Art & Cultural Events List

These events are free and open to the public. Children are welcome in the company of an adult. MIGRATORY BIRD WALK Saturday, May 5 8 to 10 am Street end of Neville Place driveway 650 Concord Avenue Migratory birds such as Baltimore orioles, yellow warblers, and warbling vireos come to Fresh Pond to nest and raise their young. Other species, including waterfowl and many songbirds, use it as a resting place while heading farther north. Now is the time to see them all. Beginners are welcome! If you don’t have binoculars you may borrow a pair from us. A TOUR OF THE WATER PURIFICATION FACILITY Monday, May 7 6 to 7:30 pm Water Purification Facility front door 250 Fresh Pond Parkway Come learn where your tap water originates, how it is purified to make it safe and tasty for drinking and cooking, and the role Fresh Pond plays in the process. Members of the Cambridge Water Department staff will describe the process, answer your questions, and give a tour of the building. VOLUNTEER TRAINING WORKSHOP Monday, May 14 6 to 8 pm Water Purification Facility front door 250 Fresh Pond Parkway In this hands-on workshop, Jessica Gerke, New England Wild Flower Society’s Plant Conservation Coordinator, will help you identify plants, both native and nonnative, and work with volunteers on restoration and maintenance to promote healthy, biologically diverse urban habitats at Fresh Pond. Jess will lead another training workshop Monday evening, July 23. FRESH POND DAY! Saturday, May 19 10 am to 2 pm Kingsley Park 250 Fresh Pond Parkway Come celebrate the land, water, wildlife, and people that make Fresh Pond Reservation a unique and vital place! Live music, snacks, scavenger hunt, picnics, storywalk, face painting, fix-a-leak, container gardening, fire trucks, storytelling, arts and crafts, Davey the Clown, tours and open houses, life under a log, nature drawing, stilt walking lessons, and dog training clinics. For more information call 617-349-6489 or go to www.cambridgema.gov/cwd. FRESH POND DAY: WOODLAND RESTORATION PROJECT VISIT Saturday, May 19 10:30 am to 1:30 pm Directions at FFPR information table Fresh Pond’s Woodland Restoration Project has been planted primarily with species that historically (when European settlers arrived) were native to what is now Middlesex County. There is a circular path to walk on and, during Fresh Pond Day, the plants will be labeled. This is a good place to learn about native plants that you might want to use in your own garden. No dogs, please! EARLY MORNING BIRD WALK Sunday, May 20 7:30 to 9:30 am Street end of Neville Place driveway 650 Concord Avenue The early bird gets the worm, and the early birder gets to see that bird having breakfast. Birds wake up hungry and are most active in the morning. We will look for year-round residents plus migrants that are back at Fresh Pond for the breeding season or passing through on their way to northern nesting grounds. We have binoculars to lend and will show you how to use them. A FRESH POND RESERVATION WALKABOUT Monday, May 21 6 to 7:30 pm Water Purification Facility front door 250 Fresh Pond Parkway Chip Norton, Watershed Manager for the Cambridge Water Department, will give a walking tour of recently restored areas as well as ongoing and future restoration projects at Fresh Pond Reservation. He will answer your questions about watershed management at Fresh Pond using maps and diagrams to help illustrate the goals of major projects. Please register for each event that you plan to attend. You will receive directions and information on parking when you register. E-mail Elizabeth Wylde at friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com or call 617-349-6489 and leave your name and phone number.

Sarah Dobkin is a somerville artist exhibiting her paintings at Bromfield Gallery.

The show runs April 4 - Saturday April 28. Wed. - Sat. 

If you haven't seen these evocative oil on canvas paintings yet, here is your last chance!

Bromfield Gallery
450 Harrison Avenue
Boston MA 02118

www.sarahdobkin.com

EARTH DAY GARLIC MUSTARD WEEDOUT
Sunday, April 22
1 to 3 pm
Fresh Pond Ranger Station
250 Fresh Pond Parkway

Come help Fresh Pond’s volunteer stewards eradicate the invasive weed called garlic mustard from the Reservation! This fast-growing plant crowds out native plants and puts toxins in the soil that inhibit native seeds from sprouting.

Garlic mustard is easy to recognize, easy to pull, and is even edible! We will provide knowledgeable leaders, gloves, tools and bags. You bring water and a desire to keep the Reservation healthy. Please wear shoes appropriate for walking off-path. (Sandals are not recommended.)

For more information, email

friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com

or JUST COME! We would really appreciate your help, even for an hour.

FRESH POND STEWARDS’ WALKABOUT
Monday, April 23
6 to 7:30 pm
Water Purification Facility front door
250 Fresh Pond Parkway

Join Fresh Pond’s talented and dedicated Volunteer Stewards for a volunteer orientation walk around the Pond. Learn about important areas and recent projects where volunteers have played an integral role in supporting native wildlife and plant communities. We may even have an opportunity to harvest some invasive garlic mustard!

The Cambridge Water Department offers educational and volunteer weeding opportunities throughout the growing season: Volunteer Nights are on Mondays from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Weekend Weedouts are the 2nd Sunday of the month from 1 to 3 pm, and Mornings In the Weeds are Thursdays from 10 am to noon. Call Fresh Pond Volunteer Coordinator

Deb Albenberg at 617-349-6489

or email:

dalbenberg@cambridgema.go

for details.

Mark Your Calendar – Saturday April 21st, 2:00 – 5:00 PM



BLUE CLOUD GALLERY is hosting an anniversary party to celebrate one year under my stewardship. Thank You for making my 1st year so successful.



You are invited to join us for FREE refreshments, entertainment and a chance to win one of many handcrafted gifts made by a local artist. (You must be present to win.)



Meet the artists, meet me Betsy Lenora, receive a FREE gift, have fun and enjoy a good time!



To RSVP, contact Betsy Lenora at 617-776-2700

or send an email to betsy@bluecloudgallery.com.

This way, I can prepare to have enough wine, cheese, etc. on hand. (especially the "etc.")



I'm looking forward to seeing you!!!



Blue Cloud Gallery

713 Broadway, Ball Square, Somerville

www.bluecloudgallery.com

Artists and craft vendors are wanted for the FossFest stage of Carnaval@SomerStreets on Sunday June 3rd from 12pm-4pm, a day filled with arts, music, and family activities. The Carnaval@SomerStreets FossFest stage is sponsored by a Local Cultural Council grant from the Somerville Arts Council and is organized in partnership with the City of Somerville and East Somerville Main Streets. The program allows residents to explore the City by shutting various streets to promote safe walking, running, biking routes in various locations throughout the City. A portion of Broadway in East Somerville/Winter Hill will be closed for the Carnaval event, and the FossFest stage will be along the portion of Foss Park that spans Broadway from McGrath Highway to Fellsway West. The vendor fee is just $20 for a 10X10 display area, table and chairs.

Please mark your calendars for this event!

For more information or to participate, please complete the form at:

http://fossfest.com/vendors

or email:

fossfestvendors@gmail.com

for more information.

As a Somerville artist, I want to invite you to my upcoming art exhibition opening this Friday.

Opening exhibition: Friday, April 6, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Come out, enjoy 'First Friday' on Harrison Avenue and check out my new work. The show runs April 4 - Saturday April 28.

Hope to see you there,
Sarah Dobkin

Bromfield Gallery
450 Harrison Avenue
Boston MA 02118

Two New Shows and a New Store Open at LynnArts

Mi Casa Es Tu Casa, Time Warner Gallery
Hyperconscious, Willow Community Gallery
Show dates: March 26-May 2, 2012

Mi Casa Es Tu Casa highlights the work of regional artists Judy Beals (Salem), Jane Coder (Durham NH), Jason Cruz (Salem), James Cuozzo (Lynn), Linda Germain (Haverhill), Leonel Mendez (Lynn) June Rhodes (Lynn) and Barry Ridlon (Lynn). The show examines the idea of home and the many ways the feeling of home can be expressed; from an Andy Warhol-like painting of Goya Beans, to an abstract photo of a used drop cloth. Best of Show James Cuozzo’s award winning entry is a complex abstracted ink drawing of West Lynn.

In the Time Warner Gallery Jenn Houle, Kim Blodgett, and Katherine Vetne present their work in Hyperconscious, a show that examines the precarious state of our social, emotional, and physical existence in our modern world. All three artists focus on process and material as languages for discussing contemporary culture and the state of our modern world. The use of paper, in particular, is essential to all three artists; it acts as a transient vehicle for acknowledging shared concepts of change and temporality. Kim relays her message by weaving an acutely self-aware statement of her flaws, fears, and dreams. Katherine’s work takes on the mania of asserting her position in society while opposing the constraints of that society. Jenn examines our shared relationship to the evolved world, addressing mortality, chance, and humanity’s miniscule blip in our sublimely vast natural world.

Hyperconscious will be on view at the Willow Community Gallery in Lynn, MA from March 26-May 16, 2012.

25 Exchange, The Store for Local Arts
Opening Saturday, March 31

LynnArts is pleased to announce the opening of a year round gift shop in our gallery. The shop will display a changing variety of handcrafted gifts including fine jewelry, cards, pottery and paintings. All of the work for sale in the shop comes from Massachusetts artists, many of whom are locally based. The shop will be open M, T, W, F 10-4, and Thursdays 10-8. Open Saturdays during scheduled gallery openings.

Artists currently exhibiting:

Jeff Bowie, the Picklepot Studio, Salem, MA – earrings and necklaces crafted from watch parts
Shelagh Costello, SC Textiles, Swampscott, MA – note cards, bags, and key rings
Candice Cruz, Shortcakes, Arlington, MA – handcrafted note cards
The Highlands Coalition, Organic Tomato Sauce, Lynn, MA
Pamela Haley, Thistle House Jewelry, Marblehead, MA – 14k jewelry
Joanna Hatzelamprou, John’s Ceramic Studio, Lynn, MA – platters, teapots
Jo Harris, JoJos Gems, Boston, MA – unique and affordable earrings
Happy Owl Glassworks, Concord, MA – jewelry and nightlights
Arlette Laan, Fiber Creations, Lowell, MA – coasters and squeeze dolls
Elise Mankes, fine arts jeweler, Salem, MA – herbal and floral jewelry
D. Smilia Marvosh, Stranded in Time, Swampscott, MA – fine jewelry
Heather Micka-Smith, Bacon House Bags, Lynn, MA – unique pocketbooks
Nadine Mitchell, All Buttoned Up, Lynn, MA – pins made from vintage buttons
Chikako Mukai, Chikako Designs, Arlington, MA – headbands, cell phone holders, glasses cases, sachets
Laurie Preble, Luxxables, Lynn, MA – unique beaded letter wall art
Barry Ridlon, artist oil paintings, Lynn, MA – tabletop oil paintings
Lindsey Ruane, Freshly Baked, Somerville, MA – confectionary jewelry

Dear Friends & Family members of Cooperative Artists Institute,

Attached you will find the latest information on the upcoming Share A Laugh Comedy Concert
featuring Wendy Liebman & Friends on Thursday, May 10 at the Somerville Theater.
As many of you know, CAI is a long-standing member of CommunityWorks. CW has done so
much to support CAI operations and programs since we became members in 1996. Through
their annual workplace campaigns and other fundraising efforts, CW has had a major positive
impact on the success of CAI programs and projects over these sixteen years. Through CW
we have also become part of a powerful network of activists and people working for social
justice to make the world a better place for everyone.

Now as CW celebrates 30 years of supporting social justice causes and small organizations
like CAI, we want to support them. We invite you join us at the Comedy Concert to show our
collective appreciation for CommunityWorks. Besides having laughs together and
supporting a great organization like CW, you will also be supporting CAI because 75%
of proceeds from your tickets go to Cooperative Artists Institute! All you have to do
when ordering tickets online is select CAI from the member list on the form.
Here is a direct link to Network for Good, which is handling all of the ticket sales.
https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=5036
Last year we met a group of CAI “friends and family” for a pre-concert dinner at Posto in Davis
Square. It was such a nice time; we want to do the same thing this year. Please call Curtis or
myself (617-524-6378) to let us know if you would like to join us and we’ll make a reservation a
few days before May 10.

Thanks for being the foundation that keeps CAI strong! We hope many of you will join us on
May 10!

Susan & Curtis

Peace Drum — Our Current Art Adventures

Another year of the Peace Drum project is unfolding with an abundance of creative adventures engaging the teens and challenging each one of them to explore their inner artist. Since October the teens have created self-portraits, art journals, personal mandalas; they’ve made and played drums, danced with Wyoma, and created imaginative mask sculptures with artist Belinda Lyons. They’ve been on field trips to Mass College of Art and Design and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and they’ve attended performances of Blue Man Group, Tony William’s Urban Nutcracker, and Twilight LosAngeles-1992 at Emerson Stage. They recently took on the Peace Drum’s annual Art Journal Challenge, to create a personal statement in collage in one hour. A panel of independent judges review the work each year and select the three best pieces for cash prizes. This year’s first prizewinner was Janéa Williams (Fenway High) for her piece illustrating her love of fashion design. (Janéa was also awarded a scholarship by MCAD to attend Xtreme Fashion Week at MassArt during February school vacation.) Second and Third prizes went respectively to Rafael Baez (Snowden International High) and Jenny Nguyen (Boston Latin Academy.)
(Photos of Wyoma Dance, AJC &Gardner Museum etc…)

In the coming weeks the teens will be embarking on two Book Arts projects. The first will be an individual book that conveys something key about each teen’s identity. The second project will be a collaborative book — a Book of Proverbs gleaned from family, friends and the elders containing “pearls of wisdom” about life. The proverbs will be in both English and Spanish, and the book will be exhibited at the Gardner Museum Community Creations Exhibit opening on May 24. The schedule in the coming weeks includes more interviews with the elders and the creation of the elder drums and stories. There will also be sessions with Gloretta Baynes and Walter Clark — both visual artists in residence at AAMARP Studios — to learn more about their work.

All of these experiences combine to give the teens a rich hands-on immersion in the arts that develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They not only learn how to work with materials and tools needed for various artistic processes, but they develop a comfort with improvisation and creative exploration. Sometimes the original plan doesn’t work out, but you don’t give up! You look for another way to do it. This is one of the most important skills young people can gain from working in the arts. Our staff members are continually inspired by the way these young people throw themselves into their arts experiences, and come away with greater understanding and confidence. These are important life skills that are best learned in a relaxed but structured learning environment with supportive peers and caring adults — and that’s what The Peace Drum provides.

Meeting The Elders
In February, the teens had their first meeting with the elders at the Back of the Hill Apartments. The room, still decorated with Valentine’s Day decorations was cheerful and cozy. Some of them are residents of the building, and some are from the broader Jamaica Plain neighborhood. After introductions, the teens started the process of getting to know more about the elders by creating pages for them in our Peace Drum Scrapbook. The session gave both groups a chance to get to know each other better and to prepare for future sessions when the life story interviews take place.

It was a wonderful experience interviewing Mrs. Elliott. She’s a joyful person, and her story about living in North Carolina was engaging. I'm looking forward to hearing more about her childhood experience.” Rafael Baez

In a few weeks the teens will return to begin learning about the early lives of the elders and recording their stories. This group of elders grew up in places like Albania, the Dominican Republic, the Deep South, and the Midwest, so the teens will have a chance to learn about childhoods spent very differently than their own. In the coming months, in addition to creating the elder’s stories, the teens will also make a beautiful personal “peace drum” for each elder to commemorate their life story, and to remember their experience in the project.

The drums and stories will be presented to the elders at our Peace Drum Celebration and Awards event on Tuesday, June 5th at AAMARP Studios from 5-7 PM. (See our invitation included here.)


Peace Drum Flashback
We love having visits from past graduates of the Peace Drum Project. This year several recent graduates accompanied us on field trips, and two early participants came to CAI to visit and catch up. Shaniqua Osgood (the first teen accepted into the Peace Drum Project in 2000) and her son Amari came to visit along with Christian Tschibelu, (a Peace Drum participant 2000-2003.) Both graduated from Boston English High School. Shaniqua is working on her degree in Early Childhood Education at Roxbury Community College, and Christian is in his last year at Boston Architectural College. We had a great visit, and look forward to more in the near future. (PHOTO)

Save The Date
End of Year Celebration!
Please join us for our end-of-year
Celebration & Awards Ceremony

See our drums.

Hear our stories.

Meet the participants and help us celebrate
their accomplishments on

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

5:00-7:00 PM at AAMARP Studios,
76 Atherton Street in Jamaica Plain

For more information or to volunteer to help, contact
Susan Porter at 617-524-6378.

What is the Peace Drum Project?

This project is Cooperative Artists Institute's after-school teen leadership initiative that combines performing and visual Arts in a fun, exciting process that helps teens develop while becoming a greater asset to their own communities. Inner-city Boston teens learn important life and leadership skills like critical-thinking, problem solving, listening and communication, creativity, empathy and understanding.

This 30-week project brings teens together with Boston elders to help them recall and record their life stories. After interviewing the elders, each teen makes a personalized Peace Drum for each elder that reflects their life story. This sharing of stories builds common ground and connects the two generations with each other in a positive and lasting way. The blending of the Arts with the community service helps the teens develop maturity and build supportive, positive peer relationships.

For more information call 617-524-6378, or check out
http://tribal-rhythms.org/drum_exhibit.html
and friend us on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/PeaceDrumProject

Special Thanks

Donate Now!
Your contribution to support The Peace Drum Project will ensure that we can continue to provide this one-of-a-kind experience to help at-risk youth transform their lives through the arts and their connection with elders in the community.


Very special thanks to our funders and supporters for 2011-12:
The Janey Fund, The Alice Willard Dorr Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, CommunityWorks, and the City of Boston Samuel Hudson Fund for their support of the project. We also want to thank the many individual contributors who gave to the Peace Drum Appeal this year including: Doreen Roozee & Atif Zaman, Alchemy Foundation, Barbara Mahoney Glicksman, Carol Hornblower and Fred Weber, and the following Friends of the Peace Drum Project: Kasey Davis & Sam Appleman, Barbara Beckwith, Thomas Belkakis, Berta R. Berriz, Steven & Linda Brion-Meisels, Robert & Ann Buxbaum, Eleanor Chin & Kevin Gillespie, Neil Davin, Paula Elliott, Sara Freed, Jake Hart, Lawrence Johnson, Victoria Johnson, Russ Keegan, Ann Kerrey, Mary Jane Low, Priscilla Morris, Patricia Nassau, George Pope, Elizabeth Resnick, Bob & Robin Ribokas, Gary Rickson, Kerry Rumore, Judith Steinbergh, Patricia Steuert, Barbara Turner, Aisha Jamilla Wiley, Jack Mikhail Wolfson, Althea Wright, Karen Anne Zien, and Jim Zien