ArtWeek MA to come to Milton

Community organizations and restaurants join together for a new local spring festival

There’s a new cultural festival coming to town. ArtWeek Milton will run April 26 – May 5 at venues throughout the town.
The festival will feature unique and unexpected art-centered experiences for attendees of all ages, including:

• Taking a bird walk at the Eustis Estate;
• Learning pinhole photography at the Milton Art Center;
• Hearing an author’s talk, “The Lost Art of Letter Writing,” at the Forbes House Museum;
• Enjoying a concert by Trio Spirito at the Milton Public Library;
• Attending a lecture and exhibit of James Audubon’s hand-colored lithographs of American birds recently discovered at the Wakefield Estate;
• Experiencing spring stargazing at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum’s Environmental Education Center;
• Creating a framed work of art with the character for “Phoenix” during a Chinese Calligraphy Workshop at the Forbes House Museum; and
• Participating in an intergenerational art installation at the Council on Aging.

“It’s been rewarding working with my fellow nonprofits to coordinate this festival showcasing the many rich resources Milton has to offer. We all hope that old friends as well as new visitors will enjoy the variety of events planned,” said Heidi Vaughan, Executive Director of the Forbes House Museum.

Many events will be free, and tickets for other events will range from $5-$30. Every event has a participatory or interactive component, giving attendees special access to artists and the creative process. For more information on all ArtWeek events, visit each organization’s individual website, or go to ArtWeek Milton’s Facebook page.

Participating restaurants include Abby Park, Novara, The Plate and Steel & Rye, as well as wine and craft beer purveyor Craft and Cru. Each will add at least one special item to their menu for ArtWeek, drawing inspiration from a painting, song, movie, or other work of art.

ArtWeek Milton maps will be available at participating sites in early April.

About ArtWeek

Presented by Highland Street Foundation and produced by the Boch Center, ArtWeek is an annual award-winning innovative festival featuring nearly 600 unique and creative experiences that are hands-on, interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to artists or the creative process. ArtWeek was born in Boston in 2013 and now serves over 125 towns across Massachusetts as the signature nonprofit community program of the Boch Center.

ArtWeek works to spotlight how the creative economy is thriving in Massachusetts by offering unique and affordable neighborhood-based events that provide increased access to art, culture, and creativity. Through community, artistic, and media collaborations, this festival provides experiences in dance, folk and traditional arts, fashion, media arts, spoken-word, poetry, writing, contemporary visual arts, music, opera, theater, design, film and much more.

Statewide champions include the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and the Mass Cultural Council, who also serves as ArtWeek’s Creative Communities sponsor. Additional support comes from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Foundation for MetroWest, DPA Communications, and Dartamon Consulting for technology services. Lead Media partners include WCVB Channel 5, Entercom, AdSpace, Improper Bostonian, Boston Metro, Boston Central, Boston Globe, Bay State Banner, Cape Cod Community Media Center and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, as well as many others. ArtWeek’s expansion has also been powered by an extensive network of more than 110 creative collaborators at the statewide, regional and community level. To learn more about the festival and its growth, visit www.artweekma.org.