Arts & Culture

Come explore the countryside this summer, off the beaten track in the original SouthCoast Open Studio Tour.  44 Artists in SouthCoast RI and MA are again opening their studios to the public for the weekend of August 23rd & 24th for their 4th annual summer Tour from 11am to 5pm each day. The Tour runs through Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport, and Dartmouth and includes individual artist studios and galleries along the way.  Admission is free to all studios.  Information and maps are available through our website www.openstudiomap.com and from Amy C. Lund, Handweaver Studio & Gallery, (401)816-0000, 3879 Main Road, Tiverton, RI 02878.

NEW BEDFORD, MA - Charlotte Jones’s highly acclaimed adult comedy Humble Boy, an intelligent, funny and touching play, and the final major production of Your Theatre, Inc.’s 61st Season opens on May 7 for a nine performance run. 

April 22, 2008 – Dartmouth and Westport artists have teamed up to start a new open studio weekend event that emphasizes educating their visitors, in real-life environments by demonstrating their skills, one artist, at one studio, at one time.  Consisting of some of the area’s premiere painters, ceramic artists, photographers, jewelers and others, the ART drive emphasize a consistent level of professionalism and quality with some unusual studio venues that are spotted among the area’s coastal villages, lovely farm lands, and seacoast.  Taking place on the weekend of August 16 and 17, the ART drive artists will donate a percentage of their sales to The Lloyd Center for the Environment.

“Romeo and Juliet,” one of the most romantic ballets in classical repertoire, will be performed by the acclaimed St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre leaps its way onto the Zeiterion Stage on Saturday, May 3 2008 at 8pm.

Dartmouth and Westport artists have teamed up to start a new open studio weekend event that emphasizes educating their visitors, in real-life environments by demonstrating their skills, one artist, at one studio, at one time.  Consisting of some of the area’s premiere painters, ceramic artists, photographers, jewelers and others, the ART drive emphasize a consistent level of professionalism and quality with some unusual studio venues that are spotted among the area’s coastal villages, lovely farm lands, and seacoast.  Taking place on the weekend of August 16 and 17, the ART drive artists will donate a percentage of their sales to The Lloyd Center for the Environment.

Be inspired by the "Changing Facade" of a cultural city. Explore the new faces and places of the downtown landscape. This forth year of the Changing Facade May AHA! night highlights the new and expanded businesses of the past year, young entrepreneurs and innovative artists, and exciting programs offered by the AHA! partner venues.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – The UMass Dartmouth Ceramics Club welcomes Penn State University Professor Chris Staley to the UMass Dartmouth Star Store on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, for a lecture and presentation of his work.

North Dartmouth, MA- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Tobias S. Monte, will present a free concert on Wednesday, April 30, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Center's main auditorium.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The Walt Whitman documentary that includes segments filmed on location in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, will air on PBS (WGBH/Channel 2) as part of its American Experience series on April 14, 2008 at 9:00p.m.  Last summer, HiddenHill Productions recreated early 19th Century New York on the streets of New Bedford to help illustrate the life of one of America’s most influential poets.

I saw an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. of John Constable’s six-foot paintings and studies. For the first time, his studies and the finished paintings were shown side by side. It was a revelation: The studies were the same size as the finished paintings, and they showed the immediacy of the artist’s hand with their brush strokes and the drama of light and darks and swirls of colors.

North Dartmouth, MA- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announces a colloquium entitled "Representation and Citizenship: Conversations with Portuguese-American Elected Officials," organized by the UMD Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, on Friday, April 11 at 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., in the Claire T. Carney Library (Parking Lot 13).

NEW BEDFORD, MA --- Six SouthCoast actors have been cast in Your Theatre, Inc.’s upcoming production of Charlotte Jones’s adult comedy, Humble Boy.  The actors are, Robert Duquette of Somerset, Tim Goff of Fall River, Sarah Morse of Dartmouth, Carol Oliva of Fairhaven,  Juli L. Parker of Swansea and Clifford Wood of Assonet.

The April 10th AHA! night presents a medley of New Bedford's emerging artists including the budding talents of New Bedford Public School students and the highly regarded year-end UMass Dartmouth design, artisanry and fine art exhibitions. This evening is also the annual Earth Eve Procession comprised of people-powered floats created in collaboration with community partners and highlighting current environmental issues.

North Dartmouth, MA- "Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North," a film concerning race relations and the current impact of slavery in Rhode Island, will be presented on Wednesday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the UMass Dartmouth Campus Center Main Auditorium.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – On Saturday, April 5, 2008 the downtown New Bedford AHA! (Art History Architecture) cooperative project will host a fundraising event - AHA! Fast Forward.  The event will begin with a Sunset Tapas Dinner and Wine Cruise on the New England Fast Ferry (boarding at 5:30 p.m./departing at 6 p.m.) followed by a waterfront Dessert and Dancing Reception at the ferry terminal from 8 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.  The terminal, at 49 State Pier, New Bedford, will be transformed for the evening into a stylish night spot. A cash bar will be available and there will be a silent auction full of unique items. 

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra invites you to celebrate the passion and rebirth of the Spring Season with our “Romance of Spring” concert on March 29th.  Our Spring Concert brings acclaimed cellist Rhonda Rider to the Zeiterion to perform Dmitri Kabalevsky’s stunning Cello Concerto No. 2 in C minor.  The evening also boasts Beethoven’s great overture Coriolanus and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, by far Dvorak’s most personal and “Czech” symphony.

It is always an exciting time when an artist starts his or her painting season. Some go on sabbatical, some go off to Europe or enjoy a sojourn in another local for a few weeks or a few months and it is always an exciting start.

“Muddy March” AHA! Night celebrates the earth beneath our feet and the feel of clay in our hands. Visitors may try their hand at the potter’s wheel, watch the creation of life-sized mud paintings and learn about how quahoggers dig in the muck for the savory seafood. On exhibit will be ceramics by local artists that are both intricate and functional. This evening will also feature several artist lectures from recently opened exhibits, live music and the much anticipated Echo Performing Art Festival at the Whaling Museum. Participating AHA! venues will be open late offering a variety of exhibits, live music, shopping and fine dining.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Department of Foreign Literature & Languages presents The Tournées French Film Festival. The Tournées Festival was made possible thanks to a grant from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC). Additional sponsors are the Florence Gould Foundation, the Grand Marnier Foundation, highbrow entertainment, agnès b., and the Franco-American Cultural Fund.

White Knight Gallery, New Bedford - The downtown community bows its head in respect to two pioneers in its burgeoning arts and business community, Alda Roderiques and Marybeth Vargas, who are retiring as of this month. For the past seven years, the store and its owners have been a steadfast part of the tight-knit William St. community. 2007 marked the stores’ tenth year in business, the first three of which were in Acushnet. Since their bold move to New Bedford, these ladies’ influence has stretched up and down the block, eventually  side-by-side with stores like Solstice, Artificial Marketplace, Joe Piper’s, Simmons Brothers and No Problemo, to name a few. Not to mention the growing number of artists and musicians working upstairs and selling their art downtown.

In this, his first article, Michael Rogovsky discusses the timelessness of the landscape.  Look at a landscape painting and look at a painting with figures; as one looks through the history of art, the paintings of figures represent the style of the attire of the day. Whether depiction the nobles of the Renaissance or from the court of Louis the fourteenth, the painting can be placed in an historical setting due to the attire of the painted figures. In landscape painting, though, there is the enigma of time.

AHA! New Bedford invites you to celebrate Black History Month. This month the focus is on the rich cultural history and contributions of people of color to the city of New Bedford. Special programs this evening includes a screening Frederick Douglass: Profile in Courage at the Whaling Museum followed by a dramatic reading at Friends Meeting House. Other programs include a talk dispelling 20 myths about the Schooner Ernestina and a panel discussion of Cape Verdean contributions to the working waterfront. There will be a special performance by the Rhode Island Black Story Tellers at ArtWorks!, Marissa Terryce at NBAM and an open drum circle at Joe Piper.  Also featured this evening are more live music, new exhibits and fine dining.

NEW BEDFORD, MA --- Two southeastern Massachusetts actors have been cast in Your Theatre, Inc.’s upcoming production of Jeff Baron’s  compassionate and touching comedy Visiting Mr. Green . The actors are Roger H. Allen of New Bedford and Wade Martin of Berkley.

AHA! invites you to celebrate Black History Month. This month the focus is on the rich cultural history and contributions of people of color to the city of New Bedford.

NEW BEDFORD, MA --- Matthew Barber’s award winning romantic comedy Enchanted April, the third major production of Your Theatre, Inc.’s 61st main Season opens January 16 for a nine performance run. Directed by Your Theatre’s Robin Richard of New Bedford the play runs Wednesdays through Saturdays January 16 - 19 and 23 - 26, 2008, with a matinee Sunday, January 20. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. for all shows except the 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee.

AHA! will be joining First Night as a FREE venue on December 31st from 5-9pm with a "Fire and Ice" celebration in downtown New Bedford. AHA! Program Director Lee Heald states that AHA! received over $90,000 in in-kind support in 2007 from local non-profit venues and businesses and that this evening is as a way of showing appreciation to the downtown community and partner venues.

New Bedford, Massachusetts - A dedication ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 2:30pm to celebrate the completion of the latest Artworks! community mural, painted on New Bedford’s newly constructed waterfront trash facility.

New Bedford's Mayor Scott Lang answers some questions concerning the management of and financial viability of the Zeiterion Theatre. Also makes comments on the proposed restoration of the Orpheum Theatre.

Join us on November 8th as AHA! spotlights the performing arts with a night On Stage. Included in the line-up are several preview performances, a dramatic tour of Ishmael's New Bedford, live music, a poetry reading, plus more.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – “A Little Jazz & Sounds of the Caribbean”, Global Beat, part 2 in a series of 8, will be presented on Saturday, November 3, 2007 8 PM – 2 AM, at the top floor of the Howland Place, 651 Orchard Street, New Bedford, MA 02744.  Performing artists to be presented are: MM4, The Dancing Dogs, El Caribe.  In addition to great LIVE MUSIC we have a surprise dance performance in store for YOU!