Play with vocal harmonies, rhythms and expression - easy to follow along, and opportunities to lead and improvise (for those who want to.) CircleSinging emphasizes being in the moment and opening to the creation of unexpected musical journeys. One person in the center of the circle makes up and teaches simple vocal parts to small sections on the outside of the circle, which combine to form an organic and dynamic whole. People can then improvise on top of the "groove." You can follow along, or volunteer to take a turn leading. We also do some simple vocal improv exercises. Our voices and our bodies are the only instruments! No experience necessary. You can read more and see videos of CircleSinging at our Meetup website  (scroll down under "What we're about" to see videos.)

This event happens one Saturday per month in Arlington and one Sunday per month in Cambridge.

Spring has just about sprung! Celebrate new growth and perhaps make a little garden decoration by painting one of our adorable wooden mushrooms. You can make it pop with crazy colors or blend in with natural earth tones. $15pp

Come dance, wiggle, and groove to the tunes of the coming spring as Margot Fox brings her family-friendly folk rock to the Boston area. Her good pal Pat Tambor will help on drums, playing slap-happy jams like "Planet Clementine," "Alphabet City," and more. Margot's been showing folks a good time for the last 16 years, having started as a singer-songwriter on the music scene in New York and Massachusetts before finally finding her calling for family music.

The Arlington International Film Festival (Boston, MA). invite high school and independent filmmakers to submit their films to this year festival in November.

mission: to foster an appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the world through independent film. It is quite a lovely film.

Film Freeway  https://filmfreeway.com/festival/arlingtoninternationalfilmfestival

Life, passion, redemption, and community-- all are invited to sing these themes woven together in harmony at the upcoming Family Folk Chorale concert “A Reason to Believe”. The event will be an all-ages rousing concert of the music of Bruce Springsteen, including a medley of favorites such as “Glory Days”, “Born in the USA”, “Hungry Heart”, “Streets of Philadelphia”, and many more.

Join us to celebrate the rich, decades-long stream of songs honoring our yearnings, authenticity, and struggles. The program, curated by artistic director Chris Eastburn from the 18-album canon of “The Poet Laureate of Rock 'n Roll,” also includes “The Rising”, “Land of Hope and Dreams,” and “We Take Care of Our Own,” uplifting gems from Springsteen’s later, more humanistic songwriting. These songs mark The Boss as one of the most successful songwriters of all time, yet, surprisingly, offer a refreshing antidote to commercial culture.

Family Folk Chorale is the Boston area’s premier intergenerational chorus, led by award-winning Artistic Director Chris Eastburn and backed by some of Boston’s most versatile musicians, including Gary Backstrom​ on guitars; Jonah Backstrom on drums; Paul Hatem on guitar; and Quinn Eastburn on fiddle and keyboard.

Family Folk Chorale concerts  are described by audience members as a musical "experience” or “happening” that hails to a time when live music was part of the daily fabric of home and community.

These concerts are perfect for people of all ages – we provide lyrics, opportunities to sing and dance along, refreshments, and a front seating area for young children.

The historic Arlington Town Hall is easily accessible by MBTA bus #77 from Harvard Square, or you’ll find plenty of free, on-street and public parking on Sundays.

Walk to dinner after the concert at one of Arlington Center's numerous delicious eateries and cafes.

To be notified of upcoming concerts, join our​ m​ailing list​, or like us on​ ​Facebook.​

Every student in the Arlington High School Visual Art Department will exhibit at least one art work in this annual exhibit event. Join us at the reception for these students on March 21, 2019 5-7 pm at the High School.

The exhibit and reception will take place in the Teachers' Cafe Gallery at Arlington High School. Student artwork from every visual art course at the high school will be included representing ceramics, digital photography, mixed media, painting and much more.

There will be live music by students and refreshments will be served.

The Arlington Center for the Arts presents the first Member Exhibit in the new Shaira Ali Gallery + Performance Center at ACA.

From wool felt collage to tile mosaic, from ink drawing to jeweled construction, from traditional media like watercolor to contemporary digital photography, each piece in this exhibition can stand alone as a testament to individual expression. Taken as a whole, the collection of work in SPARK! presents a diverse tapestry of the enduring creative spark and reflects the myriad ways ACA and Arlington's artists nourish our community.

The exhibit will be on display in the Shaira Ali Gallery at ACA through April 19.

The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, with extended hours on Thursday evenings until 8:00pm.

Join the Arlington Center for the Arts for this special 4-week workshop, centering on the life and work of three pioneering composers - George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein.

No musical training or knowledge is required to enjoy our four weeks together as we listen to the works of these three legendary artists and investigate elements in each of their lives—aesthetic, political, and personal—that make their music uniquely American.

Taught by Dotty Burstein.

Teaching drama to kindergartners? Producing a play with elementary school students? Want to make books more interactive in your classroom?

Vanessa Schukis, an experienced teacher of over 30 years in education and the performing arts, will take you through her process of planning and teaching drama for kids. Topics will include selecting materials, writing scripts, class structure and rehearsal activities.

A great opportunity for performing arts teachers and those who want to bring the more art into their classrooms.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

THE TULIP: A HISTORY

Ila Cox

From the foothills of the Himalayas, trace the journey of the handsome tulip that came to captivate Holland in the 16^th century to the point that it created the economic phenomenon known as “Tulipmania.” Plant history intersecting with human culture is certainly colorful when it comes to the esteemed tulip.

Fugitive Stories continues its special brand of non-competitive storytelling at Kickstand Cafe in Arlington. We bring Moth and Massmouth winners, along with others from the local community, to share their stories. Do you want to tell your story on our theme? Sign up Kickstand or fill out our form online. We'll get back to you to let you know if you're in. We also invite audience members who are interested in telling a five- to six-minute story on our theme to drop their name in a hat. If chosen, they’ll tell their tale.

March’s Theme: “Enough”

Featured Tellers

Brendyn Schneider
Professional storyspinner, published writer, performance instructor, host, and TedX Coach, Brendyn Schneider is a Boston-based storyteller who’s been featured at WGBH Studios, Emerson College, Coolidge Corner Theater, Somerville Theatre, and other action-packed venues across New England. He is a Moth StorySLAM winner, a winner of multiple Massmouth regional and semifinal slams, as well as a three-time finalist for Massmouth’s annual “BigMouthOff” show. He’s also been featured as performer and host at Northeast Storytelling’s annual conference, “Sharing the Fire” and he recently moderated a panel of master storytellers at Juilliard in New York City. A Fugitive Stories veteran, Brendyn takes his audiences on story-trips of wit through the follies of growing up and the everyday slog. For more, please venture to brendynschneider.com.

Don Picard
Don is a Moth storyteller who shares his own moving life moments with humor and humility. He has worked in software development for nearly 30 years and is currently employed for JobCase, “a place to manage all things work-related, especially the wisdom, experience and connections” of other job hunters. Don was a double major in Theatre Arts and Computer Science at Cornell, and chose to work as an engineer in order to be able to live in Cambridge and feed his family. Don enjoys telling live stories about his kids, husband, and extended family as it is fun, therapeutic, and allows him to exercise the other half of his college degree so he doesn’t become bitter.

Rose Saia
Rose is a Moth and Massmouth story slam winner who most enjoys telling stories outside of competition. She's been a featured teller at The International Institute “Suitcase Stories” and WGBH’s Stories from the Stage as well as on other stages in the Boston area. When she isn’t telling stories she’s hearing them at her day job as food pantry director for Open Table in Maynard which provides food and meals to over 400 households a week. She's lived in Acton for 25 years but grew up in South Boston, a place full of stories. She is the co-founder of Fugitive Stories who loves returning to the warmth of this community of tellers and those who join to hear them.

It’s officially spring! As the ground thaws, the fairies return. Create a lovely little fairy cottage box with felt grass, flowers, stones and jewels. The perfect welcome home for the fairies. $15pp

Navigating the art world as a marginalized person can be frustrating, but it is possible! Join artist Catherine Graffam as she talks about finding her life-saving creative path as a trans woman and her advice on how to kick the art world door in and make space for yourself once you're there. Graffam has recently been profiled in The Jealous Curator's new book A Big Important Art Book (Now With Women) for her emotive and personal artwork. Author Danielle Krysa acknowledges the value of Graffam’s extremely intimate and honest portrayal of her journey as a trans woman: "I have always seen Catherine Graffam's work as very brave."

Graffam has exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Clark University, the University of Rhode Island, the University of New Hampshire, and many others. She has spoken at the University of North Florida, the University of Virginia, and currently teaches at Lasell College.

Bluesapocalypse Music Concert on Sunday March 31st at the Regent Theatre in Arlington. Proceeds will benefit the local arts community. Doors open at 1:00 pm. Featuring the following artists:

Sam Hooper
Musical guest International blues & soul singer-songwriter Sam Hooper comes to Arlington from Cleveland for this special appearance.

Louise Grasmere
Combining all the elegance and grace of the classic jazz singers with the ringing power and authority of the great blues shouters.

The Lights Out Blues Band
A 4-piece traditional blues band that honors the "Chess Records" masters of the '50s and 60's while creating its own style of traditional blues.

Bees Deluxe
Bees Deluxe’s unique repertoire includes originals and fresh takes on tunes by Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Charles Mingus, Freddie King, and Etta James.

Location: Regent Theatre, Medford Street, Arlington MA

On March 31^st at 3 PM, Kate Kayaian brings her expressive solo cello playing to the Sanctuary of Park Avenue Congregational Church (50 Paul Revere Road, in Arlington Heights, MA).  She will be performing works by Bach, Gianopoulos, Hovhannes, and Cassadó for an unforgettable program showcasing how each of these composers conveys a sense of place, time and wonder.  An artist’s reception in the Parish Hall will follow the concert. Tickets in advance are $18 adults and $12 seniors/students; and at the door $23 and $15. To reserve tickets: 781-643-8680.  For more information on the concert series: www.pacc-ucc.org/events/concertseries.

This month Reel Queer watches Frida, a biopic of the bold and controversial life of artist Frida Kahlo.  This film is rated R and has a runtime of 2h 3m.

The Arlington Author Salon is a free reading series with a twist: each author’s presentation includes something special to tickle the senses. Music, paintings, photographs, tasty treats, fabrics, even smells! Let yourself be transported with an immersive, literary experience.  April’s theme is “Love in Tumultuous Times,” featuring the work of Jenna Blum, Christopher Castellani, and Whitney Scharer. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Jam’n Java Open Mic at Kickstand Café takes place on the First Friday of every month 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm at Kickstand Café, 594 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA (Arlington Center)

Come listen to talented local performers or sign up to play. All are welcome. Admission is free. Performer sign up starts at 6:00 pm

On a typical evening, a dozen or more acts perform one or two songs each. Midway through the evening a featured act performs a 30-minute set.

Open mic performers include individuals of all ages and musical styles as well as aspiring local artists. Midway through the evening a featured act performs a 30-minute set.

April's Feature Performer  Gary Goldsmith

Gary’s blues-inspired music incorporates traditional, rock & Jazz influences. His songs range from humorous to introspective. His deep, resonant voice & elegant guitar playing are sure to impress.