Spotlight

OUT AND ABOUT
Appearing as part of the FAC’s Billy Taylor Jazz Residency, Ambrose Akinmusire will be an artist-in-residence in the area for the week of his performance on November 19^th. In addition to teaching master classes and workshops to area students, Akinmusire will sit in with the Northampton Jazz Workshop musicians as a special guest artist on Tuesday, November 17^th, 7:30 p.m. at City Sports Grille (525 Main Street, Northampton). The session is free and open to the public.

AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED!
The Fine Arts Center is looking for donations for its 27^th Annual Gala, Auction & Preview to be held on Saturday, February 6, 2016. Some ideas for donations could include: time at a vacation home, hotel or spa packages, sports tickets & opportunities, or lifetime experiences. Proceeds fund Arts/Access programs. For more information or to donate contact Anna Robbins here.

		ASIAN ARTS & CULTURE Get your ticket for the Spirit of India: Masala Orchestra show on November 8 and join us for a pre-concert Indian Festival! Starting at noon in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall lobby, our event sponsor Dean Bean’s serves up samples of Indian tea. You can witness the creation of a Rangoli (an Indian floor painting) and join in with the University of Massachusetts Belly Dance Club as they demonstrate and give a workshop on Bollywood Dance moves and more! On November 18, Sounds of Korea: Percussion and Dance will introduce you to a variety of traditional performing arts--masked Dances, court music and the vocal art of p'ansori (folk opera). A rare opportunity to sample multiple genres of Korean culture.
		AUGUSTA SAVAGE GALLERY Don't miss A Change Is Gonna Come , a unique exhibit o n view until October 30 ^th ^. Then catch A Conversation with Douglas R. Ewart on Thursday, October 29^th at 3 p.m. preceeding his evening performance at Bezanson Recital Hall. Opening Wednesday, November 4^th at 5 p.m., B1M: Return of the Matriarchs . A photography exhibition by local emerging artist Vanessa Lynch provoking examination of those places where family origins and the politics of colonization meet. The project is inspired by her grandmother and other Black women who have overcome and thrived despite attempts to suppress what the artist calls “our deep magic.”
		CENTER SERIES Joining forces with renowned guitarist Pepe Romero and the timeless Romeros Quartet, the acclaimed Munich Symphony Orchestra returns to the US for the 2015-2016 tour season, conducted by Philippe Entremont on Thursday, November 5^th at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. The New York Times described the Romeros as “the only classical guitar quartet of real stature in the world today.” With this superb quartet, the orchestra will perform a repertoire of Spanish and French music, including Bizet, Rodrigo and Massenet. Audience members are invited to a pre-performance talk by Peter Blanchette at 6:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall lobby.
		¡GUITARRA! A CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT & WORKSHOP SERIES The popular Classical Guitar Series returns with guitarist BERIT STRONG . Strong’s performance, *"Homage to the Incredible Life and Legacy of Andres Segovia"* will include works by Tarrega, Ponce, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Sor and Bach on Saturday, November 21^st at 7 p.m., at the Eric Carle Musuem, $15 General Admission. A master class will be held on Sunday, November 22^nd, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Eric Carle Museum, "Holding and Playing Your Guitar - Injury Prevention Tips for Lifelong Guitar Playing." This workshop is for beginners to professionals. Bring your guitar! $25 for workshop participants; $12 for observing audience. Registration required. For info, email Yvonne Mendez here or call 413-545-4161.
		HAMPDEN GALLERY Don't miss your opportunity to see HEAD curated by D. Dominick Lombardi, on view until November 12^th. Also this November, two western Massachusetts artists reflect on the collective visual experience of the landscape, providing two views in which they demonstrate that light can reflect, dissolve, reshape and unify a space. Contemporary Landscape: Two Views - Karen Evans and Jennifer Tibbetts opens Sunday, November 15th from 2-4 p.m.
		MAGIC TRIANGLE Don't miss Quasar: Douglas R. Ewart, Matthew Shipp, Ni'ja Whitson on Thursday, October 29^th at 8 p.m. at Bezanson Recital Hall. This November also at Bezanson Recital Hall is Angelica Sanchez \| Omar Tamez Duo on the 18^th at 8:15 p.m. “Angelica Sanchez is subtle,” writes David Adler, “tossing out gnarled chords, open almost elliptical phrasing, simple folk music-like melodies, and taut mid-speed solos.” For this duo, the acclaimed pianist is joined by Mexican guitarist Omar Tamez, who has performed in 144 countries with Wadada Leo Smith, Karl Berger and John Lindberg, among others.
		UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Learn more about the exhibition *Chuck Close Photography* at a screening of Interview with Chuck Close on November 18^th from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Intergrated Learning Center, Room S131. This 20-minute film by MFA students Paul Teeling and David Musgrave shows a rare interview with the artist in his studio. Stay for a talk by Christopher Finch, author of Chuck Close: Life about the photography of Chuck Close .
		VALLEY JAZZ NETWORK Ambrose Akinmusire will be performing with his quartet in Bowker Auditorium on November 19^th at 7:30 p.m. VJN members get a chance to meet him and learn more about his music before the concert at an exclusive Listening Party in Northampton: Tuesday, November 17th at 5:30 p.m., location TBA. Immediately afterwards, he is a featured performer at the Northampton Jazz Workshop. RSVP to the Listening Party is required. Email Yvonne Mendez here or call 413-545-4161 by November 6^th.
		BLUES IN OUR BLOOD If you’re a fan of the Blues, then check out this special presentation of Blues in Our Blood : The Artistic Evolution and Musical Influence of sister and brother Carole Fredericks and Taj Mahal at the UMass Center in Springfield on Thursday, October 29^th at 6:30 pm. Through a multimedia presentation, audience members will enjoy an intimate look into the early lives of the two successful musicians who are also Springfield natives. This event is free to the public and is presented by Art for the Soul Gallery, and the Carole D. Fredricks Foundation in cooperation with the Springfield Cultural Council and UMass Fine Arts Center.
		SHOUT OUT TO SHELLEY & RICHARD! Shelley and Richard Holzman ‘70 were recently honored at the Homecoming Donor Appreciation Breakfast for their tremendous support of UMass. As well as being generous donors and parents of two alumnae (Erica Eckman ’96 and Jessica Holzman '07), Shelley currently serves as the Chair of the Fine Arts Center’s Board of Directors. Thank you Shelley and Richard for all that you do to make UMass great!
		SUBMIT YOUR SELFIES AND WIN TICKETS TO A SHOW! Over the years we have heard from so many of you about a funny story, a favorite artist, a special memory of sharing an event with your kids, and so on. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning. Share your story and win tickets to a show! Submit your video-selfie and we’ll do a drawing each week for a pair of tickets to an FAC event. Just answer one of the following questions: What does the Fine Arts Center mean to you or your family? What is one of your favorite memories? How long have you been coming? We’ll get the videos up on our website, share at our Gala, and post on Facebook – with your permission of course. We’ll also be set up in the lobby with a camera at various performances if you care to speak to us then. You are our family and friends so please lend us your voice, your smiles and your laughter. You can submit them here. Thanks so much!
		UMass Faculty & Staff—Double Your Gift—Double Your Impact! The campus will match $1 for every $1 given by all current and retired faculty and staff to qualified campus accounts, up to $500,000 (on a first come, first served basis) through June 30, 2016. Learn more here. Make your gift now and double the impact of Arts/Access in our community.

Promotional Code