Arts Briefs: Cultural Chaos in Easthampton, Chris Haynes memorial at Bombyx, and more
The street fair Cultural Chaos, one of Easthampton’s biggest annual events, will return this year on Saturday, June 14, from 12 to 5 p.m. on Cottage Street in Easthampton.
The festival will have live music, dance, poetry, visual art, puppetry, stilt-walkers, BMX performers, and more.
The performance lineup includes AfroFusion, Pamela Means Band, Soul Magnets, Nectar, Masala Jazz, Carl Clements & Stephen Page, The Moon Shells, and the Ron Smith Soulful Jazz Trio.
The list of food and refreshment vendors includes Amy’s Place, Brass Cat, Corsello Butcheria, Crooked Stick Pops, Dry Humor, Galaxy, Gigantic, Local Burger, Love Bird Kitchen, Luthier’s Co-op, Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream, Kisara, Nini’s Ristorante, Many Layers Cake Shop, Pita Pocket, The Water’s Fine, Union Street Bistro, Valley Art Supplies’ Beer Garden, Wake the Dead Donuts and Wonderland’s Cotton Candy.
Admission is free.
Young@Heart Chorus will celebrate the life and legacy of Chris Haynes, a longtime accordionist for the group who passed away earlier this year, at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity on Saturday, June 14, at 3 p.m.
The concert will feature groups and artists that Haynes played with, including Young@Heart, The Threesies, Norma Dream (his daughter’s band), the Johnny Memphis Band, Pete Nelson and more.
Haynes was also an associate professor emeritus of music at Springfield College. One of the highlights of his career was bringing his students to perform with Kenny Rogers for an audience of 6,000 at the MassMutual Center.
Bob Cilman, co-director of Young@Heart, told the Gazette in March, “Chris was somebody who really cared about people, really made sure they were doing OK. He would help them with bags. He was just a kind guy, and he understood who needed more help and helped whenever he could. It’s kind of a cliché to say that Young@Heart is family, but in a lot of ways it is, and Chris was such an important part of the family.”
Admission is free, but donations are accepted at the door.
Valley Players is seeking short play submissions for Take Ten, an event in October (exact date TBA) featuring staged readings of scripts by local playwrights.
Playwrights must live in Hampshire, Franklin or Hampden counties. Each show must be no longer than 10 to 12 pages and have a cast of no more than three actors. The script must not have been performed or published anywhere previously.
Submission is free, but each playwright can only submit one script. All genres and styles are welcome. Selected playwrights will also receive a cash honorarium.
All submissions are due to [email protected] by Thursday, July 31.
For more information about Valley Players, visit valleyplayers.org.
Comic storyteller Phoebe Potts, an alumna of Smith College and author of the graphic novel “Good Eggs,” will perform her one-woman show “Too Fat For China” on Friday, June 13, at 7:30 p.m. at CitySpace in Easthampton.
The show is about Potts’ attempt to adopt a baby from China after a domestic adoption goes “heartbreakingly wrong,” according to a press release.
“Potts finds herself navigating the uncomfortable role of a middle-class white woman in the business of acquiring babies both in the U.S. and abroad,” the release said. “What unfolds is a tragicomic exploration of identity, desperation and the moral compromises we make in the name of love.”
The show also incorporates a hand-cranked projected scroll (a “crankie”) of Potts’ comic strips.
“Too Fat For China” won “Best Storytelling Show” at the 2023 United Solo Festival in New York City.
Not including fees, tickets are $20 to $30, sliding scale, via cityspaceeasthampton.org.
The Emily Dickinson Museum will host the June edition of its Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series on Thursday, June 19, at 6 p.m, streamed live from the museum’s Homestead. The event will feature poets Barbara Mossberg, Bridget Lowe, and Rachelle Toarmino each giving a reading of about 15 minutes.
According to the Museum, “To Emily Dickinson, phosphorescence, was a divine spark and the illuminating light behind learning — it was volatile but transformative in nature. Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Phosphorescence Poetry Reading Series celebrates contemporary creativity that echoes Dickinson’s own revolutionary poetic voice. The Series features established and emerging poets whose work and backgrounds represent the diversity of the flourishing contemporary poetry scene.”
Admission is free, but registration is required at emilydickinsonmuseum.org/phosphorescence-june-2025. To watch previous Phosphorescence streams, visit the museum’s YouTube channel. The next Phosphorescence will be on Thursday, July 17.
Paradise City Arts recently announced that Mariah Swanson and Elana Chernick-Kritz will be taking over for founders Geoff and Linda Post, who are retiring after three decades of running the festival.
Swanson and Chernick-Kritz are “committed to upholding the festival’s rich legacy and guiding it into its next successful era,” according to a press release.
Linda Post said in the press release, “We love the creative ideas that Mariah and Elana bring into the mix. They have embraced the quality and imagination that define Paradise City Arts, while introducing artists, performers and activities that also appeal to millennials, families and younger collectors. We can’t wait to see where they take us!”
Swanson and Chernick-Kritz were longtime patrons of Paradise City Arts Festival before working with the Posts in the past two years.
Swanson said in the release, “Our goal is to preserve the quality and community spirit that defines Paradise City Arts, while also dialling [sic] things up and seeking innovative ways to enhance the experience for everyone involved. Without oversharing, we’re particularly excited about our flagship fall show over Columbus Day weekend– look forward to a seismic boost to our live music, food offerings and overall vibe. We’re also positioning to launch a brand new tier to the show in spring 2026, featuring emerging artists never before seen at PCA. We’re fostering the next wave of talent and the next generation of collectors, while always focused on producing events with a vibrant, creative atmosphere that’s welcoming to everyone.”
Paradise City Arts hosts two juried fine art and contemporary craft shows in Northampton (and two in Marlborough) annually. The next one will be at the Three County Fairgrounds Oct. 11-13 and will feature 220 exhibitors.
Daily Hampshire Gazette
