Search

The new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools and Community Complex features three mosaic murals that bring color, connection, and meaning to the school environment. Funded through Cambridge's Percent-for-Art Ordinance and commissioned by Cambridge Arts, the works by artists Andromeda Lisle, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, and Ekua Holmes celebrate themes of community, memory, and belonging. Developed in collaboration with the school community, architects, the project team, and fabricator Mosaika Art & Design, the murals serve as both inspiration and teaching tools for the school community.

Cambridge Arts and Community Development Department are offering free workshops to support emerging artists through their professional development. The topics will include financial literacy, artistic identity, grant writing, marketing, advocacy, and wellness. Workshops will be offered online during the months of October, November, and December. We are offering this opportunity to practitioners in every form of creative expression, however, there is limited availability. We encourage local artists and practitioners from historically disempowered and oppressed communities (women, people of color, veterans, individuals who are disabled, and members of the LGBTQ+ community) to register.

Join us in Joan Lorentz Park from 1-2:30 p.m. for a concert celebrating the roots of folk music with Reclaiming Folk, a concert series that celebrates and honors people of color in folk music, created by singer-songwriter Naomi Westwater. Back by popular demand, this event will feature original compositions—performed by Valeria Orrantia, Anand Nayak, and Naomi Westwater—as well as cover songs that honor the musicians who came before, short interviews with the musicians about folk music, and time for a Q&A from the audience. Registration is not required.

Join the Cambridge Black History Project and the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Warren Eugene Milteer Jr. for a reading and discussion of his new book, Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom: Free People of Color and the Fight for Equal Rights in the Civil War Era. The recipient of the Southern Historical Association’s Charles S. Sydnor Award for the best book in Southern history in 2022, Milteer will be joined in conversation by Susan Tomlinson, an associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Registration is required.

The Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC) is dedicated to upholding and safeguarding the fundamental human rights of residents and visitors to the City of Cambridge. CHRC works to eradicate discrimination through an investigative process, proactive community outreach, and collaborations with City and community partners. CHRC aims to create an environment where people of diverse backgrounds can live without fear of discrimination based on the following protected classes: race; color; sex; age; religious creed; disability; national origin or ancestry; sexual orientation; gender identity or gender expression; marital status; family status; military status; and source of income.   

This month's book: The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson Audience: Adults who enjoy reading true crime. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library Q&A Desk at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through the Libby app. How to register: Click the registration link below to register. We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the first floor of the Main Library. For more information, contact Amie at alemire@cambridgema.gov.

Join the Cambridge Public Library for a screening of The Next Dream, an independent documentary about more than one million Temporary Protected Status (TPS) families across the U.S., who are at risk of deportation and family separation. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with members of the National TPS Alliance and the film's producers. Come and meet members of the TPS families, learn about their struggles, and discuss how we may support our neighbors across the country. To learn more about this project, please click here. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

The City of Cambridge announced that all City-sponsored community events, events permitted for the use of City parks, or other City-sponsored public gatherings will be cancelled through October 26, 2020, or postponed to a later date. All prior approvals for events or gatherings are revoked. The City Manager’s Office is collaborating with the City’s COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel, the Commissioner of Public Health, and the Cambridge Public Health Department to evaluate and determine what Halloween activities will be allowed in the City. Further guidance on Halloween activities in the City to be announced the week of October 12.

Learn how to create beautiful and colorful acrylic paintings! In this class you will be introduced to painting with acrylic, including techniques in color mixing, observational painting, and composition. At your own pace you will learn how to paint still lifes using acrylic paint in a relaxed and welcoming environment. This class will cover wet on wet and wet and dry brush techniques, sgraffito/combing, overlays/glazing, gel mediums, pattern making, and masking. You will come away from this class with beautiful paintings of your own and a greater understanding and appreciation for the medium of acrylic painting. This class is suitable for beginners and can be adjusted for all levels of experience. Registration is Required.

Join us for a conversation about community, resilience, and activism in the Latinx community with Gladys Vega, the Executive Director of La Collaborativa in Chelsea. Gladys Vega is a groundbreaking community organizer and advocate, working relentlessly and fearlessly to ensure the Latinx immigrant community has a voice in determining how it’s needs and concerns are addressed. She believes that empowerment of the individual leads to empowerment of the community and that social action is the vehicle an empowered community can use to achieve its goals. Gladys is the architect of nearly all of La Colaborativa’s programs, initiatives, and community organizing campaigns. Her leadership has resulted in expanded rights for immigrants, low-income families, tenants, workers, youths, and people of color across Massachusetts.