Newton Cultural Alliance

All About Love
2025-02-15 16:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Grace Episcopal Church, 76 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA, 02458, United States
All About Love
“Sappho begins with a sweet apple and ends in infinite hunger.”
(From “Eros the Bittersweet”, by Anne Carson)
Too often throughout history, we’ve seen women’s love and desire depicted through a male gaze, while authentic expressions of love and desire by women in art have been considered taboo. Cappella Clausura challenges this by centering voices of women and gender non-binary composers in this program on the topic of love in all its forms. Romantic verses by Sappho, Elizabeth Barret Browning and Pablo Neruda set by composers including Evelin Seppar, Modesta Bor, Rafaella Aleotti, Laura Nevitt, and others.
February 15th, 2025 @ 4PM Grace Church
76 Eldredge St. Newton, MA 02458
February 16th, 2025 @ 4PM Emmanuel Church
15 Newbury St. Boston MA 02116

New Art Center presents Brigham House Tea party
2025-02-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Brigham House, 341 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, Massachusetts, 02472, United States
Join us for the Brigham House Tea Party on Sunday, February 16th, from 2–4 PM to engage with and admire the artwork created by the participants while brewing your own tea.

Holi Festival of Colors
2025-03-30 12:00 - 16:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
The New Art Center invites you to join the Holi Festival of Colors.
We will have art-making, performances, food, dancing, and music throughout the day.
The event includes outdoor color play where you become the canvas for artmaking!
You have the opportunity to participate in the very fun (and messy) tradition of throwing organic color powder at each other.
Please wear white clothes you do not mind getting stained, protective eyewear or sunglasses, and bring towels for clean up afterward.
Guests are welcome to bring their color powder from home. There is no re-admittance to the New Art Center building after color play.

Historic Newton presents the Newton House Tour
2025-05-18 12:00 - 17:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave,, Newton, MA, 02458
Welcome to Historic Newton’s Newton House Tour! Each year, Historic Newton presents the Newton House Tour to showcase historic homes in the city. Each private residence is carefully selected by a committee to exhibit how homeowners have made creative renovations and interesting interior design choices that add to the life of a historic structure. You’ll come away with a greater appreciation for historic homes and inspiration for your own projects!
This is the 42nd annual Newton House Tour, and all proceeds benefit Historic Newton’s mission.
Event begins at 12 noon, but in-person ticket sales and wristband pick-up begins at 10AM.

A Far Cry 2025 Spring Soirée
2025-05-20 19:00 - 21:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
We are pleased to invite you to our 2025 Spring Soirée. Together, we’ll celebrate the end of another fantastic season at A Far Cry and unveil what we’re dreaming up for the future.
Featuring highlights such as:

A special interactive performance by the Criers, showcasing new initiatives and musical teasers for the 2026-2027 Season and beyond

Outdoor cocktail hour & generous hors d’oeuvres

Fabulous auction items, dessert under the stars, and more!

Cones 'n Cars 2025
2025-08-27 17:00 - 20:00 | MA
Due to the inclement weather on August 20, we have postponed our Cones ‘n Cars event until Wednesday, August 27, from 5:00PM – 8:00PM.
THE GOOD NEWS: You now have more time to register if you haven’t! Visit our website at https://newtv.org/cones-n-cars-2025 (linked below) to reserve your spot.
Cones ‘n Cars is generously sponsored by The Village Bank and KS Partners, LLC.
Sweets ‘n treats will be provided by: Baker’s Best Catering, Cabot’s Ice Cream, J.P. Licks, Lizzy’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream, and Volante Farms.

Blue Heron Songbook Benefit
2025-09-14 15:00 - 17:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
A fun and fabulous afternoon of cabaret and canapés, featuring Blue Heron artists performing favorite works from 15th-century Burgundy to Broadway! This intimate, festive, and one-of-a-kind event celebrates the start of the 2025-2026 season and supports Blue Heron’s mission. All proceeds benefit Blue Heron’s season of evocative, historically-informed performances.

Film Screening of An Uncommon Education: The Allen School
2025-10-14 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Historic Newton, West Newton Cinema, and Newton Cultural Alliance are excited to present a showing and panel discussion of the film “An Uncommon Education: The Allen School”! Join us on Tuesday, October 14 to view the original film (released in 2023) followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers. Tickets are $20 and equally benefit all three non-profit organizations.

Jack Lemmon: A Centennial Tribute!
2025-10-24 08:00 - 2025-10-26 17:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
Our hottest event of the season, West Newton Cinema will present the Jack Lemmon 100th Anniversary Celebration from October 24–26, 2025, marking the centenary of the birth of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors and Newton’s own native son.
One of the most beloved actors in movie history, Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) was born John Uhler Lemmon III, in Newton, Massachusetts. He grew up in Newton Center and attended Ward Elementary, the Rivers School, and Andover. After Harvard University, where he was president of the Hasty Pudding Club, and a brief stint in the Navy, Lemmon moved to New York City and made his start in radio and early television before transitioning to film roles. Over five decades and more than sixty films, Lemmon built a career as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, known for his witty, relatable “everyman” persona.
The three-day program will feature screenings of Jack Lemmon’s most acclaimed films, a commemorative reception, and a special conversation with members of the Lemmon family. Courtney Lemmon, Chris Lemmon, and Sydney Lemmon will take part in the event, celebrating their father and grandfather’s enduring legacy.

40th Anniversary Boston Jazz Voices Concert
2025-11-02 15:00 - 17:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
Join Boston Jazz Voices as we celebrate 40 years of making beautiful music together.
The group was founded in 1985 by a bunch of barbershoppers looking to expand their musicianship by singing the great arrangements of Gene Puerling, The Singers Unlimited, and The Hi-Los. This concert will include songs from each decade of our history.
Reception to follow.

Ty Burr's Movie Club: Children of Men
2025-11-13 18:30 - 20:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.
ABOUT THE FILM
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.

Sy Montgomery & E.B. Bartels: A Turtle Celebration
2025-11-15 11:00 - 13:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads and Newtonville Books present:
Famed naturalist Sy Montgomery, author of THE TRUE AND LUCKY LIFE OF A TURTLE, and E. B. Bartels, author of GOOD GRIEF, together for a talk and book signing to benefit the Turtle Survival Alliance!
Our day begins with a turtle meet and greet. Sy and E.B. will then share big-screen stories and more from their animal adventures, followed by a Q&A. Guests are invited to stay for a screening of THE SLOWEST STAMPEDE ON EARTH and join Sy and E.B. for a book signing in our lobby.
And don’t forget to bid on items—like turtle quilts—in the silent auction!
The day’s events:
11am-11:30:
Turtle meet & greet; mingle in the lobby to browse books & turtle merch & bid on the silent auction items
11:30-12:30:
Authors talk books & turtles, followed by a Q&A, in the theater
12:30-1:30:
Join us for a screening of THE SLOWEST STAMPEDE ON EARTH (20 mins, in the theater) & a book signing (in the lobby)
National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller SY MONTGOMERY is the author of thirty-nine books for both adults and children, including Soul of an Octopus and Of Time and Turtles, and has been honored with a Sibert Medal, three Sibert Honors, two Science Book and Film Prizes from the National Association for the Advancement of Science, four honorary degrees, and many other awards. She lives in Hancock, New Hampshire, with her husband, Howard Mansfield, and their border collie, Thurber.
E.B. BARTELS is a nonfiction writer, a teacher, an editor, and a former bookseller with an MFA from Columbia. She is the author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter (out in paperback from Mariner Books/HarperCollins on 11/11/25), a narrative nonfiction book about loving and losing animals, which has received positive press from many media outlets including The Associated Press, NPR, The Boston Globe, WBUR, Kinship, Psychology Today, and the American Kennel Club, and which has been translated into Korean. Her essays and interviews have appeared in Salon, Slate, WBUR, Literary Hub, Catapult, Electric Literature, The Believer, and The Rumpus, among others. E.B. lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with her husband (Richie), her son (Luca), and a pair of red-footed tortoises (Terrence and Twyla).

FUUSN presents Holiday Fair
2025-12-06 09:30 - 14:00 | First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton, 1326 Washington St, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
The FUUSN Holiday Fair is a fun, festive event on Saturday, December 6. Join us as the Parish Hall is transformed into a Holiday marketplace. Shop for gifts, toys, homemade baked goods, wreath,s and swags. The Baked Goods table is overflowing with homemade cookies, cakes and sweets, pick up a fresh green wreath, topped with a colorful bow. Buy a ticket for the Quilt Raffle. You might win a handmade quilt. There’s a holiday caroling session open to all who want to join. Come one, come all to the FUUSN Holiday Fair.

West Newton Cinema presents Ty Burr's Movie Club: Her
2026-01-08 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.
ABOUT THE FILM
In the near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.

Newton Theatre Company Presents: OUR TOWN
2026-01-16 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-01-17 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-17 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-23 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-24 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-24 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-30 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-31 08:00 - 17:00 and 1 more date | Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 96 Otis Street, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Experience this beloved classic up close with our exceptional professional cast in an intimate venue where every seat brings you into the heart of Grover’s Corners.
Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning play is a profound meditation on love, loss, and the precious ordinary moments that define our lives told in Newton Theatre Company’s signature style—immediate, personal, and unforgettable.
Intimate staging. Beloved actors. Our original vision.
Limited seating. Reserve soon. Tickets will sell out.
Our Town will run for three weekends. Tickets available now!
​
​Friday, January 16th at 8pm
Saturday, January 17th at 2pm
Saturday, January 17th at 8pm
Friday, January 23rd at 8pm
Saturday, January 24th at 2pm
​Saturday, January 24th at 8pm
Friday, January 30th at 8pm
Saturday, January 31st at 2pm
​Saturday, January 31st at 8pm
Seating is intimate and limited, so get your tickets now!
All performances are at:
St. John’s Episcopal Church, DiMauro Hall
​96 Otis Street, Newtonville, MA

West Newton Cinema presents An Evening with John Sayles
2026-02-07 16:00 - 18:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
West Newton Cinema Reads & Newtonville Books present:
The iconic filmmaker John Sayles reading from and discussing his new novel, The Crucible, along with his classic film, City of Hope, with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Join director John Sayles as he reads from his new novel, The Crucible, following a screening of his riveting film, City of Hope (1991).
In The Crucible, Henry Ford—the Elon Musk of his day—aims to rule both an automotive empire and the rambunctious city of Detroit. In an epic tale ranging from the Prohibition Era to the Second World War, featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army, Sayles does what he’s become famous for: shows us, through multiple perspectives, the country in which we live.
In City of Hope, an old apartment complex stands in the way of a major commercial development. Its owner, Joe, feels pressure to torch it, and Joe’s estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the game. Following the arrest of two teenagers, idealistic city councilman Wynn finds himself torn between what he thinks is right, and what his Black constituents want.
Sayles and Young will walk us through this incredible cast of characters and the themes that make both The Crucible and City of Hope so crucial to understanding our current moment. Their talk will follow with a signing in the lobby, with books for sale courtesy of Newtonville Books.
John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and once for the National Book Award. He has written eight novels, including, most recently, Jamie MacGillivray and To Save the Man.
Robin Young is a host of Here and Now, the nationally syndicated radio program produced by WBUR. A Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Robin has been a correspondent for ABC, CBS, NBC, and the Discovery Channel. She is a former guest host of The Today Show and one of the first hosts on Boston’s ground-breaking television show, Evening Magazine.

West Newton presents Behind the Screen: Sinners
2026-02-08 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
SINNERS is a genre-defying period horror drama written and directed by Ryan Coogler, set in 1932 Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. The story follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, who return to their hometown to open a juke joint for the local Black community, only to find that an ancient, supernatural evil threatens their celebration and their lives. The film blends Southern Gothic, blues music, historical memory, and supernatural horror, creating a richly layered narrative about community, survival, and cultural expression.
POST SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSION
Our panel will explore the film’s fusion of music, history, and horror, considering how SINNERS engages with African-American cultural traditions, the symbolic role of blues music in confronting evil, and the artistic choices that make the film a singular cinematic experience.
JAKE BLOUNT, A.M.
Musician, Scholar, and Music Consultant on SINNERS;
Specialist in Traditional African-American Music and Afrofuturism
Jake Blount is an award-winning musician and scholar whose work bridges performance, research, and advocacy. He specializes in African-American traditional music and Afrofuturist approaches, and his recordings have appeared on best-of lists from NPR, The New Yorker, and Rolling Stone. Blount served as a music consultant on SINNERS and his work often interrogates the cultural and historical roots of American music.
JOEL LARUE SMITH, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Tufts, Pianist, Composer, Arranger
Joel LaRue Smith has been the Director of the Tufts Jazz Orchestra (formerly the Big Band) and Jazz Activities at Tufts University since 1996. He is also a pianist and composer known for moving seamlessly between jazz, classical, gospel, and Afro-Cuban repertoire. He has performed globally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Albert Hall, and has received numerous awards including ASCAP’s distinguished George and Ira Gershwin Award.
BILL LOWE, Ph.D.
Composer, Performer, Educator; Leader of Signifyin’ Natives
Bill Lowe is a distinguished bassist trombonist, tuba player, composer, and educator with decades of experience in creative music. His ensemble Signifyin’ Natives explores African-American musical traditions through improvisation and collaboration, and Lowe has performed and taught extensively throughout the United States and internationally.

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: All God's Children
2026-02-22 13:00 - 15:30 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
In an unprecedented attempt to heal centuries of racism and antisemitism, and combat the rising racial and ethnic tension in their Brooklyn communities, the largest reform synagogue and the oldest black Baptist Church attempt to unite their congregations and bring about peace, by becoming family. Shot over five years by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner, ALL GOD’S CHILDREN follows her sister, activist Rabbi Rachel Timoner, and her Congregation Beth Elohim’s partnership with Reverend Dr. Robert Waterman of Antioch Baptist Church as their faith is put to the test, and both congregations struggle not to let their differences drive them apart. Though it’s a fraught partnership, they refuse to walk away, no matter how hard it gets, and ultimately emerge with an inspiring model for how other communities might build bridges across religious, economic and class divides to foster enduring, powerful partnerships.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
REVEREND ELIJAH GIPSON-DAVIS
The Rev. Elijah Gipson-Davis, a native of Riverdale, Georgia, was ordained into the Gospel ministry at the New Macedonia Baptist Church. An anointed preacher, talented scholar, and skilled administrator, he currently serves as the Minister of Administration and Assistant to the Pastor at the Myrtle Baptist Church of West Newton, Massachusetts. Rev. Elijah shares academic interests in religion, specifically African American and North American religious history, gender and sexuality, congregational studies, Christian education, and liturgics.
RABBI TIFERET BERENBAUM
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College in 2013, after spending a year in Israel as part of her studies. Rav Tiferet served congregations in Milwaukee, WI and Mt. Holly, New Jersey, then returned home to Boston and TBZ in 2019. Always desiring to continue to learn, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
MODERATED BY: JAYMIE SAKS
Jaymie is the Director of Development at 2LifeCommunities and served for more than a decade as executive director of Boston Jewish Film (BJF) and was chief operating officer of the Jewish Women’s Archive.

NewTV Members Network Meet-Up
2026-02-25 18:00 - 20:00 | NewTV, 23 Needham St, Newton, MA, 02461, United States
Join us at our Needham Street studio on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00PM, for a Members Network Meet-Up! This will be a fun and engaging evening in a relaxed atmosphere. There will be food, technical help sessions, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow members! Non-members are welcome to attend as well!
6:00PM – 6:30PM – Networking and… (wait for it)… FREE PIZZA!
6:30PM – 8:00PM – Introductions, followed by technical help breakout sessions including:
How to Create & Manage Your Own YouTube Channel, with Peter Taber-Simonian
Control Room Basics, with Kathleen Golden
How to Host an Interview, with Jenn Adams
Please RSVP by Friday, February 20, so we can plan accordingly.
If you’re not a member and would like to join us, sign-up for a NewTV membership at https://newtv.org/join
Email membership@newtv.org with any questions!

West Newton Cinema presents Behind the Screen: Hoosiers with Brad Stevens
2026-03-01 12:30 - 15:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
ABOUT THE FILM:
A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWS
BRAD STEVENS
Brad Stevens is the President of Basketball Operations for the NBA’s Boston Celtics, a position he has held since June 2021, where he built the 2024 NBA championship team. A former standout college coach at Butler University—leading them to two consecutive NCAA Championship games in 2010 and 2011—he previously served as the Celtics’ head coach for eight seasons (2013–2021).
DAN SHAUGHNESSY
Dan Shaughnessy is a sports columnist and associate editor at the Boston Globe. He has been named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year 14 times and 12 times has been voted one of America’s top ten sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2016 Shaughnessy was the recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing,” presented at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Shaughnessy has written thirteen books, including New York Times bestseller “Francona,” “The Curse of the Bambino,” and “Senior Year.” He most recently wrote “Wish It Lasted Forever — Life With The Larry Bird Celtics”, a book about his days covering the 1980s Bird Celtics.

New Art Center presents Art and Healing: Art Therapists on Creating Connections
2026-03-12 18:30 - 19:30 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
An illuminating talk with practicing studio artists and art therapists, Erin Palazzolo Loparo, M.S.-ATR and Tova Speter, M.A., LMHC, as they explore the intersection of personal creative practice and community-based healing.
This event is free and open to the public, light refreshments will be served.
View the work of Erin Loparo, Tova Speter, and other artists on view March 20th –May 1st in the Art and Healing exhibition at the Mosesian Center for the Arts.

West Newton Cinema presents Ty Burr's Movie Club: The Holdovers
2026-03-12 18:30 - 21:00 | West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton, MA, 02465, United States
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
TY BURR’S MOVIE CLUB is hosted by the nationally recognized film critic Ty Burr.
Each month Ty presents and discusses one of his favorite films with the audience. His selections span the spectrum from classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary films that merit a second viewing.
