Arts + Culture
Davis Square vendor market Small Mart bans AI art
Local artists are giving big props to Small Mart, saying its ban of AI use makes them more inclined to sell their work at the Friday marketplace. Read more A survival thriller and a crime drama Carly Holbrook, the painter and button maker behind Carly Makes Things, said she “appreciates the ban” because it protects […]
Central Square Night Market returns for third year
Saturday night saw Central Square’s University Park transform into the bustling cultural smorgasbord common in cultures from around East and Southeast Asia — showcasing the substantial number of people in Cambridge who’ve moved from those areas. Read more Remembering the Craigie Street bathtub Michael Monestime, president of the Central Square Business Improvement District, said the […]
‘We’re not just the war’: Ukraine beyond the battlefield
When Ukrainian pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi wrote a suite dedicated to his hometown of Odesa, he never imagined it would take on political meaning. Read more Intensity in survival and horror The music, which predates Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is a love letter to the Black Sea city where he grew up and […]
Central Square’s ‘Eleanor’ a Plum production
Central Square Theater’s absorbing and enlightening production of Mark St. Germain’s “Eleanor” opens on a set of benches, panels of greenery, and a projection of a statue called “Grief.” The acclaimed Paula Plum, wearing a dignified dress from an earlier era, steps onto the stage, and we are face-to-face with the embodiment of one of […]
Futures in flux at MIT and Harvard documentary film centers as founding leaders step down
The 2020s have been hard on Boston’s documentary film scene. In 2022, the LEF Foundation’s DocYard screening series went on indefinite hiatus; in 2024, the Bright Lights Cinema Series was cancelled after its curator, Anna Feder, was let go in what appeared to be a politically motivated dismissal. In comparison, last month’s leadership transitions at […]
In “Rhinoceros,” whether to run with the herd is the question
At the start of the American Repertory Theater’s superb production of “Rhinoceros,” it’s a quiet morning in a French village, and Bergeron is late for coffee with his only friend, Jean. Read more Man killed by police identified But Jean (Paul Giamatti) knows Bergeron will be late and arrives late as well. The two could […]
Young poets are honored for ‘playful to inspiring’ works
This spring, for the 27th year, the city of Cambridge, Mass., awarded poetry prizes to a worthy group of aspiring poets in grades K–8. Of the more than 500 applicants, nominated mostly by teachers, 55 winners were chosen by a panel of youth services librarians. Read more Safety in The Port has always been a […]
Backgammon and other traditional board games gather locals in a digital age
Throughout the summer, local residents are gathering and they’re bringing their family’s board game traditions with them. Read more A third space helped me find my community after moving to Cambridge Pandemonium Books and Games in Central Square hosts tournaments for collectible card games. Cambridge Public Library also has a game night featuring a variety […]
Somerville’s ArtBeat Festival turns 40
Somerville is hosting the 40th ArtBeat cultural festival in Davis Square on Saturday, highlighting the city’s diverse arts scene. Read more Alpha-gal is in the headlines. It’s no superhero ArtBeat is Somerville’s “biggest cultural festival” as it “showcases music, dance, culinary arts, and visual arts,” said Rachel Strutt, the interim director of the Somerville Arts […]
Somerville, Capital theater buildings put up for sale
The owner of 49-55 Davis Square in Somerville and 202-218 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington has put the properties on the market, with an asking price of $12 million each. The buildings house the Somerville Theatre and Capital Theater, respectively, raising questions as to whether the vibrant local independent theater scene could be affected. Read more […]