VISUAL ARTS

Mr. Universe digs into Ken Burn's latest documentary, Ioka Valley Farms gears up for tree cutting and more in its busiest season of the year, and we head down the road to the Mass Mutual Center to check out the Festival of Trees; a fundraiser for the Springfield Boys & Girls Club.

We get funny with Springfield native, comedian/actor/writer Bill Posley of "Bill Does The Talent Show", get collaborative with the folx of the Urban Food Brood as they gear up for their Kringle Market this weekend, and hear other organizations that you'd like to highlight for this Giving Tuesday (besides NEPM of course!).

We talk with many of the moving parts that make The Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage happen, and speak with Head Word Nerd in Charge Peter Sokolowski of Merriam Webster about the recently announced "Word of the Year".

American culture has long been infused with the work of artists who come to the U.S. from around the world. A current exhibit at the University Museum of Contemporary Art in Amherst features the work of artists with origins in Africa, the Middle East, India and Europe.

We play around with Liz Rosenberg of The Toy Box in Amherst, hear about the "Let's Dance" fundraiser for Pathlight this Saturday, find the liminal space between active and passive voice with The Word Nerd, and visit the largest food pantry in the Berkshires; The South Community Food Pantry.

We check out an exhibit of eccentric oddities at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, hear about the restorative and transformative justice of Pa'lante in Holyoke, and give a quick rundown of all the contested mayoral races in western Mass with NEPM's Adam Frenier.

It's the end of October, so we get a rundown of scary tales and history of the 413 with Jeff Belanger and talk about the 3 ofrendas going up in Holyoke and Easthampton with organizers Iohann Rashi Vega and Jason Montgomery

We find out how Latinas 413 and Hot Plate Brewing Company are teaming up for Dia de los Muertos festivities in Pittsfield, take an extra spooky tour of the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke with Director Megan Seiler, and use space as a metaphor for our greater humanity with Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed.

We speak with mayoral hopeful Justin Hurst about his bid for the seat and his plans for Springfield, and hear about the Youth Performance Festival's collaboration with Make It Springfield.

We check out a tiny piece of the 978 in our four counties when we survey the wonders of the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival, get a teaser of the 690 new words Merriam Webster just added to their dictionary, find out all about Latino Arts Day at Springfield Museums, and hear exciting news from the Parlor Room about a well known Northampton venue.