Grants 2023
Día de Los Muertos (Jointly Sponsored by SMOC and the Framingham Cultural Council)
This was a celebration of the Mexican holiday Día de Los Muertos. Attendees included families served by SMOC and other families from Framingham and surrounding communities. There were four primary areas in the large room at the Community and Cultural Center at SMOC: 1) Movie Coco about the holiday, 2) Face and mask painting, 3) Food & refreshments, and 4) Non-religious "ofrenda" or "altar" decorated with colored tissue paper, artwork, and photos of deceased family members and friends who are being honored for their impact on the celebration participants. Mauricio Parea from the FCC explained the holiday. Festivities for this holiday are "an explosion of color and life-affirming joy" and "the point is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members".
FY23-LCC-28976 CITY OF FRAMINGHAM PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT: FRAMINGHAM FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES
The 2023 Friday Night Concert Series included eight weeks of musical entertainment: Oldies' Rock & Roll, Big Bands, R&B, Country, and every genre in between. The Concert Series was held on Friday evenings from 6:30 pm—8:30 pm at the Center Common on Edgell Road in Framingham. Crowds varied in age from families with very young children to 55+ senior citizens. Depending on the evening, up to 1000 spectators could be on the Common! Details about Concerts on the Centre Common can be found here.
FY23-LCC-29068 KEVIN DRISCOLL: PAUL REVERE & FRIENDS
The event happened on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at McAuliffe Library, Community Room.
The INTERACTIVE learning experience includes "the beginning of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (April 1775) … and the roles of Revolutionary leaders such as Paul Revere..."
FY23-LCC-29333 BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF METROWEST: SUMMER BRAIN GAIN
Summer Camp happened from June 26 to August 18, 2023
The Framingham Clubhouse of MetroWest's Boys & Girls Clubs hosted an enriching, fun, and educational camp. Youth attended the program from 8 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday, for $170 per week. Project Bread and Framingham Public Schools provided breakfast and lunch. Groups went on field trips, such as the Discovery Museum in Acton and Legoland in Boston, learned from fun guest speakers, and participated in a variety of other activities! Visit bgcmetrowest.org to learn more or register.
FY23-LCC-29390 MATT YORK: THE HIGHWAYMEN SONGS & STORIES
Longtime New England singer/songwriter Matt York performed songs of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Wayland Jennings and told stories of their careers. York has been twice nominated as Best Male Artist by the New England Music Awards, and his latest release was named one of the Boston Globe’s best albums of 2019.
https://mattyorksongsandstories.com/
http://www.facebook.com/mattyorkboston
FY23-LCC-30787 Eve Costarelli: I Am: Yoga, Creativity and Community
Eve Costarelli and the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham presented I Am: Yoga, Creativity, and Community—Yoga+: Dance, Movement, Song, and Story. Parent and child lessons focused on self-regulation, mindfulness, dance, self-care, literacy, and calming techniques provided in a developmentally appropriate way in a play-based setting. Classes were held within the ECAFs. For more information about Eve Costarelli, please click here.
FY23-LCC-34011 Performing Arts Center of MetroWest: Summer Intensives
The Performing Arts Center of MetroWest, known informally as PAC and serving Framingham and surrounding towns, creates a welcoming community that provides high-quality, affordable, and accessible education and performance opportunities in Music, Theater, and Dance for students of all ages and all stages of artistic development. PAC strives to strengthen its position as a valuable resource in the community for cultural development through the performing arts.
Looking for an experience that's personal and meaningful—not more busyness and overcommitment? Their Summer Intensive Program programs are just that—intensives. Young artists are looking to hone their skills, talents, and interests, and PAC—unlike most other programs—delivers that without an expensive, multi-week commitment. Receive in-depth, small-group instruction amongst like-minded peers in five to eight days in length programs. Give them a try. You'll be glad you did.
FY23-LCC-36522 CALLAHAN CENTER: 2023 CULTURAL ARTS SERIES
The Callahan Center’s 2023 Cultural Arts Series entertained, educated, and inspired older adults in the areas of music, art, and theatre. It offered a variety of free cultural arts experiences for ages 55+ and expanded cultural opportunities within our community, promoting lifelong learning and engagement in the arts, as well as support Framingham's Age & Dementia Friendly Initiative, Age Well.
FY23-LCC-36526 THE RAYMOND J. CALLAHAN CENTER: OUR HISTORY, OUR WORLD 2023
Our History, Our World 2023 engaged participants in understanding the past, examining events that have shaped our world, and exploring the world we live in. For ages 55+, these free programs fostered intellectual growth and curiosity while promoting thoughtful discussion and personal reflection. The Callahan Center provides a unique environment for older adults to attend educational programs and share their rich knowledge and experiences. For more information about the Callahan Center, please click here.
FY23-LCC-36780 MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATIONAL THEATER GUILD, INC.: THE MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOL & MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA FESTIVALS
Framingham High School Festival March 13th, 9 AM - 5 PM
Walsh Middle School Festival May 6th, 9 AM - 5 PM
Mass Educational Theatre Guild is the umbrella organization for theatre education. Each year for over 90 years the METG has sponsored a festival of one act. This year, Framingham has been asked to host both the Middle School Drama Festival at Walsh MS and the Semi-Final round of the High School festival. With COVID practices in place, we will safely bring students from surrounding towns and Framingham to share their passion for theatre again. The performances are also open to live audiences. The high school festival is scheduled for Saturday, March 13th, and the middle school festival for Saturday, May 6th. We hope to use this festival to bring theatre to our kids and community and share the theatre from across the state with our students and families.
FY23-LCC-40124 FRAMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY: SUMMER READING: FIND YOUR VOICE! / ¡ENCUENTRA TU VOZ!
Framingham Public Library, 49 Lexington St. Framingham, MA 01702
June 24 to August 19
We have about 7-8 weeks of stimulating and fun cultural programs on the Library property. This year, we have many multicultural programs, some in English and Spanish and one bilingual in Portuguese and English to serve our community demographic better. We will also provide weekly trivia and guess jar contests, themed t-shirts, and free summer reading incentives. These efforts aim to keep children engaged with reading and coming to the library to avoid boredom or falling behind in the skills they worked hard on throughout the school year and enrich the summers of children who don't or cannot go to a camp or travel.
FY23-LCC-40888 MOSESIAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS: ASL-INTERPRETED STORYTIME & WORKSHOP
March 3 @ 10:30 AM at the Framingham McAuliffe Library
March 29, 10:30 AM at the Framingham Main Library
The Mosesian Center for the Arts is excited to present Watertown Children’s Theatre’s ASL Storytime Project. Each ASL-interpreted story is accompanied by an interactive workshop for participants of all ages, led by long-time MCA collaborator and Special Education teacher Arlene Velleman. Our ASL Storytimes and Workshops are free and open to the public, and each session is recorded to be accessible online.
https://www.mosesianarts.org/classes/asl-storytime
FY23-LCC-43039 RONA LEVENTHAL, STORYTELLER: IT'S YOUR STORY - TELL IT
Rona Leventhal will facilitate a workshop for adults on finding and crafting personal stories. Rona will guide participants in finding “story seeds” from their lives. Choosing one of these kernels, we will shape them into stories for telling by looking at details such as sensory information, people, objects, influences, turning points, lessons, etc. In pairs and individually, through writing and speaking, we will look at stories, brainstorm memories, share ideas, and start to thread together the pearls that make up a story. Rona is known as a workshop leader who creates a safe place to explore and take risks...and prides herself on it! The workshop is 100% participatory and experiential. Many people don't think they have stories worth telling, but they are often surprised! These stories are both personal and universal. It is a very interesting journey! This workshop is 1.5 hours long.
Where: McAuliffe Branch Library, 746 Water St, Framingham, MA
When: Saturday, November 4, 2023, 10:00 - 11:30 AM, with refreshments afterward
Links to Videos of Rona’s Work
Cracking Open: A personal story (told here at a “story slam” as a 5-minute version; usually a 10-minute story)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ImxoWJtd4&t=1s
My Mother’s Hands: A Personal Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyIzuQ9T6o&t=3s
“Why Storytelling”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEopzMncMYU
FY23-LCC-44572 FRAMINGHAM GARDEN CLUB: GARDENING TO SUPPORT NATURE
In honor of the Framingham Garden Club’s 90th Anniversary Gardening to Support Nature by Dave Epstein, meteorologist and horticulturalists
Wednesday, March 29, 7 pm
Main Library, Costin Room: Click to register for the in-person event
YouTube Live: youtube.com/FraminghamPublicLibrary
Dave Epstein explains how important it is not only to use native plants but also other ways to help mitigate a changing climate. By making small changes in everything from how we use compost when we clean our gardens, and how we water, gardeners can become an integral part of the fight against climate change and encourage others to make those decisions. This talk also helps gardeners know which plants can be helpful to pollinators and other fauna that may benefit from modifying horticultural practices.
FY23-LCC-39840 SMOC COMMUNITY KILN FCC ARTS PROGRAM
SMOC will expand its Community Kiln program, which offers high-quality ceramics classes to students of all ages, to provide free pottery-making workshops to children in SMOC’s childcare programs. Through the Community Kiln FCC Arts Program, one teacher and two volunteers will go to the nearby Framingham Community Center (FCC), where SMOC children are enrolled in daycare, to give a 2-hour ceramics workshop six times per year. At the workshop, SMOC children will be taught the valuable art of pottery creation, molding, and creating shapes out of clay. Parents of the children will be invited to participate in the program with their children. Once the workshop is concluded, the teacher/volunteers will complete the glazing and firing process back at the Community Kiln Center and then return the finished art piece to the children at the FCC.
http://www.brickstack.org/home.html
https://www.smoc.org/child-care.php
FY23-LCC-30938 SMOC: MINI WALNUTS PROGRAM AT THE FRAMINGHAM COMMUNITY CENTER
Framingham Community & Cultural Center, 10 Roxanna Street, Framingham
The Mini Walnuts project is a collaboration between the Walnut Hill School for the Arts (WHS) and SMOC’s Framingham Community Center (FCC), which introduces ballet, music, and movement to children (aged 3-6) in SMOC’s childcare programs. Mini Walnuts is an equalizer, allowing students from low-income backgrounds to have an education in the arts. The program introduces ballet, music, and movement to children who would otherwise not be able to afford private lessons. Classes are held three days a week, two classes per day, in two eight-week sessions and one six-week session per year.
Framingham Community & Cultural Center:
https://www.facebook.com/FraminghamCCC/
Walnut Hill School for the Arts:
https://www.walnuthillarts.org/
FY23-LCC-45480 A COMMON THREAD THEATRE COMPANY: TICK TICK BOOM!
A Common Thread Theatre (ACTTC) is partnering with ATAC to present the musical "tick, tick...Boom". atac provides rehearsal and performance space for ACTTC to prepare and present this musical in Spring 2023. This musical is the autobiography of Jonathan Larson, the author of the Tony award-winning musical "Rent." It is the story of the composer living in New York while writing "Rent" about his professional and life choices and personal loves and friendships. Larson wrote about what he knew - poverty, paying rent, facing rejection, protesting for justice, HIV - similar to issues we deal with today. Through this partnership, we plan to emphasize that these issues are still relevant today and give a voice to those who want to be heard.
https://www.acommonthreadtheatre.org/
508-834-4682
FY23-LCC-43176 AMAZING THINGS ARTS CENTER: FIREHOUSE DINNER AND MOVIE NIGHTS
Free and open to the public, Firehouse Dinner and Movie Nights is an outdoor, family-friendly film series that provides entertainment and nourishment to our community. ātac will screen popular kids’ movies in Spanish with English subtitles or in English with Spanish subtitles. We will collaborate with local restaurants, grocery stores, and direct service organizations to provide meals for our audience to enjoy during the show.
ATAC (Amazing Things Art Center):
FY23-LCC-29601 BARBIERI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: HONK! JR. PRESENTED BY BARBIERI DRAMA CLUB
The Barbieri Drama Club is a program run by the PTO (parent-teacher organization) and is open to all students at the Elementary school regardless of grade or ability. Each year, the Drama Club puts together a bilingual performance open to the public. It is also presented to every student during the school day. For the 2022-23 school year, the Drama Club will perform Honk! Jr. (a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling). Students may audition for a lead role or sign up for the general cast (no auditions). Typically, 150 students perform in the play, consisting of two casts. Each cast will perform twice to the general public and once to the student body.
https://www.facebook.com/BarbieriDrama/
FY23-LCC-39740 BROPHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: MULTICULTURAL FAIR
The Multicultural Fair at Brophy Elementary School is a treasured event for students, parents, and teachers. It is an opportunity to come together and celebrate the diversity of our community. Tables representing different countries will be set up, with educational material, games, and food (provided by families). Additionally, a schedule of performances highlighting dance, music, and art from around the world will be featured.
FY23-LCC-40279 SUMMER READING: FIND YOUR VOICE! / ¡ENCUENTRA TU VOZ!
Christa McAuliffe Branch Library
746 Water Street, Framingham
We encourage and promote reading for ages 4-12 through a reading adventure co-sponsored by the Mass Library Association. As the school year ends, we visit the elementary schools to discuss our programs and host a kick-off party. We then have about 7-8 weeks of stimulating and fun cultural programs on the Library property. We also provide weekly trivia and guess jar contests, themed t-shirts, and free incentives for reading over the summer. These efforts are all aimed at keeping children engaged with reading and coming to the library to avoid boredom or falling behind in the skills they worked hard on throughout the school year (that dreaded summer slide!) and also to enrich the summers of children who don't or cannot go to a camp or travel.
McAuliffe Branch Framingham Public Library:
https://framinghamlibrary.org/mcauliffe-branch
FY23-LCC-40349 FRAMINGHAM CENTRE COMMON CULTURAL DISTRICT: MANY CULTURES ONE HEART MARKETING CAMPAIGN & SCAVENGER HUNT
“Many Cultures, One Heart” is a public art project designed to highlight the artistic and ethnic diversity of Framingham through a series of heart sculptures painted by local artists and placed around the Cultural District and the City of Framingham. The artists on this project represent the many communities that call Framingham home, including Black, Indigenous, Asian, Brazilian, Latino, white, multiracial, Jewish, LGBTQ+, and disabled artists from all walks of life, from teens to seniors. After unveiling the heart sculptures at a festival last June, they are now installed in the designated locations around the City of Framingham. We are launching a strategic marketing campaign to engage the community in finding and visiting the hearts, including a scavenger hunt and social media ads. Marketing efforts will help gain momentum and add additional hearts.
https://www.framinghamcentrecommon.org/many-cultures-one-heart-2/
Cultural enrichment provides our community with inspiration, education, and connection. Framingham Public Library (FPL) has always been dedicated to bringing the finest performers to our community, with a special focus on celebrating local professional musicians. We seek to continue that tradition of excellence in musical programming with our series FPL Concerts 2023, offering an eclectic variety of musical performances with a special focus on expanding musical programs to continue to serve our Portuguese and Spanish-speaking community members. Our goal is to provide a rich tapestry of musical experiences that celebrates the diversity of our community and introduces audiences to new musical experiences. With the Cultural Council's support, we will continue to offer the finest in a series that includes our popular jazz concerts and continues to build in world music experiences.
https://framinghamlibrary.org/
FY23-LCC-39979 FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY: ADVENTURES IN LIFELONG LEARNING
Now in its tenth year, the Adventures in Lifelong Learning (ALL) program is a successful collaboration between Framingham State University (FSU) and the Framingham Public Library (FPL). The program provides MetroWest residents aged 60 and older with the opportunity to take courses in a variety of subject areas including but not limited to art, history, literature, science, political science, and music. FSU faculty and other experts will teach courses online on four Fridays in January 2023, four Tuesdays in May 2023, and four Tuesdays in October 2023. ALL is conducting outreach to Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking elders in Framingham and intends to implement programming for these two language groups by October 2023.
Course Descriptions and Schedule:
FY23-LCC-45113 HOOPS AND HOMEWORK: MUSIC AT HOOPS
Hoops and Homework will continue its piano lesson program offering piano for free for economically challenged children, in partnership with the Performing Arts Center of Metrowest.
See the video to the left of the recital in 2022.
View the video!: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMolKXxai7N0p6JBJ3oQDssKA1FepGUZtYEE2KB5yvc72MGg9Z3QnwqsekSmiRqvw?key=bENVUWsxUnFuNjUyT3VldE5pUXR2WlRQUUNjQlBB
FY23-LCC-47304 MAGIC SHOW BY SCOTT MARTELL
June 29, 2023, 1:30 PM Callahan Senior Center
Scott Martell presents his original brand of magical entertainment. Two shows are offered.
A family-themed magic show at the Framingham Public Library encourages child empowerment and features original comedy and surprises for all ages. Attendees will discover they can do magic too. Enjoy new and classic magic routines and of course, Stella the Rabbit steals the show!
An additional magic show at the Callahan Center catered for seniors and highlights participation and relatable themes such as music, artists, and cultural icons past and present. Seniors enjoy reminiscing about a youthful past while losing themselves in an hour of comedy, surprises, and magic. Scott's Magic style is enjoyed by all ages.
FY23-LCC-27152 MUSIC DANCE.EDU: HIP HOP CHAIR DANCE FOR SENIORS!
Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors!
We will teach four dance classes at two different senior facilities. The dance class is about an hour. Elders do a complete chair, dance, warm-up, and hip-hop class that begins and ends in the chairs. We travel through time on the “Soul Train” and chair dance to clean-cut hip-hop and R&B songs. We use creative props such as smiley faces and the African maracas to help make our soul-train journey come to life. Senior participants will leave feeling more limber.
FY23-LCC-27164 MUSIC DANCE.EDU: I AM AUTISTIC, I AM FANTASTIC
I am Autistic; I am Fantastic—The Musical at the Carlyle House in Framingham
*Presented by the MUSIC Dance.edu youth performing arts company
Using musical instruments, creative movement, poetry, and problem-solving activities, this presentation will inspire, uplift, and educate autistic children, families, and the community at large. In 1970, the Autism Society launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness and ensure that all affected can achieve the highest quality of life.
The musical selections in this presentation are inspirational and include contemporary jazz songs, 70’s music, soft rock, hip hop, and selections from popular Broadway musicals. The presentation is about an hour long and includes a (10) minute intermission.
https://musicdanceedu.weebly.com/
FY23-LCC-29900 NATIVE PLANT TRUST: PLANT COMMUNITIES OF MASSACHUSETTS
Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first and only plant conservation organization focused solely on New England’s native plants, will offer a plant conservation lecture at the Framingham Public Library. The program, entitled, “Plant Communities of Massachusetts,” will provide an overview of the extraordinary diversity of native plant communities in the state, with examples of the plants and environmental features. The goal is to raise awareness and appreciation of the area’s habitats, to educate about plant communities’ current status, and to encourage ways to conserve local natural resources. This program was piloted in 2019 with five towns throughout the state and has continued to run across Massachusetts through 2022. The program in Framingham will be part of a larger state-wide initiative called the Plant Conservation Lecture Series.
https://www.nativeplanttrust.org/
FY23-LCC-45488 SCHARE, SUSAN: THE FRAMINGHAM BRAIN FOOD PROJECT
The Framingham Brainfood Project, also known as Crafts for Communities
Crafts for Communities' mission was to enhance access to craft supplies for children in Framingham and promote their creativity, expression, and joy! Together with The Framingham Public Library Bookmobile, this project created take-and-make craft kits for children K-12 using feedback from children in the community and used these to promote further engagement.
Distributions occurred during spring in select communities that The Framingham Public Library Bookmobile visited.
FY23-LCC-42539 VOICES OF METROWEST: TRIAL EDUCATIONAL TOOL - CHORALTRACKS
Our choir still feels the participatory effects and new educational challenges of this COVID age. Members with the slightest sniffles are encouraged to stay home instead of attending rehearsals in person. While all rehearsals are dually offered on Zoom, this live+zoom model is a taxing time challenge for our director, who cannot rely on members' ability to read music to progress in preparing repertoire (we accept singers of all abilities). We've identified a potential teaching resource in isolated tracks and believe that implementing the tracks will create better program accessibility by reducing skill barriers and allowing members to rehearse independently with high-level instruction. The project is to trial member use of the tracks for all of 2023 with grant funds to avoid increasing member dues in an inflationary economy.
http://voicesofmetrowest.com/about/
FY23-LCC-43127 WALSH MIDDLE SCHOOL: MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS 8TH GRADE FIELD TRIP
The 8th-grade students visited the Museum of Fine Arts to experience in person some of the important works from all over the globe, with a special focus on artists from the countries represented in the world language/bilingual curriculum, including but not limited to Spain, France, and China.
FY23-LCC-46173 Zaino, Nick: 100 Years of Boston Comedy
The presentation featured a PowerPoint and delved into Boston and New England's rich history of humor. It highlighted various key moments, including a young Fred Allen finding inspiration at the Boston Public Library, Norm Crosby and Bill Dana performing at swinging hotspots, Bob and Ray starting on local radio, and Jay Leno performing at strip clubs before his career took off. The comedy boom in the 80s was discussed, which gave rise to comedians like Steven Wright, Paula Poundstone, Denis Leary, and Janeane Garofalo. The 90s scene featured comedians such as Patrice O’Neal, Bill Burr, and Dane Cook. Contemporary names like Eugene Mirman, Mike Birbiglia, and Bo Burnham were also mentioned. Additionally, the presentation included individuals from the area who didn’t perform in Boston but were born or educated there, such as Conan O’Brien, who honed his comedic skills at the Harvard Lampoon, and Ziwe, whose upbringing in Lawrence and education at Phillips Academy influenced her comedy and outlook on race relations.