Community Calendar

“Fredella Mae's Daughter Is A Storyteller” explores three powerful, emotionally charged tales woven together with poetry interludes and short personal narratives. Come journey through riveting tales that move people’s souls and make you reflect on your humanness through adaptations of centuries old West African story, Gullah Geechee folklore of South Carolina, and a “John Redding Goes To Sea"— a short story by Zora Neale Hurston.

For ages: 16+ | Photo credit: Paul Bloomfield

Muriel “MONIK” Johnson is a prolific educator, performer, and visual artist. As a child, Muriel would sit in awe as her mother recited nursery rhymes, sang songs, and told stories. This awakening of a storyteller hidden in the mind of a young child ultimately inspired Muriel. She has been storytelling professionally for over 25 years, captivating audiences around the world. Muriel has performed at preschools, elementary schools, museums, colleges, churches, theaters, festivals, and countless other venues across the U.S. She has toured Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, as well as Cape Town, South Africa, and Ghana, West Africa, where she has had the privilege of sharing stories, gathering stories, and making deep human connections along the way. Additionally, Muriel is a published children’s book author, veteran teacher, and creator of stunning artwork depicting ancestors made with butterfly wings. Storytelling Website: forherstories.com Art: artofnaturebymonik.com.

The Pay it Forward program is generously funded by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Greenfield Savings Bank, Tandem Bagels, Applied Mortgage, Boston Rare Maps, Greenfield Cooperative Bank and Northampton Cooperative Bank, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Individual Donors.

Join Heather Campbell Coyle, Curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum, for a walkthrough of Jazz Age Illustration, the first exhibition to survey the art of illustration in the 1920s and ’30s. Dr. Coyle has been working on this project for five years, and she will share some of her favorite research discoveries and behind-the-scenes stories in this gallery tour.

Reservations are required. Space is limited.

Heather Campbell Coyle is Curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum, where she has worked for over 20 years. Dr. Coyle has curated dozens of major exhibitions and produced several significant exhibition catalogues. She lectures and researches primarily on American art, illustration, and photography from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and has published extensively on the work of John Sloan and Howard Pyle. Her latest exhibition and book project, Jazz Age Illustration explores American illustration from the 1920s and 1930s, bringing together imagery from popular magazines, newspapers, novels, children’s books, sheet music, posters, and consumer products.

We’re thrilled to celebrate the picture book release of A CENTURY FOR CAROLINE on Saturday, November 8! Readers are invited to bring their special elders to this multigenerational storytime, featuring a reading and book signing by the author, Kaija Langley.

ABOUT ‘A CENTURY FOR CAROLINE’
Baby girl Jasmine heads south with her dad to join the family in celebrating Great Grandma Caroline’s 100th birthday. Jasmine knows one hundred years is a very long time. It’s longer than a goldfish lives, or a hamster—or even a dog! When she gets to Great Grandma Caroline’s house, she asks: how did she get to be so old?

According to Caroline, living such a long, hearty life takes a heap of patience, a dollop of determination, and a whole lot of faith—just like learning to skip stones on the lake. And the most important thing is surrounding yourself with family and those who love you.

The Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present a rare series of early twentieth century lighting advertisements by Norman Rockwell and fellow Golden Age illustrators Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Stanley Arthurs, Worth Brehm, and Charles Chambers created for Edison Mazda Lamps, a division of the General Electric Company. These luminous, richly painted works were widely circulated in published advertisements through the 1920s and are on loan to the Museum for the first time through the generosity of GE Aerospace.

Step back into the vibrant world of the 1920s and 1930s with Jazz Age Illustration, a major exhibition exploring the art of popular illustration during this transformative era. Featuring over 100 works by renowned artists such as Aaron Douglas, John Held Jr., and Frank E. Schoonover, the exhibition delves into the cultural impact of illustration during a time of dramatic social change.

Organized by the Delaware Art Museum, Jazz Age Illustration is the first major exhibition to survey the art of popular illustration in the United States between 1919 and 1942—a vibrant and transformative era of innovation, evolving styles, social change, and expanding popular media.

William Baczek Fine Arts is pleased to announce The Road Not Taken, a solo exhibition of new works by Japanese American painter Chie Yoshii, on view October 22 through November 22, 2025, at 36 Main St., Northampton, MA. The Road Not Taken presents Yoshii’s latest explorations in allegory, psychological portraiture, and the interplay of mythic symbolism and interior narrative.

AMERICAN AGITATORS is a story of courage, persistence, and the power of collective action. Fred Ross Sr. was a pioneer for racial and economic justice and impacted generations, showing them how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary change. Dolores Huerta, who along with Cesar Chavez was trained by Ross, says, “Bringing Fred’s life to the screen is the medicine our society needs right now. He empowered people to be engaged in the democratic process.”

Mr. Lobster (Christian Loftus) brings fun, family-friendly music to UUSE on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 PM. Join us at Unitarian Universalist Society East, 153 Vernon Street West, Manchester, CT. Suggested donation: $15 for adults; kids attend free.

Mr. Lobster is Christian Loftus, an elementary general music teacher from Connecticut. Christian has his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Education, as well as his Orff and Kodaly certifications.

“It’s The Wildest!” Is an exciting, tune-filled tribute to the music of Louis Prima and Keely Smith, performed by Mark Gionfriddo and Nikki Gorts. The name of the show references the title of an iconic 1956 album by Prima and Smith.

In the 1950s, Prima and Smith turned a tiny Las Vegas lounge into the most swinging after hours party, with a mix of jazz, swing, novelty music, and rock ‘n roll.

Gionfriddo, Gorts and a five-piece band pay homage to this renowned duo featuring gems from the American Popular Songbook, including “Jump, Jive ‘N Wail”, “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home,” “Embraceable You,” “I Wish You Love,” and “That Old Black Magic,” featuring arrangements by Mark Gionfriddo.

Celebrate the harvest season with beautiful music at Grace Church! The concert will feature Mark Fraser, cello; Estela Olevsky, piano; Dick Damon, organ; Hanif Lawrence, tenor soloist; the Silverwood Quartet; the Cantabile vocal ensemble; and the Grace Church Choir directed by Hanif Lawrence. Suggested donation is $25 at the door, with proceeds benefiting the Grace Church Organ Fund.