MA250

"People, Plants & Revolution" Public Art Banners and Audio Tour
2025-04-04 - 2025-05-31 | Town of Arlington, MA, Massachusetts Avenue 730, Arlington, MA, 02476, United States
April 4 to May 31, 2025
Public Art: Commemorative Banners and Audio Tour
Arlington Center, outside along Mass Avenue
People, Plants & Revolution is the theme for a series of colorful banners and an audio tour commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in Arlington, MA. Organized by ArtsArlington, the banners portray the landscape elements and important plants that shaped life in 1775 in Menotomy, as the town was known at the time, a colonial farming village. Learn more about these plants and how people lived, interwoven with revolutionary history, by listening to the audio tour – available anytime and anywhere at www.PlantStories.us. The original silkscreen art used to make the banners is on view at 13FOREST Gallery (through May 23) and the Old Schwamb Mill (through May 31). See versions of the banners up close at Robbins Memorial Town Hall (through September 6) on the second floor. All of the banners and text versions of the audio tour are available at https://artsarlington.org/plants-and-people/.
About the Artists
ArtsArlington’s Public Art Curator Cecily Miller invited artists Suzanne Moseley and Liz Shepherd to design commemorative banners; they were assisted by Lily McDonald and Andrew Palladino.
Suzanne Moseley is an experimental artist, working in printmaking, cyanotype and sculptural formats. She often collaborates, recently with co-artist Liz Shepherd. Her work is in private collections, is often grant-funded and has been exhibited in the US and abroad. Her sculptures from repurposed materials, created with fellow artist Adrienne Shishko, have been featured in Fiber Art Now, The Boston Globe, and New Visionary Magazine. Her ability to work collaboratively garners its own attention, with invitations to discuss her experience, most recently at Berklee College of Music, Harvard Art Museum’s Maker Space and for an upcoming program on Newton Cable News.
Liz Shepherd produces large-scale sculptural installations, which bring to mind ideas about the earthly and the divine. She uses printmaking to enhance objects made of wood or paper. She also produces small, hand-pulled print editions. In the past 15 years she has exhibited in the United States and internationally. Shepherd’s work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Edinburgh College of Art, Syracuse University, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Hanoi (Vietnam) Contemporary Art Centre and the Bernard Zuckerman Museum of Art in Kennesaw, Georgia as well as numerous corporate and private collections. Originally from New York City, Shepherd now lives in Boston. She received her MFA in 2006 from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, which awarded her the prestigious Traveling Fellowship in 2015.
About the Audio Producer
Molly Edwards, Ph.D. produced the audio tour portion of this project. Dr. Edwards is a plant biologist turned science communicator who goes by Science IRL (‘in real life’) online. She is dedicated to telling stories that showcase the humanity and joy of being a scientist and foster a sense of belonging in STEM. In 2022 she received her Ph.D. from Harvard University, where she studied the wild and wonderful petals of columbine flowers. During graduate school she realized her science video hobby was quickly becoming a passion project that would shape her future career. Upon graduating she founded Science IRL Productions and now works with scientists and artists to bring STEM stories to life through digital media.
About ArtsArlington
The Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture – ArtsArlington for short – serves as the umbrella organization for all town-related arts and culture activities. Our mission is to cultivate a sustainable and supportive environment for the arts, enliven public space with accessible creative experiences to strengthen and enrich our community, create opportunities for artists, and invigorate the local economy. Our Public Art Curator, Cecily Miller, organized four projects to commemorate Arlington250 including these commemorative banners as well as work by Nilou Moochhala, Christopher Frost, Asia Kepka, and the fiber artists of Princeton Sankofa Stitchers Modern Quilting Guild. See https://artsarlington.org

Untold Stories: Public Art Commemorating Arlington 250
2025-04-05 08:00 - 2025-05-23 17:00 (America/New_York) | 13 Forest Gallery, Massachusetts Avenue 167a, Arlington, MA, 02474, United States
On view April 5 – May 23, this 13Forest Gallery exhibition spotlights three major public art projects commissioned by Arts Arlington and planned by Public Art Curator Cecily Miller to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution and the critical role of Arlington (formerly the Village of Menotomy) on its very first day of fighting, on April 19, 1775.
Featured artists in the exhibition include Chris Frost and Asia Kepka, Nilou Moochhala, and Suzanne Moseley and Liz Shepherd.
Sat April 26, 4-6PM, “Telling Stories”, talk by curator Cecily Miller and the artists of Untold Stories
Sat May 10, 4-6PM, Show and Tell – a demonstration of natural dyeing techniques and sustainability practices in art and fashion with Asia Kepka.

Arlington Restaurant Week
2025-04-12 - 2025-04-21 | Massachusetts
Arlington Restaurant Week
Sunday, April 12-Monday, April 21
Arlington’s diverse cuisine, representing all corners of the world, will be on display during Arlington Restaurant Week. Running from Sunday, April 12 through Monday, April 21, Arlington Restaurant Week will encompass Patriots’ Day Weekend 2025 and will celebrate 250 years since the Battle of Menotomy which took place at the beginning of the American Revolution. Participating restaurants will feature culinary specials and entertainment.
Arlington offers a thriving arts scene, boutique galleries, independent theaters, diverse dining, public art and access to the Minuteman Bikeway all within five square miles. This blend of history, natural beauty and vibrant arts makes Arlington a destination for foodies and history buffs just in time to kick off the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.

Protest and Promise - The American Revolution in Lexington
2025-04-13 09:00 - 2027-05-22 16:00 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
After years of tension between Great Britain and its North American colonies, a skirmish on the town green in Lexington, Massachusetts broke long-held bonds and ignited the American Revolutionary War. In an unprecedented moment in 1775, ordinary people in Lexington made extraordinary choices. An entire community—women, men, black, white, young, old, enslaved, and free—helped spark a revolution. Two hundred and fifty years later, Americans continue to remember April 19, 1775, as a moment when everyday people shaped history. This exhibition explores the events of April 19, 1775, with images, objects, and an in-depth look at this watershed event and how it has been remembered.

Concord250: Weaving an Address
2025-04-14 09:00 - 2025-06-14 21:00 | The Umbrella Arts Center, Stow Street 40, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Exhibition: April 14 – June 14, 2025
Opening Reception April 14, 6 p.m.
The Umbrella Arts Center in historic Concord Center will commemorate the semiquincentennial of the American Revolution and “the shot heard round the world” with an ambitious outdoor/indoor public and gallery art exhibition, Weaving an Address, curated by artist Marla McLeod.
For the first time, Weaving an Address combines The Umbrella’s popular Art Ramble public art installation, on view April 15 through October 7 at Brister’s Hill in nearby Walden Woods, with an indoor exhibition (on view April 14 through June 14) in The Umbrella’s Allie Kussin Gallery. The exhibition features site-specific work by eight prominent Black artists combining sculpture, fiber art, installation and live performance inspired by little-known experiences of historical Black inhabitants of Concord and its Walden Woods.
Featured artists in the exhibition are Sharon Chandler Correnty, Ifé Franklin, Stephen Hamilton, Whitney Harris, Ekua Holmes, Perla Mabel, Marla McLeod, Kimberly Love Radcliffe, and Anthony Peyton Young.
Outdoors, large-scale work will be installed on Brister’s Hill, named for Brister Freeman, an enslaved man who won his freedom by serving in the Revolutionary War and then bought the property and lived there along with other formerly enslaved.Indoors at The Umbrella, inter-related fiber artworks will weave narratives from fragmented pasts to offer a vision of how history shapes the present and influences the future.
Supporting community activities include an opening reception on April 14, monthly curator talks, a processional with artist Ifé Franklin, and participation in the town-wide Revolutionary Concordians Trading Card program.
This exhibition is presented as part of the Concord250 commemoration, in partnership with The Walden Woods Project and The Robbins House, in association with Gather 2025, a month-long exploration and celebration of fiber and textile art in Greater Boston, and with permission of Concord Natural Resources Division.
See https://TheUmbrellaArts.org/Weaving for more information about special engagements, wayfinding, artist bios, and background to the exhibition.

Ken Burns | The American Revolution
2025-04-17 12:00 - 13:30 | Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, 02420, United States
Filmmaker Ken Burns to Share Early Look at His New Documentary “The American Revolution” in Lexington and Concord

Filmmaker Ken Burns to Share Early Look at His New Documentary “The American Revolution” in Lexington and Concord
The Lex250 Commission and the Concord250 Executive Committee today announced that documentarian Ken Burns will visit Lexington and Concord on April 17 to discuss his new film, “The American Revolution,” timed to the start of the War of Independence on April 19, 1775.
Burns, who will be joined by co-directors Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, along with historian Rick Atkinson, author of “The British Are Coming,” will participate in two events with panel discussions that day: one from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington and another from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord.
To find out more, visit Lex250.org.

♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | 509 Great Road, Stow, MA 01775, Great Road 509, Stow, MA, 01775, United States
Paul Revere is coming to the Stow Recreation Center… no, not really. Kevin Driscoll and his ventriloquist puppets become ♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™ for the 1:00 PM 4/17/25 family friendly FUN at the Stow Recreation Center.

♫♬ Paul Revere & Friends™
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Stow Council On Aging, Great Road 509, Stow, MA, 01775, United States
Musical Ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll (aka Paul Revere) is a Massachusetts Certified Teacher with decades of teaching experience. The Paul Revere & Friends™ INTERACTIVE performance is in full compliance with the goals of the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework [3.T6]. 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…”

Patriots' Day Community Sing-along and Flash Mob Performances
2025-04-17 17:30 - 18:10 | Depot Square, Depot Square, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Come join this fun Lex250 community sing-along of our very own Lexington Patriots’ Day song, to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy! Musicians from our Lexington High School orchestra, band, and choir, together with elementary and middle school musicians will lead the crowd sing-along outside Cary Hall, at 6pm. Come earlier to watch flash mob performances from 5:30 p.m.

Reading Frederick Douglass Together at the Norton Public Library
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Norton Public Library, East Main Street 68, Norton, Massachusetts, 02766, United States
Frederick Douglass – who was born into slavery in Maryland’s tobacco fields and liberated himself at the age of 20 – was a legendary Massachusetts resident. We’re celebrating the famous abolitionist and stirring orator who drew crowds of thousands of listeners worldwide. JOIN US as we take turns reading aloud his blistering 1852 speech to the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.”
Still bearing the physical scars of bondage – Douglass’s existence and his first-person account of the daily cruelty and violence perpetrated by enslavers who were also Christian men and upstanding citizens made it impossible for many to continue to turn a blind eye to slavery’s horrors.
The Anti-Slavery Society at the Corinthian Hall invited him to give a feel-good speech about progress and Douglass instead delivered a uniquely American call to justice, entrusting them with the unsparing truth he spent his lifetime overcoming and studying slavery was an abomination and all people had a moral call to join in ending it.
Douglass’s clarity and bravery ring through the years, echoing in this speech, that begins with admitting he was never so nervous to give a speech as he was on that day – which is surprising as Douglass had already both named the plantation he was enslaved on and the man who enslaved him, even though these admissions further endangered his physical safety and hard-won freedom.
The life and works of Frederick Douglass continues to shape our understanding of America. Douglass forces us to reckon with the legacy of slavery and the promises of democracy. To quote Douglass: “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the future.”
Presented by the Norton Cultural Council and Mass Humanities, join us at the Norton Public Library Thursday, April 17th at 5:30 PM to raise our voices and read this amazing piece of history. Questions, email nortonmacc@gmail.com or sign up to be a reader.

Governor Bellingham Cary House Museum Open House and Historical Talk
2025-04-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Governor Bellingham-Cary House Museum, 34 Parker St, Chelsea, MA, 02150, United States
Chelsea artist Max Pro explores personal and cultural ties between Chelsea and the Caribbean in a compelling presentation on the history of Cuba. The Cary family, whose historic home serves as the backdrop for this event, lived in Chelsea while also overseeing plantations in Grenada and other Caribbean islands. Their story is intertwined with the contradictions of colonial trade and enslavement within the aspirations for freedom and prosperity that shaped the American dream. This talk highlights contemporary immigrant experiences between these two regions.
About Max Pro
Max Corona, also known as Max Pro, was born and raised in Chelsea, where his family has deep roots, with his grandparents having migrated from Cuba. Max’s artistic journey began at the age of four when he first watched his mother draw a flower. From there, his art continued to grow, and his creative journey expanded. An avid member of Chelsea’s community, Max has contributed several public art pieces around the city. After spending 15 years in the healthcare industry, he discovered peace, solitude, and therapy through his art.
Max’s artwork incorporates a wide range of materials, including recycled items, and is inspired by colors that evoke memories of nature, aiming to spark meaningful conversations. His love for comic books and time travel has greatly influenced his creativity.
About the House
This building and the acreage surrounding the Governor Bellingham Cary House have been witness to over 350 years of American history. From the beginning of European settlement in the early 17th century, when it was a bountiful place full of natural resources to the 21st century, bustling city that now exists, it has evolved and survived.
The Cary family and their extended household lived here from the 1760s until the beginning of the 20th century. Their home, known lovingly as “the Retreat”, was a bucolic oasis remembered fondly by both family and friends alike. At the start of America’s War of Independence, and most notably during the Siege of Boston from April 19, 1775, to March 17, 1776, the property was used by the newly formed Continental Army as they assisted refugees escaping Boston via the Winnisimmet Ferry, engaged in surveillance of British ships, and defended Chelsea during a pivotal moment in the Revolution.

Eve of the American Revolution, April 1775: What were they thinking?
2025-04-17 18:30 - 19:30 | Goodnow Library, Concord Road 21, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776, United States
Continuing our celebration of Patriot’s Week, join Goodnow Library and Sudbury250 for an in-person event, interactive event as we dive into what the last few hours would have looked like before America changed forever.
Pete Abair, local author of the historical fiction, Each Hath a Hand: A Rebellion at Dawn, 1775, will discuss the varying perceptions and motivations of key participants in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, 250 years ago. As they slept the night before, few in Massachusetts would have imagined the outbreak of war the next day. For the British Regulars who marched out from Boston to the town militiamen who gathered on Lexington Green and at the North Bridge in Concord, there was nothing certain about the day ahead of them. It is a story of sympathetic characters on both sides and a tumultuous beginning for a new nation’s rise.

Awards Ceremony (VO250)
2025-04-17 18:30 - 22:00 | Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, 02420, United States
Awards Ceremony and Kickoff for VO250 Program.
Awards Ceremony in place of the usual Saturday morning, typically held on the Battle Green.

Concord250: One-Day Choir with Kenter Davies at the Armory
2025-04-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Concord Armory, Everett Street 91, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States
Join friends and neighbors in this one of a kind collective choral event! Led and arranged by beloved NYC music leader Kenter Davies (who grew up in Sudbury!), we’ll explore harmony, free our voices, and build community through the song “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. There’s no auditions, no experience necessary, and no seeking of perfection, We’ll just be making music for music-making’s sake!
A timeless classic about the beauty of the natural world and the kindness we can afford one another as humans, “What a Wonderful World” feels more important than ever to sing. We’ll explore a choral arrangement of the tune featuring lush, jazzy harmonies.
During our time together we will:
○ Play singing games to activate our voices, bodies, and connection to one another
○ Work through the song section by section, infusing some musicality as we go
○ Discuss the lyrics of the song and what meaning we can find in it
○ Sing through the song a bunch and explore the different journeys it may take us on!
A week prior to the event, you’ll receive the sheet music and vocal demos arrangement of the song to use as a resource. You don’t have to be able to read sheet music, you can absolutely learn by ear! We encourage folks to arrive familiar with the arrangement, but there’s no pressure to learn everything in advance. We’ll fill in the gaps for one another as we explore and play along the way!
Wright Tavern Sing is a program sponsored by the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust. We bring communal music events to Concord that are accessible, joyful, and bring a sense of belonging and connection to the greater village. For more information, go to www.wrighttavern.org/sing.
Kenter Davies is a vocal arranger, music educator, and choral facilitator based in Brooklyn, New York. He dedicates his work to creating spaces where people can engage with music free from the pressure of perfection, but full of complexity and joy. He highlights the journey over the destination and firmly believes in making music for music-making’s sake.
Kenter facilitates One Day Choirs and other music events with the NYC-based creative community, Gaia Music Collective. He has led One-Day Choirs all across the country, celebrating the magic that diversity brings to group song.
GET YOUR TICKETS $10-$25
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Patriot Vigil (Minute Man NHP)
2025-04-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Minute Man National Historical Park, 74 Liberty Street, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
As darkness descends upon the North Bridge battlefield we invite you to come and reflect on the events of April 19, 1775 and the meaning of liberty. The evening ceremony will feature a lantern-light procession, poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on that “ever-memorable” 19th of April.
Ceremony 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm
Luminaria 7:30 pm- 9:00 pm
The path from the North Bridge Visitor Center to the North Bridge will be lighted with 122 luminaries to honor those who lost their lives in the battle.
Lantern light procession* starts at North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty St, Concord, MA
*To participate in the lantern-light procession, please provide your own REAL candle lantern. The procession will begin at North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty Street, Concord Ma. From there we will march down the quarter-mile path to the North Bridge where the ceremony will take place. Participants are welcome to wear 18th century clothing if they choose, but please do not bring muskets.
Parking:
North Bridge Visitor Center: 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
North Bridge Parking Lot: 280 Monument Street, Concord, MA
This event is co-sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park
