Senior citizens wanted for oral history project
Students at Amherst Regional High School are looking for senior citizens who live in or near Amherst to take part in “A Wider Lens: An Intergenerational Arts Partnership” on Friday, Dec. 12, at the school’s library.
As part of the event, students and elders will be put into small conversation groups. During the conversations, students in photography classes will take photos of the elders that they will later develop in a darkroom. Students in painting classes will sketch and take notes, which they will later use to create work inspired by the interviews.
Coffee and snacks will be provided.
The project will culminate with a public art show.
To participate, fill out the Google Form linked at bit.ly/4qtSdea by Monday, Dec. 1. For those with questions, email art teacher Kristen Ripley at ripleyk@arps.org.
Grammy-nominated ‘Roomful of Blues’ to perform in Northampton
The Grammy-nominated band Roomful of Blues will perform in support of their new album “Steppin’ Out” on Sunday, Nov. 30 at the Iron Horse.
“Steppin’ Out,” the band’s first new album in five years, is also their first featuring a female vocalist, D. D. Bastos. The album features reinterpretations of songs originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton, Etta James, Big Maybelle and other notable figures in blues history.
In a statement, Bastos said, “I am so excited to be the first female singer to record with the band. They are such an amazing group of musicians, such a well-oiled machine. I am thrilled to ride this wave.”
Tickets start at $30, fees included, and are available at ironhorse.org.
Smith College to screen ‘Outerlands’ film, hold Q&A
Writer/director Elena Oxman will host a screening of her debut feature movie “Outerlands” with the movie’s lead actor and producer, Asia Kate Dillon, at Graham Auditorium in Hillyer Hall at Smith College on Friday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.
Cass, a nonbinary gig worker drifting through a rapidly changing San Francisco, juggles bartending shifts, drug deals and scooter rides past the city’s fading landmarks. Played by Asia Kate Dillon, “Cass lives in the quiet space between detachment and survival. When a new crush asks them to watch her daughter, what begins as a short favor turns into something deeper after the mother disappears, forcing Cass into the unexpected role of caregiver. As the days unfold, Cass confronts old wounds, the sting of erasure, and a city that no longer feels like home,” according to a press release.
The movie was nominated for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW this year.
Oxman, a Connecticut native, currently resides in Ashfield.
Admission is free and open to the public. The movie will be available to stream on Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home starting Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Northampton Artisan Fair returns
More than 50 local artists and artisans will sell their creations at the Northampton Artisan Fair at 33 Hawley on Saturday, Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Items for sale will include fine art, pottery, jewelry, body products, stationery, clothing and more. Refreshments and coffee will be available throughout the day.
Admission is free. For a full list of vendors, visit nohoarts.org/northampton-artisan-fair.
Academy of Music hosts local remake of ‘Matilda’
The Academy of Music will host a screening of Crowdsourced Cinema’s “Matilda,” made by Valley locals, on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m.
The movie is a remake of “Matilda,” based on Roald Dahl’s book about a genius young girl who can control her surroundings with her mind.
Crowdsourced Cinema, now in its 11th year, is a program in which community members sign up to film a scene from a selected movie in a format of their choice, including (but not limited to) live-action, animation or stop-motion.
Crowdsourced Cinema has expanded to a few other locations as well, including Boston and Fresno; previous movies include “Home Alone,” “Toy Story,” “Beetlejuice,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Back to the Future,” and “Star Wars: A New Hope,” among others.
Admission is free; reservations are not required. To learn more about watch previous Crowdsourced Cinema movies, visit crowdsourcedcinema.com.
New professional development program for artists
The Northampton Center for the Arts (NCFA) recently launched The Artist Membership Project (also known as “AMP It Up!”), a yearlong professional development program for local artists.
Selected artists will receive four workshops per year on topics like grants and income streams; a 30-minute consulting session with NCFA co-directors Heather Geoffrey and Kelly Silliman; exhibition opportunities for visual artists; performance opportunities for performing artists; discounted facility rentals; having a featured profile on the NCFA’s website; networking and collaboration opportunities; and spotlights on multiple social media platforms.
The program has a capacity for 25 artists: 10 are first-come, first-served; five are reserved for BIPOC artists; five will be selected by lottery; and five are reserved for emerging artists.
The membership fee is $150 to $500, sliding scale, but artists who are unable to pay the minimum fee are still encouraged to apply.
“When you join AMP it Up!, you’re not just signing up for a program — you’re joining a community that values your work and is invested in your success,” the application site said. “You’re helping build a more inclusive, sustainable arts ecosystem for Western Massachusetts. Whether you’re just beginning your creative journey or deepening your established practice, AMP it Up! is here to support, celebrate, and connect you.”
Applications for the 2026 cohort are due by Wednesday, Dec. 31. To apply, visit nohoarts.org/amp-it-up.
‘Reserved Passages’ on display at Augusta Savage Gallery
Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts Amherst presents “Reserved Passages: Watercolors by Susan Montgomery and Richard Yarde,” a celebration of the late Richard Yarde’s legacy in watercolor painting and his influence on artist and former student Susan Montgomery. The exhibition is on display through Feb. 26.
According to a press release, “Reserved Passages is a meditation on a shared passion for watercolor that reaches beyond the medium itself. It reflects on the dialogue, exchange of knowledge and relationship between teacher and student, highlighting how, in remembering and processing its significance, it deepens and transforms over time.”
Richard Yarde (1939-2011), born in Boston and later based in Northampton, was a major presence in the New England art world from the 1960s and onward.
Based in Leverett, Montgomery works primarily in painting and drawing, exploring the presentation of women in history, culture and communal memory.
The gallery is open Monday and Tuesday, 1-7 p.m. and Wednesday through Friday, 1-5 p.m.
Red Skies Music Ensemble to present ‘Rhythm & Rails’
The Red Skies Music Ensemble will present “Rhythm & Rails,” a performance by local musicians celebrating the local impact of railroads, at Forbes Library on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m.
The event will be “a multimedia performance featuring railroad-themed tunes that explore the complex history and impact of railroads on the lives, livelihood, landscape and culture of Northampton and the region from the 19th century until the present,” according to a press release. The show will include “a blend of narrative, live music, theatrical vignettes and projected archival images from the collections of Forbes Library, Historic Northampton and other local institutions.”
The music will come from American folk tunes, ragtime, blues, jazz, pop, rock and roots.
Admission is free; reservations are not required.
