Through August, Amherst artist Sanford Roth is displaying his unique assemblages made of pencils, dowels and varied wood pieces at Henion Bakery in Amherst. His abstract designs, at times reminiscent of the patterns on Navajo rugs, blend color, texture and shape in surprising and interesting ways.
In an email, Roth, who has previously displayed his work at the Jones Library and other locations in Amherst, said he’s been “tinkering around with art my whole adult life (73 years old), making stained glass windows, floor cloths, hooked rugs, electronic prints and as of two years ago, assemblages made out of pencils, dowels, and wooden shapes.”
“The Chalk Garden,” a comedy by Enid Bagnold, author of “National Velvet,” comes to the North Hall in Huntington on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 2 pm. According to play notes, the mysterious Miss Madrigal can coax flowers to bloom in the chalky soil of England’s Dover cliffs, but she has other comic tricks up her sleeve when it comes to calming an unruly household.
The staged reading features Susan Daniels, Margery Shaw, Kenneth Tigar, Michelle Joyner, Sandra Blaney and Mitch Giannunzio (who also serves as director), with cameos by members of the North Hall board.
Admission is free; donations are welcome. Audience members can join North Hall’s annual After-Party Summer Celebration for refreshments after the play, and an artists’ reception will be held at intermission in the hall’s art gallery. Visit northhallhuntington.org or call (413) 667-5543 for more information.
Blarney in the Basement
A new story swap/open mic will take place Saturday, Aug. 24 at The Basement, 21 Center St. in Northampton. “Blarney in the Basement,” which begins at 7 p.m., is free and open to all and may become a monthly event if the debut session goes well, according to organizers.
The session will be hosted by John Allen, frontman for Celtic rockers Big Bad Bollocks and author of the memoir “Marmite Cowboy.” Allen says he has a new book coming out that continues his story of moving from England to western Massachusetts, and he’ll be reading excerpts from the new memoir.
Anyone who wants to read at the event should call (413) 585-5752 and leave a quick pitch with their name and number; stories can be no longer than five minutes. A full bar will be available.
Beginning Saturday, Aug. 17, members of the Old Deerfield Painting Group will mark 30 years of exhibiting together with a new show at the Deerfield Community Center, on Memorial Street, that runs through Sunday, Aug. 25.
Weather permitting, members will also be setting up their easels outside in various places in the community to paint during this time. A reception for the artists and the show takes place Sunday, Aug. 18 from 2-4:30 p.m. at the community center. The exhibit will be open daily from noon to 5 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Aug. 23.