May 2019 Issue

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Issue 15 • May 2019 • Facebook.com/TalkArts

IT’S ALL ABOUT

ARTS

Supporting Local Arts and Culture

Wendi Gray


IN THIS ISSUE http://www.issuu.com/artstudio99

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Wendi Gray – Roslindale’s Plein Air Resident Artist by Janice Williams The Poetry Page – Charles Cox and Stephen Levin Nature Rules – Ruth LaGue, Erik Gehring and Joni Lohr in Salem Roslindale Arts Alliance Youth Art Scholarship CFA at MFA by Suzanne Schultz Not Dead Yet by Theo Greenblatt Kids See Jazz by Curt Naihersey Local Theater – The Importance of Being Earnest at Footlight Club JP Art of Local Food – La Tagueria by Kelly McKeeney The Local Music Corner by Perry Persoff Mural Mural…on the Wall by Curt Naihersey MOM – Artist Deb Putnam 500 Sketchbooks Project by Chris Howe Tess’s To Do List by Tess McColgan Art of Motherhood – Janice Williams

Thank You Advertisers: Artist Dan McCole Gallery Sitka Centre Cuts Salon and Spa Linda Burnett Realtor® It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019

May 2019

Promoting Local Arts and Culture for Over 20 Years https://www.facebook.com/TalkArts/



Wendi Gray – Roslindale’s Plein Air Resident Artist by Janice Williams

The fact of the matter is that not only is Wendi Gray an amazing artist (1), but she works plein air (2) in my home town of Roslindale (3), a triptych of sorts for me. Gray is prolific. She works on her art every day. I follow her artful journey on Instagram as do so many others around the world. She says, “Sharing my artwork has been really interesting because you can reach out to other artists that you admire and followers of your own work and have an exchange about materials or subject matter. It’s always interesting when someone from across the planet like from Nigeria or Siberia asks about Roslindale and we are then able to speak about artwork and also give each other support without barriers like language or location”. Born in Warner Robins, GA and now a beloved Roslindale resident, Gray graduated from Massachusetts College of Art with a BFA in Painting. According to Gray, “My love for art and observing the world started from the very beginning but it amped up in my young years in elementary school when I had to start dealing with my chronic illness and years of hospitalization. Through all those years of surgeries, IV ports, wheelchairs and being homebound, I developed my skills in drawing and observation”. Today Gray still has to cope with her chronic illness but says operations and meds have helped her to be more active. She says, “I’m grateful for each day I am able to get up and to express how happy I am to be outside and, on my feet, expressing how I feel about my neighborhood with paint. Elements don’t stop Gray either. She works outside in all kinds of It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019

weather, day and night. Gray tells me, “I love light and how it transforms something very simple into something a little more interesting to look at. I will paint anything”. Her drawing/painting mediums include oils, gouache, oil pastels, soft pastels and casein. Her favorite spot to work in Roslindale is Cummins Highway as there is a stellar view of the blue hills at sunrise as well as lots of interesting street lighting at night. There are beautiful churches as well as businesses and lots of cars. Gray is energized and inspired by the outdoors. She is particularly fascinated with streetscapes. From a young age her desire to do art was influenced by such artists as Willem De Kooning, Edward Hopper, Paul Cezanne, and Phillip Guston. When she is outside, she uses big headphones to block out a lot of the street and traffic noise. She also plays music, “I tend to listen to all sorts of music but when (continued)


Wendi Gray – Roslindale’s Plen Air Resident Artist by Janice Williams (continued)

I paint it tends to be artists like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin. They immediately put me in a good mood. One night I had painted to one of Stevie Wonder’s albums and the producer of that exact album hit like on that painting. Such a neat social media moment for me”. Art has played a big role in her family as well. She met her husband Michael at Mass Art and then many years later they became foster parents and adopted two sons who both enjoy art for fun and for coping. Her youngest son paints on the street with her sometimes in the summer and on vacations and loves the attention. Another reason to love Gray, she donates 10% of the profits from her Roslindale paintings back into the community via Roslindale Village Main Street. Follow Wendi Gray: @graywendi on Instagram Photos: Stephanie Gray

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


SAGA OF THE FISH STICKS Driven by an ancient impulse the fish sticks swim upstream towards those who eagerly await the Friday Lenten rendezvous. The other fish, those with tails and fins, giggle as the odd shapes struggle past, yet the fish sticks pay no mind, just push forward, ever forward, while those that wait gaze across the rolling waters and shout with joy when the exhausted travelers finally make their way to shore. But just as the fish sticks think they’ve shown the world who’s boss… their saga ends in tartar sauce. - Charles Cox

! PRAYER In a quiet corner of the supermarket parking lot an employee in red t-shirt kneels on a piece of cardboard bows, then rises to speak the holy words, his view of Mecca unimpeded by the dumpster and unpainted wooden fence. - Charles Cox (both of these poems are from Mr. Cox’s just published collection, “Memento Mori”)

! ************ REFLECTION ON 9/11 AND A POEM BY AUDEN Our stupor was as gray and thick
 As the wall of smoke and debris
 That chased survivors down 3rd Avenue. We could not look away, nor hide, nor help. It’s All About Arts Magazine

May 2019


In our library sanctuary of soundproof walls and ceilings,
 Children find stories and feel assured:
 Seuss still rhymes, all is fine, and fantastic.
 What fantastic truths wait to confront their innocence beyond the door. This is the morning sickness we share; Grappling with current events,
 Trying to understand evil
 Disguised as devotion. From our sun dappled lavender walls,
 Storybook characters smile.
 They kiss our foreheads and comfort us.
 We listen; We love a good story with a nice ending. Day two, in Tehran We see jubilation, While in New York, We see devastation. Day three arrives.
 We rally and parade waving flags,
 Singing patriotic songs,
 Now wearing the flag is allowed and seems appropriate. We look for signs that normalcy has returned.
 Oprah leads our mourning.
 Reverends sing “We Shall Overcome”
 And our hearts die again: In Memphis, in Dallas, in New York City. Stories rise from the wreckage,
 New myths, new heroes,
 Perhaps a new tune, maybe a mini-series, Definitely a movie. Time will pass and erode memories
 We’d rather not recall.
 But today, Old Winnie waits to be read aloud, Someone needs a book about frogs. We still check in, and we will all check out. - Stephen Levin

It’s All About Arts Magazine

May 2019


Nature moves people in different ways, stimulating senses and awakening the soul. Come see Ruth LaGue, Joni Lohr and Erik Gehring using different mediums to inspire creativity and reflection. Gallery at Grosvenor Park, 7 Loring Hills Ave. Salem, MA

Ruth LaGue explores the theme of spirit within her abstract landscape paintings; the limitless interior universe that

lives within us and the outer vastness of our physical environment. Working with palette knives on canvas, she strives for visual economy in her work; combining textures, colors and patterns. Ruth’s work can be found in numerous private collections; the corporate collection of BioMed Realty, Inc. and on permanent exhibit at the Encaustic Art Institute in Sante Fe, NM. www.laguewax.com, 617-688-7688, Facebook: @laguewax, Instagram: @ruthlague, Twitter: @ruthlague

Erik Gehring is a freelance photographer who specializes in trees and natural landscapes. He is the current Pro-

gramming Coordinator at the Hyde Park Art Association, and he is a past President of the Boston Camera Club. He lives in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston with his wife Julie and sons Carl and William. Although Erik enjoys photographing natural environments all over New England, his favorite destination is Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. Erik’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, AMC’s Outdoors, Northern Woodlands, the Boston Globe, the Boston Metro, the Cape Cod Times, E the Environmental Magazine, and other publications. He has shown his fine art prints at galleries throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Erik also has lectured and taught classes and workshops at the Arboretum, the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, the Concord Art Association, the Hyde Park Art Association, and at locations all over New England for BlueHour Photo Ventures. www.erikgehring.com, 617-594-6660, erik@erikgehring.com, Facebook: @erik.gehring, Instagram: @erikgehring, Twitter: @ErikGehring

Joni Lohr is a documentary photographer whose images give permanence to fleeting moments within a range of

subjects including live street photography, performance, portraits, and abandoned buildings. She is a storyteller. Lohr has exhibited in juried shows throughout Massachusetts, including the Griffin Museum of Photography, the University Place Gallery of the Cambridge Art Association, the Morini Gallery, the Charles Fine Arts Gallery, the new England School of Photography, and the South Shore Art Center where she was awarded second prize in their Black and White exhibition. Lohr has worked with numerous bands, dance, and theatre groups throughout the Boston area, including the Harvard Dance Theater, Impulse Dance Company and Beantown Tap. She has also photographed for local charitable organizations, including the Loring-Greenough House, Jamaica Plain Porchfest, Wee the People, Friendship Works for Elders, and the South Street Youth Center. Her photographs for these organizations, dancers, and musicians have been featured on CD covers, in promotional materials, on web sites, and in magazine and newspaper articles. Born in Detroit, she spent her formative photographic years in Ann Arbor where she completed a degree in education at the University of Michigan. She now lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Lohr is a self-educated photographer, taking informal classes and workshops in Ann Abor and throughout the Boston area. www.jonilohr.com, 617 942-8712, jonilohr@gmail.com, Facebook: joni lohr photography

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Youth Art Scholarship 2019 The Roslindale Arts Alliance announces that $1,500 was raised during its recent fundraiser with ComedySportz Boston at the Rozzie Square Theatre on Apr 6, 2019. The Roslindale Arts Alliance now has $2,500 to award five ($500) scholarships to Boston youth via the “It’s All About Arts” Youth Scholarship Program. Last year three Boston Youth were awarded scholarships, thanks to the generosity of those attending and donations to the 20th Anniversary Gala of the “It’s All About Arts” TV Program. Special thanks to all who organized, attended and donated. A full list is available on the RAA web site at http://www.roslindalearts.org. For more information on how to participate in ComedySportz Boston’s various fundraising programs, visit https://www.cszboston.com/fundraising “We couldn’t be more proud or excited to be part of what we feel is a meaningful way to contribute to the community of Roslindale and Boston as a whole. We recognize deeply how valuable it is to support and encourage a young person’s curiosity in art education, whether it’s improv, dance, music, painting, drawing, video production, writing - it allows for expression, builds confidence, fosters communication, celebrates diversity, and it builds communities,” said Courtney Pong, Owner and General Manager of ComedySportz Boston and The Rozzie Square Theater. “At our core is collaboration, a muscle we work on so diligently in order to engage audiences immediately. It’s how we’ve kept them coming back laughing for the past 35 years to see ComedySportz in now 30 cities across the U.S. and Europe, as the widest-reaching, all ages-friendly live comedy show in America.”

How to Apply for the 2019 Youth Art Scholarship • Open to all Boston Middle School and High School students • The award money can be used for any visual or performance art classes or programs • Deadline to apply is May 31, 2019. • Send a short video telling us why you want to take an art class or program – share some of your artful ideas and a little about yourself. Send to glennsmusic.williams@gmail.com It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Proud to Represent: Marston Clough in 2019 WEB: gallerysitka.com | EMAIL: office@gallerysitka.com PHONE: 978.425.6290

Gallery SITKA

https://www.instagram.com/janice_art_studio_99 It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


CFA at the MFA

canvasfinearts.

Museum of Fine Arts Boston Avenue of the Arts 465 Huntington Ave. Boston,MA 617-267-9300 Toulouse-Lautrec and the Stars of Paris on view through August 4, 2019 Ann and Graham Gund Gallery (Gallery LG31)

MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum, CEO of Canvas Fine Arts Suzanne Schultz and Artist Sallie Strand

Artist Sallie Strand, Artist Sunanda Sahay and CEO Canvas Fine Arts Suzanne Schultz

M Fine Arts Owner Madison Maushart, Artist Sallie Strand and CEO of Canvas Fine Arts Suzanne Schultz

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It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


NOT DEAD YET by Theo Greenblatt In the early 80s, people used to mistake me for Nancy Spungen, which was interesting because Nancy was already long dead by then. Really she was nobody until she was dead, a pathetic groupie with a drug habit; her murder transformed her into a tragic heroine, and fame engulfed her movies, books, and her image - a sullen vacant blonde slumped on a couch next to Sid was plastered in our media minds so that she continued to live. It wasn’t really flattering to be mistaken for Nancy, but in Greil Marcus’s terms, being mistaken for a dead woman might sum up the entire Punk experience - it was over before it started, and dead before it lived. As soon as the Sex Pistols flashed, exploded, dissolved in 1978, Punk was finished; everything that came after was just... well, “aftermath”. Not part of the real scene according to many. But a lot was still living in that aftermath. I guess it depends on your definition of “real.” There was momentum, color, and definitely sound. I was never sure whether the attitude spawned the music, or the other way around. In any case, the two were synthesized - there was no Punk culture without the music. There were a lot of slightly overlapping circles of musical genre, and each had its own social style and mini-culture - really raunchy punk bands and cheesy pop, art school people and gimmick bands, people experimenting with ska and funk and jazz, kids who could barely play but had a great time on stage, and people who couldn’t play at all and just made up band names and wrote them on bathroom walls. I don’t really understand why all this music caught me, but it did and it still does. It demands movement but not grace - it smacks of abandon and revolt. Perhaps it resonates with some inner discord of mine, as yet unresolved. Certainly it generated discord, with those outside its influence. The night David Minehan got hit in the head with a bottle by an irate John Travolta wanna-be, I thought punk was alive with meaning. It was in front of the Strawberries record store in Kenmore Square, on those long low steps that ran the length of the It’s All About Arts

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building. I don’t know what the disco kid was even doing on our side of the street; usually they stuck to Lucifer’s over by the Greek restaurant, and we held court at the Rat and the Deli, on the Fenway side. Pale, thin David, with spikes of henna red hair falling over his forehead, in his tight black jeans and faded t-shirt, was an unlikely combatant. He fronted a pop trio called the Neighborhoods, whose songs sounded gritty but had sugary titles like “Flavors” and “Prettiest Girl”. I still have a color Xerox mock-up of their first 45 cover that shows them riding the roller coaster at Paragon Park. There were a lot of meaner and more dangerous looking punks around than David Minehan. That’s for sure. Although I don’t think any of them were as mean as they looked - hardly any of us were, but that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy generating a little alarm here and there. That hot summer night in front of Strawberries, the dirty looks percolated into some desultory name-calling - not so unusual, but this time it quickly escalated into real violence. I saw the kid pick up the bottle and smash it over David’s head, and some other kids rushed in to grab him before he could do more damage with the now-broken bottle. Suddenly it looked like a riot - fists flying, leather jackets flapping. Yes, we wore them regardless of temperature - like the grand dames of Beverly Hills in their furs. They were status symbols in a way. Or a measure of our commitment to... what? Fashion, maybe? Or anti-fashion. Anti-christ? Johnny Rotten? Meanwhile, the polyester suits of the disco boys reflected the orange light of the giant Citgo sign as it filled the sky and faded, filled and faded. The cops came and David was taken to the hospital. His girlfriend overwrought, or depending on whose version you believed, she might have just been milking the situation for attention and free drugs. So what was the meaning I saw there that night? It was in the perception. Somehow suddenly (finally?) punk had pissed people off enough to throw bottles. It had acquired critical mass worthy of passionate opposition. It wasn’t anything we were really doing or saying, because mostly what we were doing was dressing up and playing music (or banging musicians), and what we were saying was that we didn’t give


a shit about anyone else, but the refusal to conform - it irritated people. This wasn’t so much a “generation gap” like the sixties, old versus young. This was faction against faction - a war of values; or hell, maybe it was just a clash of fashion. Granted the British punks had more class or anti-class. They had more to complain about and they did it with more style, but we were still passionately uncaring. Another night I stood in the rain in front of Spit, one of a string of nightclubs on Lansdowne Street, owned by the Lyons brothers, who like a family of American Malcolm McClarens, made a fortune by sussing out the latest music trends and creating an aura of exclusiveness around their ever-changing theme clubs rollerskating, disco, eurotrash. They always nailed the latest and took it from avant-garde to passé. None of it touched them - they were businessmen, not punks. Although Pat Lyons did sport a pristine black leather jacket on occasion. In some ways, people like the Lyons’ were responsible for the passing of every trend as soon as you made it that far, you were a sell-out, washed up in terms of integrity. Just like with the music - home-grown Boston bands like The Cars were considered innovative and cool until they made it big. Once they signed to a major record label, much of their original fan base turned their backs. “New wave” was already “old guard.” If you succeeded, you failed - you could no longer be a true rebel. Cruel irony for some, but it lent righteousness to those who never played a venue bigger than the Rat, or Cantone’s, or maybe an opening gig at the Paradise. I had some friends who started a quarterly newspaper - a step up from a fanzine; they were poor enough to have plenty of integrity, although they could always afford pot. I volunteered to handle the advertising and sold the back page to the Lyons empire, so we never had to pay to get into Spit - they gave us little plastic cards with the club’s logo - the word “Spit” splashed on them so it looked like something you coughed up on the sidewalk. We would wave our magic cards and the big guys at the door would wave us past the crowds - this was the worst kind of elitism, but our contempt and It’s All About Arts

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cynicism allowed us to take advantage of it. That night I must have been waiting for someone, or waiting for the club to open, because I was standing in line in the drizzle, and a reporter from one of the TV news shows was there interviewing the kids going in - trying to make them look and sound as derelict as possible. His agenda was clear. He aimed his camera and microphone at the kids who looked least capable of responding articulately, with the purpose of pointing out to Middle America just how doomed we were. He kept cornering them and asking condescending questions, like when was the last time they’d been in school. I didn’t want their fatuous ignorance representing all punks, so I worked my way into his line of vision. Kohl-black eye make-up was running down my cheeks - the pink streaks in my hair, darkened by the rain, made me look like an accident victim. I was wearing Doc Marten’s and a torn men’s raincoat with a moth-eaten fur piece around my neck - three dead foxes biting each other’s tails. He rounded on me and asked what was the last book I’d read, gleefully anticipating my inept response. Instead, I tried to engage him in a discussion of Dickens’ Bleak House, I think it was; but he clearly hadn’t read it. Of course I didn’t make it onto the nightly news, but punk had meaning that night, too. It was about busting stereotypes and pushing back at the smarmy old white guys - or one of them at least whose privilege it was to paint the media picture. It was about visibility, too. The London punks we admired so much, who needed to be heard and seen, could only do it by offending people. There was no other way to stand out - they made visual and auditory statements that couldn’t be ignored - gravitydefying hairdos in shocking shades, eyes blackened and safety pins gouged through cheeks, clothing intentionally desecrated - a refusal to own or accept any homey status quo. We idealized and idolized them - they were fearless, nothing left to lose in Thatcher’s England. They had an intensity we strove to achieve, and probably never did, except maybe, just maybe, in moments like David getting hit with that bottle, when at least we stood for something, even if we didn’t really know what. What could we rebel against here in


the US? Hmm... boredom, mostly. But we needed to be seen and heard, too. It felt good to be noticed, even to be frightening. When I rode the subway in my flight-suit with the zippers all over, smattered with band badges - Buzzcocks, Dead Boys, Gang of Four - and dog chains clanking, red sneakers, cat’s eyes staring out from under spiky bangs, people were intimidated, took a step away, looked at each other as if to say, “Oh my god, this punk thing is for real!” I felt powerful in a way that I had never felt before. Punk carved out a borderland for the silent outcasts in middle class society, the kids who didn’t fit in. The popular kids, the jocks and cheerleaders and the preps, or the people who had found good jobs. They didn’t need a borderland. They would come down to the Rat or the Space just to watch, soak up a little atmosphere. Maybe they’d wear a skinny tie or cut the sleeves off their t-shirts, but it was tourism for them - like going to the zoo. They’d ogle the spandex-clad punk girls, and then go back to their frat house and have a laugh or a wank. I remember sitting on the jukebox at the Rat one night (yes, everything happened at night; we were, above all, nocturnal). That was my regular spot, on the jukebox - a good view of the stage and the door, and complete control of the music between sets. It was crowded, as usual, and people were pressed in all around. This clean-cut boy leaned over me, his beer breath moist in my ear, and said if I spread my legs a little further, he could stick it right in. Somehow I didn’t think he would talk to the girls at the BU mixer that way. Of course, I could be wrong about that, come to think of it. At the time, I was pretty sure he was feeling way too above me. I threw my drink in his face, and he backed up, spluttering. He pulled back as if to throw a punch, but someone grabbed his arm. I understood in that moment that I was an object, a curiosity, and was to some extent, responsible for that definition, too; but this was my life, not just a fashion statement. Then again maybe my life was a fashion statement. Yes, there were people who seemed serious about living out some kind of vague anarchic or nihilist ideology - artists and musicians and students - people who were determined that nothing should have meaning, or that nothingness should have It’s All About Arts

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meaning; but the deadbeat drug addict hookers, and the transsexuals who looked good in leather - they weren’t intentionally nihilistic, they just didn’t fit in anywhere else. They were safe around us because we embraced dirt and deviance, and poverty and self-destruction. Some of the musicians played enough gigs to live off their music, and some had meaningless jobs to pay the rent - the more mundane, the better. Like my friend Merle, a bass player who worked in the shipping department at Sears Roebuck. I don’t know why they didn’t fire him a dozen times over: he called in sick - or begged me to do it for him - more often than he went to work. Disconnected from any need for social approval, Merle used to snag leftover food off plates that hadn’t been cleared, on our four a.m. forays to IHOP. He wasn’t that broke, he just didn’t care. Or didn’t care about anything but music. A bunch of the guys, my newspaper friends, drove cabs to make money. They were pretty independent that way and could make their own hours around their gigs and drug deals. Kit, a tall, skinny guitar player was driving one night and picked up a badluck fare - a kid who robbed him, stabbed him, and left him for dead in the front seat of the cab. When the cops found him, they knew there wasn’t time to wait for an ambulance - he wasn’t dead yet, but he was getting there fast. They folded his lean, limp body into their patrol car and took him to the hospital where the doctors sawed open his chest and stopped up the hole where the life was running out. The music scene in Boston was small, and lots of people knew Kit dozens of bands stepped up to raise money for his hospital bills. Not caring about anything found a limit there. We had a sense of community after all. They put together a concert, and made t-shirts to sell - The Kit Dennis Hole-in-the-Heart Benefit. The front of the t-shirt had a blood-red stain over the heart, and the words ‘Not Dead Yet’ scrawled across the chest. So, some people were living a righteous starving artist existence, or a snarling Johnny Rotten “I don’t care” existence, but the rest of us, well, I did live in a suitably dingy basement rear apartment of the last house on a dead end street by the railroad tracks, but I had a job in an upscale


clothing store. I had to humble myself and wear a hat to work to cover my pink hair, but I wasn’t going to starve. I have to admit that I wasn’t committed enough to make myself totally ugly either, like some of the girls in the fanzines, and I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t escape vanity or middle class roots. JoAnn, for instance, moonlighted as a stripper at the Naked Eye and shot heroin recreationally, but she was an elementary school teacher by day. I’m pretty sure her colleagues had no idea she took off her clothes for money and fucked musicians in their tour-buses. Rita lived with her psychologist dad, and her boyfriend was a Harvard student with art school pretensions, and a parent-sponsored credit card in his pocket. Johnny Angel stalked the stage with his guitar and hurled himself willingly into the crowd, but he told me once he wanted to be a stockbroker. And another friend worked for a corporate giant record store - granted, he may have indulged in some subversive activities like “losing” merchandise to his friends, but he also ensured that the store maintained an inventory of independent singles and albums that we all bought from. He helped keep the dream of fame alive for a number of local musicians, and that was something a lot of them cared about in spite of themselves. Which brings me back to the greatest irony of the punk scene: the music was the one thing it was okay to care about, but if Punk was all a big joke of Malcolm McClaren’s, and the Pistols were sell-outs, then any band that made it was a sell-out, too. Play your heart out for a recording contract, and as soon as you get it, as soon as people out there really start listening, people on the inside begin to resent and badmouth you. The only way to really make it, to really be Punk, was to never make it at all. Now I look at kids dressing up as punks for Halloween, at bands like Blink 182, a n d c h a i n s t o r e s l i k e H o t To p i c commodified, commercialized punk, marketed for mass consumption and making money hand over fist for some corporate white guy at the top of the food chain. My first impulse is to denounce them all as posers, cashing in on the caché of the past - all authenticity lost. but then I look back and think that authenticity was no more than an It’s All About Arts

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attitude. It’s true that some kind of spark is lost now, but some of these kids - well, I know them, and they still have it. My daughter’s high school friends who hung out at my house with their badges and ripped clothing, their nose rings and ear spacers and scrawny, inked up bodies. They still wore Docs and dog chains and studded collars, but they went and still go a lot further than we ever did in the self-mutilation department.I can’t help thinking, in the post-Columbine world, that kids are even more in need of visibility, of recognition, than we were - that the impulse to get in someone’s face, god damn it, is more desperate than ever, and some of it is pure nostalgia. My daughter’s friends would go through my vinyl collection with reverence, discovering long forgotten picture discs and classic after obscure classic - Nervous Eaters, Sham 69, The Dickies, The Damned, the Rezillos. I rose to new heights of coolness as a mom when one of them unearthed the original Dead Kennedys 45 of “California Uber Alles,” inscribed by the guitarist, “To Theo, the girl with the blue eyes and exciting thighs, love, Ray.” Coolness tastes different these days. So there’s commodification, but we know that there always was, and there were always posers, and there were always people who were moved by the music and by each other, and there still are. I’m not taking it away from them, even in my mind. They need it as much as we did. In that sense, in the sense of kids who need to stand up and stand out, in spite of the mass marketing and the posers and the tourists and the people who don’t understand, it’s not dead yet.

******************************* T h e o G r e e n b l a t t ’ s s h o r t s t o r y, “Solitaire,” (which we published here in Its All About Arts last year) won first place in the 2017 London Magazine Short Story Competition. She holds a PhD from the University of Rhode Island and teaches writing at the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, RI.


KIDS SEE JAZZ by Curt Naihersey

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It’s Spring vacation week as parents and their children seek new avenues of entertainment and expression. Events throughout the City provide a springboard for children’s imagination to explore creativity. Recently I dropped in for an afternoon of enthusiasm co-sponsored by the Hyde Park Library and Artists-at-Large, under the guidance of Tommey. It was a reprise of the celebrated Art Week programs, as invited kids of all ages came to paint what they hear, inspired by the legendary 1947 jazz album, “Bopland” by sax great, Dexter Gordon.

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Provided with canvases, paper, paint, brushes, and musical encouragement, a bevy of children from the Little Voices Early Care and Education school showed up eager and upbeat (sorry for the jazz pun!). When the first strains of music wafted over the room, the kids seemed uncertain - but not untouched by the music. Some felt the sounds were “strange, sad, exciting, or noisy”, but always emotional. They dove right in and got messy. When I asked several of the kids what they were painting, I got quite a few “I-don’t-know.” Some of the kids did know what they were painting and were simply trying to express how the music made them feel. Guess they needed to see what they were putting down in order to define it, although much of their imagery was youthfully free-form, surreal, and colorful. Here’s a few of the participants and some pics from the day.

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Let’s hear for: Jasmany, Vinny Ferrara, Kassandra, Aaron, Josslyn, Sean, James, Joshua, Louie, and Ms. Sarah. Do it again!

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photos by: Tommey and Curt

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________________________________________________________________________________! It’s All About Arts Magazine

May 2019


Local Theater

The Footlight Club wraps up its 142nd season with Oscar Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people,” The Importance of Being Earnest. This farcical comedy set in late Victorian era London, in which the leading characters maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations is the perfect cap to the season. The play premiered in February 1895, in London, while the Footlight Club was enjoying its 19th season! Earnest does not tackle serious social and political issues, something of which contemporary reviewers were wary, however it went on to be critically and commercially successful, and ultimately, Wilde’s most popular work. Earnest will be directed at the Footlight Club by David Marino, who has been performing, writing, directing and coaching improv and scripted theater in the Boston area for over 20 years. It’s his first time at the Footlight Club and brings with him an air of sophistication and sharp wit to this production. Produced by Amanda Bedford, Footlight Club’s Vice President of the Board of Directors, assisted by Katharine Bischoff, The Importance of Being Earnest opens Saturday, June 1 and runs through June 15 on Fridays and Saturday s at 8pm, with a matinee on Sunday, June 2 at 2pm. Tickets are $22, $20 for seniors, students and children, and are on sale now. Members can reserve a ticket for free. Please join Footlight Club members for a night of witty banter, and serious talk about silly trivia as their 142nd season draws to a close. Production dates: June 1 (Saturday), 8pm June 2 (Sunday), 2pm June 7 (Friday), 8pm June 8 (Saturday), 8pm June 14 (Friday), 8pm June 15 (Saturday), 8pm It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019

Stage Manager Madison Dinndorf, Bradley Boutcher, Michael Jay, Director David Marino, Elizabeth Loranth, and Gabrielle Jaques

Cast is as follows: Jack Worthing: Michael Jay Algernon Moncrieff: Bradley Boutcher Cecily Cardew: Gabrielle Jaques Gwendolyn Fairfax: Elizabeth Loranth Lady Bracknell: Frances Price Rev. Chasuble: Timothy Joseph Miss Prism: Jennifer Bean Lane/Merriman: Kevin Brunton

http://www.footlight.org/


ARTof Local Food CINCO DE MAYO

La Taqueria

(refurbished from my blog, rozziefoodie.blogspot.com )

By Kelly McKeeney Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in some parts of Mexico and in the USA. As I have believed in the past, it is not Mexico’s Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo commemorates a victory over the French Forces under Napoleon III. So there you go, for those of you in my boat. We still have tons to learn but at least we are eager to do so. Now onto some of Las Comidas de Mexico that I enjoy. Mi esposo and I have ordered delivery from La Taqueria on several occasions. Like even twice in the same damn week because ADDICTED! It is located on crazy busy Hyde Park Avenue in Roslindale. The newly redecorated building’s signage is bright pink, black and white with flowers. The inside decor is perfectly colorful. There is a small parking area in the back if you are lucky enough to score a spot. The business is always booming as in the phones are ringing off the hook. The staff are friendly, efficient, and apologetic for wait times. It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019

We usually get delivery and opt to order online. Mentioning for your convenience because that’s how I roll. You may wait up to an hour for your comida to arrive at your door so plan accordingly when you get the urge for some magnificent Mexican cuisine. People LOVE this place for obvious reasons. The menu features authentic homemade Mexican food. From tortilla chips and guacamole (delish), to loaded nachos, to appetizers such as Flautas-fried tortilla with chicken tinga or carnitas inside drizzled with Cotija cheese and served with salsa verde and sour cream. Or the Avocado fries-fried avocado with cilantro ranch dress and you can’t forget the grilled street corn. YUMMY. Other items on the extensive menu include street food (tortas), tacos, entrees, burritos, quesadillas, salads, desserts, horchata and much more. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and packaged in a proper manner. My focus is on the tacos because me amo. The delectable little buggers are in my top five favorite foods. I have tasted tacos (continued)


ART of Local Food by Kelly McKeeney (continued)

from near and far including Alberto’s in San Diego, Anna’s in Brookline, and Wapo Taco (closed now but I miss it in Rozzie), and of course La Taqueria. Que Rico! Their tacos are beyond delicious and difficult not to inhale in one bite. Served on a corn, flour, or hard tortilla. Fillings include grilled or chicken tinga, carne asada, pork, shrimp, fish, veggie and more. The Americano which I love is seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and Jack cheese. Reminds me of my childhood days. The chicken tinga with just enough kick includes diced onions, cilantro, and fresh squeezed lime and it is Heaven. You can add anything you want to the tacos, burritos, quesadillas and entrees. My fave additive is the guacamole which I could eat with a spoon right from the container, and of course sour cream is necessary for the win. The grilled chicken and cheese quesadilla is jammed with meat and cheese and oh so good. My man has indulged in and conquered the carne asada burrito with the works minus the rice. The oval shaped, ginormous tortilla must have

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019

weighed close to 2 lbs. The Azteca salad is the bomb; filled with marinated chicken, kale, carrots, quinoa, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, fresh avocado, and freaking fantastic cilantro ranch dressing on the side.

No matter your choice of food lifestyle, there is something for you at La Taqueria Muy delicioso! https://www.lataqueriaboston.com

Contact Me Kelly McKeeney Email: rozziefoodie@gmail.com Blog: http://rozziefoodie.blogspot.com Website: https://rozziefoodie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Rozziefoodie


THE LOCAL MUSIC CORNER by Perry Persoff.

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The hot rumor continues to be that it will get warm soon - as in on a somewhat consistent basis. I hope that as you are reading this, the word “layering” is starting to fade from your vocabulary, that you are getting re-acquainted with your sandals and shorts, and that the sunscreen in your medicine chest is starting to take some attention from your wind-protectant lip balm. The weather teasers of April have been frustrating to say the least, with a few good days too often followed by a week of wind chills. To put it with the poetry of Baseball, at the April 9th home opener for the Red Sox I was clearly layered for October Baseball. Springtime in New England...”extended Winter Light.”

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And yet, we’ve had the occasional days of sun and burgeoning warmth that brings about “the buzz.” There was a day in midApril where Davis Square in Somerville was alive! Across from the Somerville Theatre, people populated the outdoor tables to socialize and eat ice cream. There were kids. There were dogs. There was live busking music.

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Have you ever heard something hauntingly beautiful that seems new to you, yet you think you know it from somewhere? Investigate Sophia Belle on an internet video. Then close your eyes as you listen and you just may have that sensation. That day in the square she played mostly originals, plus two covers. Her strumming and her voice could have just carried me away. There were two reasons I did not recognize her. The first is that she cut her long black hair and she’s lost a lot of weight since I last saw her busking. She looks terrific. Her songwriting appears to

be spreading out like the unfolding wings of a bird as it stands. Her guitar picking is restrained yet evocative. The other reason is that she is going by the name The Home Despot. Whichever name you search for, check out that voice and the haunting beauty behind it.

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Another day in the same town square, I saw a fisherman-hatted figure playing guitar and singing. It was the stalwart Mike Hastings. Mike has been playing the Boston-Cambridge-Somerville scene for many years, both busking and in clubs. His style as a solo is not fancy. He’s not flashy. Even from the first time you hear him - with the way he plays guitar and sings - he feels like a comfortable friend. Then with the Mike Hastings Band, it’s a little different. There are jazz-like licks and phrasing that join the folk/pop guitar sound.

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This particular time I heard Mike playing one of my (and his) favorite Tim Gearan songs, “Mostly Love.” That was good news in itself. Even better news: Mike’s been recording. He’ll have two new songs out soon, produced by Christian McNeill. Christian himself is worth checking out. Early in his Boston career, Christian worked with Orchestra Morphine and Jimmy Ryan. There were his bands Hybrasil and the Sea Monsters, plus his solo incarnations. The skinny is that after 22 years in Boston, Christian may be heading back to his native Ireland late this year. So see and hear him now.

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In September of 2018 I interviewed Darren Buck of the Boston band Hank Wonder (named after Williams and Stevie; they sound like neither). Darren told me about reading Peter Guralnick’s book “Feel Like

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May 2019


Going Home: Portraits in Blues and Rock & Roll.” In particular he related to a part of the book that discussed Charlie Rich. From there, Darren connected the dots to the album Feel Like Going Home: The Essential Charlie Rich, which includes an absolutely stunning solo piano demo of the title song “Feel Like Going Home.” I would not have been that interested in Charlie Rich. But this version pushed open a new door of broader appreciation for him as a musician. So when a colleague of mine offered me a CD of Feel Like Going Home: The Songs of Charlie Rich (various artists covering Charlie Rich songs), I was curious. It’s really good. There are elements of Rockabilly, Soul, and of course Country. A few names among the contributing artists grabbed my attention. There is Charlie Rich, Jr. There is Anita Suhanin, who has sung on many albums by Chris Smither of Western MA and former local Peter Mulvey. Wrapping up the album is Boston’s Kevin Connolly. He turns in a smokey stripped down, largely solo guitar version of that title song …that just gets you “right there.”

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smorgasbord of music and sense of community. I certainly don’t know most of the bands or artists who will be playing from the porches of houses. But there are two I do. And they both get the Perry stamp of recommendation: Dan Blakeslee and the aforementioned group Hank Wonder. They’ll be playing at different parts of the city and at different times. For a rough idea of who is playing, at what times, and where, visit: https:// somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/list/ 2019.

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Other cities having Porchfest this year include Plum Island on May 19th. Newton and Arlington on June 1st. Brookline and Reading on June 8th. Fenway on June 15th. Quincy on June 22nd. Jamaica Plain and Belmont on July 13th. And Roslindale on September 14 th . According to Porchfest.info, many other cities will have Porchfest in the Fall as well. Stay tuned.

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As for May 11th in Somerville, let’s hope the weather is as happy as I am about Porchfest…since much of it was rained out last year (and postponed to the next day).

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Getting back to Spring and traditions of the season, May means a Somerville tradition since 2011 that has since spread to multiple cities in the Boston area. It’s a tradition that perhaps connects us to towns like Austin, Texas where you walk around and music is spilling out from everywhere (at least that’s the reputation). Yes, it is time for… PORCHFEST!!

! I love Porchfest, can you tell? !

You don’t have to know any of the performing bands to enjoy Porchfest. Just walk around and follow your ears. It’s a

Thanks for reading…and for listening! As the saying goes, support live music and it supports you.

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Perry Persoff is a part-time radio host at listener-supported public-radio WUMB, and he loves to crow about great musicians from the Greater Boston area. He is very flattered to be a part of our magazine to keep us updated and keep spreading the word…..

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May 2019


MURAL MURAL…

by Curt Naihersey

….ON THE WALL

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Steve and his celebratory mural outside of True Value in Logan Square, Hyde Park

Steve Nilson is a multi-dimensional artist, muralist, teacher, and currently the Director of Operations at the Thomas Menino YMCA in Hyde Park. He grew up in Roslindale before moving to Hyde Park over a decade ago. Drawing since three years old, he started copying the graphics of video games by pausing and then attempting to illustrate them. Through the years, he has used colored pencils, markers, brushes - but Steve discovered his main medium in his late teens - spray paint! Inspired by music, travel, and the burgeoning graffiti scene, he discovered his passion and his tool - the most commonly-used graffiti “brush”.

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Graffiti art ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and it has existed internationally in antiquity, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt,

ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire. The oldest known example of modern American graffiti were the "monikers" found on train cars created by hobos and rail-workers in the late 1800s. In more contemporary times, graffiti writing became associated with the antiestablishment punk rock movement beginning in the 1970s and often intertwined with the subsequent hip-hop culture and the myriad tagging styles derived from the omni-present subway graffiti (especially those infamous NYC trains). BUT HEY - WE’RE URBAN, WE’VE SEEN IT, SO WE KNOW!!

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A few artists I’m familiar with like Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, Jean-Michel Basquiat, or Banksy, have painted their way to notoriety with street art, which to some people’s thinking is just glorifying

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what is essentially vandalism. In Steve’s mind, spray paint and marker pens have become a way to connect with youths. He says: “A lot of it is just freestyle, winging it. Or to have a thought of what you want your final product to look like, and try to project that onto whatever surface you're working with. I think it helps to try to create art that stems from things that you're interested in or passionate about." In 2018, he created an art program for teens inspired by this form, teaching a thirteen week course at the Boston Community Leadership Academy. He

jokes that he doesn’t choose to go to museums, or considers himself a usual suspect for gallery showings, and is simply inspired by cruising the streets to view new murals.

Steve considers his style to be bold, obsessed with lettering, using silhouettes and city scenes to foster a natural and realistic urban landscape. Occasionally he may concoct a more rural setting, still using bright combinations of colors - very reminiscent of one of my faves, Peter Max, who was first associated with neoexpressionism and the psychedelic

movement in graphic design during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steve’s works have that same resonance of clarity and craft. He is currently working on a new 30”

x 40” canvas called “Give Strength”, once again demonstrating his tendency to blend his day job with his artistic pursuits to promote community caring and involvement.

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Last year, for the Urban Arts Festival at the Martini Memorial Shell Park, Steve impressed us with his printmaking ability by concocting a giant MDF woodcut for the Steamroller Mega-Print event, cocreated with his partner Beatrice Agosto, both an avid carpenter and acrylic painter. They prepared a pre-carved relief block, which was carefully rolled with maximumdensity black ink, and then rolled over with an industrial steamroller to create the oversize print. When the steamroller

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finished, the cut jumped into relief to the amazement of both artists and the gathered crowd. Not sure how long it took them to create this intricate vision, but their collaboration was one of the day’s highlights. It was recently shown at the Mega Print Exhibit at the Menino Art Center in February of this year. >> Here were the stages of Beatrice and Steve’s woodcut:

the block the print displayed at the MAC

! Some of Steve’s work is also currently on view at The Switch Gallery, 21 Fairmount Ave., Hyde Park in a three-person Art Exhibit (along with Susan Burnes and Dotti Baker). His pieces pop off the wall - grrreat! For more info, contact: snoslin84@yahoo.com

! [photo of Steve w/ mural: Beatrice Agosto // photos of woodcut, steamrollerettes, Mega-Print MAC exhibit: Ms. Donna]

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the team

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May 2019


MOM - Artist Deb Putnam

Portrait of Allison oil on canvas 24 x 36 This is an oil painting of my amazing daughter Allison posing in front of her own art gallery, the refrigerator, before she heads off for a day in kindergarten. Always the fashionista she is clad in her saddle shoes, home-sewn Rothschild’s coat and clutching her My Little Pony lunchbox, determined to meet the world. dputnamart.com Happy Mother’s Day It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


500 Sketchbooks

The media (both traditional and “social media”) is alive with talk of differences. Differences of gender, income, class, race, religion, and so on. Let’s talk about similarities for a moment. What do we have in common? At the most basic level, all humans need to live on planet Earth. We have to share the planet with each other. Wouldn’t be nice if we could share the planet in peace? The core principle of the 500 Sketchbooks project is that the vast majority of humans would prefer to live a peaceful life, if they could put aside past conflicts and ignore the differences of race, religion, and citizenship and simply see each other as fellow human beings. All too often attempts at resolving differences and bringing about peace using words fail miserably. 500 Sketchbooks suggests a new approach: Lets demonstrate our shared desire for world peace by sharing our “pictures of peace” with each other. The intent of the 500 Sketchbooks is to collect and share a large collection of peace-themed visual artwork worldwide. The artwork will be exhibited alone or paired with writing or music then it will be exhibited and published. All profits generated from these efforts will be donated in support of world peace initiatives. How does 500 Sketchbooks work? We are releasing five hundred artist’s sketchbooks into the world. These five hundred sketchbooks will travel randomly, passing from hand-to-hand collecting peace-themed sketches. If you receive a sketchbook: add a sketch, photograph, painting, poem, some writing, or other form of peace-themed artistic expression to the sketchbook, then pass it on. You can also participate without a sketchbook in hand. Simply post your artwork on Instagram and tag @500sketchbooks when you post the artwork; email us your artwork at Chris@500sketchbooks.com; or use the link at our website www.500sketchbooks.com.

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Linda Burnett, Realtor

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Helping build our communities through the arts for 30 years.

Insight Realty Group 617-335-2824 linda.realty@gmail.com

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


T

ess’s MAY To-Do List

Art Week MA Friday, April 26th - Sunday, May 5th Events happening all over Massachusetts Art Week is still happening and there are alot of cool events to check out by May 5th. Here are just a few examples.

ArtWeek at the Library: Post-It Note Collage Franklin, MA https://calendar.artweekma.org/Detail/277

Chinatown Mural Tour, Boston, MA https://calendar.artweekma.org/Detail/139

Stories, Smiles, Art & Ice Cream Great Barrington, MA https://calendar.artweekma.org/Detail/554

The Estuary Projects: Re-Imagining the New World Roxbury, MA https://calendar.artweekma.org/ Detail/689

Art & Meditation - come meet abstract landscape artist Ruth LaGue on Thursday May 2 from 6:30-830. Ruth will be at the BNN Media Center located at 3025 Washington Street, Egleston Square, Boston, MA 02119 Free and open to the public - light refreshments. Limited seating. RSVP to decoupagejan@gmail.com to reserve a seat. Ruth will be raffling off one of her paintings (shown) Purple Mountain - 7 x 7 inches acrylic on canvas to an attendee. More at https://www.facebook.com/events/272861466948772/ It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Tess’s May To-Do List (continued) Birch Street Pop-up Plaza Tuesday, April 30th - Sunday, May 5th Birch Street in Roslindale, MA 02131 Join Roslindale Village Main Street, The City of Boston, A Better City, & Merritt Chase for a weeklong pop-up plaza where people can enjoy live music, activities, and creative ways to give feedback about the plaza concept of a car-free Birch Street in Roslindale. Enjoy a relaxing atmosphere to shop or eat lunch with live music performances Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Stop by the first weekend in May for Sidewalk Sale Saturday & Family-Centered Sunday and catch local musicians performing Thursday - Saturday. Learn more on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/684911048609851/ Wake Up the Earth Saturday, May 4th 11:00am - 6:00pm Stony Brook MBTA Station + Parade throughout parts of Roxbury & Jamaica Plain Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852 The Wake Up the Earth Festival began in 1979 when a group of local neighbors and activists banded together to stop the Interstate 95 expansion into Jamaica Plain. The festival began as, and still is, a celebration of what can be accomplished when people of all traditions, cultures, ages, and beliefs come together, with an average attendance of 10,000 people. www.spontaneouscelebrations.org/festivals-events The Brad Hallen Trio May 4th at 3:00-5:00pm Brad Hallen hails from Boston, Mass and is an accomplished acoustic and electric bassist. Since graduating high school many years ago, Brad has spent a life totally committed to the art of music. For the last nine years Brad has toured and recorded with the iconic blues/jazz guitarist Duke Robillard. Brad has made many albums with Duke as a leader and countless others that Duke has produced. Other projects at this time include working with The Evenfall Quartet (on Blue Duchess Records) and producing a new rock group, The Providers. http://bradhallen.com

(continued)

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Public Spring Concert Series at the Menino Arts Center 26 Central Ave. Hyde Park, MA 02136 Heart Soul Voice Ensemble May 10th at 8:00-10:00pm Heart Soul Voice Ensemble is a duo comprised of Janna Maria Fröhlich (voice, harp, keyboard, guitar) and Joy Grimes (violin) which specializes in evocative contemporary and traditional musique, as well as original songs and tunes with multi-genre influences. Janna’s soaring expressive voice, her inventive and lush harp accompaniments, and Joy’s intense musicality make them equal partners in creating a lovely new-age atmosphere. https://heartsoulvoice.com JP Jazz Collective May 11th at 8:00-10:00pm The Jamaica Plain Jazz Collective was formed almost 15 years ago. The main source of their chosen material is the inspiring music initiated by the classic 60’s Blue Note artists (i.e. – Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Art Blakey). To this they have added a more contemporary repertoire, with hep arrangements written by one of their members, Tom Walkey. The band consists of: ALLAN WALKEY – alto sax; TOM WALKEY – tenor sax, flute; BOB McCLOSKEY – tenor and alto sax; JAY GEYER – guitar; KARL HAAKENSON – bass; TOM GOODKIND – drums. Learn more about events like this and other performances in the Spring Concert Series here: http://www.hpaa-mac.org/events/ Tess McColgan comes from a big family full of artists and has always enjoyed embracing local talent.She’s lived in many places throughout New England including York, ME and Dover, NH, and moved to Boston at age 14. In 2015 she moved to Roslindale where she found a sense of community that resonated with her. She started as the Program Manager for Roslindale Village Main Street in April 2018 and loves being a part of the volunteer-driven organization that works so hard to support local businesses and to make Roslindale Village a destination where everyone wants to eat, shop, play and collaborate. Tess’s background includes customer service, clinical research, volunteer management & recruitment and Human Resources. In her free time, she doodles and plays with acrylic paints on canvases, writes in her journal, attends yoga classes, and gets out in nature as often as possible. Tess is the co-host for It’s All About Arts TV Show. Photo: Bruce Spero Photography at brucespero.smugmug.com

Roslindale Village Main Street - www.roslindale.net

RVMS was established in 1985 as one of the first urban Main Street Programs in the nation, with the help of then City Councilor Thomas M. Menino and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Today, Roslindale Village is a thriving commercial hub, with free public wifi in Adams Park, and a fabulous Farmers Market. And, there are now 20 Main Street Districts in the City of Boston. We are proud to have been the first one! It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


Art and Motherhood I am an artist and I am a mother. I must confess that my art production was quite sporadic when my children were small. As a matter of fact, at that time, I did not call myself an artist. My quilting and crafting were relegated to a hobby. I also worked full time while raising my children so self-time was almost nonexistent. I have no regrets as my children and grandchildren are my world, but I wonder sometimes if my creative nature would have taken a different path. This begs the question: “Can a woman have it all?” More and more women are choosing not to have children (according to the last US census in 2016, 30.8 percent). Creative females to name a few like Jane Austen, Mary Cassat, Virginia Woolf, Edith Wharton, Georgia O’Keefe and Frida Kahlo had no children. While none of them are around to tell me exactly why they did not have children, my guess is that traditionally women, “Could not have it all”. They most likely chose professions over childrearing. Being an artist is hard work as is being a mom. Today, women are gaining ground and can almost “Have it All”. According to Sharon L. Butler in her article Neo-Maternalism: Contemporary Artists’ Approach to Motherhood. “Of course, it would be naïve to contend that nowadays reconciling motherhood and art making is always a smooth and effortless endeavor. But contemporary female artists are more determined than their predecessors to overcome barriers to harmonizing the two aspects of life rather than acquiesce to them.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who juggle life every day, all day,

Janice Williams, Editor/Publisher/Artist (and MOM) IT’S ALL ABOUT ARTS watch on www.bnntv.org www.itsallaboutarts.com facebook.com/TalkArts Twitter - @itsallaboutarts Instagram #itsallaboutarts ROSLINDALE ARTS ALLIANCE www.roslindalearts.org facebook.com/Roslindale-Arts-Alliance-129685993761701 ART STUDIO 99 www.artstudio99.com facebook.com/Art-Studio-99-145566388819141 Twitter @artstudio99 Instagram - janice_art_studio_99 Published by It’s All About Arts Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved Glenn Williams - 617-543-7443 glennsmusic.williams@gmail.com Janice Williams - 617-710-3811 janice@artfulgift.com TO ADVERTISE - REQUEST OUR MEDIA KIT

It’s All About Arts Magazine May 2019


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