Newton Cultural Alliance

Boston Ballet presents: The Nutcracker
2021-12-25, 2021-12-26 | Citizens Bank Opera House, 539 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
Let your dreams come to life
Take time for joy with your family and friends at New England’s most beloved holiday tradition. With brave toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and a tree that grows to the sky, The Nutcracker conjures the childlike wonder in us all.
Slip away into the warm drawing room of the Silberhaus family and watch as Clara’s surroundings transform before your eyes. From the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to the iconic snow scene, this classical ballet set to the beloved music of Tchaikovsky continues to enthrall audiences of all ages.
The Nutcracker marks Boston Ballet’s return to the Citizens Bank Opera House, and the shared magic and excitement of this heartwarming production feels more meaningful than ever as the curtain rises again. Join us in dreaming of sugarplums, candy canes, and the bright season ahead.
All patrons must present proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID test before entering the venue and must wear a mask inside the theater at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
To purchase tickets and read the full COVID policy, click here.

Scandinavian Cultural Center presents: Push (2019) screening
2022-01-08 13:00 (America/New_York) | Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
WHY CAN’T WE AFFORD TO LIVE IN OUR CITIES?
PUSH is a new documentary from award-winning Swedish director Fredrik Gertten, investigating why we can’t afford to live in our own cities anymore. Housing is a fundamental human right, a precondition to a safe and healthy life. But in cities all around the world, having a place to live is becoming more and more difficult. Who are the players and what are the factors that make housing one of today’s most pressing world issues?
Saturday, January 8th | 1pm | $7; free for members | Tickets here | **proof of vaccination and masks required**

Newton Art Association presents: Demo with Irena Roman - Watercolor
2022-01-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Newton Art Association, Newton, MA
Irena Roman is a signature member of The American Watercolor Society, The Transparent Watercolor Society of America, The Watercolor USA Honor Society and The New England Watercolor Society.
A recipient of The American Watercolor Society’s High Winds Medal of Honor and the Ralph Smith Memorial Award Irena has also twice received the Watercolor West Award from The National Watercolor Society as well as three Gold medals and two Silver medals from the New England Watercolor Society. Her work has been displayed in the prestigious Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolor Biennial, China. She was recognized in Creative Quarterly’s 100 Best International Juried Competition and was awarded Best in Show in the Global Association of Watercolor Artists 2018 International Competition.
Irena’s illustration work has been recognized in Communication Arts illustration annuals and in Print’s Regional Design annuals. She received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and a Gold Medal from the Dallas Advertising Club. Her clients have included HarperCollins Publishers, Little Brown Publishing, The New Yorker magazine, Toray International, Japan, Hormel, and many others.
In addition to being a painter, Irena is a Professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston.

Community Food Pantry Drive
2022-01-10 08:00 - 2022-01-15 12:00 | Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
*Please consider participating in the Community Food Pantry Drive now through January 15th in honor of MLK Day. Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Newton and The Village Bank, canned items and other essentials are being collected to benefit Newton Food Pantry, Newton Centre Food Pantry, and the Arabic Baptist Food Pantry. For donation details and drop-off locations visit here.

Newton Free Library presents: A Night in the Amazon with Erica Ferencik
2022-01-11 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join Erica Ferencik for a night in the Amazon! Thirty-foot anacondas; puppy-sized spiders; SUV-length electric eels that can kill you with a glancing blow – these are some of the creatures that Erica encountered on her month-long journey of survival in the Peruvian rainforest while researching her book, Into the Jungle. Her incredible story is sure to thrill all!
There is nowhere on earth Erica Ferencik won’t go to take you out of your head and into the great wild world. An award-winning novelist, Ferencik writes adventure stories featuring women who brave not only internal struggles, but face extreme challenges in their environment: remote forests, steaming jungles and desolated icescapes.
If you wish to own a copy of Into the Jungle, it is available at Newtonville Books here.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

New Art Center Presents: Friday Figure Draw
2022-01-14 19:00 - 22:00, 2022-01-28 19:00 - 22:00, 2022-02-04 19:00 - 22:00, 2022-02-11 19:00 - 22:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Details: Friday, 1 Session
Times: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Enjoy a life drawing open studio with a live model, beginning with quick poses, and ending with an hour pose. The evening will be relaxed but professional, with music, a great model, and the opportunity to purchase wine or beer. No photography allowed. No instruction. For artists 21+, ID required. Bring your own art supplies (no oils); easels/chairs provided.

54th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration
2022-01-17 09:30 - 10:30 | MA
*The City of Newton presents a webinar event in honor of the 54th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration. The live virtual program is inspired by MLK Jr’s. book “Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos.” The event will include remarks by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, David Fleishman, and Kathy Lopes, a sermon by Reverend Alicia Johnson, and music by Katani Sumner, The Jubilee Singers, The Troubadours, and The Lovetones. Register here for the MLK Day Celebration link.

Newton Free Library presents: Creating Public TV Shows with Roberto Mighty
2022-01-18 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join filmmaker, Roberto Mighty, for a session in which he will talk about the process of creating and producing his three new TV shows that are airing nationwide on public television. Learn why World’s Greatest Cemeteries, getting dot OLDER and Legacy of Love are all labors of love for this former college professor who is a former Newton resident!
Roberto Mighty, MFA, is America’s first Artist-in-Residence at a National Historic Landmark cemetery, where he produced 29 short films about diverse historical figures, horticulture, landscape and funerary iconography. Roberto is also Host/Producer of getting dot OLDER, his new 13 episode, half hour public television series about baby boomers across America — slated for release by APT in January, 2022 . Roberto’s historical documentary about Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King, Legacy of Love, was broadcast on WGBH in 2020. He is Founder and Principal of Celestial Media LLC, a new Film/TV/Multimedia studio specializing in creative, inclusive content for today’s audiences. Visit Roberto’s website. Image ©2021_Roberto Mighty. Credit: Shawn Read
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

Newton Theatre Company presents Macbeth
2022-01-21 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-01-22 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-01-22 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-01-23 14:00 - 16:00 | The Woman’s Club of Newton Highlands, 72 Columbus St, Newton, MA, 02461, United States
This winter, Newton Theatre Company will bring you one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies– with a twist!
Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
January 21-23
The Woman’s Club of Newton Highlands
72 Columbus St, Newton, MA 02461

An all-woman ensemble takes on Shakespeare’s tragedy about the infamous Scottish king and queen and the dark consequences of their murderous ambition.
Click here to purchase your tickets!

Scandinavian Cultural Center presents: "Men of Terror" Book Talk
2022-01-22 13:00 | Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
BOOK TALK: MEN OF TERROR – A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF VIKING COMBAT

A lecture by Dr. William R. Short
Viking society revolved around violence, as seen in their myths, poetry, law codes, pictures, and even in their house architecture. One Viking, a man named Fraði, was memorialized on a runestone raised 1000 years ago and praised for being a “man of terror”. Who were these people who praised this violence, and what made violence such an integral part of their society?
Join author Dr. William R. Short for an afternoon of surprising research results and fascinating insights into the lives and society of these people we call Vikings: these men of terror. This material, based on a 20+ year-long scientific study of the combative methods of the Vikings, is taken from the book, Men of Terror: A Comprehensive Analysis of Viking Combat, co-authored with Reynir A. Óskarson. The book presents, for the first time, a holistic picture of Viking combat, created by combining and overlaying many different sources.
Saturday, January 22nd | 1pm | register here **advanced registration, and proof of vaccination required**

Historic Newton presents: Boston's Great Innovations
2022-01-27 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
What makes Boston one of the world’s top innovation centers? Join Robert Krim and Alan Earls, co-authors of Boston Made: From Revolution to Robotics-Innovations that Changed the World, as they reinterpret Boston history through the lens of innovation. Trace four centuries of this history to learn about scientific discoveries, groundbreaking social policies, and other innovations – some with Newton ties – that made a lasting impact. Part of the Newton History Series co-sponsored by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library. Register here for this Zoom program.

Making Your Art - Getting Beyond Creative Hurdles
2022-01-27 19:00 - 20:30 | ZOOM
Newton Art Association Sponsors Artist Workshop
Featuring Beth Pickens
Join Los Angeles-based author and arts consultant Beth Pickens in a workshop designed to lead you confidently into your next year of art making through tips, tricks, and myth-breaking. Q+A follows.
Pickens has devoted her career to helping artists move in the direction of their creative ambitions. Learn more on her website. She is the author of Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles (2021, Chronicle Books) and Your Art Will Save Your Life (2018, Feminist Press).
“The essence of Beth’s presentation is critically important for every artist to hear,” says Cindy Cole, Newton Art Association workshop chair.
Virtual workshop. Free of charge.
ZOOM Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84366018114?pwd=[REDACTED]
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UNQUIET Exhibition
2022-02-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Galatea Fine Arts, 460 Harrison Ave, #B-6, Boston, ma, 02118
UNQUIET Exhibition
February 6
NCA Individual Creative Member and photographer Howard E. Fineman, along with many other Newton artists, exhibits work at the UNQUIET exhibition. This show is a Newton Open Studios curated exhibit at Galatea Fine Arts running through February 27 with an opening reception on February 4.
Sneak Peek Video

New Art Center presents:Lunar New Year Celebration
2022-02-06 12:00 - 14:00 | New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newton, MA, 02460, United States
Join the New Art Center and our friends from the Cambridge Center for Chinese Culture (CCCC) for a special Lunar New Year Celebration! This Cultural Community Day celebrates the Asian Lunar New Year with art, decorations, and traditional martial arts demonstrations. Bring the whole family for a day of fun in your community.
Starting at 12:00 PM, New Art will be open for families and community members of all ages to stop by for a day of free art-making in our Main Gallery to kick off the year of the tiger. We will have four activities including making Chinese Red Couplets, tiger-themed crafts, and more! Throughout the day, visitors can also enjoy martial art demonstrations from Claire Fillon and Zulong Li.
Register now for free!
Drop-ins are also welcome.
Full Schedule of Activities:

12:00 PM Doors Open // 1:30 PM Last Entry
Main Gallery
12:00 – 2:00 PM Drop-In Art-Making Activities

Chinese Red Couplets
Tiger Bookmarks
Tiger Mobiles
Air Dry Clay Dumplings

ELVAS
12:30, 1:00, 1:30 PM Jiujie Whip demonstration by Claire Fillon
1:45 PM Wu-Shu demonstration by Zulong Li

Newton Art Association presents: Demo with YoAhn Han
2022-02-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Paper cutting (YUPO) with a concept of “Negative and Positive” space and paper collages with diaphanous patterns
YoAhn Han is a Korean painter based in Boston whose work is a visual dialogue between suppression and desire, a duality which speaks to both his experience of cerebral arteriovenous malformation and to his bifurcated cultural identity.
He received his MFA 2D at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and obtained a Bachelors of Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). YoAhn’s work has been shown internationally, in the United States, South Korea, and the Netherlands. Recent solo shows include “Botanical Rhapsody” at Chase Young Gallery in Boston, “Metamorphic Desire” at Essex Art center (Jan, 2018), “My Princess, Bari” at ARTMORA Gallery in New York, “Alluring Confinement” at the Artlery 160 in Boston, and 매혹적 가두어짐 (Enchanting Box) in Seoul, Korea. His work has also been exhibited in several group shows including “Summer Palette” at Chase Young Gallery in Boston, Seventh Juried Exhibition at Prince Street Gallery in New York, ART BLOSSM Exhibition at ARTMORA NJ, and Sanqtuary at Distillery Gallery in Boston.
YoAhn has also participated in the annual MassArt Auctions and the 2016 Busan international Art fair.
Click here for Zoom link.

Newton Free Library presents: Prince of Pirates & the Witch of Wellfleet
2022-02-07 08:00 - 17:00 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Join storyteller Rona Leventhal for an enthralling, pre-recorded rendition of her one-woman show, The Prince of Pirates and the Witch of Wellfleet. Rona will present her version of a classic Cape Cod tale that is a mixture of history and legend, set in the early 1700’s. Playing fifteen characters, Rona offers an engaging, powerful look at life in Puritan New England through the lens of story. The show addresses the history of the era, universal themes, “gang mentality” of the masses, hypocrisy and resilience. A Q and A will follow.
This program is funded by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

Newton Free Library presents: Celebrating Voices of Color - Poetry Reading & Open Mic
2022-02-08 19:00 - 20:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
Join us for virtual readings in this year’s poetry series. This month we will feature the voices of black and brown poets. An open mike follows with a limit of one poem per person, limited slots are available. Sign ups for the open mic will happen during the actual session. The series is facilitated by Doug Holder of Ibetston St. Press. Check back for the names of this month’s featured poets.
Registration for this program will end two hours before the start time. The Zoom login information will be sent just after registration closes. Please be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.

Historic Newton presents: Half American - The Epic Story of Black Americans Fighting WWII
2022-02-10 17:00 - 18:00 | ONLINE, United Kingdom, E16 2DQ
For Black Americans World War II was about not only America’s standing in the world but also about how much actual freedom would exist in the United States. Black troops fought bravely in combat and they formed the backbone of the U.S. military’s supply effort, all while fighting in a segregated military. Black veterans returned from the war and kept fighting white supremacy at home. Drawing on his upcoming book, historian Matthew Delmont explains how World War II raised questions regarding race and democracy that remain unanswered more than seventy years later. This is an inspiring history of bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism. This event is part of the Newton History Series co-sponsored by Historic Newton and the Newton Free Library. Register here for this Zoom talk.

Pro Arte's Salon Series - Salon 3
2022-02-13 15:00 | The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, WEST NEWTON, MA, 02465, United States
Pro Arte’s unique cooperative is comprised of musicians equally at home as soloists and chamber musicians as they are within the chamber orchestra. The Salon Series presents an opportunity for members of the cooperative to showcase their craft in various chamber groups performing a variety of exciting works.
For Salon 3, one of Pro Arte’s regular string quartets joins forces with the Janelle Gillchrist Dance Troupe for an interdisciplinary exploration of Wynton Marsalis’s first string quartet. Purchase tickets here.

Newton Free Library presents: The Navigation Case
2022-02-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St, Newton, MA, 02459, United States
Join author John Happ as he recounts the discovery of an aged and glossy leather briefcase in his family house. Learn how the contents of that case revealed the true-life saga of his father’s participation in fascinating but deadly cadet training and violent air missions in New Guinea! Happ’s book, The Navigation Case, reveals the drama and sacrifice expended by America’s pioneering pilots’ first ever demonstration of air superiority, during the greatest campaign in U.S. Air Force history. The narrative flourishes into an incredible story giving the context for all the Pacific war stories from Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway Island, and Iwo Jima, up to the avoidable catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
John E. Happ is a contributing author to the Journal of the American Revolution, has written for the World War One website The 75th Artillery C.A.C., and the adventure magazine Atlantic Coastal Kayaker.
This program is being co-presented by Newton Free Library and Ashland Public Library, the Newton Department of Veteran’s Services and the Norfolk County (RSVP) Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Please register here. The link zoom will come from ashlandprograms@minlib.net. Be sure to check your spam folder in case it lands there.
If you wish to own a copy of The Navigation Case, they are available from Newtonville Books.

Zamir Chorale of Boston presents: A Choral Rainbow - Part 2
2022-02-16 19:30 - 21:00 | MA
Join Zamir Chorale of Boston for part 2 of the online series A Choral Rainbow, featuring recorded choral performances and conversations with the conductors of diverse and under-represented communities.
This season, in response to the alarming rise in racism, antisemitism, and other forms of prejudice, we are even more committed to using our resources to expose our audiences (and ourselves) to music representing different cultures, ethnicities, and ways of thinking. With that in mind, we are presenting an online series called “A Choral Rainbow,” featuring video performances and conversations with the conductors of choruses from diverse and under-represented communities.
We were thrilled with the global turnout for our series premiere on November 22! Part II will spotlight three choruses:
The Dallas Street Choir, which offers a musical outlet for people experiencing homelessness and severe disadvantage; Jonathan Palant, conductor
The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus, which is committed to promoting Yiddish language and culture through beautiful four-part harmony; Binyumen Schaechter, conductor
The Philadelphia Heritage Chorale has a special commitment to music born of the African Diaspora or created by composers of African descent; Donald Dumpson, conductor.
WATCH THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
Register here for a Choral Rainbow – Part 2.

Newton Art Association presents: Legal Issues for Artists
2022-02-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
What are your rights and legal obligations as an artist? What do you need to know about copyrights, contracts, commissions, and consignments with galleries? What are your precise legal liabilities?
These and other artists’ rights issues will be discussed by Nicholas M. O’Donnell at our second professional workshop.
Zoom link for the event is found here.

The Scandinavian Cultural Center presents: The Pact
2022-02-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Scandinavian Cultural Center, 206 Waltham St, Newton, MA, 02465, United States
SCREENING:
THE PACT (2021)
presented in conjunction with the Scandinavian Library

It’s 1948 and sixty-three-year-old OUT OF AFRICA author Karen Blixen (pen name: Isak Dinesen) is a lonely literary sensation devastated by syphilis and mourning her lost love until she meets talented thirty-year-old poet Thorkild Bjørnvig. She offers him a Faustian bargain and promises him stardom if he will obey her unconditionally. As her demands become more and more pernicious, Thorkild much chooses between Blixen’s promise of fame or his wife and young son.
From director Bille August (PELLE THE CONQUEROR) comes this sterling adaptation of Bjørnvig’s bestselling memoir.
Saturday, February 19th | 1:30 pm | $10; $8 for SCC and Library members | tickets here
*advanced tickets, proof of vaccination, and masks required*
Director: Bille August. Denmark, 2021, 115 min. In Danish with English subtitles
