Worcester Arts Council

Artist Chris King was at every Out To Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market this summer, sharing his woven hubcaps and more, with support from . 🪢

This shot from the final Out to Lunch of the year was taken by none other than or ! 📸

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this project with one of our grants, thanks to funding from .

#

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from PreservationWorcester with one of our 2034 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

📣 Call for artists! 📣 Apply to participate in the next installment of “Worcester’s Got African Talent” from Crocodile River Music by *Monday, August 26!

To learn more and apply, go to: https://crocodilerivermusic.com/wgat

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

WGAT — Crocodile River Music Call for Artists Crocodile River Music proudly presents the 3rd cycle of Worcester's Got African Talent! This one-night showcase will feature six African artists from the Greater Worcester area in Fall 2024. About the event We seek artists who self-identify as African in all creative mediums, styles...

Check out local screenwriter and previous WAC Fellow Caitlin McCarthy on the cover of the latest issue of IMAGINE Magazine! 🤩

View this issue online at: imaginenews.com/magazine

📸: Cover photo by Christine Peterson

Vendor and Mas Band registration for the 11th Annual Worcester Caribbean American Carnival closes Monday, August 12!

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this vibrant celebration of community and culture in the city. 🎉

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

This summer, kids at the Boys & Girls Club’s Great Brook Valley site participated in the Joy of Music’s “Music Makers” program. 🎶

JOMP faculty members Jenny Gaul, Monica Daly, and Bronwyn Pappas-Byers are working with kids ages 5-9. Each week, they created a new instrument from materials you can find at home (kazoos, shakers, a glass “organ”) and discovered what sounds we can create as an ensemble.

The students learned so much about rhythm and pitch and are had a blast getting creative and decorating their instruments!

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from .

📸:

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

It’s almost showtime at our Great Brook Valley site! For the past few weeks, our kids have been participating in the Joy of Music’s “Music Makers” program, supported by the Worcester Arts Council and Mass Cultural Council. Parents/Guardians. you’re invited to their final performance this Tuesday, July 30, 11 a.m. at 180 Constitution Ave. We hope to see you there!

Have you checked out the 12th annual “One” show art ArtsWorcester yet? 🎨

Gallery hours for The 12th Annual "One" are now open! The show can be seen during our gallery hours: Thursday - Sunday, 12PM - 5PM, at 44 Portland Street. This show will be on view through August 18th.

🌸 Gallery hours are always free and open to the public.

Can't make it in person? View the exhibit online on our website.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

🎨 Kristin Parone, 'Summertime Tea' // acrylic gouache on canvas, 24"x24", 2024

Local artist Chris King is showcasing his “Woven Hubcaps” at this summer’s Out to Lunch Festival & Farmers’ Market. 🪢

Your next chance to check it out is this Thursday, July 25! The festival takes place every Thursday through August 15 from 11am-2pm on the Worcester Common Oval.

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from Chris King with one of our grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

📸: unitymike photography for Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District

On Saturday, July 27, join Spiritually Fabulous for the 9th annual Summer Gospel Fest from 1-8pm on the Worcester Common, with live gospel music, food trucks, vendors, activities, and community organizations. 🎶

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

📸: Christopher Johnson, Renditioned Photography

ArtsWorcester's 12th Annual “One” show is on view now! This wonderfully eclectic features 224 diverse works and will be on view in the galleries every Thursday-Sunday from 12-5pm until August 18.

Visit ArtsWorcester in the historic Printers Building at 44 Portland Street in Downtown Worcester!

Remember: ArtsWorcester is always free, always open to the public! 🎨

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council

📸 Nathan Fiske Photography

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this mural from artist Christian Bachez at Pernet Family Health Service with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

Big thanks to Christian Bachez (christianbachez.com/) and Gee for another great mural. This one now greets our youth program students as they enter our building.

Thanks to the Worcester Arts Council for funding this project.

😎 JULY 😎 At our regular monthly WAC meeting on Thursday, July 11 we discussed:

✔️ The usual business of reviewing minutes, our budget report, grant amendments, final reports, etc.

✔️ Our upcoming FY24 grant reception

✔️Our FY25 community input survey

✔️ Planning for the FY25 grant season

✔️ And more!

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from the The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

The WYSH Project is bringing a vibrant, original piece of theatre to the BrickBox on July 12 and 13!

Admission is FREE, so head to TheHanoverTheatre.org/WYSHProject to RSVP today. Don't miss your chance to hear these talented young people share their visions for Worcester and the world.

This program is supported by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

Join the Center for Nonviolent Solutions this Saturday!

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

Register Here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/quock-walker-day-walking-tour-of-worcesters-peace-history-tickets-936858277327?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this project from African Community Education (ACE) with one of our 2024 project grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

Artist Chris King recently taught rope making, knot tying, macramé, and weaving at the after school program from Judy's Jubilee and Creative Hub Worcester. 🪢

The resulting public art project, “A Macramé Panel for Main Street,” can now be viewed at 653 Main Street in Worcester. 👀

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this project with one of our 2024 grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

📸: via Chris King

Shining a light on another one of our 2024 Worcester Arts Council Fellows, photographer and multi-disciplinary artist, Lynn Aurélie Thibault. ✨

Lynn says:

“As a survivor, my work is my lifeline. It helps me vent, exhale, heal, and overcome.

This work is a daily reminder that as long as I am alive and breathing there is still hope.

I was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and my family immigrated to the US after the horrific 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the island in 2010. My work is a documentation of my ongoing search of identity, belonging, and a sense of place since moving to the US. It sheds light on the complexities of family migration, complexities that portray themes of joy, healing, and belonging intertwining with the lasting effects of displacement, trauma, and loss.

Through vivid and personal works, I explore these dualities and uncover the spectacular within the mundane, motion in the stillness, and convalescence in the wake of suffering. I do this through varying mediums, including portraiture, documentary-style photography, short films, essays, and conversation projects.

[…] From Canterbury Street School, to Sullivan Middle and North High, all the way to Nichols College, I was surrounded by mentors, counselors, and professors who saw my potential and vowed to support me throughout my creative journey. This support empowered me to find my voice, discover my purpose, and carve out a career path in the arts. And now I hope that partnering with the Worcester Arts Council will enable me to contribute to our blooming arts education efforts within the city of Worcester by creating space for imagination, curiosity, and belonging.”

Follow Lynn at:

📸:

There’s only “ONE” show like this in the city! 😍

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from ArtsWorcester with one of our 2024 project grants, thanks to funding from Mass Cultural Council.

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from African Community Education (ACE) with one of our grants.

Last chance to go check out “Cardboard World” — a space for imagination, play, and creativity from Monano at the JMAC! 😍

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to have supported this project with one of our past grants, thanks to generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

📸: Monano Art

☀️ JUNE ☀️ At our regular monthly WAC meeting on Thursday, June 13 we discussed:

✔️ Welcoming our newest Council members

✔️ The usual business of reviewing minutes, our budget report, grant amendments, final reports, etc.

✔️Updates on our NEA grant and recipients

✔️ Updates from our working groups

✔️ Updated from City staff

✔️ Upcoming events

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts with one of our grants. ✨

"The Worcester Youth Speak Honestly (WYSH) Project shines a light on the experiences of youth in the city of Worcester and for many, including me, it serves as an introduction to the arts that they might never have had access to otherwise."

Visit TheHanoverTheatre.org/blog/worcester-youth-speak-honestly-an-inside-scoop-with-alyssa-morales/ to get the inside scoop on WYSH, now in its 4th year at THTC, from WYSH Alum Alyssa Morales.

This program is supported by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

Check out “Cardboard World” from Monano starting later this week at the JMAC! ✨

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project with one of our past grants! ❤️

Save the date for the Cardboard World Play Exhibit.
Come play with your kids in imaginary world!
Exhibit open from Wed June 12 to Sunday June 16th! Live Music Performance on June 15th 3-4pm sharp!
Performance by and actor and mime . We want to Thank for their support! This event is possible through a grant they provided!!

Mark your calendar for FREE concerts from Jim Scott - Musician, supported in part by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, thanks to generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts! 🌍🎶

Friday, June 7 - 7:30 PM The Year to Save the Earth –
Multimedia concert, music by Jim Scott
At First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St. Worcester MA
Concert is free to the public.
Mixing powerful songs and projected images, “The Year to Save the Earth” takes us from grieving to celebration, and from protest to positive vision for the planet. Jim’s lyrical melodies and outspoken poetry challenge us to feel, to learn and to act.
Featuring Jim with Martha Sandefer - vocals,
Stan Strickland – sax and flute,
Tom Petrakes - Bass
Bob Shepherd - piano/organ
Jack Bastante - drums/percussion
Jim received an NEA grant to present this multimedia concert in Worcester. Composer of "Missa Gaia/Earth Mass" with the Paul Winter Consort, he’s recorded nine CDs of original music, traveled the world and created the "Earth and Spirit Songbook."

Saturday June 8 – 1 to 3 PM - Kids Save the Earth
Peace Park Worcester, 374 Pleasant St. Worcester MA
Kids and their families can celebrate their visions for the Earth, making art and music with Monano Arts and their drums and art materials.
At 2 PM, "Kids Save the Earth," concert by Jim Scott and Friends

7:30 PM – Saturday, June 8th - Second performance
The Year to Save the Earth
at the Sudbury Meetinghouse
327 Concord Rd, Sudbury MA 01776

Worcester Community Fridges (Woo Fridge) is a mutual aid effort that provides Worcester neighbors with safe and free access to food by organizing a network of free food fridges throughout the city. They believe that having daily access to fresh food is a right, not a privilege, and that food insecurity is the result of harmful food policies and ineffective food systems. Their mission is to empower neighbors to share food and build long-term relationships to ensure a future where everyone in our community is cared for and safe.

One of the projects the Worcester Arts Council funded in 2024 is a short documentary about Woo Fridge, which is being created by local documentarian/filmmaker/videographer/editor Alex O’Neil. 🎥 Once complete, Alex will be hosting screenings of the film for the community.

We are excited to see the story of Woo Fridge come to life on screen later this year! 🍿

Stay tuned… we’ll keep sharing info and updates on this and more projects!

📷: from Woo Fridge; one of the community fridges on Portland Street Downtown

Hot Night in the City is back this summer at the Worcester Center for Crafts! 🔥

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support Hot Night in the City with one of our 2024 grants.

Join us for Hot Night in the City at Worcester Center for Crafts! 🎨🔥 Explore the "Artists on Fire" exhibit curated by Juniper Rag in our Krikorian Gallery. Enjoy live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, and more! Want your art to be featured? Visit our website to learn more.
https://loom.ly/5HMe_ho



Worcester Arts Council Mass Cultural Council M&T Bank

“The Portraits Project” brought three newly commissioned portraits to Mechanics Hall, highlighting the lives and impact of 19th-century Black social activists and civil rights leaders with ties to local history.

Portraits of Frederick Douglass, by artist Imo Nseh Imeh, Sojourner Truth, by Manu Saluja, and William and Martha Brown, by Brenda Zlamany, now hang in the Great Hall.

The Worcester Arts Council is proud to support this project from Mechanics Hall with one of our 2024 grants, which was awarded specifically for an event to bring children from local schools to the hall to experience and learn about the portraits.

Learn more about The Portraits Project in this past article from Worcester Telegram & Gazette at:

Mechanics Hall unveils portraits of 4 prominent Black Americans Portraits of Black Americans unveiled in Mechanics Hall

If you’ve seen our posts about some of the GREAT new members who’ve recently joined the Worcester Arts Council over the past few months, you can probably imagine how excited we are about continuing our important work alongside this incredible group.

AND… we also still currently have 2 open seats on the Council left to fill. 😅😅😅

If you are someone who is passionate about supporting arts and culture in Worcester, we hope you’ll consider applying. We’d love to welcome you to the Council!

Find out more about how you can apply to join the Worcester Arts Council (or any City of Worcester, Massachusetts Board or Commission) at: https://www.worcesterma.gov/boards-commissions