Category Archives: Cultural

Bellforge’s Launch Party, 11:00 am Saturday

Posted on June 10, 2022 | Comments Off on Bellforge’s Launch Party, 11:00 am Saturday

From Bellforge Arts Center’s Stacey David, Director of Marketing & Communications –

CULTURAL ALLIANCE CHANGES NAME AND LAUNCHES

BELLFORGE ARTS CENTER

(Medfield, MA): The Cultural Alliance of Medfield (CAM), a non-profit organization in Medfield, MA, is pleased to announce the naming of the multi-arts center planned at the former Medfield State Hospital (MSH) campus. Both the CAM organization and the cultural destination will now be branded the Bellforge Arts Center, serving Boston’s MetroWest region with a flexible-use performance venue, rehearsal studios and classrooms, outdoor stages, and green space for community events and activities.

The name celebrates the bell tower, an architectural feature of the historic chapel building located at the heart of the 87-acre property. Leading the project’s development, the Chapel will be restored as a 300-seat concert hall, while the site’s former Infirmary will be re-envisioned as an arts education center. A connecting breezeway will join the two buildings, creating a 24,000 square-foot cultural home for the performing and visual arts. With the word “forge,” the new name also honors the project’s mission, to develop an inclusive gathering place and experiential arts hub in which to make and create.

“With Bellforge, we’re emphasizing a place for making, whether that’s art or friendships,” says Bellforge’s Executive Director Jean Mineo.

With a 99-year lease on the two signature buildings, Bellforge has a transformational vision for the Arts Center: to strengthen access to the arts and arts education in the MetroWest region, to encourage health and wellness through creative exploration, and to foster collaboration and community through multicultural and intergenerational programs and partnerships.

Bellforge recently received a $10,000 Arts & Culture grant from the Foundation for MetroWest and a $45,000 award from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) to present a series of 25 concerts and festivals running from April through October on their new outdoor stage. June 11 will be Bellforge’s Launch Party, which begins at 11:00 am with a panel discussion by music industry experts, including Ralph Jaccodine, Livingston Taylor’s Manager; Carl Lavin, Owner/Booking Agent for Great Scott; Cliff Notez, Founder and CEO of HipStory; and Jean Mineo, Executive Director of the Bellforge Arts Center. This discussion on the value of venues like Bellforge for performers, audiences, and the vitality of the arts in the MetroWest region will be followed at noon with a concert on the Center’s outdoor stage with Dutch Tulips and Will Dailey. The public is invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair, settle back and enjoy. The event is free, though attendees are asked to register at bit.ly/BellforgeLaunch

For more information about the Bellforge Arts Center, including a schedule  of upcoming programs and events, please visit www.bellforge.org.

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital

Fun at the Forge – 5/14

Posted on May 3, 2022 | Comments Off on Fun at the Forge – 5/14

From Stacey David of Bellforge Arts Center –

BELLFORGE PRESENTS FREE “FUN AT THE ‘FORGE” FESTIVAL ON MAY 14

Medfield, MA (May 3, 2022): The Bellforge Arts Center is pleased to present Fun at the ‘Forge, a free family festival on the grounds of the former Medfield State Hospital (MSH) on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Bellforge’s third event in their summer series includes musical performances by Stacey Peasley and Wayne Potash; a puppet show by Rotem Goldenberg; arts and crafts with Kurt Jackson; science fun with The Inventor Mentor; and face painting and more with Raddo. In addition, attendees can help create a colorful on-site art installation with the PopUpCycler. The festival is free with registration at http://www.bellforge.org. A rain date has been scheduled for Sunday, May 15.

“Stacey Peasley’s cheerful, folksy, sing-along tunes have made her the Pied Piper of the under-10 crowd for years,” says Jean Mineo, the Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Medfield, who are currently working to build the Bellforge Arts Center at MSH. “She has quite the following in MetroWest, and we are thrilled to be able to have both Stacey and Wayne Potash perform at this event. Wayne has similar appeal, with his quirky, fast-paced and downright funny songs. I think the kids are going to be up and dancing all afternoon.”

In addition to the musical performances, Rotem Goldenberg will be delighting the audience with her tiny puppet theater. Goldenberg is a Community Creative Fellow, an initiative powered by the Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts) and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP). Her art is for audiences of all ages and exists between the spaces of visual theater, performance, storytelling, and clowning.

In between the performances, festival-goers can explore a variety of fun science projects with The Inventor Mentor, including bubbles, foam stations, rockets, parachutes, and more, or have children’s entertainer Raddo twist up a balloon hat, paint their face or airbrush a tattoo. Kurt Jackson from the Zullo Gallery will also be engaging the kids in a simple watercolor art project using a masking technique to create a beautiful landscape for them to make and take home. With Kim Bernard, from the PopUpCycler, attendees can use recycled plastic to create colorful disks to decorate the exterior of the Bellforge’s chapel in a unique crowd-sourced art installation.  

Food, drink, and Magic Tree Henna, who will have a booth providing beautiful henna designs, are the only fee-based activities at the festival.

Bellforge will host a variety of concerts, festivals, and fun family days on most Saturdays from May through October. The majority of events are free; schedules and registration information can be found at the Bellforge website at www.bellforge.org or by registering for their newsletter at https://bit.ly/newsletterBellforge.

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Posted in Art, Children, Cultural, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital

CAM’s “Fairy Walk & Daffodil Days” postponed to Sunday, due to rain

Posted on April 8, 2022 | Comments Off on CAM’s “Fairy Walk & Daffodil Days” postponed to Sunday, due to rain

From Jean Mineo –

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Posted in Art, Charity, Children, Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital, Music, Recreation

Fairy House Walk and Live Music April 9

Posted on March 30, 2022 | 1 comment

From Jean Mineo –

The Cultural Alliance invites the public to kick off a season of live music outdoors at Bellforge, the newly named arts center planned at the former Medfield State Hospital. The inaugural free family-friendly event is Saturday, April 9 from 10 am – 3 pm (raindate is Sunday, April 10).

Visitors are invited to walk the grounds of the campus and the Chapel will be open for tours starting at 10 am. More than two dozen community groups have created fairy houses on display for the day, complete with photo opportunities and crafts for kids. Students from Pointe Premiere School of Dance take the stage at noon, and artists will be on site to sell their handcrafted pottery, jewelry and photography all day. Musicians Olivia Wendel and Ghost Grl perform live on the outdoor stage starting at 12:45 pm. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy treats from ThankQue Catering or Clarke’s Cakes and Cookies food trucks.

Additional live music events are planned most Saturdays through October. The schedule will be updated on Bellforge.org.

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Posted in Art, Children, Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital

Porch Fest – performers & locations

Posted on April 30, 2020 | Comments Off on Porch Fest – performers & locations

porch fest 20200502

pf performers

PF map

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Posted in Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Entertainment, Medfield Cultural Alliance

the Medfield Anthology, at Medfield State Hospital

Posted on October 12, 2019 | Comments Off on the Medfield Anthology, at Medfield State Hospital

I apologize, as I forgot that my emailed posts no longer post my emailed photos, as they used to do.

Below are the photos that I was trying to post from the actual performance of the Medfield Anthology, a new play by Hortense Gerardo, Artist-in-Residence, MAPC, presented at the Medfield State Hospital this afternoon.

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Posted in Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Medfield State Hospital

2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

Posted on November 5, 2018 | Comments Off on 2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

From Diane Borrelli of the MedfieldCulture.org –

Holiday Stroll 2018

2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

(Medfield MA): The Cultural Alliance of Medfield (CAM) announces its fourth annual Holiday Stroll on Dec. 7, 2018 from 4 – 9 pm. This is a festive family event that takes place at seventeen venues along Main Street (Route 109), North Meadows Road (Route 27), North Street and the Dwight Derby House on Frairy Street. Included are 40 juried artisans at three main locations, an outdoor ice sculpture demonstration, food vendors, carolers, photos with Santa and M.E.M.O.’s outdoor tree lighting ceremony. All events are within walking distance, FREE admission and parking nearby. For more information visit https://medfieldculture.org/holiday-stroll-2018/

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Posted in Art, Children, Cultural, Downtown, Entertainment, Events, Teens

Medfield awarded state cultural planning grant

Posted on May 11, 2018 | Comments Off on Medfield awarded state cultural planning grant

The town received a notice this week that it had been awarded a state planning grant for developing a cultural arts facility at the former Medfield State Hospital site. A rendering of one possibility is shown below.

This from Jean Mineo –

DBVW Architrects-cultural arts center

Medfield has been awarded a $30,000 planning grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a state program that fosters the growth of the creative economy by supporting building projects in the nonprofit arts, humanities and sciences. Medfield received one of 35 planning grants across the state. The grants require a 1:1 match. There were also 63 capital grants for a total of $9.3 million in awards that will generate at least another $9.3 million in private investment in cultural facilities.

The Town approved $25,000 toward the required grant match at the Annual Town Meeting last week. The Cultural Alliance of Medfield has committed to raising the balance for the $115,000 project to complete schematics and apply for historic tax credits. If you’d like to help, you can make a donation at their website www.MedfieldCulture.org or read more about their exciting plans on their link to the Medfield State Hospital. Contact Jean Mineo at 617-877-5158 or JeanMineo@aol.com with any questions.

To see the grants:
http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/facilities/facilities_fundinglist.htm#Boston

 

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Posted in Art, Budgets, Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Financial, Medfield State Hospital, State

Holiday Stroll this Friday, 4-9 PM

Posted on November 27, 2017 | Comments Off on Holiday Stroll this Friday, 4-9 PM

 

CAM Holiday Stroll Postcard-2017

 

Medfield’s Third Annual Holiday Art and Craft Stroll: Friday, December 1, 2017

(Medfield, MA): The Cultural Alliance of Medfield (CAM) announces its third annual Holiday Stroll on Dec. 1, 2017 from 4:00–9:00 pm. This is a festive family event that takes place at 14 venues along Main Street (Route 109) and the Dwight Derby House on Frairy Street. The Holiday Stroll includes cookie decorating, an outdoor ice sculpture, 40 juried artisans, carolers and M.E.M.O.’s outdoor tree lighting ceremony. All events are within walking distance, free parking nearby and FREE admission. For complete details and a list of artisans, visit www.MedfieldCulture.org

 

ARTIST’S SITES
United Church of Christ: 496 Main Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Artisan’s work for sale
  • 7:30 pm. Community carol sing
  • 4:00–9:00. Kids craft station

Medfield Library: 468 Main Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Artisan’s work for sale
  • 4:30 pm, Children’s performer Sarah Gardner; Warm Winter Sing-a-longs
  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Kids craft station hosted by MAP (Medfield Afterschool Program)
  • Visit the new Friends Bookstore for books, CDs, DVDs and audiobooks

 

Zullo Gallery: 456 Main Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Artisan’s work for sale

 

FOOD AND DRINK:

The Hot Dog Wagon: 478 Main Street (Bank of America Lot)

  • 5:00–9:00 pm. Nathan’s All Beef Hot Dogs with condiments; chips and drinks also available

Blazing Hearth Pizza: 503 Main Street. (Just Ervin’s Barber Salon Lot)

  • 5:00–9:00 pm fresh gourmet pizza from their wood-fired oven

 

SPECIAL EVENTS:

Baxter Park: Corner of Main and Spring Street

  • 6:30–8:00 pm. MEMO Holiday Tree Lighting and Joy to the World Singing

Dwight Derby House: 7 Frairy Street

  • 6:30–9:30 pm. FREE PHOTOSwith Santa by photographers Theresa Knapp
  • 6:30–9:30 pm.  Hand-crafted items and paintings available for purchase.

In the Gazebo next to the library: 468 Main Street

  • 7:15 pm. Ice sculpture carving demonstration outside the Town Hall by Eyes4Ice

Brothers Marketplace: 446 Main Street

  • 4:00–5:30 pm. Caroling by Middle and High School chorus members
    4:00–9:00 Holiday cookie decorating

LOCAL TALENT

Be Charmed: 70 North Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Locally-made jewelry, custom-sewn “ditty bags” using specialty fabrics.

Butterfly Tree  Boutique: 505 Main Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. FREE holiday-themed temporary tattoos.

Capsule Lifestyles, Inc: 70 North Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. Pearl jewelry and designer purses, organizers and accessories.

 Juice on Main: 479 Main Street

  • 4:00–9:00 pm. FREE tastings of organic, raw, cold-pressed juices and special holiday drink.

Larkin’s Wine & Spirits:  20 North Street

  • 6:00–8:00 pm. Sample beer from Medfield’s own 7th Wave Brewing and sip award-winning concoctions from Medfield’s AstraLuna Brands

 

FREE PARKING behind the Medfield Town Hall at 459 Main Street and at the Montrose School lot at 29 North Street (enter on Brook Street).

 

 

This program is supported in part by a grant from the MEDFIELD CULTURAL COUNCIL, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Thank you to our sponsors: 7TH WAVE BREWING; A & D APPLIANCE; ACMEWARE INC.; ASTRALUNA BRANDS; ALISON BROWN/COLDWELL BANKER; DOHERTY, CIECHANOWSKI, DUGAN & CANNON; LARKIN’S WINE & SPIRITS; MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL; MEDFIELD ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS THERAPY, LLC; NEEDHAM BANK; NOSH & GROG PROVISIONS; MAP (Medfield Afterschool Program); M.E.M.O. (Medfield Employers & Merchants Organization); PARK STREET BOOKS; and STIRLING TECHNOLOGIES.

 

The Cultural Alliance of Medfield is a 501-c-3 organization established in 2015 to nurture, support and promote culture in Medfield.

 

MCC_Logo_RGB_Tag

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Posted in Cultural, Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Downtown, Events

Summary of the study measuring the economic impact of the arts and cultural organizations in Medfield

Posted on June 26, 2017 | Comments Off on Summary of the study measuring the economic impact of the arts and cultural organizations in Medfield

~.--Arts&Economic Prosperity®S A Project of Americans for the Arts The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations and Their Audiences in the Town of Medfield, MA (Fiscal Year 2015) Arts and Cultural Direct Economic Activity ~ Total Industry Expenditures $2,748,727 + Arts and Cultural Audiences $382,700 Economic Impact of Spending by Arts and Cultural Organizations and Their Audiences Total Economic Impact of Expenditures Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Jobs Supported Household Income Paid to Residents Revenue Generated to Local Government Revenue Generated to State Government Economic Impact of ~ 118 $1,944,000 $98,000 $86,000 + Economic Impact of Audiences 7 $143,000 $15,000 $25,000 = = Total Industry Expenditures $3,131,427 Total Economic Impact 125 $2,087,000 $113,000 $111,000 Event-Related Spending by Arts and Cultural Audiences Totaled $382,700 (gcluding the cost of admission) Attendance to Arts and Culture Events Total Attendance to Arts and Culture Events Percentage of Total Attendance Average Event-Related Spending Per Person Total Event-Related Expenditures Resident' Attendees 28,703 92.6% $12.02 $345,010 + Nonresident' Attendees 2,294 7.4% $16.43 $37,690 = All Cultural Audiences 30,997 100.0% $12.35 $382,700 Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Event Attendees Spend an Average of $12.35 Per Person (£!eluding the cost of admission) Category of Event-Related Expenditure Meals and Refreshments Souvenirs and Gifts Ground Transportation Overnight Lodging (one night only) Other/Miscellaneous Average Event-Related Spending Per Person Resident' Attendees $8.07 $2.06 $0.27 $0.01 $1.61 $12.02 Nonresident' Attendees $8.73 $3.41 $0.24 $2.56 $1.49 $16.43 All Cultural Audiences I $8.12 $2.16 $0.27 $0.20 $1.60 $12.35 Source: Arts & Economic Prosperity 5: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations and Their Audiences in the Town of Medfield. For more information about this study or about other cultural initiatives in the Town of Medfield, visit the Cultural Alliance of Medfield's web site at www.medfieldculture.org/medfield-cultural-council. Copyright 2017 by Americans for the Arts (www.AmericansForTheArts.org). About This Study This Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study was conducted by Americans for the Arts to document the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in 341 communities and regions (113 cities, 115 counties, 81 multicity or multicounty regions, 10 states, and 12 individual arts districts)-representing all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The diverse communities range in population (1,500 to more than 4 million) and type (small rural to large urban). Project economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology customized an input-output analysis model for each participating region to provide specific and localized data on four measures of economic impact: full-time equivalent jobs, household income, and local and state government revenue. These localized models allow for the uniqueness of each local economy to be reflected in the findings. Americans for the Arts partnered with 250 local, regional, and statewide organizations that represent the 341 study regions (30 partners included multiple study regions as part of their participation). To complete this customized analysis for the Town of Medfield, the Cultural Alliance of Medfield joined the study as one of the 250 partners. Surveys of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural ORGANIZATIONS Each of the 250 partner organizations identified the universe of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that are located in its region(s) using the Urban Institute's National Taxonomy of Exempt Entity (NTEE) coding system, a definitive classification system for nonprofit organizations recognized as tax exempt by the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, the study partners were encouraged to include other types of eligible organizations if they play a substantial role in the cultural life of the community or iftheir primary purpose is to promote participation in, appreciation for, and understanding of the visual, performing, folk, and literary and media arts. These include government-owned or government-operated cultural facilities and institutions; municipal arts agencies and councils; private community arts organizations; unincorporated arts groups; living collections (such as zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens); university presenters, programs, and facilities; and arts programs that are embedded under the umbrella of a nonarts organization or facility (such as a hospital or church). In short, if it displays the characteristics of a nonprofit arts and cultural organization, it is included. For-profit businesses (e.g., Broadway, motion picture theaters) and individual artists were excluded from this study. Nationally, data was collected from a total of 14,439 organizations for this study. Response rates among all eligible organizations located in the 341 study regions was 54.0 percent, and ranged from 9.5 percent to 100 percent. Responding organizations had budgets ranging from $0 to $785 million (Smithsonian Institution). It is important to note that each study region's results are based solely on the actual survey data collected. There are no estimates made to account for nonresponding organizations. Therefore, the less-than-100 percent response rates suggest an understatement of the economic impact findings in most of the individual study regions. In the Town of Medfield, 17 of the 17 eligible nonprofit arts and cultural organizations participated in this study-an overall participation rate of 100.0 percent. A list of the participating organizations can be obtained from the Cultural Alliance of Medfield. Surveys of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural AUDIENCES Audience-intercept surveying, a common and accepted research method, was completed in all 341 study regions to capture information about spending by audiences at nonprofit arts and culture events. Patrons were selected randomly and asked to complete a short survey while attending an event. A total of212,691 attendees completed the survey. The respondents provided itemized travel party expenditure data on attendance-related activities such as meals, souvenirs, transportation, and lodging. Data was collected throughout the year to guard against seasonal spikes or drop-offs in attendance, and at a broad range of events (because a night at the opera will typically yield more spending than a Saturday children's theater production). Using total attendance data for 2015 (collected from the participating organizations), standard statistical methods were then used to derive a reliable estimate of total arts event-related expenditures by attendees in each study region. In the Town of Medfield, a total of 527 valid audience-intercept surveys were collected from attendees to nonprofit arts and cultural performances, events, and exhibitions during 2016. Studying Economic Impact Using Input-Output Analysis To derive the most reliable economic impact data, input-output analysis was used to measure the impact of expenditures by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences. This highly-regarded type of economic analysis has been the basis for two Nobel Prizes in economics. The models are systems of mathematical equations that combine statistical methods and economic theory in an area of study called econometrics. The analysis traces how many times a dollar is respent within the local economy before it leaves the community, and it quantifies the economic impact of each of those rounds of spending. Project economists customized an input-output model for each of the 341 participating study regions based on the local dollar flow among 533 finely detailed industries within its economy. This was accomplished by using detailed data on employment, incomes, and government revenues provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce (County Business Patterns, the Regional Economic Information System, and the Survey of State and Local Finance), state and local tax data (e.g., sales taxes, lodging tax, property taxes, income tax, and miscellaneous local option taxes), and the survey data collected from the responding arts and cultural organizations and their audiences. 1 For the purpose of this study, residents are attendees who live within Norfolk County; nonresidents live elsewhere. A comprehensive description of the methodology used to complete the national study is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/Economiclmpact.20170620-Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts_Page_2

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Posted in Art, Cultural, Financial