Dear Friends,
 
This is one of those moments that I can’t bite my tongue. We talk a lot about building a vibrant community through the Arts.  I sometimes wonder; how large is the community we are talking about? 
 
This past weekend we held our annual Open Studios and we had an awesome turn out; a record number of regulars and newcomers came out to see our artists. While this is a relatively local event, we had visitors from Boston and Worcester. It is clear that our community is bigger than Concord!
 

We are proud to announce that eleven local artists have been selected for the yearlong Arts & Agriculture collaboration between the Concord Agriculture Committee and The Umbrella’s Musketaquid Arts and Environment program.

Last week, a jury consisting of Jerry Wedge from The Umbrella, Kate James from the Concord Art Association, and David Wood from the Concord Museum met to consider the applicants.  The jury was impressed with the high level of experience and varied points of view from all who submitted. 

Musketaquid Arts And Environment: 25 Years of Celebrating the Confluence of Art and Nature

Blog 2 of 5

written by Deb Richardson

Earth Day 2015

Musketaquid Arts And Environment: 25 Years of Celebrating the Confluence of Art and Nature

Blog 1 of 5

On March 25, The Umbrella is partnering with MASSCreative for Arts Matter Advocacy Day, to show our state political leaders that arts matter in Massachusetts.  

Beginning at the Citi Wang Theatre in downtown Boston, Arts Matter Advocacy Day will bring together the statewide creative community for a half-day event, featuring speakers, performers, connecting with colleagues, and an “Arts Matter March” to the State House to meet with our legislators.

-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:

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.”