Grandees in Western Massachusetts have long seen the arts as key to bolstering the region’s economy. One endeavor, the restoration of the Victory Theater in Holyoke, seemingly scored big. It received a $2 million American Rescue Plan Act grant from the city. When Holyoke had to claw back the grant this month, it dealt a blow to efforts to build out downtown as an arts hub.
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL, ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD—Flowers are raising their heads outside my window. Last Friday, the city’s artistic community bloomed downtown. I like this eventuality: April showers, then May flowers with promise. The artistic flowering was the Art Stop(s) celebration showcasing Springfield’s
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT Hungering to refresh my perspective on the present social and political challenges, I turned to Springfield’s colleges. Campus dining has improved since I was in school, but is food for thought still available on campus, I wondered.
UPDATED 3/18/2019 9:40AM: To reflect a correction. The performance begins at 7:30pm, not 8pm. BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD – In “Captain Marvel,” the latest entry in the Marvel Comics cinematic universe, feminist superhero Carol Danvers vanquishes all comers with energy
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT This week I’m drawn to two opportunities to engage in cultural dialogues. Springfield’s Art for the Soul Gallery offers artist Dane Tilghman contemplating a slice of African-American history that speaks to him. Meanwhile, in Longmeadow people are
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT I’ve been craving an escape from the Trumpiverse recently, something allowing me to see glints of hope on the horizon. When I need this fix, I watch for signal fires from the creatives among us. This week
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD – What started as an intimate session with friends in a Springfield living room went public in a big way Friday night as energized jazz musicians packed Focus Springfield TV’s lobby for a jumpin’ three-hour jam.
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT Ruth Carter’s costumes for the 2018 movie blockbuster Black Panther are spectacular. Propelling the Marvel sci-fi superhero’s story, they’re redolent of Afrofuturism, cultural identity, power and pride. They may finally win an Oscar for the Springfield native at
BY LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL ARTS & CULTURE CORRESPONDENT SPRINGFIELD—Eager and open, Karen Finn is a new face on the cultural scene in Springfield. The executive director of the Springfield Cultural Partnership has been on the job in her modest office space in the Community Music
By LINDA MATYS O’CONNELL, Arts & Culture Correspondent HOLYOKE—Eyes were sparking, smiles flashing on a pleasant Saturday morning in January as more than 80 ambitious representatives of the Valley’s creative community gathered and got caffeinated at Gateway City Arts. Anticipation riffled through the room as