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HEAD TO LAWRENCE FOR AN ELEVATED BLACK HISTORY MONTH EXPERIENCE! Elevated Thought is an art and social justice 501(c)(3) based in Lawrence, Massachusetts working to develop spaces for BIPOC youth and communities to engage and understand art’s liberating power. This February, ET has curated a series of free offerings meant to honor Black creatives, educators, and cultural practitioners. The following events are not to be missed! Colao En Lawrence Opening Reception + Artist Talk 2/3 from 6PM - 8:30PM Local artist and educator Erick Maldonado introduces a visual influence of the Dominican diaspora in the City of Lawrence. In his contemporary works, Madlonado displays what he calls ‘COLAO EN LAWRENCE,’ which translates to ‘to sift in Lawrence.’Erick focuses on the cultural aspects of the area, popular pastimes, local folklore, and the unique dialect of his people. Afro-Latinidad: Building Community Within a Racially Diverse City 2/11 from 6PM - 8PM We will explore Afro-Latinidad and folks’ experiences and understandings of race and ethnicity. Some of the main ideas we will consider include: (1) identity and its impact on how we interact with each other, (2) anti-blackness in Latine culture and how it manifests and maintains itself, (3) steps we can take as a community to address this reality. Teaching for Equity & Justice 2/28 from 6PM - 7:30PM Lorena Escoto Germán will be facilitating a conversation about anti-bias and antiracist instruction. She grounds both of these concepts in culturally sustaining pedagogies (Alim, Paris) and will offer thorough reflection questions for practitioners to apply as they plan and prepare for teaching. These are just a few of the events ET will be hosting! Check out their Instagram (@elevated_thought) and/or website (elevatedthought.org) to find out more. If you have any accommodation needs or general questions, please contact our Social Justice Strategist, Emma Burke (emma@elevatedthought.org)
—EMMA BURKE
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5 CAN’T MISS CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THIS MONTH 1. Space Adventure is open all throughout February. Get immersed in the exploration of outer space. There will be rockets, computers, space suits, lunar modules, and more classified technology used by NASA and private sector companies. This is a family-friendly event with plenty of parking located in Chelsea, MA. The hours are WED-SUN until 7pm. Enjoy! 2. Canvas Studios is a black woman-owned paint bar located near Hyde Park on Fairmont Ave. They have awesome programming like Paint After Dark, which is a glow-in-the-dark experience. There’s also the Splatter Project which is a great way to express oneself by getting messy and being a lot less restricted. You literally throw paint on your canvas. Support your local business! 3. Lawrence, MA is not that far from Boston. It’s a 40 minute ride up I-93, or a 60 minute ride on the Commuter Rail. There’s a new art gallery open for viewing from January 21st until February 17th. Curated by photographer Destiny Medina, Bien Brutal is dedicated to the life and beauty of the island of Puerto Rico beyond the devastation of storms, colonialism, and government corruption. Elevated Thought is the non-profit that will be coordinating the gallery launch, artists mixers, and other dope local community arts programming like poetry nights and movie nights. Tap in ASAP! 4. All right, I know we’re on the outskirts of Boston, but we’re gonna take it a bit further westwards to Worcester. On February 20th, there will be an artist showcase called Black Excellence. Streaming live on Hip Hop Weekly Magazine’s IG account and in person. The winners of this competition will receive a record deal, studio time, and technical assistance for business and fashion design. You can find out more about this from Smoke House Media. 5. Tiny Trap Concerts was founded in February 2021. You’ve seen many artist showcases produced by them inside of dispensaries all across Massachusetts from SEED Dispensary in JP to Western Front in Chelsea. February 23rd will be the 1st year anniversary of TTC. Hosted at Expozed TV Studios in Hanover, there will be artists, mixers, performances, local brands and vendors. Featuring vibes spun by DJ Bobby Bangers and performances by Lord Ju, Jovian Martian, YaYa Gabbana. Follow us on IG @whatshappening_boston for more events that don’t suck!
—BOSTON HAPPS LAYOUT DESIGN:
Phoebe Delmonte: p.1, 4, 5 Hannah Blauner: p.2, 3, 7 Adrian Alvarez: p.6, 8 THIS PAPER IS AN ONGOING PROJECT OF BRAIN ARTS ORGANIZATION, INC., A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT. PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO, VOLUNTEERING OR OTHERWISE SUPPORTING US: BRAIN-ARTS.ORG
THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE BOSTON CULTURAL COUNCIL, A LOCAL AGENCY WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL, AS ADMINSTRATED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ARTS + CULTURE