featuredartby SabelFlynn detnesPre
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KD: We’ve been wanting to pay writers for years. We finally feel stable enough with our current team and finances to invest in the artists we work with. It also comes from the original mission of our non-profit, Brain Arts Org: GET ARTISTS PAID. Pretty much putting our money where our mouth is. We’re working towards sustainability of the paper now more than ever. By investing in our artists, we hope to uplift them and show them that they are more than just words on a page.
—DeeDee’s Cry
On September 11, DeeDee’s Cry will host its first walk– I’m Still Here: A Walk of Celebration for Suicide Attempt Survivors. As an attempt survivor, founder Toy Burton feels that it is important to celebrate those who choose life, as well as to support those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. You do not have to be a suicide attempt survivor to join us in celebration. Register to walk using this link: www.tinyurl.com/stillherereg DeeDee’s Cry Suicide Prevention & Family Support was founded in 2017. The name is a tribute to Burton’s big sister, Denita Morris, who died by suicide at the age of twenty-three in 1986. Burton herself is a suicide attempt survivor. She has struggled with her mental health, suicidal ideation, drugs, and alcohol for many years, but has been clean and sober for over twenty-four years.
SG: How did conversations on paying contributors begin?
A Walk of Celebration for Suicide Attempt Survivors
Burton founded DeeDee’s Cry after she noticed that organizations that focused on suicide prevention weren’t giving enough attention to Black and Brown people. Her organization aims to build community, raise awareness, and normalize conversations about suicide and mental health amongst people of color, believing that when we share our stories, we chip away at the stigma that surrounds mental health and suicidal ideation.
DeeDee’s Cry connects the community to the resources. The organization provides workshops, community events, and activities that promote mental health education and healing, particularly in communities of color. In addition, they also host a YouTube channel of videos of virtual conversations about a number of topics including children’s emotional health, men’s mental health, and the series Mental Health While Black. DeeDee’s Cry believes that most adults do not address their childhood traumas, and although no one is to be blamed for their traumas, we are responsible for our own healing. They also host an ongoing peer support group called Healing Begins With Me. Those interested in connecting should email deedeescry@yahoo.com for more information.
Notes From The Crew
So, for this month’s edition of “Notes from the Crew,” I present my interview with BCN’s founder Sam Potrykus and our Editor-in-Chief Kevin Dacey about the recent decision to start paying BCN contributors.
I’m Still Here:
THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE BOSTON CULTURAL COUNCIL, A LOCAL AGENCY WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL, AS ADMINSTRATED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ARTS + CULTURE THIS PAPER IS AN ONGOING PROJECT OF BRAIN ARTS ORGANIZATION, INC., A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT. PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO, VOLUNTEERING OR OTHERWISE SUPPORTING US: BRAIN-ARTS.ORG LAYOUT DESIGN: Phoebe Delmonte: p.1, 4, 5 Hannah Blauner: p.2, 3, 7 Adrian Alvarez: p.6, 8
byTheLucyParsonsCenterwww.lucyparsonscenterorg cultureguide
My name is Steve Grigelevich, and I’ve been a contributing writer for BCN since March 2020. Before that, I was a fan in the crowd at DAP shows. I started writing for our blog as a way to deal with the stress of the pandemic, hoping to foster creative connection with others. After my twins were born unexpectedly eleven weeks early in April ‘20, I was thankful to be able to write a piece about my weeklong stay in the hospital with them. Last year, I started writing for the print edition, focusing on labor movement issues. It was because of this new focus that I became interested in BCN’s own process toward facilitating worker dignity and solidarity.
SP: Like Kevin said, we’ve been having these conversations for years about wanting to pay all BCN contributors. But without a vision of overall financial stability, it wasn’t wise to begin paying folks. This new revenue plan is similar to our work in the past with donors small and large, grants, and sponsorship. The main difference is we’re investing more into our fundraising efforts and reducing BAO programming so that BCN, DAP and BAO advocacy comes first. continued on page 2…
and
What’s up, everyone?
Cliff: Michael Bobbit haha, every time I see him he reminds me. I never forgot, but him doing that answers the previous question. Think about it; the Exec. Director of the MCC makes sure to remind me to apply for free funds every time he sees me. I’m not even sure if the previous ED knew my name despite the work that I and my colleagues were doing across almost every medium in art for years. But now, I have this person, who looks like me, making sure that I have access to Thatfunding.fact alone speaks mountains. I’m also now a part of the Create the Vote Fellowship, which is now taking those frustrations I had when I was younger and turning them into action items and goals I can approach with new knowledge to complete and achieve them. Now I’m all the way tapped into arts advocacy, which is part of the reason I jumped at being able to do this interview with you. Recognizing that I’m an ambassador of sorts or at least I’m trying to be.
MASSACHUSETTSMINUTE GET THAT MONEY! ------------- STEPHEN GRIGELEVICH ... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Briefcvse Shares ‘Used Up’ EP 5 Questions About Arts Funding w/ Cliff Notez -------------------------------------------------- SHAMUS HILL ------------------------------------------ SAM POTRYKUS & CLIFF NOTEZ
CONTINUE
READING THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE ONLINE AT BOSTONCOMPASSNEWSPAPER.COM/BLOGWWVW.
KD: There were two main objectives we wanted to achieve before paying writers. Build a strong admin team to process the backend of paying people. Dedicate team members to sponsorship and community development. We have checked both these off! SP: It’s true we’ve paid writers in the past. But the key logistical needs of paying contributors are 1. maintaining a healthy admin team and caring for them so they can care for our contributors and 2. committing admin resources to the fundraising and development needed to support that healthy admin team.
SG: Are there any other changes at BCN, DAP, or BAO that parallel the decision to pay contributors?
SG: Is there a set policy on 1)who gets paid 2)what amount for 3)contributing KD:what?Each writer and comic strip artist will be getting paid $50 for each contribution. Writers must submit articles of at least 300 words to get paid. Our featured artists (creators of the header images) have been getting paid since December 2021. They get $300 for the creation of the header image. We have one main goal that we are striving to achieve in the next couple months: half of the artists paid must be BIPOC. SP: For now we are starting small. But ultimately this is just year one of paying everyone on BAO staff. All of our models at BAO are part of our emergent strategy and thus will shift and improve as we grow and learn more from what our people need and want. For example, next year we might try paying a team of curators to coordinate writers, but until we have the admin team to support a curatorial team, that wouldn’t be a healthy decision for our staff or contributors.
KD: We are taking on less volunteers these days to focus on our core team. Health of each member is our number one priority. More volunteers means more oversight and management. We have had hundreds of vols over the years, but it’s now time to invest in our dedicated team and create sustainability within the org. SP: Making health and wellness priority #1 has really saved our organization. We used to have 75-100 volunteers at a time which was a beautiful thing, but it was too many folks to manage effectively with the level of CARE needed to do this type of community work. It’s not just an arts platform; it’s an artist-run org trying to be a model and set an example for how workers and artists should be cared for by their employers. We really changed our whole growth approach so that the care of our people is given priority over content, growth or anything else. Similarly with BAO and DAP admin staff, we have reduced the number of folks so that we can give better care and attention. Shout out to all the BAO/ BCN/DAP volunteers over the past 13 years that got us this far. We couldn’t have done it without you, but we also can’t grow into the model organization we want to be without making changes and responding to what wasn’t working.
Cliff: So I got introduced to grants through my really early work in nonprofits and when I worked in the city. I was originally part of this Americorps fellowship which obviously ran on a lot of grant funding. I only spent 4 years working for other people before I became a full-time artist, and before I was making music that said fuck the system, I was spending a lot of time in the system and working for the system. I was asking questions, learning about access, and equity as it related to funding being dispersed in different communities. Unfortunately, at the time, I only spent enough time in that space to make myself angry. I was learning about structural/institutional racism but not enough to make any actual change, just enough to get upset. It wasn’t until I became a full-time artist and started trying to build my own company and nonprofit, that I started understanding the game. All this information was out there, but the access, or understanding how to get that access didn’t become obvious until my back was against the wall. I started surrounding myself with people who were still in that system doing the work, people that I trusted, loved and people who believed in me: Cat Morris, Tim Hall, Matt MacArthur, Blair Benjamin, Kara Elizabeth Ortega. I think they all sensed my frustration, but also my potential to harness that frustration into something bigger. I’m pretty sure it was Matt, who introduced me to the Lab Grant, and then Kara who introduced me to the opportunity fund. and I was like…wait what…ok how do I get all my people to have this same opportunity. That was like 2018 maybe?
3. Let’s talk about the MCC Recovery Funds. How did you first hear about this opportunity? Is this something our peers can tap into?
1. Cliff, what is your experience as an artist trying to apply for grants in Boston?
Cliff: I think what I’ve learned about grants in the arts, they, like most things made in America, have a history rooted in racism; an exclusion (intentionally and unintentionally) I remember when I first started to search for grants. Most of them didn’t seem like they were made for me. A lot of those barriers came in the language used on the grant. From jargon to the requirements needed to even apply (degree requirements, medium restrictions, resume requirements). In context, I knew that I had the degrees, resume, and could make art in any medium I really wanted to, but what turned me off was that I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to share this wealth in grants with my friends, my partners, and colleagues. Even reading these grants can be intimidating. I was a believer that a rising tide is what truly rises all ships, so I can’t really win unless everyone around me is winning. I believe I wasn’t the only one who noticed this, there’s more people with a similar background to me, who are of color, from inner cities, who are now working on the senior staff of these grants, recognizing the barriers that are put in the language of these grants and we’re seeing grants become easier to apply to. We’re seeing these people as the higher ups recognize that there were gaps in marketing efforts to certain demographics. Most importantly, we’re seeing grants be awarded to more people of color which is so important. It makes it much more convincing that a place is safe and for us when our closest friends are already going inside that space and benefited from it. I’m hoping that these trends I’ve noticed aren’t just my imagination and that organizations are taking note.
Filled with a constantly charged drive to create, Briefcvse, born Casey Nelton, is a producer and rapper from Jamaica Plain with an impressively eclectic discography. While the majority of his music is released under the name Briefcvse, he’s released three avant-garde projects as Seesull, a bedroom-pop album as Garbage Truckman, and even a collaborative hardcore tape as RITAS REVENGE. On top of this, the majority of these projects were recorded in Casey’s home, with Low Quality Demos even being recorded on a pair of Apple headphones. These experimental processes which his music endures are phenomenal to witness, however his finest moments arise when he’s rapping. These moments are plentiful on Briefcvse’s newest body of work, Used Up. Though he does have a knack for hopping on his own beats, Briefcvse taps in longtime friend and collaborator, Christian Yoon, to control the sonic direction of Used Up. Christian’s production talents are, put simply, otherworldly. The sound structures that his mind puts together are substantial, as he shapes his beats wonderfully around the artist that he’s working with. Searching for a sound that’s nostalgic in nature, Briefcvse used this release as an ode to his younger self, wanting to make the music that he thought was cool during his teenage days. With this goal in mind, Casey certainly delivered, especially following a listen through songs like “Rosebud”, “Relay” ft. Beije, and “2013 Outro” being reminiscent of the hazy, light-hearted raps of 2012. Despite this reach toward the past, Briefcvse still manages to create something that suits listeners a decade later. Arguably my favorite component of this release has nothing to do with the music. Last year, Briefcvse shared sketches of a puppet that was drawn to resemble himself. Fast forward to now, this puppet has been brought to life, and was used to create a short, stop-motion video to accompany the music. Nicolas Mihaich, an independent artist from Boston and friend of Briefcvse, helped actualize this vision, and in the process of doing so added a whole new dimension to Used Up. If you want to give this EP a listen, and check out the stop-motion video, then head on over to Briefcvse’s socials which are under @Briefcvse.
2. Have you noticed any changes in availability/access to funding since first trying to apply to grants yourself?
SG: What have been the logistics involved in paying contributors?
REP HOUSE RECOMMENDATIONS
CalvinKleinCaterpillar has stolen the spotlight with his new 4 track sound pack “CaRHaRtt for a TOUR…for my imagination” and If you couldn’t tell by his nomenclature CKC is DIFFERENT, out of left field, and what the scenes been missing! Who is CalvinKleinCaterpillar?
EL TOPO • 1970 • dir Alejandro Jorodowsky • Coolidge Corner Theater, September 9, midnight
—------------------------ LOU COLLIER
During its initial run, El Topo played only one theater, The Elgin in New York City, exclusively at midnight, relying on word of mouth to slowly build an audience over the course of a year. This is generally agreed upon to be the beginning of the midnight movie phenomenon, and The Elgin continued this novelty release strategy with several other films in the 70s, most notably Pink Flamingos. This month at the Coolidge, viewers can experience El Topo the way its original devotees did; on film at a midnight screening. El Topo is a Mexican acid Western about a gunfighter’s violent quest for enlightenment. A plot synopsis wouldn’t do it justice, but the film’s quasi-religious mix of sex, violence, and dream logic is captured well in the original 4-minute theatrical trailer (which I recommend watching on YouTube).
BLACC WISDOM TEETH is a culmination of the three with raw lyrics and ominous synths. Overall CKC is giving ~main character energy~ with this project and holding nothing back. “CaRHaRtt for a TOUR…” is a piece of work that can only be described as a tour de force, a labor of love. This project is refreshingly original, unique in its instrumentation, and definitive of what one should expect from a Boston artist. CKC is flexing the growth, experience, and gains from his previous experimentation to the now solidified sound he has discovered. Tap in and stream “CaRHaRtt for a TOUR…for my imagination” on all platforms now.
On WINNER’S CIRCLE, CKC is laid back and confident in his and his compatriots upcoming success along with the usual boastful verse from prodbytomo.
NOW I FEEL SEEN is a little bit more vulnerable with CKC expressing his surprise over peoples’ recognition but doesn’t fall behind in energy with an abrupt playful freestyle at the end of the track.
CaRHaRtt for a TOUR… for my imagination CAMP WILDFIRE
The trailer itself is a bizarre work of art, and opens with the narrator calmly announcing, “Be prepared to live the most wonderful experience of your life.” Definitely a big claim for a movie advertisement, but even if it doesn’t end up being the most wonderful experience of your life, it will certainly be one of the most memorable screenings you’ll attend. Pearl, the prequel to the 70s-era porno slasher film X, is my second September recommendation, though I haven’t seen it yet. However, I enjoyed X (which was released in March of this year) and was crazy about Mia Goth’s dual performances in it. I’m excited for Pearl based on how great Goth was in X, playing both Maxine, a young porn star, and Pearl, an elderly serial killer. The new film will be the origin story of the murderous Pearl, showing her as a young woman obsessed with becoming a movie star. If you do see Pearl, I suggest catching it at Apple Cinemas in Cambridge (though it will probably play all over Boston). It has the cozy ambiance of an old-school mall theater, plus tickets are $4.75 on Tuesdays. I always end up there because it somehow makes moviegoing feel like a no-brainer throwaway experience, which I think is generally what it used to feel like.
CKC defines himself as “A NigerianAmerican Multimedia artist based in Boston, MA that creates spaces for both himself and others. The alias of “Calvin Klein Caterpillar” is a device to explain his general disposition: “Trying to grow to a beauteous butterfly yet feeling stuck. Never finding freedom or true acceptance but complacent in the luxury of what others see. Feeling seen yet unseen.” Translation: Nigerian American= Naija! Automatically ain’t one to play with Multimedia Artist= TALENTED AF MULTI HYPHENATE Artist Boston, MA= LOCAL, UP NEXT All together CKC is : A TALENTED AF Najia AMERICAN THATS UP NEXT!!! Getting into the project, beyond the immaculate cover art (that is the spitting image of CKC, sparkles and all) we’ve got a four piece “sound pack” starting with BLACK PROPAGANDA MUSIC where CKC is in his bag and celebrating his squad accompanied by classy flutes, enthusiastic synths and a guest verse from Premo.Dee.
Fuegoveli is the spark in the dark for Milton. Just in time for Leo season, he dropped his four track EP Camp Wildfire. He is accompanied by features from frequent collaborators Yung Sabo, prodbytomo, Saané, and production by KiehMadeIt. Camp Wildfire is essentially setting up the scene of what Fuegoveli has in store for his audience in 2022. The EP has a track list that consists of “Woke Up (Ready)”, “Smoke Count Strip”, “Patient Zero”, and “Casino”. The project is made up of straight bangers with a switch up of the sauce here and there. Here’s my take on the first two tracks of the project. If you could make a run away train a song, “Woke Up” would be it. Greeted immediately by heavy bass, poppy snares and hypnotic synths, Fuegoveli slides on beat along with some melodic backing vocals. Yung Sabo hops in with an aggressive cadence and a chip on his shoulder and really owns the track with his verse. Tomo aka prodbytomo finishes it off with an auto tuned vocal downloaded fresh off the metaverse and references per usual getting to this money. Shout out to the producers KiehMadeIt and Island J because “Woke Up” is a money anthem. Catch the video out now by MurkTSG and Tomo with some crazy digital distortion and a random school bus. “Smoke Count Strip’’ featuring Saané is a high energy bop about a college girl. The chorus is pretty catchy, going like “Got a college girl, she just want to Smoke and Count and Strip. Pop a shroom and now she dancin’ with the stars in the whip”. The upbeat melody will have you automatically head bopping just in time for you to hear Saané make love to the beat, like they left this track with two kids and no daddy. Fuego picks the beat right back up and is a great father figure for a couple bars before Saané comes back and is like “I got the milk!”
PEARL • 2022 • dir Ti West • Apple Cinemas, releases September 16
for my imagination a 4 track sound pack by
------------------------------------------------------------- YUHRAEUS
CalvinKleinCaterpillarFuegoveli
video &
Protoolz. www.nemiccheck. com for podcasts, swag and further updates! newenglandmiccheck@ Weird Local Film Fest #14 celebrates 5 years of local filmmakers with yet another screening/warehouse party! Come for a marathon of short short films of all kinds! @Warehouse XI, Somerville 7PM All Ages $5 @weirdlocalfilmfestival Wenham Street Cinema is a free theater in a JP garage. They aim to build community through film and informal gatherings. Donations very optional! Showtimes @wenhamstreetcinemaat
Earth Anthem: A Eulogy Five artists who focus on Eco-Art will share their hopes and visions for our threatened planet. On view until 9/17 @PEG Center for Art & Activism, Newburyport Tues-Thurs 12PM-5PM, Fri-Sat 12PM-4PM
Pajama Party: A Story Telling Show Some of New England's best comics get vulnerable and tell stories never before heard on **We strongly encourage all to take careful precaution when going out to public events! Follow the venue’s requirements regarding vaccination/negative Covid tests! Always double check the event online just in case they need to cancel!**
9/17 OUTCHEA! Summer Music Series Presents Malik Elijah @ Exit Gallery, Allston 6PM All Ages $13/15 9/17 Ska Prom at What the Fluff? Festival ft. The Pomps, The Sklutts, Threat Level Burgundy, Thirsty Guys and more! @ONCE at Boynton Yards 12PM-10PM All Ages $18 (Kids: FREE) 9/17 Al Bilali Soudan West African modern desert blues from a Taureg griot family of master musicians @The Lilypad 8PM All Ages $10 9/17 Worlds Worst, Black Beach, Nice Guys @The Lilypad 10PM All Ages $10 9/18 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: Shavonne Brown (classic soul vocals) film
more at bostoncompassnewspaper.com for the whole family @Pinebank Baseball Field 12PM All Ages FREE 9/10 Boston Got Next Presents Finally Reloaded Fest ft. Red Shaydez, DJ WhySham, Maye Star, Brandie Blaze, Cakeswagg, SeeFour, Naomi Westwater, Jill McCracken and so many more! Come for local art, clothes, record, food vendors as well! Bring a chair! @ONCE at Boynton Yards 12PM All Ages $30 (Kids: FREE) 9/11 Tuxis Giant, Big Girl, Oysterboy, Bad Larrys @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $10/12 9/11 Mega Mass Presents: Artist Showcase! Every second Sunday of the month! Sign up to perform! @The Jungle 9PM12AM All Ages FREE 9/11 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: John Williams Jam Band (movie music with a funky twist) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair! 9/12 Nice Guys, Bradford Barker and the Unwavering Beacon of Righteousness, G Gordon Gritty @The Silhouette Lounge 7:30PM 21+ $10 9/12 Get To The Gig Presents: Sounds & Scenarios, Jared Knapik, Perfect Saturday @ Charlie’s Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5 9/14 Fully Celebrated Orchestra, The Blues Dream Box, SIEGE @Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $5 9/14 Banny Grove, Orange Peel Mystic, Double Libra, Donny From the Poster @Deep Thoughts 8PM All Ages $10 9/15 Darsombra, Jarva Land, Blackwolfgoat, This Bliss @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $13/15 9/15 M.O.B Presents “3rd Thursdays” at Kay’s Oasis! Live Band, After work Jam and Entertainment @1125 Blue HIll Ave 5-10PM 21+ $10 9/15 FIND OUT Event series for musicians & artists to try out new ideas every 3rd Thursday of the month. Every show is a partial benefit for radical community orgs @First Church, JP 8PM All Ages $10 @f_i_n_d___o_u_t 9/17 Soulful Bliss Arts & Music Festival on Spectacle Island ft. DJ Motivate Merren, Frederick Woodard III, SharlaFabulous, Caleb McCoy, ItsLitBoston, Trillfit @Long Wharf North, Boston 2:30PM-6:30PM $35 @afrodesiacity
and methods. From almost 200 submissions, 14 photographers hailing from New England and around the United States have been selected for this much anticipated annual exhibition. On view until 9/15 @Fort Point Arts Thurs-Sat 12pm-6pm
9/1 Flywheel Arts Collective Presents: The Fawns, Landowner and Advertisement @Forbes Library Lawn (Northampton) 5:30pm All Ages FREE 9/1 The ShangHai Lo's, Rockin Bob Punk Band, Hall Monitor @ Notch Brewing 7PM All Ages FREE **collecting nonperishable food items at the door!** 9/3 Deep Vibe Show ft. Thalia Zedek, Motel Black, Gretchen Shae & The Middle 8, Grow Follow @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $10 9/3 Boiler Room Boston! featuring Dee Diggs, Eugenia, Jasmine Infinity, and many many more @Underground at Ink Block 1PM 18+ $34 9/3 PCP & the Knives, Illiterates, Little Angels, Boiling Point @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $12 9/4 Boudoir Presents An Afterparty: a queer underground dance party @Union Tavern 9PM1AM 21+ Adv $10-15, Door $20 9/5 Dutch Tulips, Tatooine Punk Scene, I Wish I Could Skateboard @Charlie’s Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5 9/6 Best Bear, Linnea’s Garden, Daphne Blue Underworld, Ghost GRL @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $10/12 9/6 Bars Over Bars Hip Hop Showcase featuring local artists! Every first Tuesday of the month @Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $10 9/7 Kids Like You & Me Presents: Leopardo, Noah Britton, G. Gordon Gritty @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $10 9/7 Songwriters in the Round. Four songwriters, trading songs and swapping stories. @Arts at the Armory 7PM All Ages $10 **every first and third Wednesday** 9/8 Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Talk Chalk, Going222Jail @O’Brien’s 8PM 21+ $10/12 9/8 Happy Just To See You, Depressors, The Furniture @ Notch Brewing Brighton 7PM FREE 9/9 Somer Fest 2022 ft. Destiny Claymore, Grace Givertz, The Le Project, Grand Choice Records, DJ Eliotness. Hosted by Sur5ill @ Seven Hills Park, Somerville 7PM All Ages FREE 9/10 Space Cadet, American Ethos, Sold @Faces Brewing Co, Malden 8PM $12 9/10 OUTCHEA! Summer Music Series Presents Live Jazz @Exit Gallery, Allston 6PM All Ages $13/15 www.exitgalleries.com
9/10 10th Annual JP Music Fest! 21 local bands, food trucks, vendors, activities
AGX Film Collective is part of a global community of artist-run film collectives and laboratories who share resources, knowledgeequipment,andaphysical space focused on the creation and appreciation of photochemical filmmaking. Collaborating with an array of artists, students and organizations, AgX supports a diverse community of filmmakers, photographers and interdisciplinary artists—both novice and experienced. At their space in Waltham, members can engage in shooting film, processing, contact printing, optical printing, animation, analogue and digital editing, and recording optical soundtracks, as well as a variety of screenings, workshops, skill shares and discussions. www.agxfilm.com 9/2 “Art Therapy” Opening Reception of an exhibition featuring works by Meclina and Amy Ford will focus on the important theme of art as therapy, for both the artist and the audience, through their unique figurative styles. Their colorful works illustrate the explorative role that art can play in our lives, while also providing a sense of shared emotional connection with the viewer. On view 9/2 - 10/30 with opening reception on 9/2 6PM-8PM @Beacon Gallery, Boston 9/8 Life Drawing a monthly drawing session, which features a live nude model and a fun & welcoming environment for people of all skill levels to hone their craft. Artists must provide their own materials. Proof of vaccine is @Jamesonrequired.&Thompson Picture Framers, JP 6:45PM $15 9/11 Opening Reception for “Little Windows” exhibition featuring Marta Abbott, Brett Angell, Ana Jelenkovic, and Kevin Umana @Praise Shadows Art Gallery. On view 9/7-9/30 M'Kenzy Cannon: PLEASE LET ME IN is a multimedia installation of video, photo, and object work that crystallizes as an interactive experience, urging gallery-goers to excavate and co-create the exhibition’s narrative. Curated by Maya Rubio. On view until 9/10 @Boston Center for the Arts Wed-Sat 1PM-6PM EXPOSURE 2022 features a wide range of traditional, contemporary, and cutting edge photographic genres performance art music & audio visual art
CALL TO “Destination:NatureARTISTS 2022” invites all Massachusetts visual artists inspired by nature to participate in this show centered on protected lands in Harvard, Massachusetts. Cash and future gallery exhibition awards. Submissions open: 9/1 Deadline: 9/30 Apply at www.desination-nature. org 9/2-9/10 Head to Chelsea Theatre Works for the Cors-ICan Players show, Appetite for Glory, a play about the attempted colonization of Egypt in 1798. Tix $15+ 9/7 Open Armory is an open mic for all performance practices. Sign up at 7PM. Every first Wednesday of the month @Arts at the Armory 7PM-10PM All Ages Free 9/9-10/8 Heroes of the Fourth Turning by SpeakEasy Stage Company @BCA. Tix at Speakeasystage.com $25+ 9/13
@24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair! 9/19 Square Loop, Mood Swings, Sweetie, Erik Wormwood @The Silhouette Lounge 7:30PM $10 21+ 9/20 Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica plays a mix of jazz and chamber music to adaptations of midcentury exotica and pop art @The Lilypad 8PM All Ages $20/25 9/22 Thalia Zedek Band, Andy California, Daughter of the Vine @Notch Brewing Brighton 7PM FREE 9/23 Soulside, Verbal Assault, Bedmaker, Wrong War @Arts at the Armory 6PM All Ages $20 9/24 Speedy Ortiz, Hasaan Barclay, Mallcops, Sorry Ma, Paper Lady, Clifford and more @ONCE at Boynton Yards 12PM All Ages $18 (Kids: FREE) 9/24 Boston UJIMA Project presents Black Portals: Visual projections dance party, collaborative fundraiser and digital art exhibition @Nubian Gallery 7PM All Ages $20 9/25 Eliot Schoolyard Concert Series Presents: Stan Strickland Trio (jazz & soul) @24 Eliot Street, JP 4PM All Ages $uggested Donation Bring your own chair! 9/26 Mall Cops, going222jail, Seltzers & Cape Crush @ The Silhouette Lounge 7:30PM 21+ $10 9/27 Grace Givertz, Izzy Oram Brown, Sweet Petunia, Soph @The Lilypad 10PM All Ages $10-15 9/27 Get to the Gig Boston Presents: Wednesday, Truth Club, Dino Gala @Crystal Ballroom, Somerville 7PM All Ages $ome Cost 9/29 TIFFY, Teenage Tom Petties, Tassh Rabbit, Headband @O’Briens 8PM 21+ $12/15 9/30 Open Mic presented by Fort Point Arts Community Last Friday of every month! @Assemblage Art Space 70a Sleeper St. Boston 5PM-9PM All Ages @fortpointarts
Three new exhibitions opening at Kingston Gallery - Ilona Anderson: The Union of the Sun and the Moon; Meagan Hepp: Play Date: Companions Club; Joan Baldwin: Sights Unseen On view until 10/2 @Kingston Gallery 10b is not a 'gallery' in a traditional sense. There is no selling of work here, or any commodification of work as revenue. The value in this space is in providing opportunity for experimentation with community witness and participation. 10b is establishing space for conversation, non-traditional exhibitions, and performances where 'artists' can experiment, play, fail, and connect. @10b Brookley Rd, JP Open Sun 12PM-5PM by appt. www.10bprojects.com
ItsLitBoston Podcast has a dope new Spotify playlist called “ItsLitBoston Presents: VIBES FROM THE STATE” updated weekly with local new music you need to check out!! I hear they take submissions too! @itslitboston Also on Youtube and SoundCloud New England Mic Check Radio is our region’s top dawg for uplifting urban music! Local musician spotlights every Sunday with artists such as Monaveli and Nelly
Queeraoke: Join EVERY Thursday and break into song with supa dupa karaoke tracks and bursts of ferocious dance sets by our own DJ Summer's Eve & DJ Moxie. @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $8
Exquisite Entanglement - an exhibition featuring new work by Yuko Oda and Allison Maria Rodriguez @13Forrest Gallery on view through 9/23 Beauty From Ashes is a collection of artwork and Cosmic Smash Books containing healing themes, and uplifting messages by Isabella Rose. @Cutter Gallery, Arlington. On view until 9/25 Shared Habitat Earth is an art exhibit and a call for action, and it is returning to Boston’s Waterfront! SHE suggests cross species respect, intercultural solidarity, and a shared sense of responsibility. It celebrates the beauty of nature and exposes the dramatic impact of human activity on the environment. On view 9/17-12/10 @The Gallery at Atlantic Wharf Sun-Sat 7AM-10PM
TheMUSEUM TV + The Soundlab present The Testing Lab a bi-weekly event where local musicians can perform their original music and get feedback from a panel of experts! Spots fill up fast so make sure to stay in tune @thesoundlabma or thetestinglabma@gmail.comemail
Families For Justice As Healing has converted one side of their Roxbury office into a community pantry and fridge to meet people's basic needs like diapers, hygiene products, and food staples. You can contribute to stocking the pantry here: www.justiceashealing.org@100Rcommunitylovefundpantrytinyurl.com/WarrenSt.,Roxbury
Hatch Makerspace Workshops Tons of free with registration workshops all month long. From programming to sewing to making paper flowers, Hatch is a really cool community spot you have to check www.watertownlib.org/hatchout!
Gay Ghost stories seeks anything queer, spooky, and printable for a full color Halloween zine. Trans ghosts? Queer campfire tales? Haunted gay clubs? Anything spooky goes! Email submissions to comLavendermenacepress@gmail.
community advocacy @9/2 Fight Supremacy Reloaded! Protest supremacy in all forms @Boston Police HQ 4PM Water, masks and first aid will be available on site. To contact the organizers, please email: fightsupremacyreloaded @proton.me 9/3 Reclaim Rock City Free Community Fair Join your neighbors to make connections, enjoy free music, games, sports, poetry, freebies, and collaborative art! @Ringer Park, Allston 12PM6PM All Ages. For more info, contact reclaimrockcity@gmail. com. 9/10 NOVA's 10th Annual Trung Thu Festival & Night Market In honor of Tết Trung Thu (MidAutumn Moon Festival), everyone is invited to enjoy a selection of food vendors, activities, and live entertainment from local performers! From relay races to lantern making, you and your family won't want to miss out on this amazing event! Bring a chair or picnic blanket! @Town Field Park, Dorchester 4PM-9PM 9/11 Deedee’s Cry 1st Annual I’m Still Here: A Walk of Celebration for Suicide Attempt Survivors @ Franklin Park www.deedeescry.com12PM-3PMto register @deedeescry 9/17-18 1st Annual Veterans Pow Wow by the North American Indian Center of Boston Drummers, dancers, storytellers, vendors, native foods and more! Hosted by George Thomas @Prowse Farm, Canton, MA 10AM5PM All Ages $5 adults, $3 elders, $2 kids, FREE for members 9/18 Bartlett Square Makers Market is a summer/fall monthly market featuring local creatives, artisans, and craftspeople. The goal is to bring together the local artisans of JP in a safe, accessible space where people can meet, share their skills and materials, and learn from one another. @18 Bartlett Square, JP. Every 3rd Sunday 11AM to 3PM from May to November Original Markets Presents Fenway Flea every Sunday in September vintage clothing, vinyl, jewelry, sneakers, live DJs and games! @Check Instagram for location @fenwayflee
Mass Cultural Council’s Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals are unrestricted $5,000 grants to creatives and gig workers to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set a path for growth. Opens: 8/15 Info sessions: 8/23 + 10/6 App deadline: 11/1 Apply at recovery-grants-for-individualsorg/artists-art/cultural-sector-www.massculturalcouncil.
DeeDee’s Cry provides resources and education on the importance of mental health and wellness within communities of color. They collaborate with organizations and agencies to create events, programs, projects and activities within communities of color that are centered on family, mental health and wellness. Find out about upcoming events at www.deedeescry.com
The Negro Flowers Series An online zine of writings, poetry, art and photography by various local BIPOC authors compiled by BCN contributor Qadir Shabazz. ‘People & Places’ Issue #3 is now available! Read online www.linktr.ee/qadir__shabazzat
Pleasure Pie is hiring a Sexual Justice Coordinator! Search “Pleasure Pie” on www.indeed. com for the description and app! Pleasure Pie is a grassroots sex-positive organization in Boston, MA. They make zines, illustrations, publications, events, and conversations on sexual empowerment and www.pleasurepie.orgconsent. stage. Wear your PJs! Hosted by Angela Sawyer and Josh Pick @ Midway Cafe 10:30PM 21+ FREE 9/16 Subcontinental Drift Boston (SubDrift) Open Mic Through regular open mics on the Third Friday of each month and other programming, we create space for powerful artistic expression and collaboration. SubDrift is part of a national movement building creative community amongst local South Asians. All are welcome! Please fill out the form at @Democracyincontactin.bio/www.subdriftboston.ifyou'reinterestedperforming.@subdriftbostonCenter7PM-11PM
Creatives of Color Boston is a collective dedicated to the creation of intersectional safe spaces for BIPOC artists to connect and create together, while also celebrating and uplifting the voices and work of BIPOC artists from around the Boston area. They plan three main events each year including concerts, workshops, and exhibitions. More at creativesofcolorboston.comwww.
HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) strives to help abused women, children, men, and nonbinary people live free from violence and fear. As a leading domestic violence agency in Massachusetts, HAWC provides a domestic violence helpline, emergency shelter, legal services, advocacy and zines rally they’re organizing against the landlord of a crisis pregnancy center in downtown Boston, who counseling services to more than 2,500 families in the North Shore area each www.hawcdv.org@hawcnorthshoreyear.
9/23-10/3 Boston Lyric Opera brings Puccini’s masterpiece, the iconic opera La Bohème, to the Emerson Colonial Theatre. Tix at BLO.org
The Somerville Flea happens every Saturday Vintage, artisan, fresh produce and live music smack dab in the middle of Davis Square Somerville. @56 Holland St, Somerville 10AM-4PM Greenway Artisan Market happens every Sunday A vibrant open-air market featuring talented area artists, makers, and independent designers. @Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston 11AM-5PM Popportunity Pop-up Shops every weekend, shop local and get to know Central's newest small businesses. All operated by local entrepreneurs and artists. Open Sat + Sun 12PM-5PM, weather permitting. @Starlight Square, Cambridge they’re calling on to serve the people by evicting the CPC. @ Democracy Center 2PM-5PM BDS Boston recognizes that Israel has been involved in the oppression of not only Palestinians, but people in the Caribbean, Central, South, and North America, Africa, and Asia. Israel and the US have been jointly responsible for developing the infrastructure of surveillance and repression of people of color and immigrants. We are committed to building alliances with other groups to fight this oppression. Help build the BDS movement in Boston with this devoted group of activists @bdsboston Community Care in Reach is a free medical mobile clinic providing STI testing, pap smears, check-ups, HIV testing, wound care, and vaccines to Boston youths under 24. This program was created by the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program who drives this service TO YOU on Tuesdays 3PM-7PM and Thursdays 5PM-8PM. Reach out to them by dming their @harmreductionistsInstagramor text/call us at 617-645-7649
Egleston Farmers Market is back every Saturday 10AM-2PM at the Community Servings parking lot in JP! The market is expanding to include a bunch of low waste living resources like textile recycling, DIY workshops, bicycle repair, live tailors and lots @eglestonfarmersmarketmore!
Thru 9/23 Get tix NOW for the American Repertory’s show with NYC’s Signature Theatre, “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” re-examines America’s cycle of police brutality. Tix $25+AmericanRepertoryTheatre.orgat
Comedy At The Jungle Peter Lio hosts a comedy open mic with a lineup of great Boston comedians every Tuesday @The Jungle 9:30PM 21+ $ome Cost Duck Duck Goofs Presents Night School $4 Drinks. The funniest comedians. A true late night show. Enter through the hidden door on the side of the building, and walk into an abandoned classroom that we've transformed into a speakeasy. Every Saturday night! @Cambridge Community Center 8PM + 10PM 21+ $15 Duck Duck Goofs Presents Goofs Underground: Comedy Under the Cantab Every Thursday enjoy local comedians, live music openers, and drink specials @Cantab Lounge Basement 8PM 21+ $10 BCA Playwright Residency is now open! It is designed to support rising playwrights by providing office space, rehearsal and performance space, marketing support, professional mentorship, access to community partnerships and workshops, and a platform for creating and producing innovative work. Application deadline 9/11. More info at www.bostonarts.org Summer Movement Series put on by VLA Dance. Join these FREE classes Mondays to learn tricking and breaking and Thursdays to learn advanced contemporary dance. Sign up at www.vladance. com @Hibernian Hall, Roxbury Midway or the Highway Ever wondered what hilarious comedians from big fancy TV shows do the rest of the week? Sometimes they appear at your neighborhood bar! The funniest in New England and beyond can now be found in the wilds of JP on every single Sunday night at 9PM FOR FREE. Open mic at 10PM @Midway Cafe 21+ An Empty Zine is a collection of art, photography, poetry, and prose, inspired by a specific theme with the intention to explore and experiment with the ways that texts and images can interact and intersect with each other, (re)produce meaning share, spread ideas, democratize art, deconstruct the idea of a "publication" and, most importantly, get the work of incredibly talented artists,
Melanin Owned Business Vendors Flea Market every Saturday at Kay’s Oasis 1125 Blue Hill Ave from 12-5pm. Open Mic 1st and 4th Saturdays. Contact 585-237-8487 for vending opportunities. Vendors of color please reach out!
9/4 Mass Struggle Worker-Tenant Forum is a collective of union militants, tenant organizers and activists working to link otherwise isolated workplace and housing struggles with broader movements for social change. The September forum comes on the heels of a poets, and writers out there in the universe. The fourth edition “Cosmic Compost” will explore the way that decay feeds life creatively www.decadentcosmos.com Visual Magazine provides a platform for creative spirits to tell stories through visuals. As growing proof that people want substantive artistic media in their hands, the quarterly platform is proving again and again that people want to lift the veil on uncomfortable and fascinating topics with art as the hand. Purchase their latest issues at www.visualmag.ink and connect with @visualmag_ LONER Magazine is a publication that strives to showcase the raw, unfiltered and saturated life we experience on a daily basis. This publication aims to be a creative safe space for Artists, POC, LGBTQ and those who have a desire to change the world with their work. Read at www.lonerofficial.com and follow @loner.magazine Stay Kind! publishes and distributes creative works including zines and buttons. A portion of all sales are donated to initiatives supporting positive change in our communities. Shop multitudes of zines at www.staykind.com and connect with @staykinddistro Wisteria Magazine beautiful digital local art and music zine published weekly with love! Peek now at @wisteria.magwww.wisteriamag.com “Can We Talk With Spirit Friends?” is a series of digital collage zines, compositions of images and text found in books from the 19th-Century to the present, sequenced to create surreal interpretive narratives. There are currently 24 zines in this ongoing series. Buy them online at www. horskyprojects.com/store.
Central Square Farmer’s Market open every Monday 12PM-6PM from until 11/21. Their footprint, like last year, includes Norfolk Street and Starlight to increase space for vendors and distancing for shoppers.
Community Fridges! There’s a bunch of these popping up all around the city and beyond! They provide food for all and are totally southbostoncommunityfridge@needs@southbostoncommunityfridgevolunteer-run!helpstartingup!Email gmail.com to find how to get involved. @dotcommunityfridge is not open but does regular food drives. The following are now open! @brooklinecommunityfridge@southendfridge@numutualaid@newtoncommunityfreedge@somervillecommunityfridge@roslindalecommunityfridge@cambridgecitygrowers@cambridgefridge@matcommunityfridge@allstonbrightonfridges@bostoncommunityfridge@watertowncommunityfridge
Lucy Parsons Center, your favorite radical bookstore and community space, is moving back to the South End (Into MakeShift’s former spot). They need your help fundraising to make the transition smooth and help keep this Boston staple going! To donate visit www.tinyurl.com/ lpcfunds or check their social media @lucyparsonscenter
Dunamis drops a weekly Resource Roundup for artists straight to your inbox! Stay up to date with all this locally curated list of artist opportunities. Go to their website now and sign up for the www.dunamisboston.orgnewsletter!
See Your Here?!Art send your work adrian@brain-arts.orgto ` kevin@brain-arts.org The CompassBostonis100%volunteer-runHelp us make this thing! Amplifynewvoices! Email to learn how The Daily Life of Yi Bin by Yi Bin Liang yinbinliang.com Written Analog by Kit Collins & Suhayl @ kitschcollins, @ birdnyc Spydermane by Daniel Alejandro @ lavendar menace pressGay Ghosts by Abby Neale Snooze Junkie by Alex Dunn @dunndrewit
Art by Sabel Flynn
In August, Meta announced it would be testing end-to-end encryption as the default option on its Facebook Messenger platform. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure digital communication that prohibits third parties from accessing data while in transit from one device to another. E2EE is vital to protecting user privacy rights and freedom of expression in the digital sphere. Before the Dobbs decision, Meta complied with a court order from police to overturn private FB messages between a mother and daughter who had discussed an alleged illegal abortion. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the criminalization of pregnant people will continue to be carried out at the hands of the police, and tech companies may very well lay down and comply.
Little Free Libraries throughout Boston | littlefreelibrary.org
CUSTOM DAY TRIPS FROM BOSTON
In a discussion on racialized surveillance Fiske writes that, “although surveillance is penetrating deeply throughout our society, its penetration is differential.” The mutually beneficial cooperation between cops and big tech companies is not simply a violation of privacy rights, but a stream lining of goals of the carceral state.
NATURE: CULTURE: CUISINE:
Ben Mazer's forthcoming collection is The Ruined Millionaire (MadHat Press). He lives in Cambridge This poem chosen by Art & Letters Magazine @editorsartletters
Facing criticism that their site has allowed hate speech to flourish, Facebook promised to combat this issue in 2020. Yet, according to a study done by a non-profit watchdog called the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) this year, not only has Facebook failed to remove white supremacist content and groups, they have monetized searches for extremism. In their study, TTP found that searches for some white supremacist groups showed advertisments for Black churches. This clearly has raised concerns that Facebook is highlighting potential targets for white supremacist extremists. Facebook served ads in more than 40% of 91 searches for white supremacist groups. The ‘Unite the Right’” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia was organized using a Facebook event page.
Silicon Valley owes their profits to the personal information they collect and retain on us. Their retention of our private data and reliance on algorithms that “predict human behavior” cannot be considered innocuous in a surveillance state because the law does not equal justice. E2EE should be the default setting for online communications. Tech companies allegiance with law enforcement should be considered a warning to those who may seek abortion care in states that do not legally protect their right to choose, should they engage in any sensitive communications digitally. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is more proof that progress is not linear and what is protected today may be criminalized tomorrow.
Corrupt politicians and drug pushers mix. Everyone marries. True love is north nor south.
AllstonTwinDonuts
Where To Find Us
I am coolth let out upon the evening rides high the wind and barrels for their feeling I sport no guy but aimless macadam, focused on winning, for the national team!
I will get there late in the day, in a storm, and sleep like a baby in the new world.
Through all the streets which lead to you, I love you.
@bostoncompass brain-arts.orgbostoncccompassissuu.com/ bostoncompassnewspaper.com Who are you? S can the QR t ake ou R S u R vey LET US KNOW! One minute of your time means that we can deliver a better arts and culture guide to you. Please try our new QR survey! Bosto n OldHouseStateRoxburyDudleyCafe FieldsDorchesterCorner,outsideDAPJamaicaPlainStonyBrookOrangeLine ALSO! City Feed High1369Boomerang's&(JamaicaPlain)CoffeeHouse(CentalSq)MidwayCafe(StonyBrook)EnergyVintage(Somerville)
BEN MAZER
In the era of surveillance capitalism, data is like diamonds, mineable assets easily exploited for profit by those in positions of power. Who stands to benefit from unfettered access to our digital footprint? The lucrative flow of information between law enforcement and tech companies has further criminalized personal bodily autonomy, facilitated racist surveillance, quelled protest, emboldened civilian vigilantism, and targeted immigrants. According to media scholar and cultural theorist John Fiske, the Orwellian image of the “overseeing eye” is a white one.
GRACE RAIH SURVEIL & CONTROL
The shadows fall in evening traffic's rush to shine a lamplight on the stern facade of high decorum in the royal manner. This gets to you, prefiguring the focus of future projects and fertility.
