AN INDEPENDENT ARTS & CULTURE GUIDE
Meet
NOTES FROM Cynthia Yee: Award Winning THE CREW: Writer, Teacher, and Rule Breaker AMYAS M “I grew up in a world of secrets and transgressions, What’s Happening, Boston?! It’s your favorite neighborhood reporter, Amyas, straight outta Dorchester keds. I am one of the directors of Dorchester Art Project and my specialty is connecting people. I have just begun spearheading studio programming which is currently an affordable space where studio artists can simply create. While I’m serving as a director, I hope to make the following impact. Emerging studio artists may need help creating their portfolio, and if they document that work for 3 years then they will qualify for ARTIST HOUSING CERTIFICATION. They can then apply to acquire an affordable place where they can live and work. There are other ways to aid the longevity of these artists too such as DAP partnering with other mission aligned organizations to aid them with their business incubation, officially incorporating, protecting their assets, and estate planning. This proposed success pipeline has the potential to create generational wealth for studio artists impacted by many social injustices. COVID proved the need for creative space and opportunity to generate income from one’s creativity. As DAP continues with the intent to be a resource for its studio artists, I’d like to connect you readers with an opportunity to support your favorite DAP artist by donating directly to them via our WISHLIST. The wishlist has been used to purchase tools that our studio artists need to create. The most significant tool in their repertoire is their studio! Imagine the impact of a subsidized studio for an artist trying to make a living from their creativity during a pandemic. With your help, we can turn this experience into a bandemic! Hit me up via email (dorchesterartproject@gmail. com) to learn more about how you can make it happen for a studio artist near you. Enjoy your summer!
—Amyas
surrounded by mystery, embraced by hope.” So begins “No Secret,” a creative non-fiction piece by writer, award winning teacher, and Chinatown native Cynthia Yee. Characteristic of her other works, “No Secret” is part coming of age narrative, part historical document. When I sat down with Yee last month, I had prepared ten questions. I asked none of them. Instead, I listened as she reflected with conviction and candor. Sometimes measured, sometimes playful, she darted from the personal to the political and back again. Yee was born and raised in Boston’s Chinatown shortly after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a policy whose damage she continually emphasizes. “[Chinatown] became a ghetto because of racism and because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. People think Chinatown was formed by a collection of restaurants.” In her stories, Yee is a Taishanese girl in a joyful community, where children play publicly and develop an agency and autonomy that she contrasts with restrictive suburban life. In “Mo Hi: Don’t Look,” Yee writes of the defunct Combat Zone, an adult entertainment district adjacent to Chinatown: “The porno houses are replaced by high rise apartments, and people of all ages stream hard core porn in the privacy of their own homes.” “I try not to center Whiteness,” says Yee. “It’s my story. It isn’t me being the immigrant daughter in a White society, having a White teacher. It’s the story of a girl named Cynthia Yee. And the minor characters are the White teachers and the nuns, and everybody else.” Yee’s writings give us intergenerational love, meditations on transgression, and food. Lots of food! Follow Yee on hudsonstreetchronicles.com, and explore her work with the Pao Arts Center, Chinatown’s first arts and cultural center.
—Stephen Grigelevich
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
Northeastern University is planning on building a luxury dorm in Roxbury on Columbus Ave in 2021. Northeastern will generate $16 million in profit from skyrocketing student rent per year, and only pay $2 million in taxes. A luxury dorm is the exact opposite of what both students and the community need with the already existing housing crisis.The Boston Planning and Development agency and Mayor Janey should c onstruct a high quality, union built, green, publicly affordable housing for Roxbury residents. Students and Roxbury residents completely oppose the construction of the dorms and the mayor has a duty to abide by those constituents. In 2019, when Northeastern’s plan was filed with the city, Janey quickly opposed it and sent a letter to the Boston planning and development agency expressing her concerns about the project and Northeastern’s relationship with her neighbors in her Roxbury district. However, In 2021, The Janey administration has not made it clear how they will address the construction of the dorms. There is a movement against the luxury dorms organized by groups including Northeastern Socialist alternative, Boston socialilst alternative, and more. Anyone can get involved by following the facebook page @stopthelux for the fight against the luxury dorm campaign. Community members will continue to fight for the end of gentrification and for the rise of affordable housing. Follow @whatshappening_boston on IG for updates on events, news, and more in Boston!
—Daya MZ creative director for WHBoston
Art By:
LAYOUT DESIGN:
Phoebe Delmonte: p.1,4,& 5 Hannah Blauner: p.2 & 3 Adrian Alvarez: p.6 & 8 Julia Baroni: p.7 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
INTRODUCING...
TINY DAP CONCERTS A NEW BCN LIVE MUSIC SERIES
Live performances have always been a major part of artist development for me. While managing and working with several musical artists a fews years back, many venues either closed or became harder to secure for live entertainment. Harpers Ferry (now Brighton Music Hall), Church, and other music hot spots throughout the city that normally allowed artists to hone in on their live stage presence were no longer accessible. In 2014 while thinking of various ways to showcase live performances, I stumbled across a live music segment on Youtube titled Tiny Desk created by Bob Boilen of NPR. The first artist I saw was T-Pain, singing live without any post processing to his voice in an intimate setting. For years speculation surrounded The Nappy Boy Ent founder, questioning his ability to vocalize without “Auto-Tune” a plugin used to alter and correct the pitch of vocals and instruments. TinyDesk allowed the viewer to view and listen to what appeared to be the artist performing in a natural state. I immediately thought this would be a great way to showcase the talents of Nancia, an R&B Vocalist Native of Cambridge, MA. I kept the idea at bay until the right location presented itself. 2019 was the year I entered Dorchester Art Project. I noticed an office with the door slightly ajar. A very welcoming voice prompted me to enter as if I belonged in this space that I’d never occupied previously. At this time, I could see the characteristics of this office: from BCN articles, to artwork of community members, and even a pair of brown leather boots that I later realized belonged to Emma, the kind woman that welcomed me earlier.
I communicated with Sam of DAP boasting how we could create a similar vibe of “TinyDesk” and play off the name by calling our segment “TinyDAP” showcasing Nancia with a live band. In the last quarter of 2020, Sam confirmed that we would go forward with the idea while adding several artists to the spectrum now becoming the “TInyDAP” concert series. Season 1 composed of DJ Whysham, Tashawn Taylor, Notebook P, Shellz, and Kasia Lavo shows a diverse lineup of emerging talent of Greater Boston artists. The LoopLab collaborative with SmokeHouse Media did an amazing job with audio video production. Converting the multifaceted spaces of DAP into mini concert halls made it possible for us to showcase the talents of artists while providing a safe environment during the pandemic. Covid-19 created additional obstacles that were challenging, but nothing that teamwork couldn’t overcome. Get ready for Season 1: Episode 1: premiering June 17, 2021 on the Boston Compass Newspaper Youtube Channel!
----------------------------------------- JAY HUNT
HOW THE MUSIC MAKES YOU HOW THE MUSIC LOSES YOU WITH AUMI LUXE
If asked to describe Aumi Luxe, the young alternative artist standing at 23 years old, I would include the following: honest, a strong sense of self, fluid, and lastly, not a morning person. Given the seemingly different task of describing Aumi Luxe as an artist, my response would have remained the same. This is because while talking to him, it became clear his creativity and music were strongly woven into his very being. As if mimicking growth of both parent and child, he had grown alongside music since second grade, exploring classes like choir as he grew into his connection to the musical world. For centuries, self expression has been scientifically classified by all artists alike as a “tricky thing;” it can give one so much freedom and liberty but its openness can simultaneously cause any artist to tear themselves down. As Aumi continued into the intricacies of the creative process, he talked about how he felt most like himself when creating: “When I’m inspired enough to let the creation take over and unlock new sides of myself. ” The beauty in Aumi as an artist is noticing that he felt the most like himself when learning a new side of who he is, which is a beautiful contrast since it’s often that humans find comfort in the familiar. But with beauty always comes the balance of darkness, and as Aumi and I continued, he shared details of his own critical lens and pressure from society to frame himself as a brand. While these limiting qualities are brought out during music production, he described his natural state to be one where these anxieties are devoid from his mind, “My anxiety is not my core self,” he noted.
Whereas balancing anxiety can make artists to ‘play it safe’ versus free, unguarded creation is strongly embedded in the use of intention. Independent artists have the beauty of freedom in choice, but this can simultaneously put extra weight and anxiety on the decisions they make in regards to their music careers. Aumi described this oddity as “A double edged sword, because I want to use intention in my work to show who I am, but at the same time I can trip myself up with overthinking and giving myself unrealistic standards.” The ability for artists to overcome their darkness is a beautiful process, but often a process that often happens more than once as life and artistry continue to grow. Aumi knows he is more than his anxious thoughts, but he can still get trapped by them. This is simply because we all do, no matter how many times we’ve had the revelation that our anxieties are not our reality. Aumi and I ended with thoughts on how his songs should be seen as only moments in time. He wished that “Listeners don’t get caught up in one image of me,” and continued to say that, “Curating one specific image can be limiting, my goal is to not have one image or sound.” To showcase his efforts and growth in the past two years, Aumi Luxe has an EP coming out this summer entitled “Liquid & Pain”. But to enjoy his latest music, go take a listen to his melodic, two sided single, “To See The Light Again.”
----------------------------------- ROSIE FAWZI
Berklee Students Demand Accountability for Racism, Transphobia and Fractured Culture of Abuse on Campus “Today I went to my professor’s office hours for help,” tweeted Berklee student Randy King on April 5. “Out of NOWHERE she says, ‘I assume you didn’t grow up with a father and you had a rough life growing up.’” The Tweet was re-posted on Instagram by fourth-semester Berklee music business major Jackson Speller in a thread compiling the testimony of students decrying racism, transphobia and general discrimination at the hands of Berklee’s administration and faculty. The professor in question, Sally Blazer, is white and King is Black. The post received thousands of likes, bringing renewed attention to a longstanding problem of pervasive racism on Berklee’s campus. Students at Berklee are fed up and have come together to amplify voices and demand accountability. “Berklee is one of the big names, and they’ve got all these pictures of Black students [in advertisements]. And then you get there and when you’re in class, you’re the only one in classes [who’s Black],” explained Bobby Hall, a graduating contemporary writing and production major at Berklee. “I still feel like the minority and it doesn’t feel good when my identity is being commodified. It makes me feel like a statistic — it makes me feel like another way to make money.” Hall and Speller are among a group of students who have been demanding action from Berklee’s administration with little compliance. Last year, they brought a list of demands to president Roger Brown — demands which, according to students, are just now being acknowledged following an organized walkout on April 14. The demonstration was in response to Blazar’s conduct but also to the other instances of discrimination that were chronicled in the original Instagram post and the flurry of submissions reposted by @aminext_berklee, an account created by the core organizers to facilitate discussion surrounding the needed change at Berklee. Blazar could not be reached for comment. Berklee’s administration could not be reached for comment. While Blazar’s rhetoric was central to the current outrage, students make it clear that this is not just about one racist professor. This is about an administration that excuses unacceptable conduct and deflects demands for accountability. This is about a broken culture of pervasive prejudice that is not only present but also tolerated. “Berkee does thrive off of a very toxic culture and a very toxic community,” explained Zora Robinson, a former student at Berklee. Robinson was featured on the Am I Next Berklee Instagram account where they shared their experience navigating not only sexual harassment and assault at Berklee but also transphobia and homophobia at the hands of Berklee students, faculty and administrators. They ultimately left the college to care for
their mental health after administrators failed to provide appropriate services and protection. “I’ve gone to administration, I’ve gone to the faculty. And the thing is that the same people that perpetuate these kinds of phobias and these kinds of assaults — the people who are fully abusers at that school — are the same ones who are in the shows and performing every single show because they’re good musicians.” It’s important to note that Berklee has a history of excusing and protecting rapists and abusers, some of whom have been professors. In the Am I Next post they wrote: “Experiencing Berklee as a Black trans woman is not for the faint of heart. We are overlooked, isolated and made to believe that we do not matter.” Universities operate as businesses above all else, privy to the culture and politics of capitalist exploitation that cannot exist without the presence of racism, sexism, transphobia and other forms of discrimination. But when it comes to a global standard of music education built on the praxis of jazz — an artform of resistance and historic pillar of Black culture in the U.S. — many would not think Berklee School of Music to be beholden to a broken culture of prejudice, gaslighting, toxic masculinity and public relations stunts that exist to protect an image rather than students in their care. “The system is the white man. So obviously, it’s going to protect them,” explained Margot Silva, a seventh-semester film score major at Berklee and one of countless students who has been failed by the systems set up to supposedly protect them. Following assault and abuse at the hands of another Berklee student, the college’s Center for Diversity Equity and Inclusion failed to provide Silva with appropriate services and, according to Silva, seemed more interested in protecting abusers than supporting survivors. “Berklee is literally a machine for pumping sexist men and misogynistic men and racist men into the music industry. It protects them,” explained Silva. Student review boards, more comprehensive mental health services, mandatory comprehensive diversity and inclusion training for professors and fair trials for professors with allegations of discriminatory behavior in line with restorative justice tactics are a few of the demands brought forward by Berklee students to the administration. “I think the way we got so many people to come out, it’s just momentum, like, straight up,” explained Speller, who hopes to expand the Am I Next account framework to be a platform for students around the Boston area. “I think if we get the press on [the administration], and continually have the press on them, that’s cool. That’s what we need to do. And I think we have the power to do that.”
------------------------------ TARANEH AZAR
CELEBRATING SHADES OF BLACK BEAUTY
On the 1-Year Anniversary of the CPL’s Shut Down It’s spring, dear readers! The flowers are flowering! The trees are treeing! And much has changed since my last column three months ago. But there are some things that haven’t changed, and I’d like to take a moment to talk about one of them. On March 13, 2020, Cambridge Public Libraries announced that they would be closing their doors for two weeks in response to the threat that the COVID-19 pandemic posed to the public and its staff. At the time, it was a reasonable response to a virus that was still very new and very frightening. But as I write this, it is one year, two months, and 10 days since the library’s initial notice of closure and by the time this issue reaches print in June, Governor Baker will have lifted Massachusetts out of the stifling state of emergency we have lived under for more than a year. Yet in spite of the science they have claimed to have been following for the past year, in spite of the data, in spite of the essential services libraries provide to the most vulnerable members of our community, the CPL network will still not have resumed its full services to the taxpaying, majority-vaccinated public that funds it. As we approach the end of the pandemic, despite a rough start, the U.S. is emerging out of it better than most, with robust vaccination programs taking place all over the country and over 150 million people already having received one dose. Yet over a year in, certain institutions—ironically, the ones which have put on the biggest show about being progressive, inclusive, and anti-racist—are still closed. Perhaps nothing illustrates this new, detached breed of COVID elitism disguised as social justice more than the newsletters of the Cambridge Public Library. Each week, the library’s director, Maria McCauley, voices her commitment to anti-racism and inclusivity with a new Zoom event, while keeping the library’s physical spaces closed to the minorities who need it most. We aren’t going to solve America’s problems with race and inequity over Zoom. Given the science, the most equitable move the CPL could make at this point would be to safely open its doors.
The irony is that in towns with libraries that receive far less funding than the CPL, libraries have found ways to adapt. One elderly resident of Cambridge, dissatisfied with the CPL’s curbside pick-up program after waiting in a line in the freezing cold dead of winter for nearly half an hour, took to social media to ask residents of other towns how their libraries were coping. She received responses from people in Framingham, Watertown, Arlington, and towns all over the state, who said they were finding ways to get books to residents and even (in the case of Watertown), allow folks inside to safely browse even during the pandemic. (The original commenter, who prefered to remain anonymous, responded to the flood of comments: “Consensus is....every library does it better than Cambridge! Good to know.”) While other less-well-funded libraries, like Watertown, were finding ways to safely open, in January 2021, CPL fell even deeper into a hole of regression, shutting down even curbside holds it was offering for several months. This total shutdown of services (save for anti-racist Zoom calls and virtual book readings) stood at odds with the city’s decision to increase the library’s budget by 25% for the 2021 fiscal year (from $13 million to $15 million). On May 3, the CPL finally announced that it would be resuming limited, 30-minute inperson services by appointment only, starting in June. I’ve been told that the Cambridge City Manager, Louis DePasquale, whose income for this year was recently approved at $330,937 with 2.5% salary bumps every six months, is the public servant whose sole decision it apparently is to press “Go” on the library’s services. To him, I say: Limited in-person service by appointment is not the same as safely opening. Every single day that the CPL’s spaces are not made available, it is failing the anti-racist mission that its newsletters suggest it is obsessed with and its commitment to these ideals is purely lip service. We need a date that the library will open, and accountability for the money that should have funded extending (not retracting) the library’s services for the first half of 2021.
---------------------------------- KARINE VANN
TRASH IS TRAGIC Clowns Can Forage, Too The other day, a clown called @apocalypse_ housewife taught me how to forage invasive plants. Yes, she was in full clown gear. It felt surprisingly natural, beautiful even. I cried. An invasive species is an introduced organism that negatively alters its new environment. Which is bad news because invasive plants are everywhere. Again, I cried. The plants we ate were brought to this land and propagated for their nutritional, medicinal, or aesthetic qualities. Now they grow willy nilly, fuxing things up for the natives. People try in vain to kill them with chemicals, or simply overlook them because, well, what is plant? Foraging is an incredible way to reduce invasive vegetation. It involves identifying edible plants that are not in a supermarket and eating them. You won’t die - quite the contrary! As the clown explained, foraging invasive plants is wholesome. Unless you have a specific allergy, the plants below are safe to eat. You can’t overpick them. They’re nutrientrich. They teach us the history of colonization, allowing us to ingest the truth, digest our thoughts, and extrude our emotions. Best of all, foraging teaches us abundance. Our incredible planet provides all this for us. No money or gear required - just help yourself! Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea). A member of the mint family, this flowering plant has a spicy, herbal flavor. It’s known to choke out native wildflowers. Payback’s a bitch: eat raw in salads, smoothies, tea, or infuse into gin. Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major), a.k.a. white man’s foot, has a delightful mushroom
flavor. Use like spinach. When young, eat raw in salads and sandwiches. Once mature, sautee to reduce bitterness. Norway Spruce Tips (Picea abies) is simply new growth at the end of spruce branches. Gobble ‘em raw - I certainly do. They’re bright green, packed with vitamin C, and have a sassy citrus flavor. The Norway spruce is invasive, but all spruce tips are edible. Just don’t mistake spruce for the inedible Yew tree (Taxus baccata - also invasive), which will give you diarrhea, cha cha cha. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) has many folksy, witchy associations. Once dry, use as tea to promote lucid dreaming, or burn as you would sage. Field Garlic (Allium vineale) can be used like garlic. Harvest bulbs in spring and fall. The greens are tasty, too! Dandelion (Taraxacum). Every part of this common plant is edible: stem, seed, leaves, and flower. Popular uses include dandelion wine, dandelion green salad, sauteed dandelion leaves, dandelion fritters, dandelion root tea… Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Chopped leaves, flowers, and fruit are great for salads and pesto. The leaves, best when young, taste of garlic and mustard. Seeds and roots can be used to season food. Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) has a tart, juicy stalk like rhubarb, and it’s safe to eat raw. Beware: this plant is incredibly invasive. It can reproduce from fragments of itself, a la John Carpenter’s The Thing. Be careful with scraps - don’t throw them on the ground or in a composter.
------------------------ MELANIE BERNIER
@melsmoviemagic
“Celebrating Shades of Black Beauty” is a new series I started with my mom, Claire, that mixes my illustrations with her digital paintings, dubbed “Sun Angels.” “Curls and Curves” is the first piece in the series, and it focuses on embracing dark skin, large curvy bodies, and luxurious natural, kinky hair. We’ve wanted to collaborate for years by doing something around celebrating Black women. We created this series to represent fem Black bodies of all shapes, focusing on plus-sized bodies and illustrating the beauty of 4c hair because it’s still seen negatively in society and our communities. These ideas stem from my Mom not feeling represented as a plus-sized/curvy Black woman and my self-hate experiences regarding my hair and what I perceived as body flaws. Additionally, we are maddened by how dark-skinned Black women are treated negatively in media, so most of the art in this series will showcase the beauty of dark skin. The background and hair colors are taken from her ClarityIsJustSoHip (Insta: @clarityisjustsohip) designs while I drew the bodies.” “Practicing Self-Love” is a reflection of my own experiences with self-love. Sometimes it isn’t easy to take time for me and not
overwork or not have my mind overcome negative self-talk, especially when it comes to negative feelings regarding my body. The blue body represents an exhausted, broken-down woman, and the woman filled with vibrant shades of brown is a healed version of that woman. She’s recognizes that she needs to take time to reflect and practice self-care. I chose to represent it as a cycle because from my own experience, I sometimes feel so drained and neglect selfcare, and I frequently have to remind myself that it’s absolutely fine to take a break. Selflove is a continuous practice, and sometimes we make a mistake and have to rebuild again, and I wanted to show that’s okay, as long as you get back on your feet. My Mom’s pieces in this series include a manipulated mix titled “PeaceAnOneLuv,” “Warped Ripples,” “Amazing,” and “Universal Womb.” View Amaranthia’s socials, interviews, artworks, and activist work here: linktr.ee/_cutiehipsterart_ View Claire’s work on clarityisjustsohip.com View these works on Black Super Woman Chronicles at bswchronicles.com/blackvisuals-collective
-------------------- AMARANTHIA SEPIA
more a
t bosto
ncomp
assnew
The DocYard is an awardwinning film and discussion com series at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge which also sponsors special screenings and copresentations throughout the year. Thedocyard.com
spaper.
Boston Compass Youtube Channel! Yes we are plugging ourselves because we are just so excited about our current and upcoming video endeavors! Check out our newest regular series Defining Leadership: personal interviews with local artists about their work and the state of arts in our community!
VISUAL ART ADVOCACY Blue Crime Blue Dime A community initiative working to have police pay for their own lawsuits and settlements instead of the state draining the wallets of taxpayers. Check out their IG @bluecrimebluedime and Twitter @dime_crime for community events like social justice BBQs that they host. Save The Harbor/Save The Bay is an incredible non-profit organization working to clean up Boston’s beaches and harbors and works to make them free and accessible to all. They are presenting some dope art programs this summer as part of their Better Beaches program so stay tuned! @savetheharbor and www.savetheharbor.org Sunrise Movement Boston works everyday to stop climate change and create jobs in the process. Find them at @sunrisemvmtboston to cue into all the rad actions and workshops they have going on. Asian American Resource Workshop is a political home for pan-Asian communities in Greater Boston. They are a member-led organization committed to building grassroots power through political education, creative expression, and issue-based and neighborhood organizing. Join today! @aarw.boston and www.aarw.org Mass Action Against Police Brutality A campaign to prosecute the police and jail those who are guilty, open all past cases of police brutality, and end the harassment of victims and witnesses. Visit www.maapb.org for info on actions/protests in the Boston area. Follow Voices of Liberation for regular information and advocacy for housing equity in greater Boston. They host meetings, summits, and actions to engage the public in this important cause! CityLife/VidaUrbana: Organizing for racial, economic, and gender justice since 1973. Building solidarity to put people before profits. Support their Homes For All Act at homesforallmass.org/act ! Pride 4 the People: Boycott Pride until Real Transformation Happens! The current Pride Board no longer holds the trust
of LGBTQ+ community that Boston Pride is supposed to serve, and Pride for the People has called for the current board of Boston Pride to step down. Visit pride4thepeople.org. Also check out a reflection on pride brought to us by Qwear Fashion, Qwear Media and GLBTQ Legal Advocates. They will be hosting a panel discussion June 3rd 7PM. Search “Trans Pride 2021: Victories and Resilience to RSVP Trans Resistance Massachusetts: The Second Annual Trans Resistance March and Vigil is happening June 12th at Franklin Park, MA. They are seeking volunteers for Set Up, Marshalls, Accessibility and PPE Distribution. Sign up to volunteer via linktr.ee/ TransResistanceMA
MUSIC & AUDIO Check out WECB fm Boston! WECB is a student-run, creatively independent internet radio station at Emerson College in Boston. They host dozens of radio shows by hundreds of DJs and highlight new and exciting music both locally and beyond! Also check out their music review platform Milk Crate! To listen and for more info, visit: www.wecb.fm Audio/Visual Virtual Performance by Rafart. This immersive performance takes place on June 25th. Expect a one-person-band armed with a Chapman stick controlling colorful projections live! Streaming from our HQ DAP. Check out @rafartstick and www.rafartmusic.com Sonorium. Ever check out the sick, recurring, Salem-based experimental music exposé known only as Sonorium?! You can see their past live performances online and stay informed on upcoming virtual performances, Youtube videos and more at www.sonorium.net Boston Art Podcast dope new podcast creating meaningful discussions with Boston artists! New episodes every other Friday on Youtube and Spotify @bostonartpodcast “Lunch is Ova!” on Spark FM with DJ WhySham: Every Tuesday/Thursday from 1-3PM www.sparkfmonline.com/ Feel it Speak it: Boston’s only monthly open mic movement dedicated to voices
Humphreys Street Studios: Our HeART: Artists of Dorchester Exhibition now on display until June 4th Fridays and Saturdays 10AM-4PM. It features work by Qadir Shabazz, Neil Horsky, Jaypix Belmer, Sophia Dubuisson and many more! Closing celebration June 5th. More info @humphreysstreetstudio and www.humphreysstreetstudio. com.
& experiences of the LGBTQ+ communities of color every Thursday. Open mic sign up: tinyurl.com/fisivirtual @feelit_speakit The OOZE New England’s only party dedicated and catering to all the rad underground genres of electronic music and internet subculture. Check out @kerrydabrunette on IG for info and updates! Did you know that Modern Party Art hosts Open Mic Night every Wednesday 6:30-9:30PM EST? From beginners to people who do this for a living-- the stage is yours! Reserve your seat by buying tickets in advance. There is a 20 person limit during Covid. Follow @modernpartyart for more! Nonevent is a Boston-based concert series devoted to the presentation of experimental, abstract, improvised, and new music from New England and around the world. Visit nonevent.org Virtual First Fridays Open Mic: All ages and talents welcome! Sign up here! https://bit.ly/ FF-OpenMic-Signup Subcentral is a unique space that spored from the subculture in the heart of Cambridge. They are dedicated to promoting and producing electronic music and performance arts, while nourishing creative minds through classes, workshops and art installations. @subcentral.studio and www.subcentral.studio Good Music Showcase Series Organized by @djalcide! Mass’s MOST Consistently Run Showcase Tour!!! Five Years And Running!!! Taking sign ups for June now. Signup Info: Alcidemusic@gmail.com
VIDEO & FILM Weird Local Film Festival has been killing it this past year by providing you with regular virtual film fests by some of the most forward thinking makers around! Follow them @weirdlocalfilmfestival for archived festivals and live ones too! ShowPlace ICON is host to a redefined movie experience with cutting-edge digital and theatre technology. Check out their website for events. www.ShowPlaceICON.com @showplaceiconboston
CALL FOR ARTISTS: Kingston Gallery. There are many opportunities to apply to get your work shown and to get involved! Check out www.kingstongallery.com Praise Shadows Art Gallery: Ötzi, Nicole Wilson’s groundbreaking years-long project spans performance, tattoo, and digital media. On view until June 27th. www.praiseshadows.com CALL FOR WORK: Aviary Gallery is currently seeking work for our weekly online exhibition features on a rolling basis. All mediums are accepted, so long as the work can be represented by high quality images. More info at aviarygallery.com Boston CyberArts presents: SIM Silent Showcase. “An installation of work by a collective of students in The Studio for Interrelated Media at Massachusetts College of Art & Design. These students have responded to the unprecedented challenge of a global pandemic by launching SIMtv - a concept, a context, a website, and an episodic venue for sharing SIM student and alumni art.” www.bostoncyberarts.org Som Vibes Art Studio in Attleboro is an expressive visual arts and entertainment center with lots of cool events this month including a Glow in the Dark Paint night for kids and adults! Somvibesstudiollc.com
PERFORMANCE ART Studio 550 Fundraiser: This beloved dance and performance space in Central Square has officially been displaced and needs your help relocating. Donate now at https://studioat550.org/ campaigns/covid-19sustainability-emergency-fund/ Check out Artists’ Theater of Boston! They produce “thoughtful, evocative work that challenges systemic injustices facing our communities through
the collaborative process of making theater”. Online opportunities and performances can found at artiststheater.org HOME Poetry Series - bJune Edition HOME consists of a featured reader and brief open mic every first Friday and a workshop every first Saturday. The series is curated by Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola and hosted by Anthony Febo. This month the workshop is June 5th 11:30-1pm and it features Rajiv Mohabir www.boston.gov/poetry. Midway or the Highway Open Mic! On Zoom! Find us on Facebook for the address. All are welcome when Angela Sawyer & Dave Robinson host some of the city’s most talented comedians, musicians, and weirdos too! If you’re feeling brave, put your name in the bucket and get a moment onstage under the lights. Every Monday night! The Black Comedy Explosion: Wednesday nights at Slades Bar and Grill starting at 7pm. Join us as we bring you some of today’s funniest comedians from BET Comic View, HBO DEF Comedy Jam, and more, with both national and local acts. sladesbarandgrill.com @slades.boston
LITERARY ART & NEWS MEDIA Superfroot Magazine lover boy refers to love of all kinds. Inside the first issue, you’ll find heartbreak, lust, first love, platonic love, familial love, and more all portrayed by over 85 contributors. Preorders for physical copies have ended but you can still view online at www.superfroot.com Roxbury Poetry Festival is a biennial event centering poetry in Roxbury, MA. The inaugural festival is happening virtually with the exception of two evening events. The festival features several award-winning writers, panelists, and curators, and centers a keynote address from 2020 Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Jericho Brown. Happening June 5th 10AM-9PM. More info at www.roxburypoetryfestival. com Moral Crema Zine has released its second edition of its new publication dedicated to the archiving and promotion of experimental artists who are primarily queer, POC, working class, and women. Find out more @moralcrema and www.moralcrema.com Pleasure Pie zines and illustrations about sexual empowerment and consent! @pleasurepie www.pleasurepie.org Check out Input/Output Magazine by Magdalena Abrego for interviews, music reviews, and more! Also check out their corresponding podcast for episodes featuring Susan Alcorn, Camilla Ortiz, Amanda Monaco and many others. More info, and listen at: inputoutputmag.com
Check out the Papercut Zine Library virtual library! They are “a free, volunteer-run browsing library with a collection of 16,000+ zines & independent media”. www.papercutzinelibrary.com/
COMMUNITY The Morning Show presented by Brandi Chanel is an outdoor vendor market featuring local artists and sellers, live performances and open mics, and breakfast! Come down to Francis D. Martini Memorial Shell Park in Hyde Park Saturday 6/19 9AM-3PM for a beautiful day in the sun...oh and bring your own yoga mats! Let’s get the Summer and your morning started off right! Apparel Brand, Music Label and Entertainment Company Scope Apparel is opening a storefront and HQ AT 484 B Center St, Jamaica Plain. Come hang at their grand opening 6/4 and 6/5 11AM-7PM. DJ Bobby Bangers and Callmefats will be bumping tunes! Check it out! @scopeapparel and www.scopeapparel.com The Lucky Jungle, a new Cambridge community space has spawned from the depths of quarantine. Selling work of local artists and beautiful plants, providing specialized art classes, and soon putting on live performances, this space seems to offer everything we need after a year trapped in our rooms. @theluckyjungle and www.theluckyjungle.com Floralia Spring Market and Festival put on by Hear Me Roar who is a collaborative group of womxn artists and makers. Their spring event is a celebration of local craftswomen, artists, and small business owners! Partnering with Warehouse XI in Somerville, our market has over 40 local womxn vendors as well as tarot readers, spoken word, and open mic performances. @hearmeroar_newengland
WEEKLY MUTUAL AID (FFC) around Atkinson and Topeka Streets, Boston every Friday at 6 PM. Providing food, clothing, cold weather supplies. Donations are always welcome (funds and gloves, hand warmers, socks, hats, snacks/sandwiches). All volunteers are welcome. Love to cook? Bring a hot meal to serve. Boston GLASS operates Drop-In Community Centers for LGBTQ+ youth of color between the ages of 13–25! GLASS provides a continuum of services to LGBTQ+ youth of color and their allies in the Greater Boston and Greater Framingham areas and also provides education and consultation to other providers and community organizations. Women Explore Lecture and Discussion Forum: Women Explore provides lecture series within a feminist learning community for women, to connect with the sacred dimensions of their experience and to support and encourage each other in the world community. womenexplore.org Community Fridges! There’s a bunch of these popping up all around the city! They provide food for all and are totally volunteer-run! Check Out @bostoncommunityfridge @dotcommunityfridge @allstoncommunityfridge @matcommunityfridge @cambridgecommunityfridge @roslindalecommunityfridge Some are relocating and need your help finding business and people to host them! Boston LGBTQIA+ Artists Association is revamping with a new director and a new website! They just released a survey asking what LGBTQIA+ artists in Boston would like to see happen with this new organization. Find it at www.blaa.us
The summer season is busier than ever with many companies shifting to outdoor performances while others remain virtual. This includes a return of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s annual Shakespeare on the Common with a production of The Tempest. The show is free as always, but requires registration due to Covid restrictions. Registration opens June 21st, so don’t miss out! Below are some highlights of theatre happenings this month. Be sure to check out the full listings at brainarts.org. Is there anything we’re missing? Email us at TheatrescapeBoston@gmail.com —CEEK 6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/24 chekhovOS /an experimental game/ Virtual theatre innovators The Arlekin Players have gone full throttle with their newest endeavor, the Zero Gravity Virtual Theatre Lab, where they are workshopping new ways to tell interactive stories, combining technology with live performance and some incredible talent. Visionary director Igor Golyak leads the way with local acting heavy weights Darya Denisova, Nael Nacer and global phenomenon Mikhail Baryshnikov. This is an experiment you don’t want to miss. WHERE: ArlekinPlayers.com Thru 6/13 Niceties This show challenges our concept of American History and raises important questions about the narrative being taught in schools. A complicated conversation between a student and professor that takes a turn towards larger issues that seem impossible to change. It is streaming for free, but please donate if you can. WHERE: HuntingtonTheatre. org/Niceties/
6/11-6/27 Tiny Beautiful Things @ Windhover Center for the Performing Arts (Rockport) Gloucester Stage presents this endearing and thoughtful comedy, adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s advice column “Dear Sugar”. It will make you laugh and think and really empathize as these characters reach out for help. This outdoor show is a great escape from the current state of the world and definitely worth the ride to Rockport. WHERE: GloucesterStage.com
6/5-7/11 Listen to Sipu New Repertory Theatre offers a new installment in their Watertown Historical Moving Plays series with a socially distanced walking tour through town. This time, your guide is Sipu, who will walk and talk audiences through the indigenous history of the area, debunking many myths in the process. $25 general tickets and free for anyone who identifies as indigenous. WHERE: NewRep.org
6/11-6/24 The Boston Project: Project Resilience Experience five new ten-minute plays by a handful of local playwrights in under an hour that depict the strength and endurance Boston is known for. With tickets at $30, it’s good to remember how many artists you’re supporting at once. WHERE: SpeakeasyStage.com
Black Umbrella Project is having an event Saturday June 5th 2PM-6PM at John F Kenndey Elementary school that will bring the community together with vendors, raffles and family friendly festivities! Come learn about the local BIPOC owned businesses in your neighborhood. I also hear they’ll be taking free headshots for your portfolio! Cool! M.O.B. Melanin Owned Business Market! At Dorchester Art Project Every Saturday in June from 12-5pm at 1490 Dorchester Ave come support an amazing selection of Black-owned Businesses curated by Shakenna Appleberry of 2 Fruits Wellness. Follow her at @2fruitswellness! Check out the Daily Table at 684 Mass. Ave in Central Square! They sell affordable, sustainable food for all. Check out their other locations in Dorchester and Roxbury! They are open from 9AM - 8PM on Monday - Friday, and 11AM - 7PM on Sundays.
What’s DAPpening, y’all?! The weather’s nice and we allllright! DAP is now running full steam ahead with the Covid-19 ban lifted and we can’t wait to keep the momentum going! Tenant Tuesdays have been poppin’ as the series highlights DAP tenants with remarkable talents. Recent features include Jamal Thorne (IG: aka@ajani_peace), Tony Bodega (IG: @og_otay) , and Lala Shanks (IG: @autishawtie). Did you know that there is a Bike Kitchen at DAP too? Every Saturday from 5pm - 8pm you can stop by to learn how to fix your bike! Who’s also DAPpening is Caroline Dunlap aka @cx_dunlap, a DAP tenant with inspiring artistic visions. She creates cool zines, comics, and fiber art. Her work can be found at the DAP store! Not only is Caroline super talented and sweet, but her full time job is helping those in need. She manages a harm reduction drop-in space, works with people who struggle with substance abuse, and homelessness. DAP is fortunate to have passionate individuals such as Caroline who not only creates art but contributes herself to helping her community. Stay tuned for the next whats DAPpening, cuz something is always happening at DAP!
—Nancia
WHAT BETRAYALS WILL WE BEAR WITNESS?
BENEATH, TEN TALES OF TRAGEDY! WITH RESPECT FOR YOUR TIME, WE HAVE CONDENSED THEM INTO FiVE!
WHAT PLAYTIME OF THE GODS IS THIS?
The Market by Cagen Luse
@cagenmiles
Art Schoolin by Laura Meilman @l_meilman
@jamjarastronaut ke The Boston s ma u 0% p l He Compass is 10 ing! n h ru t ree s nt i lu vo th
Amplify new vo ices!
>>
Email to learn how
kevin@brain-arts.org
t our Ar See Y ! Here?
work to send your -ar ts.org in ra adrian@b
tear this poster out and put it on a wall! -
Art by Fuck Your Dreams Zine
------------------------------------------------------------------
@fuckyourdreamszine
I worked remotely long before COVID, both as a freelancer and a full-time staffer for an online publication. About six months into the Trump administration, my boss’s boss private messaged me on Slack to suggest I take it up a notch on Twitter and engage in a more confrontational, back-andforth, troll-the-trolls kind of way. This was her advice for getting more followers and that coveted blue check mark that appeared next to most of my colleagues’ handles. Despite growing evidence of the link between social media use and depression, many managers and gate-keepers have increased expectations around how writers, artists, and others with public facing work engage with it, creating a slew of labor issues. While I don’t deny that these platforms are a useful tool for many, our overreliance on them serves their CEOs and shareholders to the detriment of the health and earning potential of workers. Social media performance can make or break job prospects. Self-promotion and engagement have at least become an implicit requirement for many full-time staffers, and in some cases even more so for freelancers and independent artists looking to grow their following in a digitally dependent world. In fields where the social media celebrity reigns, the boundary between personal and professional blurs to the point of non-existence. Two and a half years ago, a disagreement over my social media use provided the final force behind my departure from that full-time position. My boss found out I quit Twitter and Facebook, and was displeased I didn’t include management in my decision despite the fact that social media use was never officially part of my job description.
I have a good sense that my story isn’t particularly unique. Creative and media workers are seeing their jobs being eliminated and replaced by freelance labor. This is even more likely when workers start to organize; my own departure came weeks after management laid off a third of the staff the day before a union campaign went public. The same media companies slashing their staffs and resources rely on freelancers’ social media presence to drive traffic to their sites. The pandemic and our increased reliance on virtual connection has exacerbated this. We’ve all heard how social media could be bad for our mental health, that it’s a place where disinformation campaigns, bad actors, and bullies thrive. But not everyone’s livelihood is dependent on their personal use of it. I’m in my mid-thirties so I was in college within a year or so of when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook to shame and objectify women. I didn’t realize how dependent my career would be on these platforms, and I wasn’t prepared for how dehumanizing that would be. Like many, I lost significant work and income due to COVID-19. Still, for my own sanity I continued avoiding Twitter and Facebook. I instead turned to my rarely used Instagram account in order to source stories, connect with artists and activists, and promote virtual events. It has not paid off financially, and is not worth the toll it takes on my health and ability to function. For me, social media means inviting social anxiety into my work, not to mention the cycle of dread that every moment I post, whether professional or personal, serves Facebook, Inc. more than myself or my community. After more than a year without live shows and the kind of artistic serendipity that only happens in meat-space, I’m ready to say goodbye to social media for good and actively seek out other ways of connection, news gathering, and promotion. If you picked up a copy of this paper, you must be at least partly on that path. These platforms may still serve you or your business well, and this is not a call for you to abandon themv completely. It’s an invitation to diversify our forms of engagement, and look beyond likes and too many interactions with strangers who too rarely possess the best intentions.
Ideals If I had to love you I'd buy myself a kiddie pool To lie in face down For when you aren't around I’d stay ignorant to all the truths That arise when I'm not with you I’d bide the time With raps and rhymes Letting my hopes sprawl out into infinity Until each was an echo Of a chorus whose song I'll sing But whose words I'll never know
2 Cents of Adolescence You are so much more Than flesh and bone A drifting dream Fluorescent tones So if you find yourself drifting away Please come back My eyes are no longer accustomed to the monotone It seemed my feet were calloused to bear black and white terrain I'd grown blind to starry nights and numb to rainy days And bore the same weight as those adolescence told That to garner strength One must learn to eat the pain Without warning it might swallow you So you surround yourselves with those burying their sorrow too For fear that if y'all dig it up the pain may only serve to hollow you Push you to lean on solitude So is woe
KYLE PONTES
JENN STANLEY
JUNE TAROT FORECAST
The Tarot Forecast is a look at the month ahead in a tarot spread. For June, I’ve asked the tarot questions inspired by Summer Solstice, Gemini season, and the anniversary of the biggest BLM movement worldwide. Take a moment to reflect on how the tarot responded to these questions. What do you feel called to do? Tarot is simply an intuitive practice. Listen to yourself, don’t let doubt creep in. This reading features only the suits of Swords and Cups. It is calling on our thoughts, fears, and feelings. You may find your thoughts and emotions are working in tandem this month, or on the contrary, are completely at odds with each other. Remember your thoughts and your feelings are equally a part of you.
What does summer have to offer us? The II of Swords brings a message of choices and indecision. You may have many conflicting thoughts this June, or feel like you’re unable to choose the right path. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with thoughts and options, calm your mind, and remember there isn’t often a “wrong choice.” The wrong thing is simply not making a choice at all. With confidence, make a decision, stick to it, and follow through.
by
Da
@f
vid
Bey ers lyi ng_blood _comi x
What does good communication look like? King of Cups is a perfect figure to channel kind communication. He is a diplomat and great at keeping an open mind. Let your communication lead with compassion for others, and allow yourself to lean into your own depth. Balance the masculine and feminine within. How are you honoring both these sides of yourself?
Where To Find Us Outside Dudley Cafe
Allston Outside Twin Donuts
Outside the Old State House
Dorchester AND!
Fields Corner, across from DAP
City Feed & Boomerang's in JP and Little Free Libraries - littlefreelibrary.org
Scan the QR
Boston
Who are you?
Outside Stony Brook Orange Line
Take our survey
Jamaica Plain
Guidance for June: The X of Cups is a beautiful card of blessings. Let yourself lead with empathy and divine love. If you open your emotions, you will be able to tap into the radiance and positivity all around you. Yes, it’s there in the air you breathe and the people you meet. Don’t doubt the power of this blessing, and don’t waste it either. Celebrate with your community.
How can we let our activism shine? The VIII of Cups gives us permission to burn things down. We cannot salvage what we currently have, it’s too broken. We need to walk away and find something better. Our activism calls for letting go of systems and people that no longer serve us. We need to walk away, and turn towards the unknown. Don’t fear it, embrace it! Anything is better than here.
Owen
Roxbury
How can we avoid chaos? The V of Swords is a card of chaos itself — the self-destruction kind. You need to check yourself before you wreck yourself, and I mean like right now. There is no room for your dark thoughts and reckless ambition, and if you let it go untethered it will hurt you or someone else. Why are you picking a fight when no one was coming for you? Why are you treating yourself as your own enemy? Calm your thoughts, and let’s get to the real root: your fears and insecurities.
LET US KNOW!
issuu.com/ bostoncccompass
NAOMI WESTWATER
@bostoncompass
brain-arts.org
bostoncompassnewspaper.com