-written by Jack Hile

Like an x-ray, Nina Earley’s homemade photograph in The Umbrella Gallery sliced through my line of sight.  My mind raced as I tried to decipher the code of bright streaks covering the rich, ebony canvas.  The piece reminded me of a thunderstorm, marked with symbols forming a secret language I longed to understand.   At this very instant, with her dog Watson by her side, Nina walked into the gallery:

Article by Kiirja Paananen. 

Bryony Bensly always knew how to draw because she spent her life drawing. Her father, a single parent, was very supportive of her art when she was growing up in Hong Kong. There, she had ”a multicultural childhood. My early years were spent in Hong Kong surrounded by people of all ethnicities,” she says, which brought with it a melange of spiritual, ethnic and social influences.

On a sunny but chilly afternoon in January I returned to the Musketaquid Arts workshop to mortar the mosaic coaster initially constructed during this month’s Thursday Night Winter Salon.   Nancy Lippe, the director of Musketaquid Arts and Environment Program and host of the Salons, has designed these monthly soirees as a type of maker’s circle.  Inspired from the idea of the classic artist’s salon where individual makers would gather to share not only work but also to collaborate and critique, this Salon serves as a vehicle of discovery where hands and heart engage with an external task, wi

From all of us here at The Umbrella, we wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you for all of your love and support throughout the year. We truly appreciate your friendship and contributions. Because of your generosity we are able to bring quality arts programs to you, our community.

This Valentine’s Day, help us share the love of arts and culture throughout Massachusetts. Right now, Governor Charlie Baker is planning out his first budget for the Commonwealth. Let’s make sure arts and culture stay strong in his fiscal plan for the state. Sign the 

Color and shapes have flooded The Umbrella's gallery this winter in their juried show, Driven to Abstraction.  During the opening reception on January 8, nearly 200 people filled the gallery to admire work from over 40 artists. Resident artists and visiting artists mingled with their guests while visiting the eighteen studios that were open as part of The Umbrella’s monthly First Thursday event.

“I was never good at math,” says Wayne Geehan, a resident artist at The Umbrella. In his studio of seven years, across from a crackling fire in a brick-laden hearth—“painted,” he explains, “for a play”—and surrounded by portraits of swashbuckling pirates—characters for an aspiring board game—lay several stacks of books with medieval knights and castles adorning the covers. Wayne is the illustrator of the successful Sir Cumference math adventure series. The irony is not lost on him. “Luckily someone else figures out the math part.”

The Wicked Local's Readers Choice Awards are once again up online.  Please vote for The Umbrella Community Arts Center in the following categories: Place to See Theater, Place for Family Entertainment, and Summer Camp. We would be honored to have your vote and support. Thank you!

To view the ballot click here.

To learn more about the awards click here.

-written by artist-in-residence, Nina Earley

2014 has been an incredible year for everyone at The Umbrella, our end-of-year checklist has never been more full!  Between our growing theater program, our education outreach, and our monthly open studio events, the building feels more alive than ever.