1998, respectively), Revolutionary Movements will expand stories about the artist's work and its international circulation.

Kwame Brathwaite: Revolutionary Movements is made possible by Teiger Foundation.

The Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum is seeking donations of gently used adult and children’s books, DVDs, and jigsaw puzzles for their upcoming book sale. Donations will only be accepted by curbside drop-off at the back door of the First United Methodist Church, 16 Court St., Westfield, during the weeks of April 6-11 and April 13-18 as follows: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10-1; Tuesday and Thursday from 4-7, and Saturday from 9-12.
Please note that we cannot accept musty or damaged books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, Reader’s Digest books, or outdated manuals, travel books, or self-help books.
The book sale will be held at the Church on Thursday, April 23, 10-7; Friday, April 24, 10-5; and Saturday, April 25, 10-2. On Thursday only, we are offering a $5.00 discount for educators (bring your ID!) and new Friends members joining at the door.
The Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum is an all-volunteer 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization that supports the programs and services of the Westfield Athenaeum.

Discover the Pioneer Valley, one bookshop at a time! Visit 10+ bookstores to be entered into the Grand Prize drawing to win $800 in bookstore gift cards. Each additional bookstore you visit is another entry into the drawing! And the more bookstores you visit, the greater your chances of winning. More info: http://tinyurl.com/pvbc26

Each service includes an uplifting talk that touches on real-life experiences—like relationships, resilience, and personal growth—offering down-to-earth reflections to help you navigate life with clarity, compassion, and a sense of connection.

The healing portion of the service begins with a peaceful, guided meditation accompanied by live harp music, creating a calm and supportive space. Those who wish may then receive gentle, hands-on energy healing from certified Spiritualist healers while seated.

The service concludes with a demonstration of mediumship from the podium, where the medium shares messages from loved ones in spirit. These brief, heartfelt messages are intended to provide evidence of the continuity of life and offer comfort, healing, and connection.

Red Cat Kitchen is proud to present: A Drag Revue Royale.
This year's Pride Brunch breaks new ground with an unforgettable lineup featuring live cabaret, captivating performances, kings & queens, comedy, impressive choreography, dips, splits, and more.
You can even join the action yourselves in our audience lip-sync battle.
This is one Pride event you won't want to miss. We look forward to welcoming and celebrating with you!
Tickets available online at: www.RedCatKitchen.com by clicking 'Order Online'

An official selection of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, the East Coast debut of The Clayton Effect is on view throughout June at Split Level Gallery, 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, MA.

Flush with saucy humor, social commentary, and a semi-autobiographical view on transgender life, step inside the bathroom to experience The Clayton Effect. Inspired by the foundational film editing principle developed in the 1900s (known as the Kuleshov Effect), this silent-but-deadly movie, lathered with a throwback feel and a razor-sharp modern twist, takes the plunge into representations of gender. Jiggling the handle has never been more fun!

In addition to the short film, queer artist Jacob Clayton will be showing four mixed-media photo-based self-portraits, as part of We Contain Multitudes: A Curated Collective of 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC Creatives’ Voices, curated by M. Rudder.

One day, a young Arthur Horwitz, seeking to swipe a few bucks from his mother’s wallet, discovers an iconic Holocaust image of a terrified boy tucked inside. “Who’s this?” he demands of his mother. She insists it’s her little brother Meier, murdered by the Germans. But Arthur knows it isn’t. Now he is saddled with the responsibility of living two lives—his and the one little Meier never had. In this talk, Arthur M. Horwitz will share how this discovery became a burden that shaped his life, family, and media career. His recent book, Dual Identities: Living in Meier’s Shadow, is an insightful look at the impact of intergenerational trauma and the path to coping, healing, reconciliation, and remembrance.

Red Cat Kitchen is proud to present: A Drag Revue Royale.
This year's Pride Brunch breaks new ground with an unforgettable lineup featuring live cabaret, captivating performances, kings & queens, comedy, impressive choreography, dips, splits, and more.
You can even join the action yourselves in our audience lip-sync battle.
This is one Pride event you won't want to miss. We look forward to welcoming and celebrating with you!
Tickets available online at: www.RedCatKitchen.com by clicking 'Order Online'

After discovering an iconic Holocaust image of a terrified boy tucked inside his mother’s wallet, Arthur Horwitz is saddled with the responsibility of living two lives: his own and the one his mother’s little brother Meier, murdered in the Holocaust, never had. Dual Identities: Living in Meier’s Shadow, is an insightful look at the impact of intergenerational trauma and the path to coping, healing, reconciliation, and remembrance.

Arthur M. Horwitz is a journalist and civic leader who served as publisher and executive editor of the Detroit Jewish News for more than thirty years. A former paperboy, copyboy, reporter, and bureau chief for New Haven’s daily newspapers, Arthur is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and the Yale School of Management.