Community Calendar

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.

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.

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

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.

The Northampton Scrabble Club prides itself on being a welcoming group where the priority is on FUN, not strict competition. Come in at any point in the evening and we'll get you in a game! Some players stay for one game, others for multiple games. We have a wide variety of skill levels represented, so come join the fun!

Join the Lee Historical Society for a conversation with Madeline Cantarella Culpo, Founder-Artistic Director of Cantarella School of Dance and Albany Berkshire Ballet. She will be joined by some of her former students who took ballet classes in Lee from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Refreshments will be provided by the Lee Historical Society.

Culpo grew up in the Berkshires taking dance lessons with various local instructors. As a teenager in 1949 and 1950, she had the opportunity to take dance classes at Jacob’s Pillow. After attending the Juilliard School, Culpo returned to the Berkshires in 1955 and opened the Cantarella School of Dance on North Street in Pittsfield. Beginning that first year, she offered off-site lessons in both Lee and Adams.

"Miss Madeline" would bring her students to Jacob’s Pillow at least once a summer so they could see professional dance and see what they could become. Beginning in 1958, Ted Shawn, the founder of Jacob’s Pillow, attended Cantarella’s annual end of year recital in Pittsfield High School’s auditorium and awarded outstanding students scholarships to enroll in Jacob’s Pillow’s summer dance school, University of the Dance. Several outstanding dance students from Lee were scholarship recipients.

This discussion is presented as part of the month-long June exhibit in the Scolforo Gallery titled “Jacob’s Pillow in Lee, Mass.” The exhibit traces the long and often overlooked relationship between the internationally renowned dance hub Jacob’s Pillow, and the neighboring town of Lee from the early 1930s to today. This exhibit is made possible, in part, through a grant from the Lee Cultural Council, a local agency funded by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Visit the library for a musical performance!

PaxSax will present an hour-long concert, playing saxophones ranging from soprano to baritone and bass sax. They perform tightly arranged compositions drawn from an extensive collection. Their music covers a wide range of genres, from ragtime, Americana, show tunes, swing, jazz, to contemporary composers. During their performance they’ll present a little background on each composer and composition and look to include lots of conversation with the audience!

PaxSax is a quartet of professional musicians: George Owens (Whately), baritone & bass sax, Jon Weeks (Leyden) soprano & alto, Dominic Poccia (Northampton) alto, and Dave Trenholm (Northampton) tenor. All have decades of experience teaching and performing in Latin, swing, jazz, and rock bands throughout the region.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, a local agency of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

https://springfield.librarycalendar.com/event/paxsax-concert-29215

Mount Holyoke College Summer Theatre proudly presents “The 39 Steps” adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel of John Buchanen from the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, playing July 17th-July 25th in the Studio Theatre of Kendall Sports & Dance Complex.

Our first season closes with a fast-paced comedy thriller packed with spies, mystery, and nonstop laughs. When ordinary man Richard Hannay becomes entangled in an international espionage plot, he is swept into a whirlwind adventure across Britain. Featuring a handful of actors playing dozens of characters, The 39 Steps is a wildly inventive theatrical experience that combines Hitchcock suspense with hilarious physical comedy.

This production is directed by Mochael Ofori with Set Design by Alina Tschumakow, Costume Design by Jensen Glick, Lighting Design by Sam Skynner, Sound Design by Kirk Longhofer.

Performance Dates and Times:
Friday, July 17th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Saturday, July 18th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, July 19th, 2:00pm
Wednesday, July 22nd, 7:30pm
Thursday, July 23rd, 7:30pm
Friday, July 24th, 7:30pm
Saturday, July 25th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm

Tickets: $15 General Admission | $25 Season Pass
For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit mhcsummertheatre.ludus.com or contact us at MHCSummerTheatres@MtHolyoke.edu.

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.