Last year the city kicked off the first ever month long Newton Festival of the Arts.
There’s a little office in City Hall called the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs that’s staffed by two energetic, imaginative, creative, engaging, and plain pleasant people – Linda Plaut and Jeannie Smith. These two woman are behind or are involved with nearly every fun and interesting activity sponsored by City government. All of festivals throughout the year at City Hall – that’s them. Performances of all kinds in the War Memorial – that’s them. NewtonServes – they’re involved and on and on and on.
Last year they roped in every arts organization in the city to throw a month long Newton arts party. This year its year two and its bigger, better, and longer.
Best of all though this year is they’ve added the Artful Piano Project. Next Saturday it will kick off at locations all around the city.
They have recruited another powerhouse. A woman named Maria Beatriz Arvelo. I haven’t met her but I’ve been in awe of her organizational abilities. Maria’s project is to plant donated pianos on street corners around the city. Each piano is beautifully and uniquely painted and decorated by local artists. Each piano will have a decorated cover’s designed by students from Lasell College’s Fashion Program. Maria’s recruited piano tuners, students at Newton North for carpentry, volunteers in each piano neighborhood to look after the pianos for the month, she’s recruited performers to play at each piano for scheduled performances.
We’re getting a piano in our neighborhood and I can’t wait. I’m just hoping that Upper Falls has a great wealth of piano players and impromptu street corner piano music in the month ahead. If you play the piano, any style, with any level of ability, come on down to the corner of Oak & Chestnut St in Upper Falls starting next Saturday – any day, any time, and plays a song, or a concerto, or whatever you’ve got for your neighbors. Or if not Upper Falls then one of the other pianos around the city.
In general I’m not big on regrets but for the month of May I think I’m going to be kicking myself that I never learned to play piano.
Exciting! Is there a map of where they’ll be?
Exciting! Is there a map of where they’ll be?
Jerry, please don’t forget the work of the organization behind the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Newton Community Pride. Linda and Jennie are integral to these events but without the funding and other sweat equity of Pride’s volunteers much of this would not be possible.
Jerry, please don’t forget the work of the organization behind the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Newton Community Pride. Linda and Jennie are integral to these events but without the funding and other sweat equity of Pride’s volunteers much of this would not be possible.
@Groot Gregory – absolutely!
@Groot Gregory – absolutely!
I am planning to play my trumpet next to the piano with my mother playing an accompaniment.
I am planning to play my trumpet next to the piano with my mother playing an accompaniment.
@Anias – We definitely would like to recruit you and your trumpet for a crazy, fun, slapdash, musical parade down the Upper Falls Greenway to the piano on May 22. Pleas email me at [email protected] for more details
@Anias – We definitely would like to recruit you and your trumpet for a crazy, fun, slapdash, musical parade down the Upper Falls Greenway to the piano on May 22. Pleas email me at [email protected] for more details
I emailed to ask where the pianos will be and got the following:
Auburndale In front of the Auburndale Library
Chestnut Hill At The Street (Plaza)
Newton Center Piano Newton Center Green, Center St. across from Panera Bread
Newton Highlands Lincoln St. near the Bakery
Newton Upper Falls Chestnut St. & Oak St., near The Depot
Newtonville Piano Within the fence at the Senior Center
Nonantum Piano Magni Park
Waban Piano Outside Waban Library
West Newton Piano Ryan Park, Washington St.
I emailed to ask where the pianos will be and got the following:
Auburndale In front of the Auburndale Library
Chestnut Hill At The Street (Plaza)
Newton Center Piano Newton Center Green, Center St. across from Panera Bread
Newton Highlands Lincoln St. near the Bakery
Newton Upper Falls Chestnut St. & Oak St., near The Depot
Newtonville Piano Within the fence at the Senior Center
Nonantum Piano Magni Park
Waban Piano Outside Waban Library
West Newton Piano Ryan Park, Washington St.
Walk to the Upper Falls Piano via the Greenway.
Walk to the Upper Falls Piano via the Greenway.
Join us on May 15th to bike to all 9 pianos, stopping at each to perform. Starts at Newton Centre at 10 am and ends back there at 2:30. Full schedule is at http://www.newtoncommunitypride.org/festival/music-moves-us.html
Join us on May 15th to bike to all 9 pianos, stopping at each to perform. Starts at Newton Centre at 10 am and ends back there at 2:30. Full schedule is at http://www.newtoncommunitypride.org/festival/music-moves-us.html