We head to a fresh exhibit in Holyoke that’s exploring the 250th anniversary of this nation by helping newer artists explore their craft with help from more experienced artists in the area. Valley Arts Mentors branched out of Piti Theater, but has since grown to encompass many ways that we all tell stories, including visual arts. This year’s cohort of mentors and mentees have recently opened an exhibit, “Revolutionary Artstories: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Equity,” which we explore along with the artists who’ve made the work on display.
The Green River Festival happened this past weekend, but if you think about festivals you've been to, how are their lineups looking in terms of gender diversity? Book More Women is an upcoming, soon-to-be non-profit that started as an Instagram project and has evolved into a full on movement in which the Green River Festival has partnered. We speak with founder Abbey Carbonneau about starting the organization, what her data has shown so far, and the struggles of getting other organizations to recognize their blind spots.
Plus, after running around all weekend, we get to talk a little bit about our highlights from the festival as well.
