5 Things To Do This Week – 06/16/21

5 Things To Do This Week – 6/16/21

Newton Cultural Alliance | Highlights Arts & Culture | Things To Do |

NCA is keeping you connected with each other and with your favorite local arts and culture organizations. 

*New Art Center launches its new exhibition, Women in Abstraction, with a virtual artist panel on June 16th at 6:00 pm.  Cicely Carew, abstract artist and instructor, joins artist, instructor, and curator, Destiney Palmer to talk about creating abstract work, being artists as women, and how the exhibition ties into their personal experiences.  Or if you prefer, meet in person for the Women In Abstraction opening reception on Thursday, June 17th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the New Art Center @ Trio Newton.  This in-person and virtual exhibition is the first of New Art Center’s BIPOC Curatorial Programs which engages in gender, race, class and history as it relates to abstraction.  Examine Women in Abstraction here.

*Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra virtually performs Salon Series 3: Dance in Celebration and Reflection in honor of Juneteenth.  On Thursday, June 17th at 8:00 p.m., Pro Arte kicks off a weekend of streaming performance celebrating three works by African American composers.  Each of these pieces has moments of dance and reflection with Florence Price’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Dorothy Rudd Moore’s Modes, and Wynton Marsalis’ At the Octoroon Balls. This virtual concert premieres at 8 p.m. on Thursday night followed by a live Q & A session with the musicians. Follow this link for tickets to celebrate and reflect.

*Visit the Hyde Community Center Bandstand this weekend for two Juneteenth Celebrations on Saturday, June 19th at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 20th at 12:00 p.m.  These events are co-sponsored by FORJ, Historic Newton, Newton Community Pride, Newton Cultural Council, and The Harmony Foundation. On Saturday, commemorate Juneteenth with Newton area speakers presenting alongside musical performances, local artwork, and a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. On Sunday, a family-friendly event includes Music by DJ Ricky Groov, performances by Aashka Dance Company, food from Fresh Food Generations, and ice cream by Tipping Cow. Registration is required. Register here for Saturday and Register here for Sunday.

*The Newton Free Library invites the community to the reopening of the Main Hall art gallery with the exhibition Faces from the Road by Dan Pinnolis. On view at the library through June 29th, Dan Pinnolis began his portrait drawing series while backpacking through Central America. The drawings serve two purposes; one, as a visual record of the amazing people he met along his journey, and two, as a means for deep relaxation. Dan found that focusing intently on capturing the details of someone’s expression became a meditative practice that enabled him to enter a, “flow state.” In a lot of ways, these portraits represent a creative process rather than a final outcome. His hope is that the show inspires people to slow down and really notice one another.  Go down this road for more information.