Arts
Sounds Local: Swing your partner round and round: Polka, square dancing, country and rock all on tap at the Heath Fair this weekend
By SHERYL HUNTER
Fair season is fast upon us, which is both good news and bad news. Good because who doesn’t love a fair? But bad because their arrival is a reminder that summer is quickly coming to an end.One of the first fairs of the season is the Heath Fair, which...
No longer lost in the shadow of her husband’s legacy: Researcher uncovers clues to the life of 19th century Greenfield woman, whose paintings hung in the Capitol
By AALIANNA MARIETTA
Hidden in a Greenfield basement was the breakthrough for Christine Pifer-Foote’s research on Anna Feron Pierce Judah, a ghost of Greenfield’s past: a watercolor painting of a flower from the 1800s.Until recently, Anna Judah, who Pifer-Foote describes...
Artists adopt a collaborative model: Self-curated “We’ll Show U” on view at Greenfield Gallery showcases diverse regional artists
By MARY BYRNE
A group of artists from across the region are collaborating on a six-week-long exhibit at Greenfield Gallery, demonstrating a partnership that seeks to model a collaborative approach to sustainable practice.The exhibit, “We’ll Show U,” is a...
Two new children’s books from Haley’s: “Madame Monarch” and “It’s Okay to Be Sad”
By TINKY WEISBLAT
“Madame Monarch” by Sylvia Wetherby Haley’s, 30 pages, $12“It’s Okay to Be Sad” by Kathleen Nicoletti Haley’s, 54 pages, $12.95Haley’s Publishing recently released two appealing, colorful books for young people.“Madame Monarch,” by Sylvia Wetherby of...
Sounds Local: Rocking Puppies pack a punk rock sugar rush: Father-daughter duo will perform at Peskeompskut Park this Saturday, along with Home Body and the Barlows
By SHERYL HUNTER
“To have fun and rock your face off” are the goals of Rocking Puppies, the father-daughter punk duo of Michael and Pema Crigler of Greenfield.Rocking Puppies will perform at Peskeompskut Park in Turners Falls on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 6:30 p.m., in a...
Echoes of ‘The Scream’: the stunning views of Edvard Munch on view at The Clark
By DON STEWART
It’s often been said by art critics that the most well known painted image is “The Scream” by Edvard Munch (1863 – 1944).The ghostly figure, with hands held to his face under a blood red sun, has even been satirized with comic characters from Bart...
Sounds Local: Gaslight Tinkers bring their danceable style to Permaculture Place
By SHERYL HUNTER
If you are in need of some feel-good music that will have you dancing until your feet hurt, then The Gaslight Tinkers are the band for you. The Tinkers are from Brattleboro, Vermont, and are known for uplifting, high-energy shows that always have...
Sounds Local: ‘Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy’: The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever returns Sunday to celebrate Bush and Brontë
By SHERYL HUNTER
If you head to Greenfield’s Energy Park on Sunday afternoon you will discover a field of red-clad dancers swaying about to the song “Wuthering Heights” by the British musician Kate Bush. The reason for this collective performance is that the dancers...
Ashfield Film Fest returns September 22 and 23: Hilltown residents are invited to submit films now through August 31
By BELLA LEVAVI
The Ashfield Film Festival committee is inviting hilltown residents to get their cameras out once again and submit films for the 2023 Local Shorts Competition.“The festival is all about us. It is about people here in the hilltowns,” Harry Keramidas,...
Book Bag: Debut novel by Dean Cycon tells the story of a fraught WWII homecoming for Holocaust survivors
By STEVE PFARRER
Finding Home (Hungary, 1945)By Dean Cycon; Koehler Books A common image from the end of World War II in Europe is that of cheering crowds of people welcoming Allied troops in towns and cities that had been liberated from the Nazis.A lesser-known and...
‘Curse of Cairn Castle’ and ‘The Witch’s Midden’
By TINKY WEISBLAT
Haley’s Publishing recently released two fun, colorful books for young people by the imaginative author and illustrator Elizabeth Lindgren of Orange.The first, “Curse of Cairn Castle,” follows the adventures of Beetle Beane as she battles for the...
Sounds Local: The sounds of summer: A roundup of new releases and shows to celebrate them
By SHERYL HUNTER
We are halfway through summer, and although we have coped with more than our share of heat and rain, we have enjoyed plenty of great music.During these warm weather months, some of our local musicians have released excellent new music, and since you...
Shelburne Falls poet awarded prize
By MERCY LINGLE
When Shelburne Falls resident Maria Williams was writing her newest poetry collection, “White Doe,” she often found herself wondering “Who do you become when the trappings of your life fall away?” This question was influenced by her experiences with...
Sounds Local: Let’s get together and feel alright: Annual Wendell Reggae Fest returns this Saturday at Deja Brew Cafe & Pub
By SHERYL HUNTER
When you listen to reggae music, you’ll find that your spirits are immediately uplifted. The music’s positive lyrics, rhythmic beats and bass-heavy sounds contribute to its relaxing quality. If you want to experience some of this feel-good, danceable...
Sounds Local: Robin Lane to perform in Shelburne Falls, Holyoke
By SHERYL HUNTER
Robin Lane has worked in many musical styles throughout her lengthy career. There were the folk stylings of her early years when she was part of the Laurel Canyon scene and the new wave punk-influenced sound of her band Robin Lane and the...
Tony Sarg, who invented the Macy’s Parade balloons and dominated world of illustration in the early 20th century, in spotlight again at Rockwell Museum
By DON STEWART
He is credited as the inventor of the comical, and quite enormous, gas-filled dirigible, since 1927 the symbol of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades. Called “the father of modern American puppetry,” his productions toured the country and his staff later...
A world of music in Turners Falls: Second annual Antenna Cloud Farm Music Walk presents six bands on Saturday
By JULIAN MENDOZA
Following the Antenna Cloud Farm Music Walk’s successful debut last year, organizer Michi Wiancko is “trying to go as deep as possible” this year, to present the “highest-quality experience.”The second annual Music Walk, part of the Gill-based...
Sounds Local: After 40 years, surely they are giants: They Might Be Giants returns to Franklin County with a show at Tree House Brewing Company on July 6
By SHERYL HUNTER
The alt-pop band, They Might Be Giants, is a longtime favorite here in western Massachusetts. They have played in Northampton many times over their lengthy career and even headlined the Green River Festival in 2003. The duo of John Linnell and John...
Books you will want in a place you will love: New location of The Raven bookstore opens at the Mill in Shelburne Falls
By BELLA LEVAVI
John Petrovato thinks that successful bookstores can be anywhere. “People love traveling for a good bookstore,” Petrovato said. With this idea, Petrovato went on a search for a year, looking for the perfect remote location for his new shop. He settled...
Sounds Local: Your summer festival checklist: Preparing for a good time at the Green River Festival, and more
By SHERYL HUNTER
The Green River Festival is on everybody’s mind, so let’s discuss how to prepare for the big weekend again. I’ve put together some tips to ensure you have the best festival experience, whether at the Green River Festival or any festival you might...
