2022 ACAC Grantees

Explore the themes of perspective, empathy and connection in this recital series "Crossing the Space Between Us" featuring Arlington hornist Hazel Dean Davis and friends. Hazel will perform alongside Arlington violist Amelia Hollander Ames, pianist Elaine Rombala Aveni, and hornist Nick Auer for an evening of music and poetry. The recital includes a new work by Arlington composer Jonathan Bailey Holland based on the poem "Two Voices in a Meadow" by Richard Wilbur, commissioned especially for this recital in celebration of Hazel's 15th wedding anniversary. Poetry readings will be integrated throughout the recital.
April 15 7:30pm at Longy Pickman Concert Hall
May: Arlington Town Hall TBD
May: Roasted Granola TBD

Kalliope Reed Quintet is thrilled to present their first Arlington in-person concert since 2020, featuring an eclectic but beautiful program with works by Francine Trester, Jenni Brandon, Miguel del Aguila, Daniel Cueto, and J.S. Bach. Admission free, donations accepted, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington Center.

The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts will be partnering with the Robbins Children Room at the Arlington Public Library to provide an American Sign Language storytime and interactive workshop. Inquire at www.mosesianarts.org and Robbins Children Room for more information and specific dates between now and May 2022.

ACAC’s 3rd Artist-in-Residence brings Haitian American artist Chanel Thervil to Arlington for a project celebrating Black people who live or work in the Town. The residency is being planned & implemented in partnership with the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Thervil will implement a community engagement process, meeting with people for conversation and story sharing. Based on her findings during this open-ended engagement process, Thervil will create mixed media artwork for permanent installation in a public place in the town. We expect that the project will be centered on portraiture; Thervil is known in the Boston area for expressive, vibrant portraits of friends, family, & community leaders. The residency will support public participation in the artmaking process of an accomplished artist & to address issues around identity, race, & belonging while building community.

Belmont World Film’s 19th Family Festival will bring short and feature length film programs from around the world--most based on children's books--plus several workshops: clay animation, film criticism, and animation.

Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) will host AIFF: Celebrating the Arts through Music, a two concert series featuring Eduardo Betancourt and Rasa String Quartet that will bring together community and lift spirits. Considered “one of the iconic harpists of this new age,” Eduardo Betancourt is a Grammy-award winning Venezuelan musician, producer, arranger, composer, instructor, and multi-instrumentalist with 30 years of experience in traditional and fusion Venezuelan music. https://www.eduardobetancourt.com/. The award-winning Rasa String Quartet is passionate about performing powerful and innovative programs that are inspired by a wide variety of traditions, fusing multiple genres, incorporating different artforms, and helping the classical culture become more accessible to all. https://rasastringquartet.com/.

The Delvena Theatre Company presents A Cup of Tea. A live performance set during the WWII London Blitz, when there was no toilet paper, flour, yeast, and everything was shut down. An upper-class woman bravely and hilariously keeps one little theater alive by doing an oh-so tasteful unclothed review for the boys nightly, while bombings shake the stage. A new friend appears and shares her wish to marry her sweetheart. With heart and humor, the two make this dream come true, proving that all one really needs in life is a lot of laughter and a good friend! The cast will remain after the show for a talk-back session.

When two trolls try to take care of a fairy garden they have to decide what’s more important — is it their toaster or the fairies’ cherished tree? Puppeteer Margaret Moody, artist Ann Wynne and musician Peter Lehman team up to present this interactive, green-themed puppet show at Old Schwamb Mill on June 4 at 10:30am. Best for children ages 4 to 10 and their families.

Rebecca McGowan and collaborators will perform a series of spontaneous outdoor performances entitled Popup Step About. Performances will feature traditional Irish step and sean-nós dance and live music. Passersby are invited to linger and enjoy these small moments of surprise artistry, inspired by favorite corners of nature in Arlington. Eight one-hour performances will be held between March and June, in a variety of parks and other outdoor locations in Arlington.

Dan Fox and the Arlington Jazz Festival presents: The Pop-Up Jazz Series will be four outdoor performances at various locations around Arlington Center. The performances will feature a wide variety of Arlington’s talented local musicians, students and professionals alike. Dates and locations TBD.

True Story Theater in collaboration with the Commission on Disability and the Council on Aging, will offer two interactive story sharing performances to help deepen public understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities, including seniors, youth, and caregivers, and one workshop to give participants practical tools on how to be effective advocates and allies. True Story Theater has 20 years of experience in Arlington using interactive theater to honor people's struggles and humanity, increase compassion and understanding through sharing and dramatizing personal stories, as well as help those who bravely share their experiences (and those who personally identify with these issues) feel less alone.

Diane Wong, Opening the Door to Reparations Dialogue will offer a 4 part reparations dialogue practice series. The series will provide Arlington residents and those in nearby communities with opportunities for a deep awareness of and sensitivity to an escalating racial reckoning.The series provides facilitated historical and current topic small and large group dialogue and interaction.

Friends of Magnolia Park will continue and expand the Magnolia Park Summer Concert Series in East Arlington. The concert series brings the community together to listen to music in an outdoor setting, with concerts held at a time that invites families and friends to gather for a picnic dinner and after-meal socializing while the musicians provide entertainment. The series will include a variety of musical acts, in genres such as brass band, jazz, pop, and children’s music. Performances will be held weekdays beginning in June.

Award winning local choreographer Jessica Roseman will lead NOURISH, participatory community gatherings, as Artist in Residence at Lexington Community Farm. In NOURISH, Roseman invites farm visitors to explore creative connections between dance, racial and spatial justice, and growing food. Spark your creativity by trying simple, gentle, and fun movement ideas with friends and family! Open to all ages and abilities; no movement experience needed.

This spring, Arlington Center for the Arts is offering a new program -- Teen Artists on the Issues: Documentary Bootcamp -- providing a special opportunity for passionate and creative teens to expand their understanding of the impact arts can have on communities through a free, immersive, hands-on learning experience, transforming the issues young people care about into documentaries that will inform and engage our community. This program is made possible with grants from the Robert and Toni Bader Charitable Foundation and the Arlington Cultural Council (ACAC Grants Committee), a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The quintet Spheres of Influence will present an hour-long masterclass discussing different musical topics including composition, improvisation, and performance, as well as answer questions for Arlington High School students and community musicians. The event will culminate with a performance at the Arlington Center for the Arts. Performance Date TBD.