Boston Compass #169

SECOND

ANNUAL

VETERAN’S POWWOW IN CANTON

The North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) and the Massachusett Tribe of Ponkapoag are excited for their Second Annual Veterans Powwow on May 5 at Prowse Farm in Canton, Massachusetts. With support from the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center, we’ll have a day long experience of culture and ceremony.

Our head dancers are Kabl Wilkerson (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) and Autaquay Peters (Mashpee Wampanoag). Our host drum is Red Hawk Singers, led by Cheenulka Peters who is the grandson of long time NAICOB member and leader, Shirley Mills. Our invited drum is the Pomham Singers.

NAICOB, Massachusetts’s oldest urban Indigenous center, has been in existence since 1969, formally as the Boston Indian Council on Washington Street in Dorchester. The center has been entrusted with the privilege of supporting intergovernmental relations between the Commonwealth

DESIGNERS:

Phoebe Delmonte: p.1,4,5

Hannah Blauner: p.2,3,7

Adrian Alvarez: p.6,8

and the tribes whose historic territories are held within so-called Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Tribe at Ponkapoag is one of the tribes of first contact when the English settlers arrived in 1620. With their traditional territory stretching across much of the Greater Boston area, it is with gratitude that we are able to work in partnership with the tribe and host this powwow together. Learn more about them at http://massachusetttribe.org/.

The Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center is a long time supporter of Native Veterans and was a proud partner of last year’s powwow. Their goal is to continue to support American Indian/ Alaskan Native veterans in life after service such as health care, cultural support and more.

Admission for the event is $5 an adult, $3 for children and free for NAICOB members, Ponkapoag tribal members and Veterans with ID.

—The North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB)

CARTOONIST COOPERATIVE: CHANGING COMICS CULTURE

Comics is a beautiful medium. Comics as a career takes a great deal of commitment. Your workflow may be welltempered and your online presence polished, but your success can still be undermined by a predatory contract or pitiful page rates that exploit the very enthusiasm that drew you to pursue comics. Comics is a medium and can be your career, but they’re also an industry. An industry that has been around for almost a century without consistent organizations looking out for the worker.

The Cartoonist Cooperative wants us to change that together.

“A primary goal of the Cartoonist Cooperative has been to change the culture around comics from one of individualism to a more community-focused industry,” said Zach Hazard Vaupen, a member of the Cooperative’s Steering Committee.

“It’s hard, especially since many of us are isolated, not necessarily by choice,” said Nero Villagallos O’Reilly, another committee member. As professional cartoonists, the members are aware of the challenges in assembling creative workers, often overworked to the point of sacrificing social lives and self care.

To bridge that difficulty, the Cooperative invests in their online spaces. A highly organized Discord server offers many opportunities to teach, learn, and socialize with an international hive of creators while participating in work for the organization. If Discord is not for you, a forum page offers the same content at a less active pace. A monthly newsletter condenses the latest happenings, directing members to priorities. It reinforces, as third Committee Member Reimena Yee said, “the idea that solidarity, organizing and resource-building are not background services that arise from the ether, but are active mutual, conscious acts of community that require participation, no matter how small.”

Image credit: Amanda J Ellis

INDIE ROCK RADAR

ALEXANDER & LILY PIETTE

On April 7th friends and family gathered for the Lucky Life kickoff release show at State Park in Cambridge, joined by Community College and Night Moth. An album that has been much anticipated by this reviewer, Lucky Life by Alexander did not disappoint. Digging deep into his signature lyricism, the result is a record whose narrative is as meticulously considered as its construction. “Certainty,” “Good Guy,” and “Bare Minimum” are all standout favorites, all put out as singles prior to Lucky Life’s April 5th release. “Certainty” debuted with a write up in Allston Pudding, the song and the article both highlighting the all-toofamiliar dialectic of what’s lost and what’s gained by moving through this life. The simple earworminess of “Good Guy”’s titular refrain “on a bad night, I’m a good guy” has gotten so stuck in my head that it’s morphed into a kind of indie rock contemplative mantra. This plays against the rawness of a jubilant confessional like “Bare Minimum,” which bleeds into other heavier tracks like “Ribcage” while both maintaining their introspectiveness. As much as the songs strike conversation between listener and lyricist, they speak to each other, picking up and doubling back on themselves as vignettes uncover new revelations or wayward ways. The complete product is a meditation on the conditions of its own creation, a poetic synthesis of the profound and the routine.

Her Computerized Machinery Complex, Lily Piette.

Detailed within a review of the single “Sister!” a few months back after a bustling 5-band bill at O’Brien’s, Lily Piette established her place on the BCN radar with a performance described simply as “good, clean, FUN.” In the weeks following the release of the full project, no other description could be more appropriate.

Her Computerized Machinery Complex steps between the worlds of straightforward softly moody riffs and the unknown, breaking out in loud cacophony and overlapping whispers at a moment’s notice. Another single from earlier this year, “Coloring Book,” bridges this gap with ease, lifting the listener in with a lilting and ghostly intro before breaking down into sonorous chaos of beeps and five-dollar-word jargon concluded with an apologetic “sorry, I mean -.” Her Computerized Machinery Complex’s push-and-pull of unexpected turns keeps us on our toes, serving up a collection of candid truths and whimsical mysteries.

“Manbird” is the album’s opener and another personal favorite. Finding a space between the punchiness of “Sister!” and the softness of other tracks, “Madbird” brings a recognizably shoegazey haze to a song following the theme of vulnerability projected on two parties; “I’m a bird” becomes “You’re a bird” and mirrors “I’m just a girl” / “You’re just a girl” in closing track “Inside Hand,” a conclusion that seals the record’s feedback loop into a selffulfilling pact.

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GEORGIA MOORE

EXPERIMENTAL EXCURSION

Welcome to the May edition of Experimental Excursion! This month we have three treasured releases from some rhythmic masterminds and ambient aficionados:

Cauldron, Metal Tiger. The first thing that came to mind when listening to Cauldron was how crunchy and gritty the digital percussion was paired with the analog synths. Somervillebased instrumental, experimental hip-hop producer Metal Tiger was on my radar for a short while, and diving into Cauldron did not leave me disappointed in the slightest. With wavy and grimey synths and pulsing drum machines this groovy EP / MiniAlbum is not to be slept on. On every track we are introduced to innovative loops and creative ideas eloquently displayed on each track. Some tracks utilize industrial hip-hop tones and some others combine lo-fi hip hop with high fidelity synthwave and the result is a great collection of beats that can’t be missed.

Into The Abyss, Old Forrest. Gloomy ambience and depressive synthesis embody Into the Abyss. Listening to Into the Abyss is like absorbing yourself into a bleak and ominous atmosphere, fully encapsulated into the void. Providencebased Old Forrest is a relatively new project that I was fully aware of its existence and development for some time now. While

mystic and somber, this three-track EP isn’t completely void from its bright and luminous moments. Into the Abyss is truly a paradox of its own creation being sinister and angelic simultaneously. Somewhat like a celestial cavity or void, it leaves the listener feeling hollow yet filled with remnants of curiosity and introspection as the tracks go on. If you’re in the mood for something that’ll leave you intrigued and slightly depleted (in a positive manner) I would give Old Forrest a listen.

i like my vine print handbag, Marcy the Baptist.

Mastermind of musique concrete and breakcore, Marcy the Baptist has blown away audiences and listeners with off the wall performance vocals and instrumentals. On this upcoming EP we are met with explosive charges of synth lines and bass boosted vocals that go harder than asphalt. Texturally pleasing sounds while producing jagged and rugged results in this amazing EP I had the pleasure of listening to early, directly from the artist.

I will end this edition of Experimental Excursion with a thank you to every experimental artist and all you readers out there who make this column possible. Peace out.

---------------- MICHAEL MAMBRINO

Lucky Life, Alexander.

Metal Tiger / Old Forrest / Marcy the Baptist

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE

Entifan Shares If You Wanted To

Ethereal. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. When faced with the task of describing the far-stretched and emotionally-moving vocal chords of Berklee College of Music student Entifan there really isn’t a better adjective than that. Capable of transporting listeners to new dimensions with each individual note, the sonics that bolster Entifan’s discography are reminiscent of the way streaks of sun break through the clouds, rain drops delicately glide down a window, or breezes gently part tree branches. There’s a special quality of beauty that emanates from her growing catalog of music, and nowhere do these sentiments become truer than across her first selection of music to be released in 2024.

Reeling in the spring in glorious fashion, Entifan’s If You Wanted To consists of a pairing of tracks titled “Just Sex” and “Excuses.” Not only do these two songs serve as her first of the year, but they’re the first to follow up on her May 2023 debut single “For You.”

“Just Sex” is the first of the two songs to be featured across If You Wanted To, and is a heartfelt, emotive contribution to Entifan’s catalog of songs. Rooted in a lack of synchronicity between a physical and emotional connection, “Just Sex” details a heart-rending instance of relationship turmoil. Beginning with lucious guitar strings and vocal notes that gradually pick up strength throughout the song’s four and a half minute runtime, “Just Sex” is a wondrous exposition of Entifan’s elite caliber of musical talent. Her ability to

translate palpable life experience into song is not something that should be overlooked. The dichotomy between lust and love is not a motif that is unique to this release in particular, however what is unique here is Entifan’s capability of expressing the inequities that interpersonal relationships may bring. A profound display of both her penmanship and her singing talent,

“Just Sex” is a brilliant addition to her discography.

The second half of If You Wanted To consists of a single titled “Excuses.” In similar fashion to “Just Sex,” “Excuses” begins with gentle guitar strings that make way for Entifan’s tender singing. Much like the previous single, “Excuses” delves into the complexities of love and the difficulties that couples may face when attempting to navigate the ways they feel. Sometimes we can be blinded by our feelings, and ignore alarming, unhealthy behaviors in an attempt to preserve our mental image of a partner.

“Excuses” details exactly that, and revolves around the act of excusing someone else’s behavior in hopes that they will change.

The entirety of If You Wanted To makes for an exceptional moment in time for Entifan, as she positions herself to have a groundbreaking year in 2024. With the release of these two songs, fans are hopeful that this will pave the way for an increased influx of new sounds. There’s certainly a lot on the horizon for Berklee’s rising star, and those in search of a refreshing selection of music should definitely be keeping Entifan on their radar.

------------------------------------------------ SHAMUS HILL

THE COPLEY LIBRARY

A HIDDEN GEM FOR TEENS

Editor’s Note: The following article is being reprinted as part of a collaboration between the Boston Compass and Teens in Print, a writing program created to amplify the marginalized voices of eighth to twelfth grade Boston students.. This piece was originally published on the Teens in Print website in March 2024.

Imagine you and your friends just got out of school and you all want to go out and do something. One friend decides they want food, another might want to get homework done, and another may want to do something fun. Well, there’s actually a place that meets all these criteria: the Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square is the place where you and your friends can get food, finish homework, and do something fun.

The majority of teens get food after school and then head home for the day, but the location of this library changes that. When they go home, most kids either don’t get a lot of homework done or wait until the last second due to distractions or obligations. The library is conveniently placed near a bunch of restaurants, making it an ideal spot for students to grab food and do any work before heading home.

The library is located in Back Bay, an area that is known for shopping and food. Entering Copley Square there are a lot of historical and iconic architectural buildings that make this area important to Boston’s history. The library is no different from these other buildings. The library is within walking distance of both the Orange and Green Line, making it extremely convenient to get to. But convenience isn’t the only thing that draws us teens in.

The overall interior design of the library is stunning. From the outside, the library looks like a random, abandoned building—but as soon as you enter you see that the building is filled with murals and statues that capture the library’s history. The front of the building still has the original components that reflect its founding in 1895. However, when you enter through Boylston Street, there is a barrage of colors flowing into your eyes, which reflects the modern quality of the building. The high

ceilings and open area give the impression of a modern school or area made for teens and youth.

While the interior of the building is similar to a school, it is different due to its dedicated places for teens and children where there is no forced reading. The place made for kids is a place that almost has a mystical look to it, like it’s fresh out of a cartoon. This place is an area made for both parents to interact with their kids with the hope of giving them a positive outlook on reading and literature.

Moving across the hall from the kid section is the teen section. This section is so dedicated to making teens feel comfortable that they don’t allow any non-teens into that specific area of the library. This section is the one I stay in mainly—and personally, I love it.

While on the topic of the teen section—I love their staff. I haven’t experienced much of the other staff from the other sections but if they are half as good as the teen center staff then they are great. They made a bunch of my friends feel welcome and wanted there. When you walk into the teen center, you see a variety of flags corresponding to the sexual orientations of the LGBTQ+ community. Having this here really does make the area more welcoming. The staff even sometimes have freebies for teens when they walk in. The last time I went they were giving out putty and stickers.

In the teen section, they also offer a variety of board games to keep teens entertained. My friends and I play Monopoly quite often. But it doesn’t stop at board games, they have a plethora of other games that include computer games and a game room with gaming consoles set up for teens to enjoy to their heart’s content. This room is always kept clean and is set up for optimized gaming.

As teens, we usually judge a place based on the vibe. The combination of the staff with their welcoming attitude and the wonderful decor of the room gives the library an overall welcoming vibe. I strongly recommend this place to all teens in Boston.

--- CIMMARON HOLMAN JR

5/3 Violet Nox with Noell Dorsey, Singer Mali, Michael Bierylo DJ set by CoZy, Visuals by SAMCO @ Faro Cafe Cambridge @ 7pm-11pm All Ages $15 adv $20 doors

5/3 The 4th Wall Presents: Puppy Angst, Dogs on Shady Lane, Main Era With Visuals by: Digital Awareness @ 4th Wall Boston 9pm 18+ $10

5/3 Iron Roses, Lowest of the Low @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm All Ages $12-15

5/4 Broken Vow, Hate Still Burns, Posthumous Obsession, Hollow Teeth, Clock Out @ Marsh House (Amherst) 6pm-10pm All Ages FREE

5/4 Thou, Weak Teeth, Peace Test, Sliimo, Folk the Empire @ AS220 (PVD) 8pm-11pm All Ages $20

5/8 Modern Life is War, Jaye Jayle, Ammo @ Arts at the Armory 7pm-11pm All Ages $ome Cost

5/9 Today Junior, Blame Shifters, Cheer Camp @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm All Ages $12-15

5/9 Domain, Risk, Burning Lord, Opposition, Exhibit @ CanadianAmerican Club (Watertown) 7pm-11pm All Ages $20

5/10 The 4th Wall Presents: Trophy Wife, Raavi, Jobie With Visuals by: Digital Awareness @ 4th Wall Boston 9pm 18+ $10

5/11 Hallelujah The Hills, Colleen Green, Mallcops @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm All Ages $15-18

5/12 Haishen, The Spiral Continuum, Raide, Autumn's Ashes Metal band on tour from Rochester, NY @ Sammy's Patio 7pm $15

5/12 Non-Event Presents: Noeplace and Jones, Niyomkarn Duo @ Goethe-Institut Boston 8pm-11pm All Ages $15

5/16 The Soul Rebels This eightmember collective is set to bring their unique blend of funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, and rock to the stage with vibrant style. @ Arts at the Armory 7pm-10pm $35

5/17 Ringo Deathstarr, OVLOV, The Veldt Presented by Eye Design @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm-11pm All Ages $20

5/18 Illegally Blind presents: Still Around 2024 A fundraiser for a peer support program for brain tumor survivors @ Arts at the Armory 7pm All Ages $20

5/19 Sexpill, Sadist, Intensive Care Unit, Rejekts @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 18+ $15

5/28 Thrust Club, Phantom Ocean, Honey Cassette @ Notch Brewing 7pm10pm 21+ FREE

5/31 Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Idiot Genes Zip-Tie album release and Idiot Genes reunion and final show! @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm11pm 18+ $12-15

5/1 thru 5/8 The Independent Film Festival Boston returns to the Brattle! Don't miss Massachusetts Playwright Annie Baker’s directorial debut with Janet Planet screening 5/4 Baker’s work is poignant, funny and always a joy to experience. @ The Brattle $16

5/16 thru 6/14 Hallyu Hits: Korean Films That Moved The World is an incredible chance to explore masterworks from Korean film including Bong Joon-ho’s the nearly perfect film Parasite playing 5/19 @ Museum of Fine Arts Boston 2:30pm $15 (includes museum admission)

5/17 Worldwide Cinema Frames Presents: Global Cinema Film Festival of Boston (GCFF) is committed to spotlighting films that make us care. GCFF 2024 will continue its mission to showcase unconventional styles that speak to the evolution of the narrative and documentary form. Through the visual language of film, we will explore sensitive stories captured by unflinching lenses held by filmmakers with the audacity to inform, inspire and visually transport audiences to places near and far.

5/17: "Radici" at 6pm, "We Will Not Fade Away" at 8:15pm. 5/18: "Planet B" at 11am, "Murkey Waters" at 12:30pm, "Grasshopper Republic" at 2:15pm @ Capitol Theatre All Ages $15

5/20 One of Hitchcock’s most underrated mysteries, Suspicion screens in 35mm @ Somerville Theatre with Cary Grant as a Playboy whose marriage to a wealthy “Plain Jane” raised questions of motive. 7:15pm $16

5/21 Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp is making a rare appearance at the @ Coolidge Corner Theater as he hunts for Fortune but finds love in Gold Rush, with a live score by Jeff Rapsis. 7pm $23

5/25 Film Premier: The Seltzer Factory by Paloma Valenzuela A short documentary film that delves into the story of the filmmaker’s maternal family in Marghita, Hungary. In the film she explores her Jewish identity as a bi-racial Latina Jewish American, piecing together the events that shaped her family’s story.

@ Location TBD! Visit @iamlapalomita for more info

5/27 Heathers, the original Mean Girls and 80s cult classic hits the @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50

@ Chelsea Theatre Works Tix at Apollinairetheatre.com $30 general/$15 students

Thru 5/25 Company One always brings it and this time it's Kristen Greenidge’s new play Morning, Noon & Night which explores the complications of a family coming together after COVID and some of the dangers of social media @ Boston Center for the Arts Tix at CompanyOne.org

FREE / $Pay-what-you-can

5/23 thru 6/21 The American Repertory Theater is cooking up another direct-to-broadway musical, this time it's Gatsby. A fabulous, tragic tale of the American Dream in 1920s New York @Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square AmericanRepertoryTheater.org $65-275! (Call 617.547.8300 to take advantage of their Take Five promotion. Tix are only $5!)

5/30 thru 6/23 The Arlekin Players are keeping Jewish stories alive and this time it's the ancient Yiddish folk tale, THE DYBBUK, about love, family and displacement @The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture in Beacon Hill. Tix at ArlekinPlayers.org $29+ https://www.arlekinplayers.com/ the-dybbuk/#about

5/2 Fenway Cultural District

Art Crawl Visit 9 locations in the Fenway Cultural District for FREE museum and gallery admission at historic locations throughout the neighborhood. Snacks, refreshments and great art! Visit www.fenwayculture.org/ joywalk for details 12pm-8pm All Ages FREE

5/6 Skin&Bone Fashion

Photography Gallery Showing ft. models Arline Lora, Lastasia Corona, Mikaela Almeida, Natalia Nieto, Nicole Saliba, Veronika Rosado @ Yamba Market 6pm FREE

5/11 Double Feature: A Cinematic Music Experience Live Music From: DJ Bookworm, Michale Savant, and Wubson with Visuals by V.Kash. @ Capitol Theatre 9pm 18+ $33

5/11 Back Against the Wall Live Mural Event We Love Graffiti! Ft. Sobek, Aeons, Now, Woke, Chan1 3, Swat, Propa, Toki, Tense, Problak, Zen @ 58 Geneva Ave (Alfredo Auto Body) Rain Date May 18 @ 12pm-6pm All Ages FREE

5/18 Dorchester Open Studios Visit the artists of Dorchester and buy art directly from artists on site! @ Humphreys Street Studios (HSS) 11am All Ages FREE

5/31 Fort Point Arts presents Jewel Box: Opening Reception This exhibition will honor the remarkable legacy of Boston’s Queer POC artists and Stormé DeLarverie @ Fort Point Arts Community 5pm-8pm @fortpointarts

Dog Cough Comics is a creator owned indie comic anthology aimed at bringing comic artists together. Organized by Bostonbased cartoonists Caoin O’Durgy and Jackson Schleicher, Dog Cough publishes 3-4 mini-comics monthly through Patreon, which allows us to offer compensation for accepted submissions. With a $5 subscription, readers will be supporting indie cartoonists directly + will gain access to a variety of incredible comics to read! Submissions always open. Support always appreciated: patreon.com/DogCoughComics/

community

5/4 VIVA Central Block Party Tacos, Drinks, and endless entertainment right in Cambridge! @ 19 State St @ 4pm-11pm

5/4 Hanoahan Laos Food Pop Up Experience the best of both worlds as this experimental Laos restaurant blends the vibrant flavors of Laos cuisine with a modern American twist! Pre-order at @hanoahanlaos Linktree! @ Solid Ground Cafe @ 6pm-9pm

5/4 Spontaneous Celebrations presents: Wake Up the Earth Festival Get ready for the 46th Annual Wake Up the Earth Festival! There will be circus arts, 150+ vendors, food, five stages, music and dance! @ Stony Brook Park T / Southwest Corridor Park 12pm-6pm All Ages FREE

5/4 Spontaneous Celebrations presents: Wake Up the Earth Festival Parades The Centre Street Parade will begin at 11am from Curtis Hall down Centre to Lamartine street (gather at 10:30am) and the Egleston Square Parade will launch at 11:30am from the corner of Atherton Street and Washington Streets, going down Atherton to Lamartine and connecting with the Centre Street Parade. All Ages FREE

5/5 Back and Forth Flea A really cool market w/ 25+ small businesses that is free entry, free parking, free drinks. Vintage clothing, music, art, and more @ Warehouse XI in Somerville 12pm-5pm

5/5 Dorchester Open Streets Open Streets Boston is back for its third annual event, offering another chance to experience streets as public spaces.

@ Ashmont St to Linden St @ 10:30am-5pm All Ages FREE

5/5 NAICOB Veteran's Powwow Join the North American Indian Center of Boston for their Annual Veterans Pow Wow! Singing, Dancing, Storytelling, Vendors, Food. Emcee: Isiah Bliss, Arena Director: Michael Bliss, Head Dancers: Kabl Wilkerson and Autaquay Peters, Host Drum: Red Hawk Singers, Invited Drum: Pomham Singers. Gates Open

at 10:00am w/ Grand Entry at 12:00pm. @ Prowse Farm 5 Blue Hill River Road Canton, MA. 12pm-6pm All Ages Adults $5, Elders $3, Children $2 FREE for NAICOB members, Veterans and VA staff with ID

5/18 Boston Art Review Issue 12 Launch Party Join BAR for their biggest event of the year! 6–8pm is the VIP Preview Party. Tickets start at $85 (Includes magazine + cocktail tickets + entry to the dance party). Featuring a magic performance by Jeanette Andrews and other surprises. Then Dance Party from 8pm on! Tickets for the dance party start at $35. @ 15 Channel Center St 6pm-11:30pm

5/22 Brighton Bazaar Night Market Art, Vinyl, Vintage & More! @ Charles River Speedway 5pm-10pm All Ages FREE

6/1 Herbstalk 2024 Gathering together people with plants since 2012! Herbstalk is your local marketplace of all things herbalist including vendors, lant walks, herbal classes, BIPOC-led spaces @ Arts at the Armory All Ages

What's Happening Boston Follow for fun things to do in Boston! Use this resource to plan your week. Check their IG stories every day for unique events #bostonhapps #blackowned @whatshappening_boston

Through 5/19 Apollinaire Theater Company’s new show Touching the Void is a harrowing epic that will leave you inspired and grateful. adapted from Joe Simpsons beloved memoir

music & audio theater

video + film

visual art

advocacy opportunity

Planting

http://boston.gov/coffee-hours

Join Mayor Michelle Wu and City staff for coffee and conversation! 9:30am

5/12 ArtSpark Info Session

Calling all BIPOC artists, cultural workers, youth and families ages 16+! Join Ava Sophia to discuss ArtSpark’s programs and brainstorm a better future for Boston’s arts and culture industries. Also show up to support the Democracy Center which is at risk of being closed down! @ Democracy Center 2pm-4pm FREE

Artspark is a communitypowered event series based in the greater Boston area. Through dynamic live music events and community classes, Artspark creates a pipeline for artists and creative professionals to build success at all stages of their career. We aim to provide accessible music programming that takes the power and privilege out of the creative arts. Follow them at @artsparkboston

Spirit

Spirit Boston is a transformative 6-month program that offers a unique blend of experiential learning opportunities focusing on urban growing, Afro diaspora spiritual practices, and foundational herbal medicine knowledge, folklore, and history. This immersive program is designed to provide participants with a deep dive into ancestral practices in farming, explore the rich African American contribution to farming in America, delve into the captivating history of Hoodoo, and engage in hands-on urban farming volunteer experiences. Register for an info session on May 9th or May 16th at sabrinasgarden.net

Design Gym Classes with ds4si Reading Groups, Mapping Public Infrastructures, Intro to Sneaker Restoration and Customization, Taiko Drumming, Civic Design, Screenprinting, Sewing, Community Archiving. This semester, da4si is deepening their collective study of aesthetic justice. Communities of color have long been asked to live in other people’s spatial imaginaries. Now is the time to engage BIPOC communities as co-designers of new community infrastructures!

Call for Queer Boston artists!

The Fort Point Arts Community invites you to submit artwork for “The Jewel Box." More details at @fortpointarts Linktree

Mobilize Power Fund

The Mobilize Power Fund is a rapid response fund that resources gender justice organizations to adapt or pivot their work when met with unanticipated, time-sensitive opportunities or threats to their movement building work and organizing conditions. Apply by written application, video, or phone!

Sista Creatives Rising Microgrants for BIWOC & Femme Expressing POC The Sistas Uprising Fund will select eight visual artists based in the US or Canada to receive $200 micro grants. More details at @sistacreativesrising

Open Call: Prilla Smith Brackett Award 2024 The Davis Museum is thrilled to announce that the 2024 application for the Prilla Smith Brackett Award opens on May 1st! The Brackett Award honors an outstanding femaleidentifying visual artist based in the Greater Boston area. The $15,000 cash award will be given to the artist whose work demonstrates extraordinary artistic vision, talent, and skill. Artists at any career stage beyond the first five years of professional practice and of all ages, sexual orientations, and racial/ethnic/national/religious identities are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by 11:59pm on June 2, 2024. See the Davis website for more info.

Dunamis Boston Resource Roundup A thorough list of grants, jobs, events, opportunities and workshops for artists and creatives in the Boston area. Check it out at dunamisboston. org/resource-roundup.

FutureBos Boston’s young people can apply now for great summer jobs at boston.gov/futurebos.

National Endowment for the Arts - Grants for Arts Projects provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. Through projectbased funding from $10K to $100K, the program supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. Visit arts.gov/grants for details and deadlines.

Open Call for Art for @massartists4palestine

Submit your work to be considered for the MAFP benefit auction. All proceeds will go directly to the Anera Org emergency relief program, providing critical aid to those in occupied territories.

With

with Sabrina’s Garden Planting with

5/1 Mayor Michelle Wu’s Neighborhood Coffee Hours Locations in all of Boston’s neighborhoods starting at 9:30am. See the dates at

It's the season finale of BCN COMICS Follow our guests on social media for more!

See you next month for a new group of Boston's best!

Kenny Combs by LJ-Baptise

Thoughts of a Bi Demigirl by Angela Krieg

@akriegstudio

Magic Bunny by Roden Ovak

@rodenovak

Little Crumb & A Push by Hunter Savage @hntrsvg

CARTOONIST COOPERATIVE

CHANGING COMICS CULTURE MEET THE ARTIST Hope Howard

Continued from page one.

That last point acknowledges another reality: “cartoonists are all broke.” In lieu of union dues, members are required to help another member at least once every six months to maintain their membership status, according to Vaupen. That help can be a promotional graphic (such as those alongside this article), critical feedback, or advertising a project.

The community has responded. “The amount of engagement we’ve seen from members (nearly 1000 in our first year!) has been incredibly encouraging and motivating. The impact we’ve made with our e-Sims for Gaza campaign alone has been big for the Co-op too … we’ve seen a lot of artists come out of their shell and show up to support their fellow colleagues,” said Vaupen.

So now this activated community can undo all of the unfair business practices of the industry, right?

Due to many cartoonists being contractors, it is difficult for them to organize legally in the

also contributing to a more widely held view of artists as workers.”

Steady gains are the value, which is not to say they don’t have big plans for the immediate future.

“Establishing a legal status for the Co-op is our top priority this year…we’re hoping to have at least a nonprofit status by the end of 2024,” said Vaupen. This status will expand the Cooperative’s offered resources, fundraising opportunities, and options for legal representation. They are also working on an industry best practices guideline in collaboration with the Freelance Solidarity Project, a union of digital media workers.

It’s part of a longview that the Cooperative maintains about their work. “A lot of efforts fail because there is no preparation for what happens when the organization matures and leadership has to be passed down to the next generation,” said Yee. To achieve their overall mission, O’Reilly said, “Even if something takes years and years, it’s important to not let that fall by the wayside. We’re here for the long haul.”

Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, etc. However, Vaupen said that “their recent successes are softening the laws that are currently preventing us from organizing a traditional union while

If you’d like to join the movement for comics workers, visit www.cartoonist.coop and learn how to join as a member or volunteer.

ADRIAN ALVAREZ

Hope (She/They) is a multidisciplinary printmaker in Waltham MA specializing in relief printing, silkscreen, and letterpress. She enjoys making work that elicits feelings of nostalgia, excitement, and badassery by using familiar graphics, such as tattoo imagery, with bold color schemes, challenging the narrative that hard and soft are mutually exclusive. Her art practice has been a tool for their own emotional healing, personal growth, and to deepen her spirituality. When people see Hope’s art she often hears comments such as “this is healing my inner teenager!” Hope also teaches introductory printmaking classes at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, as well as Arlington Community Education. This summer she’ll be teaching an eight week screen printing course, as well as one-day workshops for upcycling clothes with home made screen prints, and block printing for fabric.

THE VIBES BUSINESS

DUCK DUCK GOOFS OPENS NEW COMEDY

In a city where happy hour is banned, Duck Duck Goofs has seduced Camberville audiences with the promise of laughter (and an assortment of $4 drinks). After successful residencies at the Cantab Lounge and the Cambridge Community Center, the independently-run comedy show is flying the coop and unveiling a new venue on McGrath Highway in Somerville. With grand opening shows scheduled for May 3rd and 4th, the club will maintain the series’ vintage classroom aesthetic while offering more comedy shows, new stand-up classes, and a full bar.

What originally started as one show a week at the Lilypad blossomed into regular popups at the Cantab Lounge on Thursday evenings and after-hours “Detention” shows in the basement of the Cambridge Community Center on Fridays and Saturdays. Though the lineup is often kept secret, the structure is sound: each show opens with a musical guest and features four to five comedians, the majority of whom are local.

And to Ryan Howe, the founder and producer of Duck Duck Goofs, local is everything. The success of the venue depends on hiring locals, featuring a local musical guest, and curating a diverse line-up of local comedians.

“I want people to say, ‘I want to go to Duck Duck Goofs, because that’s where my friends are,’” said Howe. “We want it to feel like you're in a place where you're safe and welcome.”

Howe hopes that the new venue will serve the community by fostering growth in the local comedy scene. The expanded offering of stand-up classes, facilitated by Duck Duck Goof’s Education and Engagement Coordinator Isabel Thurston, encourages

local showgoers to get involved. Debuting in May, the six-class course prepares students to perform a tight, five-minute set while receiving feedback from peers and local comedians. After gaining confidence in their craft, the students will perform in a showcase for friends and family.

According to Howe, the classes so far have been majority female. “I'm happy we get to be part of introducing more women and nonbinary people to the comedy scene in Boston in a healthy and equitable way.”

Looking towards the future, Howe hopes that the new venue will become a community staple. Hosting regular open mics, adding a creative writing class, and introducing a summer camp for middle and high schoolers are all on the list for Duck Duck Goofs. But past all the logistics, Howe just wants people in the area to have a fun night out.

“Comedy is one of the only things in the world that promises happiness and deliv ers,” said Howe. “We’re in the vibes busi ness more than anything else.”

Few tickets are still available for Duck Duck Goof’s grand opening weekend on May 3rd and 4th, which you can find at www.duck duckgoofs.com/shows. Stay in the loop by following @duckduckgoofs on Instagram.