Arts Briefs: StrangecreekCampout in Greenfield, Valley Jazz Voices in Northampton, and more
The music festival Strangecreek Campout will return to Greenfield from Friday, May 23, to Monday, May 26, at Camp Kee-Wanee.
The lineup includes Galactic feat. Jelly Joseph, Yonder Mountain String Band, Max Creek, The Machine, Pink Talking Fish, Badfish, Ryan Montbleau, Moontricks, Southern Avenue, Bella’s Bartok, Start Making Sense, Future Joy, Consider The Source, Bearly Dead, The Ain’t Sisters and more.
There will also be a vendor market and art gallery.
Day passes are $90 and weekend passes are $215 as of this writing, though the latter price is likely to increase closer to the festival. Volunteers get free admission.
For more information, including the full list of artists, camping policies, and more, visit strangecreekcampout.com.
The Northampton Center for the Arts is inviting artists to apply to show their work in its Barn Door Gallery.
Exhibit proposals can include shows by individual artists, shared exhibits or guest curation or submissions for the group show for emerging artists.
Visual artists in all types of media are eligible.
Artists who are selected will be asked to take part in an artist talk as part of a future Arts Night Out. All selected work must be available for sale.
Submissions are due Saturday, May 31, at midnight. Applicants will be notified by early August.
For more information about the gallery or to apply, visit nohoarts.org/barn-door-gallery#apply.
Numerous writers from the Pioneer Valley are on this year’s longlist for the Mass Book Awards, sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
The fiction longlist includes Jedediah Berry (Easthampton), “The Naming Song”; Kelly Link (Northampton), “The Book of Love”; and Catherine Newman (Amherst), “Sandwich.”
The nonfiction longlist includes Brian Donahue (Gill), “Slow Wood.”
The poetry longlist includes Sarah Levine (Easthampton), “Each Knuckle with Sugar”; and Adrie Rose (Deerfield), “Rupture.”
The picture book/early reader longlist includes Micha Archer (Leverett), “What’s New, Daniel?”; Aaron Becker (Pelham), “The Last Zookeeper”; Britt Crow-Miller (Amherst), “World of Rot”; Nicholas Day (Florence), “Nothing: John Cage and 4’33”; Mk Smith Despres (Greenfield), “Night Song”; Carol Munro (East Longmeadow), “Springtime Storks”; and Leslea Newman (Holyoke), “Joyful Song.”
The middle grad/young adult longlist includes Gabe Cole Novoa (Shelburne Falls), “The Diablo’s Curse.”
Winning books will be announced in September. For the full list of nominees, visit massbook.org/mass-book-awards.
The community jazz vocal ensemble Valley Jazz Voices will have its spring concert at Edwards Church in Northampton on Saturday, May 31, at 7 p.m.
The show will include “Come Fly With Me,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “East of the Sun,” “Walkin’,” and “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” among others, including works by music director Jeff Olmsted.
The accompanying band will include Dylan Walter on piano, Wes Brown on bass, and McCoy Plaisted on drums.
After the show, there will be an open mic for Valley Jazz Voices members.
Tickets are $10 to $20, sliding scale, via valleyjazzvoices.org/performances or at the door. Children 12 and under are free.
Paradise City Arts Festival, a three-day fine art and craft show featuring more than 200 artists, will return to the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton from Saturday, May 24, through Monday, May 26.
Besides art, the festival will have live music from The Green Street Trio, Buddy McEarns Band and Le Fever. There will also be a silent auction, live demos, activities for kids, a “play with clay” area, a craft cocktail bar and a dining tent with local food options.
The festival will also feature an exhibit called “Feathers & Fur,” highlighting work inspired by animals.
Admission is free. For a full guide to the festival, visit festivals.paradisecityarts.com.
The Northampton Center for the Arts will host a tea dance, an event specifically for lesbian and queer women, on Sunday, May 25, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Masks are required for the first hour “to ensure a welcoming and inclusive vibe for everyone,” according to the event description, which also says: “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.”
Tickets are $10 to $20, sliding scale, at the door.
Two alumni of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Theater Department were recently nominated for Tony Awards in the category “Best Lighting Design of a Musical.”
Ben Stanton, classes of 1999 and 2022, was nominated for his work on the show “Maybe Happy Ending,” starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen.
Justin Townsend, class of 1997, was nominated for his work on “Death Becomes Her,” starring Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber and Michelle Williams.
In a social media post, the department said: “We’re thrilled to see our alumni recognized at one of the highest levels of American theater.”
The awards ceremony will air on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, June 8, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., hosted by Cynthia Erivo.
For a complete list of nominees, visit tonyawards.com/press/2025-tony-award-nominations.
Daily Hampshire Gazette
