***PLEASE NOTE: this page is under construction. Please scroll down below to view upcoming events!***
This Events page lists all events offered through the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley. Please visit our Classes calendar for classes and workshops! Events and programs offered by our building partners Northampton Open Media and A.P.E. Ltd. can be found on their websites.
Photo credit: Robert Parent
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown made an outstanding and influential contribution to music. In an era when many musicians were emulating Charlie Parker’s drug abuse, Brown inspired others to achieve greatness while living a clean life. Ironically, he was killed in a car accident at the age of 25. This feature-length documentary presents a richly detailed account of Brown’s life, and examines his historical importance in the context of three criteria–innovation, influence, and individuality.
Features Interviews with Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Heath. Donald Byrd, Harold Land, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Clifford Solomon, Herb Geller, Clora Bryant, Vance Wilson, and LaRue Brown Watson.
Director/Producer Dan Glanden is a pianist, composer and educator. Gladen will attend the Jazz Film Night and will host a Q&A session with the audience after the film.
Jazz Film Night is sponsored by Whalen Insurance.
Please join the Northampton Center for the Arts, A.P.E. Ltd., and Northampton Open Media at 33 Hawley for an opening reception with refreshments and live music during Arts Night Out on Friday, 6/13, from 5:00-8:00 pm!
The Northampton Center for the Arts presents there’s nothing wrong with love. Experience the transformative power of art where the works of Sunny Allis and Jae Southerland explore their imagined world of Love, in this context, as a celebration of desire and connection, and our muster point in a world on fire.
Join us at the Split Level Gallery for the Queernology & Naturepunk, where artists Emet Aron and JT Phillips take you on a journey through an imagined past, present, and future of queer existence. Discover these combined artists story as they works map a queer cosmology that spans myth and machine.
Summer Bonus!
Please join NCFA from 7:30-9:30pm in the Courtyard for 33 Outside, our annual summer block party! 33 Outside is an outdoor, family-friendly, community dance party, free and open to the public, where DJs from the Peace & Rhythm collective spin, “head-nodding, feel-good, body-moving music.” These artists blend styles and genres and are responsive to the crowd, creating a joyful collaborative energy!
All exhibits can also be seen during open hours Wednesday through Saturday, 12-7 p.m. More information about the Barn Door Gallery can be found here.
Established in 1991, the Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) is a nonprofit organization created to fund projects and programs that expand educational opportunities, foster creativity, and enhance academic experiences in Northampton’s public schools. NEF also works to broaden community support for our public schools. We support our mission, in large part, by awarding grants for teacher-initiated projects. Join the NEF on Arts Night Out at the Northampton at the Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley for an amazing showcase of some of the incredible projects funded through our Endowment Fund and Small Grants!
33 Outside is the vision of our board member, Carlos Rec McBride, a multimedia artist, educator, and DJ. He imagined an outdoor, family-friendly, community dance party at 33 Hawley, free and open to the public, where DJs from the Peace & Rhythm collective would spin, “head-nodding, feel-good, body-moving music.” These artists blend styles and genres and are responsive to the crowd, creating a joyful collaborative energy.
Food trucks will be serving delicious treats starting at 6 pm!
Beer, wine, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase in our Beer Garden.
See you there! We can’t wait to dance with you!
33 Outside is made possible by City of Northampton ARPA funds.
SUMMER ARTS NIGHT OUT BONUS! Please join the Northampton Center for the Arts, A.P.E. Ltd., and Northampton Open Media indoors from 5:00-8:00 pm for Arts Night Out featuring receptions for each month’s art exhibits in the Barn Door Gallery and Split Level Gallery. Arts Night Out reception includes live music and free refreshments.
Come on out for the 2nd Noho Tea Dance on June 22nd from 2 to 4 PM! Tea dances are Sunday afternoon events originating in the English countryside but popularized in the mid-20th century US by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as a safer way to gather. And now the tea dance has arrived in Northampton! Masks are required for the first hour to ensure a welcoming and inclusive vibe for everyone, and are encouraged for the remainder of the event although not required. Admission is $10—$20 sliding scale at the door.
We honor the wonderful diversity of all of our rainbow family and want to make clear that trans women and non-binary folk are part of our Community and are always welcome and included.
“Your task it is, amid confusion, rush and noise, to grasp the lasting, calm and meaningful, and finding it anew, to hold and treasure it.”
Composer Paul Hindemith wrote this poem to be spoken in his Sonata for Alto Horn and Piano. With these words, we are encouraged to search for, recognize, and embrace the good. Come join us in a refuge of goodness.
Now in its 34th year, the Lisa Leizman Dance Company is the resident dance company of the Northampton Center for the Arts. The evening’s program includes repertory works Sonata for Alto Horn and Piano: I. Ruhig Bewegt (music by Paul Hindemith) and Hymn to the Aten (from the opera Akhnaten, with music by Philip Glass and text from the ancient Hymn to the Sun). The concert also features two new works: some kind of way (music by Derrick Hodge) and Pieces of Light (set to music by company composer-in-residence Andrea Kwapien). Following the performance, the audience is invited and encouraged to stay for a festive dinner reception.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Do you love a good beach day? Invite that summer breeze in, and help raise funds for a wonderful cause! Since its inception in 2021, the Northampton Center for the Arts’ Community Fund has provided almost $20,000 to people in our community who need financial support to access arts space and classes. But the fund is not unlimited and we must figure out ways to regenerate so we can continue this good work. So please join us for an all inclusive Paint ‘n‘ Sip fundraiser on July 11th at 6:00pm. In this workshop, you'll create your own relaxing beach view with acrylics on canvas! Enjoy an easygoing, welcoming environment where you can explore color harmonies and connect with a welcoming community. Alcoholic and NA drinks, snacks, and art materials are provided, so just bring your creativity. No prior experience needed—just sip, paint, have fun, and go home with a piece of art painted by your very own creative hands! This Paint’n’Sip will take place during Arts Night Out, just before 33 Outside. So come early to enjoy some beautiful art, then paint and sip away, and finish your evening by heading outside for a fabulous dance party!
To register, email programs@nohoarts.org (preferred) or call the Center at 413-584-7327. Please include your name, address, and telephone contact. Community Fund donations are payable in advance by Paypal here, or by check to “NCFA” and mailed to the Northampton Center for the Arts, PO Box 366, Northampton MA 01061.
* Paying more on the sliding scale helps support our ongoing commitment to accessibility through the Community Fund and sliding scale models. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Please join the Northampton Center for the Arts, A.P.E. Ltd., and Northampton Open Media at 33 Hawley for an opening reception with refreshments and live music during Arts Night Out on Friday, 6/13, from 5:00-8:00 pm!
The Northampton Center for the Arts presents Resistance is a Collective by Robin Griffith. Experience the powerful exhibit honoring the resilience of Black women and their vital roles in movements such as Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQI+ community. Join us to celebrate the collective power and importance of these narratives in the ongoing pursuit of freedom and equity.
A.P.E. Ltd presents Come Back to the River: Drawings and Paintings by Anna Bayles. This concept originated as a mantra for the artist during her runs along the Mill River trails, intended to ground her away from mundane thoughts. Experience a curated selection of drawings and paintings that create a sacred space for reflection and connection to profound emotions, such as grief, longing, and hope.
Live Music by Theresa Berard AKA Tennessee Rose
Based in the Pioneer Valley, Tennessee Rose is country melancholy intertwined with soulful hope and the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Theresa Berard. Theresa’s incarnation as Tennessee Rose has been in the making since she was a child, singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow out of earshot. For more, check out her website.
Summer Bonus!
Please join NCFA from 7:30-9:30pm in the Courtyard for 33 Outside, our annual summer block party! 33 Outside is an outdoor, family-friendly, community dance party, free and open to the public, where DJs from the Peace & Rhythm collective spin, “head-nodding, feel-good, body-moving music.” These artists blend styles and genres and are responsive to the crowd, creating a joyful collaborative energy!
Looking for something a little extra? Check out Fun(d) in the Sun, a fabulous paint’n’sip fundraiser in support of NCFA’s Community Fund, happening from 6-7:30pm in Eli’s Room!
All exhibits can also be seen during open hours Wednesday through Saturday, 12-7 p.m. More information about the Barn Door Gallery can be found here.
2025 Creative Sector Summit presented by MASSCreative
Learning, Organizing, and Realizing a Creative Massachusetts for All.
The Creative Sector Summit is an annual convening of cultural thought leaders, artists, creatives, policy advocates, educators, culture bearers, arts administrators, teaching artists, and public officials. The 2025 Creative Sector Summit theme is Meeting the Moment: Creative Advocacy and Cultural Organizing for Stronger Communities.
Expect insightful cross-sector panel conversations and an inspiring keynote address. Choose from 16 participatory workshops to strengthen the impact and broaden the reach of the arts and cultural sector across the Commonwealth. If you are a member of the arts and cultural community and ready to work across regions, issues, and sectors to build stronger coalitions, solidarity, and political power, this Summit is for you! We welcome artists, creatives, cultural organizations, creative small business owners, civic and community leaders and arts and cultural supporters.
This year’s Summit is scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2025 at the Northampton Center for the Arts. Doors will open at 10 AM for networking and a light breakfast. The formal program will run from 11 AM to 5 PM.
To register, please visit: https://www.mass-creative.org/events/creative-sector-summit-2025
We strive to make access to the Creative Sector Summit as inclusive and accessible as possible. If ticket pricing is beyond your means, please email info@mass-creative.org to request a scholarship to cover registration costs.
SAVE-THE-DATE!
Linda Shear Singer Songwriter
Straw Dog Writers Guild invites you to this benefit concert by singer-songwriter Linda Shear at 4 pm on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St.
Linda is a singer-songwriter and pianist, with music at the center of her heart and life. In the early 70s, she performed in Chicago at the first out-lesbian concert in the U.S. Linda toured with her band, Family of Woman, and played solo in bars, clubs, coffee houses, and festivals, including the main stage at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. Linda’s songs come from deep in her heart, and she invites you into that heart when she performs in celebration of love, social justice, and the power of authenticity.
Alice Robbins, a performer on both baroque cello and viola da gamba with Early Music ensembles world-wide, is a founding member of the Arcadia Players of western Massachusetts. A graduate of Indiana University and the Schola Cantorum of Basel, Switzerland, she also taught at Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges in the Five College Early Music Program since 1979. She now is venturing to explore other musical activities along with serving on the boards of Arcadia Players, Viola da Gamba Society of America, and as president of the VdgS-New England.
“They stay with you, these beautiful songs of Linda Shear; the tunes linger, and the lyrics take you places to remember and to emotions, you'll know. And her performances are so compelling. I have often said that if I played the piano, I would want to play it like Linda."
~Dan Crary, Bluegrass guitarist and 2022 awardee of the Lifetime Achievement award from the International Bluegrass Music Association
Watch a video of Linda's song: Morning Prayer
For more information and to buy your ticket (seating is limited): https://givebutter.com/lindashearSDWG
We hope to see you there!
Come join us at Northampton Center for the Arts for our 1st Noho Tea Dance! on May 25th from 2 to 4 PM.
Masks are required for the first hour to ensure a welcoming and inclusive vibe for everyone. Masks are encouraged for the remainder of the event although not required.
Admission: $10 — $20, sliding scale at the door
* We honor the wonderful diversity of all of our rainbow family and want to make clear that trans women and non-binary folk are part of our Community and are always welcome and included.
Join us for an exciting day of chess as players of all levels come together to compete in the Greater Baystate Spring Classic! This tournament promises intense matches, strategic gameplay, and the chance to showcase your skills. Ensure you have an active U.S. Chess Federation membership to compete. Late arrivals will receive a half-point bye for the first round and will be paired in the second round. Don’t miss out on potential discounts for early registration! Prepare your equipment and bring your best strategies to the board. There’s no better way to challenge yourself and enjoy the game you love!
Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you there!
For more info and to sign up:
GREATER BAYSTATE CHESS
Email: greater.baystate.chess@gmail.com
Phone: 413 356 0303
Website: https://www.greaterbaystatechess.com
Active, current U.S. Chess Federation Membership Required
$3,675 Prize Fund Guaranteed!
Prizes: Open: 1ST $500; 2ND: $300; TOP U2200: $250
U2000: 1ST $300; 2ND $200; TOP U1850 $175 (No Unrated)
U1700: 1ST$300; 2ND $200; TOP U1550 $175 (No Unrated)
U1400: 1ST $200; 2ND $150; TOP U1200 $125 (No Unrated)
Unrated Prize limits: U1400 To U2000; 1st $200 2nd $100
Clear 1ST In Open: $100 Bonus; Top Female: $200 Bonus
One $125 Scholastic bonus prize only for each of the following four categories:
Top Grades: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
No U1900 or unrated in the open section
Registration: 8-9 am cut off On-site. Late Entrants will receive Round 1 Half Point Bye and be paired in Round 2
Format:
4ss, G/60; d10
30 Sets, Clocks, Scoresheets & Pens will be provided
*Please bring your own Sets in case of a shortage*
Players assigned black pieces have a choice of equipment that round
Rounds: 10 am Lunch, 1:15 pm, 3:45 pm, 6:15 pm or ASAP
Limit of one 1/2 point Bye; Specify Round with Entry or before Round 2 pairing
Entries:
U.S.C.F Membership required may be purchased at registration
GMS, IMS, WIMS, & WGMS FREE
FIDE & NATIONAL MASTER DISCOUNT: $10.
Unrated $20 Discount
WMCA & MACA members $5 Discount
Advance Entry fee Timetable:
• By 2/28; $30 Discount
• By 3/31; $20 Discount
• By 4/30; $10 discount
Entry Fee: 5/1 Up To At Site: Rated $100; U1200 & Unrated $80. (Before FM, NM, MACA & WMCA Discounts). Cash, PayPal, or Venmo Only. No Checks
Lexicon is an evening of developing and revisited dance works by choreographer Barbie Diewald and her collaborators. The program opens with Seven Sundays, a solo Diewald originally choreographed and performed in 2014, now performed by Mount Holyoke College student Robyn Pilecki. Next, Diewald joins longtime collaborator Meredith Bove in an untitled duet exploring intimacy, distance, voice, and familial histories. The evening culminates in a preview of Lexicon, an ongoing work begun in 2023. A companion to Diewald’s archival research on queer and lesbian aesthetics, Lexicon reflects a deeply collaborative process with Massachusetts and New York based artists Julia Antinozzi, Gabby Carmichael, Ellie Goudie-Averill, Leah Fournier, Chloe London, and Jenna Riegel.
* Audience members may pay what they can for tickets, no questions asked. Tickets purchased on the upper end of the sliding scale help support our ongoing commitment to accessibility and sliding scale models.
Originally from the midwest, Barbie Diewald is a dancer, choreographer and Assistant Professor of Dance at Mount Holyoke College. She is a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Choreography and New England Foundation for the Arts New Work New England Grant Recipient. Her dances have been presented in New York at BAM, the 92nd Street Y, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, University Settlement, The Center for Performance Research, The Chocolate Factory, and The Kitchen, and in New England at the Academy of Music Theatre, A.P.E Gallery, The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, High Street Studios, Motion State Arts Festival, and MAGMA (Movement Arts Gloucester). Diewald has developed her work through residencies at Jacob’s Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, the Bogliasco Foundation, The Iron Factory, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Cleveland School for the Arts, Ponderosa, Subcircle and SILO at Kirkland Farm. She is a recent Jacob’s Pillow faculty research fellow, and has presented her research at conferences held by the Dance Studies Association, National Dance Education Organization, and International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association. Diewald holds a BFA in Theatre from Millikin University and MFA in Dance from Smith College.www.barbiediewald.com
Please join the Northampton Center for the Arts, A.P.E. Ltd., and Northampton Open Media at 33 Hawley for an opening reception with refreshments and live music during Arts Night Out on Friday 5/9 from 5:00-8:00 pm!
The Northampton Center for the Arts presents softedge. Experience the transformative power of art where the works of Lena Mac and Rae Heller explore the delicate balance between beauty and pain, hope and despair. Delve into the soft edge of healing and human experience, and find a space where joy and grief coexist.
Join us at the Split Level Gallery for the Northampton High School student show and senior show, Playground! From stunning portraiture to captivating still life and impressive sculptures, the Northampton High School students have poured their creativity into an inspiring showcase of their work.
Live Music by Ruth Kendall
Ruth Kendall is a senior at Smith College, specializing in vocal performance, songwriting, and music production. Influenced by her gospel upbringing, she blends heartfelt lyricism with R&B textures. Since her first year, she has been a member of the Smiffenpoofs, Smith’s a cappella group, and has performed her original work at Carnegie Hall and other notable events. Ruth has released two original singles and collaborates with Grammy-nominated producer Troy Chester. After graduation, she plans to continue writing, performing, and growing her audience. You can find her music on Spotify and YouTube, with more to come soon.
NOHO Art Club
Head downstairs to Eli’s Room for a Noho Art Club meet-up from 5:00-7:30 PM hosted by Paige Quinn-Vasic! Come play with collage and gelli plate printing, and check out Paige’s felt sushi demo, an original wet felting technique offered as a workshop through the Center!
All exhibits can also be seen during open hours Wednesday through Saturday, 12-7 p.m. More information about the Barn Door Gallery can be found here.
Community Forum: Northampton's History with Housing Discrimination
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ousmane Power-Greene
Wednesday, May 7 from 5:30 to 7 PM
Tickets: up to $20 at Community Forum: Northampton's History with Housing Discrimination
Please join Dr. Ousmane Power-Greene, the E. Franklin Frazier Professor of Africana Studies and Professor of History at Clark University to discuss the history of housing discrimination in Western Massachusetts. Professor Power-Greene will place the most recent efforts to eradicate discriminatory housing policies and practices within the context of the long movement toward achieving equal rights in the United States.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Event details and ways to RSVP can be found here — https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fair-housing-forum-northamptons-history-with-housing-discrimination
Please email anguyen@massfairhousing.org if you have any questions or need any accommodations.
PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE CHANGE! THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT 25 MAIN ST (ABOVE FITZWILLY’S)
A Northampton Pride 2025 Party / Club Experience! Be transported to another world after Pride festivities: Full bar, 2 DJs, huge dance floor, chill lounge. Come show your colors May 3rd 8pm>1am. $10 pre-10pm / $15 after. 18+
Remember when a phone was a phone, not a newspaper, a computer, a GPS, a game of solitaire, or a spycam? Come be part of OBIE award-winning playwright and performer Deb Margolin's newest work in progress "A Brief History of the Telephone." Deb insists that when a young person's phone rings, they call the police, because they never heard that sound before. Is that you?
Let's chit chat and chew the fat, as Deb explores a lifelong passion for the sexy, disembodied possibilities of talking with friends and strangers on the phone. At this show, not only can you leave your hat on, you can leave your phone on! You can call Deb during the show if you want! Let's bring talking to people back in fashion! Live and in-person, Deb Margolin...she's a smooth operator.
This performance can only be seen with a VIP ticket to Revelry at 33. Seating is limited, so please get your tickets in advance!
Click your heels and follow the yellow brick road to Revelry at 33: There’s No Place Like Home, the fourth annual fundraiser for the Northampton Center for the Arts (NCFA), happening Saturday, April 26 from 7:00 to 10:30pm in the Center’s stunning home at 33 Hawley Street. This year’s Emerald City-themed celebration honors our longtime and beloved board member Dorothy Nemetz, who is retiring from the board this month. Dorothy has been an invaluable part of the success of NCFA, as well as the Northampton Community Arts Trust and the arts community more broadly.
Revelry at 33 brings the magic of community and creativity together under one roof, featuring:
Live music throughout the evening from Now’s the Time Jazz Ensemble, Kim Chin-Gibbons, and Tony Silva
Short performances by Sherine Khatoun and the Emerald City Dancers, poetry-on-the-spot by Dane Kuttler, and tarot in Heather’s Parlor
Art sales from over 35 local artists (yes, you can take a piece of the magic home!)
An online and in-person silent auction full of unique and exciting items (NOW LIVE!)
Delicious bites and desserts by Seth Mias Catering, and signature cocktails crafted just for the occasion
Join the VIP Experience: Remember when a phone was a phone, not a newspaper, a computer, a GPS, a game of solitaire, or a spycam? Guests who opt for VIP tickets will be treated to a 6:00pm private performance of “A Brief History of the Telephone,” a brand-new play by Obie Award-winning playwright Deb Margolin.
Tickets for this signature event are available online and we appreciate your advance purchase! Standard tickets are $75, and VIP tickets are $100. Tickets will still be available online in advance through April 25th, and at the door on the 26th.
For 40 years, the Northampton Center for the Arts has been a cornerstone for creatives across the Valley, providing affordable space, arts education, events and a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. Your support helps ensure the NCFA continues to thrive and serve the community for years to come. Whether you're a lover of the arts or just looking for a fabulous night out, Revelry at 33 promises an unforgettable evening. So come hungry, come curious, and come ready to celebrate—because There’s No Place Like Home.