Holiday Market Forecast
Where To Buy Gifts Directly From Local Artists This Season
December is a good month to reflect on the year that is coming to a close, line up some changes you want to make in your life in the new year and.. purchase cute stuff for your besties and loved ones! So we put together this little Market Forecast for you, with days and spots to find unique, curated gifts and where you can buy directly from artists in our community. Please find the details for the following events in our Happenings on pg 4+5 under COMMUNITY and we will concentrate these characters here on who they are and why we picked ‘em! Happy holiday season, readers.
First and foremost we gotta shout out Humphrey Street Studios and their Winter Holiday Market. Our Dorchester neighbors recently acquired their building thanks to support from the City of Boston (!!!), and they have an impressive roster with all kinds of artists from metal work to furniture and apparel so give them a visit and make a day of it. Next up at the top of the list is our friends at Black Market Nubian who recently announced that this years Shop The Block Holiday Market will be their very last marketplace season so definitely make it down to the heart of Roxbury and support local BIPOC small business owners selling a wide variety of goods including art, fashion and stunning jewelry. Continue to follow Black Market as well because you know whatever they do next will be huge. Now, you know we gotta show some love for our people in Jamaica Plain so peep the scene at JP Open Market: Holiday Pop Up Shop featuring local makers of art, crafts, clothing, gifts, goods and more over at the Eliot School. Continuing North please find the well-regarded Brighton Bazaar + their Night Market. Now THIS one is dope because not only will there be over 50 small local businesses selling art, vinyl, vintage, & more, there will also be food + drink in the courtyard and it’s a NIGHT market so perfect for my fellow night owls and late risers. Lastly, we can’t leave out our awesome people in Somerville so we got 2 for you. The Somerville Flea Presents Holiday Markets features two floors with 30+ vintage and artisan vendors at the Arts at the Armory. If you’re in Somerville early this month and interested in meeting artists where they work get down to Vernon Street Open Studios —Sam P
On September 13th a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini traveled from her home in Iran’s Kurdistan province to visit her brother in Tehran. When she arrived, she was arrested outside a metro station by the country’s morality police for allegedly “wearing her hijab improperly.” Masha died in a hospital in Tehran three days later. Iranian authorities alleged she passed from a heart attack due to an underlying disease and denied any foul play, yet eyewitness accounts attest she was beaten into a coma by police. Incensed by her murder and cover up, Iranians have defiantly amassed across the country from Mahsa’s home in Saqqez to Tehran to decry her death and the compulsory hijab law that lead to her arrest and murder.
Dissenting Iranian women have been burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in defiance of this law that negates choice and has affected women’s access to education, employment and public spaces. Over two months of protesting, human rights groups state that at least 348 people have been killed and 16,000 jailed by security forces. In 1979, decades before this revolutionary wave, Iranian women were met with violence by pro-Revolution forces for protesting this very law established by newly elected leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini. These same suppressive actors would later become Iran’s Guidance Patrol, otherwise known as the “morality police”, whose primary contract is to enforce laws tied to regulating Islamic dress.
Iran’s Minister of Health explicitly stated that the country’s use of facial recognition technology during the pandemic will now be deployed against women in public places who do not comply with these strict laws
regarding dress. Not only can this technology be used to easily find those who break this law, this tech will very well be used to target any opposition to the Islamic Regime.
The Iranian government is also attempting to develop a nationwide intranet, a local network that provides connection among different servers inside the country and, importantly, separates itself from the global internet. This timing is intentional, as human and digital rights advocates warn blocking open internet access will further isolate its citizenry from global eyes and allow this mass violence to continue. Maintaining a free and open internet can be a matter of life or death under a brutally suppressive government. Surveillance of citizens and information control are old strategies of authoritarian governments, further empowered by new technologies that can digitally target and analog “rebellious” human behavior.
WeChat is a popular Chinese super app that could be adopted in Iran under their technology sharing agreement. It is heavily censored and closely monitored by Beijing officials. All-encompassing apps and intranets controlled by governments, or tech companies willing to do their bidding, provide endless monitoring and suppression of their citizens. Surveillance is never innocuous in any nation, especially under socalled Democratic governments that behave more and more like crumbling empires. Authoritarianism is not a distant foreign, faroff threat but rather a slow boiling pot we keep pretending is a warm bath. Solidarity with Iranian women and those who oppose surveillance globally.
Sam P: We only recently saw you on our radar this past year via Thrill Studios, Kei and the Blair Bxtch Project halloween event but how did you first get your start organizing events and managing artists?
Sadiq Ervin: I started getting involved with events in college. It started with going to concerts so often I got bored of them as an attendee and wanted to see what they were like behind the scenes. That led to me working at the House of Blues, and taking a couple production jobs here and there. I also took a really cool work study job in athletics at BC with Screaming Eagles Media. I got to see what it was like producing the game day experience for 40k people. I also joined a number of clubs, including the Black Student Forum and the Campus Activities Board where we produced some of our largest annual concerts.
Eventually I met an agent who took a liking to me and he started giving me amazing opportunities to work on larger events and conferences like A3C, Miami NFT Week and more. All of those really helped me solidify my background in events.
As far as talent, I really only started with one other talent - a poet named Miya Coleman I met in college. I just thought she was so awesome that more people needed to experience her poetry. When I helped her get booked for this dope opportunity called the Roxbury Poetry Festival, and she ended up winning and getting a book deal with Button Poetry, I told myself I could really do this Management stuff.
SP: Tell us more about the halloween show. It looked like a huge effort and major success!
SE: The Blair B*tch Project was a total success. My goal was to provide a platform for the creative women of color in Boston in a way that was festive but really set them apart. Thanks to all the wonderful women who helped out behind the scenes, our sponsors Newbury Comics, The Boston Foundation and the Boston UJIMA Project, we were able to do just that.
SP: For folks out there wanting to organize their own events and launch their own artists, could you tell us a little bit about the process of raising funds and forming partnerships to make it happen?
SE: Man all it really takes is belief. Be that an event or person, if you believe in something you’ll learn to talk about it in inspiring ways. As long as you’re able to share that vision and feeling with other people, you’ll always find ways to fund your ideas.
Another big thing is awareness. I pride myself on paying attention to what’s happening around me. When you know the landscape of the space you’re operating in (be that music, events, or whatever) you can make informed decisions about how you want to enter that space. A great example is Blair - who else is doing a huge free Halloween party? With incredible talent at that? That awareness helps you develop your unique perspective on things.
SP: How do you select the artists you represent? Can artists pitch their music directly to you?
SE: Honestly it depends. I’ve had a ton of people ask to work with me since they’ve seen the progress kei and I have made together, and I almost always turn them down. For me it’s a bandwidth thing. I know how much energy has gone into helping propel Kei forward and it’s hard for me to think of pouring the same energy into someone else at the moment. I’d have to be a super believer to consider taking someone else on because it’s way more than just being a manager. It’s being a friend, confidant, motivator, brother, and more!
It can be exhausting but it’s really worth it. I also think it has a lot to do with my reluctance to take someone’s career in my hands - that’s a huge responsibility! Even kei had to ask me 3 times to manage her before I said yes. A lot had to feel right before I decided to throw my support behind her, and thankfully it did. Look at how far we’ve come.
SP: What’s coming up next for you and Something Made Great in 2023?
SE: I want to tour again. Maybe a couple festivals. Who knows! All I know is I see us exporting the influence and bringing it back to Boston tenfold.
That’s Love, thank you Sadiq! Follow the team on IG @solely.sadiq, @keiweifruit @lookforherhere And online at https://www.madegreat.us/
On my summer visits to the States, I would line up at the counter with bags of economysize snacks, armfuls of makeup, and branded t-shirts - things requested by friends and family back home. In my mind, I would rehearse my reply to the cashier’s attempts at small talk. My script rarely left my lips.
Back home in the Philippines, you can buy something without uttering a word. In 30 seconds, you can place your item and money on the counter, have it taken by the cashier, and get your change.
At Marshalls, my aunt would patiently wait for me at the entrance. Customers ahead of me would take their time telling the bored cashier about the weather or the things their kids were doing. American small talk felt pointless, shallow, and ingenuine.
When I decided to move to the States, I dreaded the need to sharpen my small talk skills. Working at a school in Glendale, CA, teachers in the lounge exchanged pleasantries without warmth, talking about what they watched, where they ate, and who they saw over the weekend. And of course, the great weather.
Being much older than me, I thought they wouldn’t genuinely relate to what I did over the weekend. It wasn’t that I was shy, which they described me as, but rather it was unclear how much I was allowed to share. Short and simple responses were safe.
A year later, I moved to Boston. The “cold” personalities people seemed to have was somewhat comforting to me. Both Bostonians and Manilenos tend to be quieter but would bond specifically over traffic, unpredictable weather, and politics. These
conversations among strangers would end with wishing each other to stay safe or magingat.
On one of my first days in Boston, after failing to get my moving errands done, I passed the bakery next to my apartment. The aroma of baked goods convinced me comfort could be found inside.
It was nearly closing time. The cashier asked how my day was going. I truthfully told her I was having a bad day. Boston’s perpetually understocked department stores had gotten the best of me – and I needed to let that one sentence out.
She didn’t pry. Instead, she gave me a cookie for free, telling me I deserved to end my day on a good note.
It was a three-sentence exchange. None of it felt insincere or ingenuine at all.
Foster is an up-and-coming rapper from Cambridge sending some wav(es) all over the scene. The main participant in hip hop collectives Rare Realism and Early Bird Agenda, he frequently collabs with underground collectives 467 Entertainment, Clear The Floor, and more. He has definitely been making his name known. In this edition we are serving an album of his that is not released yet, so extra thanks to Foster for the amazing submission. 2MUUDY provides an impressive catalog of versatile flows. The tracks don’t feel disjointed or loose knit because Foster has signature and skillful elements in his delivery.
One of these is the downright masterful use of autotune throughout 2MUUDY, from the first track, EHH, to Never Gon’ Change
has continually proven this on every track. Depending on who’s reading this, that could be your deal-breaking point, but just trust me it will not sound how you think it will. While listening to this album I noticed that it fit both casual listening and music that would provide an energetic show or party perfectly, thanks to his joyous yet down to earth delivery.
This album uses elements that risk being hit-or-miss in hip hop, yet turns every song into a unique hit nonetheless. Foster is immaculately impressive and to-the-point at doing so. This album will be released December 8th, available on SoundCloud and Spotify. Link will be embedded in our blog soon!
Neemz was first featured in our Massachusetts Minute column last December. Fast forward an entire year later to now, she returns to BCN’s pages with a brand new single titled “Guidance”, one that marks a stark point of development in this MA native’s musical career. During the last 12 months, she’s unleashed a stream of singles and music videos, and even gifted listeners an album titled It’s Above Me. Despite this consistent flow of music, “Guidance” is a moment where Neemz appears more poised than ever.
Centered around a journey toward selfawareness and developing a love of the process, “Guidance” is a reminder to stop and smell the roses as we embark on our goals. In this current age where social media and altered realities plague our minds, Neemz wants her listeners to take a step back and really become one with the moment. It’s easy to get lost and forget our purpose, but when we become cognizant of the positive signs that show up in life, everything we dreamed of seems to appear at our fingertips. Messages similar to this one
are foundational within Neemz’s music. On every song that she crafts, she crosses deep meaning with incredible sonics, making her catalog one that ultimately serves a greater purpose.
When speaking with her about the origins of “Guidance” Neemz shared, “On this record, I was stepping away from my old job, old friends and the old cycle that had subconsciously become my unwanted routine. I realized everything on my path is ordained for me to reach my inner light and how vital it is to be present in moments to break old cycles. Although breaking free can be a lonely journey, in order to help awaken others, I needed to awaken myself first.”
Instead of letting life run its course, Neemz is taking things by the reins, controlling exactly where she’s going and how she’s going to get there. A message that many of us can truly benefit from, it’s important that we remember that we’re the ones in control of how things will pan out. Seek positivity, and you’ll forever be guided.
I don’t know anything about Cameron House (name of a band? name of a person?), but I wish I did. I found the album “Spiral Time” when poking around the internet, and I was blown away. The Bandcamp page says Cameron House is based out of Boston and the album was recently released on October 15th. Google searches got me nowhere, I can’t find any other albums or shows, and my email to the account holder was unanswered. But let’s just say that the mystery adds to the allure and dive in together.
At first blush, the album comes across as another self-released electronic/ambient/ experimental adventure by sometime with a keyboard, fancy computer, and free time— short songs, mainly electronic instruments, droning, samples, lack of song structures and melody. But if you move past the surface, there is real depth, complexity, and an expert ear. This album is made by people who really know what they are doing
and have something interesting to say. Harmonically and rhythmically, there is depth and thoughtful complexity, and despite the sudden shifts in tempo and levels of dissonance, there is a coherent thread and vision that runs through the album.
The backbone, while obscured, is clearly jazz. But it is re-combobulated into the form of snippets of Nintendo background tracks.
(The song “Sunshine Cart” in particular seems like a riff on a Mario Cart song.) It is as if Herbie Hancock was filtered through a video game and then put into a blender. The song “Open Portal,” for instance, seems like free jazz run backwards through a Muzak filter. “Float 1-2” is my favorite song and features well known drummer Carr, followed as a close second by “Eagles” with its clever jumbling of rhythms.
Check out “Spiral Time” on Bandcamp and the major streaming services.
more at bostoncompassnewspaper.com
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music & audio
12/03 Bourdoir: a night of dancing to cleanse the mind! ft.
DJ Wawa + Ms. Mango @Union Tavern 9PM 21+ $10 before 11PM, $15 after 11PM @entertheboudoir
12/04 Bars Over Bars Showcase! First Sunday of every month @The Jungle 9PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/05 Children of the Flaming Wheel, Adult Learners, Groan Man @The Silhouette Lounge 7:30PM 21+ $10 @sampotrykus
12/05 Dreamwell w/ My Fictions @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/05 Boss Roots Reggae Party
Every Monday live music featuring a rotating cast of international artists in residence now with Boubacar + Sambalolo @The Jungle 10PM 21+ $uggested Donation
12/07 FEEP, New Aura, The Endorphins, Gut Health @O'Briens Pub 8PM 21+ $10
12/06 Bars Over Bars Presents: Bars Over Midway Hip hop Showcase Vol. 17 @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $10
12/08 Poor Eliza, Pretty Late, Orca Bones, Amy Mantis & The Space Between, MCtheProfessor. GOV @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $10 @thejunglecmc
12/08 Christmas Show ft Dan Blakeslee, Combo Combo, West of Willow @The Loft 6PM 21+ $10-$20
12/09 Editrix, Squitch, Theadoore @Lilypad 10PM All Ages $12
12/09 Grayskull Booking
Presents Human Bodies, Haxen, Prayer Position Come celebrate 9 years of Grayskull! @O'Briens Pub 9PM 21+ $15 Advance
12/09 Liberation Open Mic Sign up at 7PM. Light refreshments served, literature + merch for sale. Masks encouraged. Hosted by Kaleigh O'Keefe + Rachel Domond. Presented by Boston Liberation Center + the Party for Socialism & Liberation. @Boston Liberation Center 7PM All Ages Suggested Donation $5-15 @bostonliberationcenter
12/09 Soul Sessions Presents
The Christman Collective a diverse ensemble playing a blend of funk, rock, and soul tempo led by Michael Christman. Reservations required! www.dcbkboston.com @Darryl's Corner Bar 7PM All Ages $10
12/10 5th Annual Tunes for Tots ft. Lenny Lashley's Gang of One, Loser's Circle & More @Midway Cafe 3PM All Ages $10
12/10 Hinterlands Ball featuring Colleen Green, Sinnet, Me in Capris @Arts at the Armory 7PM All Ages $18
12/10 Oneida, Martin Bisi, Thalia Zedek @Lilypad 7PM All Ages $12
12/12 Key of Caustic, Little Fuss, Burp @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/12 Bowery Presents Lightning Bolt + babybaby_ explores Tickets at www.axs.com/events/453575/ lightning-bolt-tickets @Royale 7PM 18+ $23 Advance, $25 Day of
12/14 Fully Celebrated Orchestra w/ Sage King and Alex Rohan @Midway Cafe 7:30PM 21+ $5
12/15 + 12/16 Dissolve Music 2022: Spatial Sound Festival Non-Event is pleased to collaborate with the MIT Spatial Sound Lab to present a 2-day festival of live performances on a special 8.2 channel surround D&B system. Experience unique multichannel sound performances by artists from around New England such as Andrea Pensado, Aaron Bellamy, David Dogan, DJ Whysham with Cakeswagg and Brandie Blaze, Weilu Ge, Ed Osborn, Luis Cuco Daglia, Leftroman, and special guests. @MIT Building W97 7PM All Ages $10
12/16 Boston Soul Revue Motown Dance Party! @Cantab Lounge 9:30PM
12/17 Brian Chase, Anthony Coleman Duet @New School of Music 7:45PM All Ages $ome Cost
12/17 Sleepyhead, Elk City, The Tear Downs, Hilken Mancini & Chris Colbourn @Midway Cafe 8PM 21+ $10
12/17 Sorrowseed, Solemn Vision, Goblet, Swarmcatcher @Sammy's Patio 7PM 18+ $10-15
12/17 Hustle Killer Presents Rock The Bells Contest Best performance wins, your own headliner show, studio session, interview and merch! Plus special guests! @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $ome Cost @hustle_killer_hq
12/18 Fat Randy, Thighs, Clamb @O'Briens Pub 8PM 21+ $10
12/18 Kids Like You And Me Presents Nice Guys, Adult Learners, The Swettes, Johnnie and the Foodmasters @State Park Bar 7PM All Ages FREE @theklyam
12/19 Rougorou, Dwelley, Dark Time @Charlie's Kitchen 8PM 21+ $5
12/22 Cakeswagg and Friends Special holiday performances @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $10
12/29 Alcide Music Group Presents Good Music Showcase Series Come dance to the amazing music of Soca, Afrobeat, Dancehall, Latin vibes, Kizomba, + Konpa artists! @The Jungle 8PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/30 Richie Rich & 24 Karat Funk @Cantab Lounge 9:30PM 18+ $ome Cost
12/31 Old School New Year's Eve Celebration Music by Bob Diesel + DJ Bruno bringing you the best house, hip hop, latin, reggae, funk and disco from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. @Cantab Lounge 10PM 21+ $ome Cost
12/31 Bad Art Ensemble New Year's Eve Show!! @The Plough and Stars 10PM 21+ $ome Cost
Bad For The Community Podcast Full of hot takes, local hip hop, and deep culture! Come for the reckless entertainment, stay for the laughs! New episodes every week! Listen on Spotify + Youtube. Follow on IG @bftcpodcast
Master of the Chamber A Competitive Hip-Hop Event by THRILL Studios featuring the best local MCs around! If you miss them in person then check out each round on Youtube. Search "enjoythethrill" and look for THE CHAMBER. On IG @masterofthechamber
TheMUSEUM TV + The Soundlab present The Testing Lab a bi-weekly event where local musicians can perform their original music and get feedback from a panel of experts! Spots fill up fast so make sure to stay in tune @thesoundlabma or email thetestinglabma@gmail.com
performance art
12/02-12/31 The Slutcracker returns to Davis Square with its annual burlesque version of the Nutcracker filled with lots of humor and bodies of every kind. It’s a Boston holiday tradition! Tix at SomervilleTheatre.com
12/04-1/29 Head to Harvard Sq for the Boston premiere of Life of Pi, a harrowing and inspiring epic new play based on the beloved book. Tix at americanrepertorytheater.org
12/07 Poetry Night Open Mic Hosted by slam champ Dawn Gabriel. Stay tuned for special guest features!
@Cantab Lounge 7PM 18+ $3
12/08-12/11 Lindsay Blemish’s new work, Are You Someone to Somebody? , uses text, movement, abstract design and multimedia to create a language expressing the range of the human experience. Tix at EmersonTheatres.org
Thru 12/10 The Chinese Lady is the subversive and poetic story of Afong Moy and her life as a side show act in a changing America from 1834-1879. Tix at CentralSquareTheater.org
12/11 Women Artists in Action Presents Go Go Dancing! A dance workshop put on by Onyxx Performance Group. @Salsa Y Control Dance Studio 1PM $5-15
12/19 If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It Open Mic the longest running monthly open mic that prioritizes the voices of LGBTQIA+ communities of color. All talents welcome: poets, musicians, dancers, comedians, activists, more! Sign Ups at 6PM @The Jungle 6:30PM 21+ FREE
Comedy At The Jungle Peter Liu hosts a comedy open mic with a lineup of great Boston comedians every Tuesday @The Jungle 9:30PM 21+ $ome Cost
Duck Duck Goofs Presents Night School $4 Drinks. The funniest comedians. A true late night show. Enter through the hidden door on the side of the building, and walk into an abandoned classroom that we've transformed into a speakeasy. Every Saturday night! @Cambridge Community Center 8PM + 10PM 21+ $15
Duck Duck Goofs Presents Goofs Underground: Comedy Under the Cantab Every Thursday enjoy local comedians, live music openers, and drink specials @Cantab Lounge Basement 8PM 21+ $10
12/21 + 12/22 Wim Wender’s 1987 poetic masterpiece Wings of Desire will make you feel all the feels when an angel falls in love with a mortal. Required viewing! Tix at BrattleFilm.org
12/03 + 12/04 20th Anniversary Artists Group of Charlestown Open Studios! 11AM-5PM each day.
12/03 90's Paint Nite a fun-filled in-person gathering with like minded individuals and a safe space to express yourself! Keep the art you make! Supplies + goodie bags provided. Alcohol present + 420 friendly. Tickets on Eventbrite @Boston Funk 5PM 21+ $25
12/03 Vernon Street Open Studios Returning after a 4 year hiatus! Support the Arts and shop local! @6 & 20 Vernon Street, Somerville, MA 02145 12PM All Ages
12/11 Fine Art & Music MAP Family Learning Center and Creative Malden invite you to experience the amazing music of classical guitarist Devin Ulibarri while enjoying beautiful fine art and crafts. @The Gallery@57 1PM All Ages FREE
12/11 NUDE a live figure drawing experience Instructed by Squaredotcom. Music by Real P, DJ Slick Vick, Tricia Reed + $ean Wire. Presented by Side Presents, DOITFOREAL, + Lifted Smoking Good @ Nubian Gallery 6PM 21+ $25-75 @djrealp @sidepresents
12/16 HIDE AND SEE is the latest in the BCA 1:1 Exhibition Series, a series of collaborative projects between one curator and one artist. Curated by Amanda Contrada, this is a solo exhibition of work by artist Mimi Bai. Born in Xi'an, China, Bai contemplates camouflage as a metaphor for assimilation, as a labor-intensive process, and as a methodology for survival and communication that selectively conceals and reveals. Opening Reception: 12/16. On view until 2/18. @Boston Center for the Arts 6PM
12/09-12/13 The Brattle is screening all 5 films of French New Wave pioneer François Truffaut’s Adventures of Antoine Dionel, the auteur’s alter ego played over the course of 20 years by actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. If you see one, make it both actor/directors first film ever, The 400 Blows. Tix at BrattleFilm.org
12/11 GRRL HAUS CINEMA’s annual Best of 2022 Short Films , featuring a feast of 28 works by women, non-binary, trans and genderqueer artists. Don’t miss! Tix at BrattleFilm.org. Two showtimes! @Brattle Theater 6PM All Ages $12/14
12/13 Batman Returns Head to Kendall to watch the Penguin play Gotham City like a harp from Hell in Tim Burton’s 1992 classic featuring the only cat woman that matters. Screening at Kendall Square Cinema. Tix at LandmarkTheatres.com @Kendall Square Cinema 7PM All Ages $7
Connect You Inner G Through Art Every Monday, Thursday + Friday come and explore different art mediums to further connect yourself through the art of expression with KPDesignz. This will be an open space for connections and expressions to expand upon both in ourselves and each other. Tickets on Eventbrite. 6PM-8PM
Dream of a Common Language is a new exhibition that highlights four women artists who explore issues of race, culture and ecology through prints, paintings, multimedia sculptures, collars, vests, bags and moccasins.
On view until 12/31 @PEG Center for Art & Activism
12/07 Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism HOLIDAY HANGOUT Toast to 7 years of BINJ with this laid back community hang! Come for a drink and commune in the place where it all started.
@The Plough and Stars 6PM 21+
12/26 FPAC Pop-Up Fringe
Festival: Getting Older but Not Necessarily Wiser New work from the New England Indie Authors Collective and friends. Among the readers and performers: memoirist Judah Leblang, novelists Randy Ross and Jason M. Rubin, and nonfiction author Stephanie Schorow. @Assemblage Art Space 7PM $10 Suggested Donation
Breaking The Chains Mag Vol. 7. No. 1 The Woman Worker out now! The expanded organizing of women workers has the potential to bring class struggle front and center to the women’s movement in ways that have been repressed and elided over the last several decades. What do these developments mean for women workers in the struggle for socialist liberation? How do we utilize our history, a vast history of women’s leadership and initiative in the labor movement, to inform our work in the current context? Snag your copy at www. breakingthechainsmag.com
COMIXSCAPE LJ-Baptiste, art educator and cartoonist, runs this vibrant comic book series featuring the adventures of a bright-eyed, perpetually preteen boy and his raccoon sidekick. Learn more and buy a copy www.comixscape.net @xscapistlj
Flight Or Visibility Cookbook
Unlike most cookbooks, this one has very few actual recipes. It is designed to empower readers to get creative in the kitchen! With illustration by Lavender Menace Press! Snag one at a show or hit them up for one on IG @flightorvisibility
How to Fight Hundutva from the Diaspora & more! Payal Kumar creates powerful, unique digital zines that are available for free online! Explore these beautiful pieces and learn tools of knowledge to expand your notion of a “zine”. www.riotlrrrkhi.contactin.bio
Middle of Nowhere (Part One)
This is the journey of two main characters; Andre and Tracey. The story is true to its title, as you are dropped in a random point of their lives. You literally navigate the timeline with them as their journeys intertwine. What seems like nothing, or nowhere, wherever you are... means something. Book created by Mechillwave. Grab a copy here and check out other cool wares! www.mechillwavecollection.myshopify.com @chillwvy
community
12/03 Grand Opening of the new Artisans Asylum! Events happening all day to celebrate including marker's market, food trucks, gallery showcase, silent auction and more! @Artisans Asylum 1PM All Ages FREE
12/03 Creatives of Color Boston Presents Giving To Yourself Week: 2 Virtual Workshops. The Gift of Stillness: Learning to Grant Yourself Peace Through Restorative Movement, Meditation + Rest with Marlene Boyette at 11AM Sliding Scale $5-$60. Ser Artista: Centering Wellness Through Artistic Practice with Doctora Xingona Diana Alvarez at 2PM Sliding Scale $5-$60
12/03 Piyesta Pinoy Celebrate Filipino food culture + love for the holidays with this special market!
@Bow Market 11AM FREE
12/03 JP Open Market: Holiday Pop Up Shop local makers of art, crafts, clothing, gifts, goods and more! @Indoors at 684 Centre St, JP 11AM
12/04 Annual Holiday Fair! Featuring: Local art, crafts, chair massage, live music. Snacks and wine too! All ages welcome @The Loft 2PM All Ages
12/04 + 12/18 Somerville Flea Presents Holiday Markets Two packed floors with 30+ vintage and artisan vendors! Find that perfect gift you never knew existed! @Arts at the Armory 10AM All Ages FREE
12/08 Everyday Boston, Unity Cup, and Boston Public Library Present: A Community Story Share Event! Join us to celebrate our city's diversity at this interactive event. We'll bring the story prompts, you bring your curiosity and willingness to connect. @6PM FREE @everydayboston
12/08 The "Stories Connect Us" Series: A Monthly Meet-Up for *All* Bostonians Join us in Grove Hall for the December edition of our "Stories Connect Us" series, in which you get to pull up a chair, sit with some neighbors you may not otherwise know, and connect through the sharing of life stories. @Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library 6PM All Ages FREE
12/08 Kathryn Kolbert Lecture: The End of Roe v. Wade and the Future of Reproductive Rights @MAAM 6:30PM FREE
12/10 North American Indian Center of Boston's Annual Art & Crafts Fair Authentic Native American crafts and food! Come shop for unique holiday gifts! All proceeds from food will be used for youth programming. Interested in vending? Contact gcolon@naicob.org @North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) 12PM All Ages FREE
12/10 + 12/11 Winter Holiday Market at Humphrey Street Studios Find one-of-a-kind gifts made by local artists and creative small businesses directly! @Humphreys Street Studios (HSS) 11AM All Ages FREE @humphreysstreetstudio
12/11 The Brighton Bazaar A pop-up retail space for small local businesses who either aren't ready for a store of their own, or can't afford to pay the crazy commercial rent prices in the Boston area. Vintage clothes, records, crafts, art and more! @Brighton Elks Lodge 11AM FREE
12/15 The Brighton Bazaar: Night Market Over 50 small local businesses selling art, vinyl, vintage, & more! Food + drink in the courtyard! @Charles River Speedway 5PM FREE
Shop The Block Holiday Market every Saturday! Support local BIPOC small business owners with Black Market Nubian this holiday season 1PM-5PM. Vendors application open! www.linktr.ee/blackmarketnubian
Dorchester Bike Kitchen Learn how to fix your bike at this free drop-in in Fields Corner! 6-9PM on Mondays and Saturdays.
Melanin Owned Business Vendors Flea Market is back at a new location 1351 Hyde Park Ave every Saturday 12PM-5PM. Spoken Word open mics too! Contact 585-237-8487 for vending opportunities. Vendors of color please reach out! @m.o.b_vendors21
Lucy Parsons Center, your favorite radical bookstore and community space, is moving back to the South End (Into MakeShift’s former spot). They need your help fundraising to make the transition smooth and help keep this Boston staple going! To donate visit www.tinyurl.com/lpcfunds or check their social media @lucyparsonscenter
advocacy
Cocoon Collective A weekly dropin space for young women and girls affected by incarceration to receive academic support and mentorship as well as work on seasonal goals. Every Monday 4PM-5PM via Zoom. Email to joininfo@sistersunchained.com
The Eastern Mass Abortion Fund provides assistance to people who live in or are coming to Eastern Massachusetts for an abortion and provides people with funding and practical support to access
abortion care. They help them get onto MassHealth quickly or find doctors that will take their insurance. They negotiate with abortion providers and pay for callers’ bus or train tickets, car rides, hotels, childcare, and translation services. www.emafund.org
Feed The Hood: People's Resource Table take what you need, leave what you can! FREE food, clothes, & essentials. Bring donations during store hours or leave at the resource table any time every Sunday. Organized by Voices of Liberation @Scope Apparel Store, JP
North American Indian Center of Boston Their mission is to empower the Native American community with the goal of improving the quality of life of Indigenous peoples. They honor Indigenous people who may or may not be part of a federally recognized or state recognized tribe, as well as the peoples whose tribes have been split by the U.S.-Canada border and the U.S.-Mexico border. Lookout for all kinds of awesome community events and gatherings! www.naicob.org @naicob91
Pan-Afrikan Liberation Program Working to amplify, unify, and provide for Black and Brown masses around the world. Youth led + Boston based. Stay in tune on Insta @plpboston
Warm Up Boston: A Mass Line material aid on occupied Massachusett and Wampanoag territory. They distribute food, amenities and supplies to encampments. You can help by volunteering or donating! Follow updates and support at www.ko-fi.com/warmupboston
opportunity
ATTENTION YOUNG FILMMAKERS! Learning how to make your own films? Submit your short films to be screened in an in-person event live on television! Work can be at any level, medium, or style. Contact audrey@scatvsomerville.org with any questions or concerns.
The Black & Indigenous Resistance Fund’s Sabbatical Program for Black and Indigenous Executive Leaders in Massachusetts has been created for executive leaders who identify as Black and/or Indigenous and who lead social justice organizations rooted in BIPOC communities in Massachusetts. The Sabbatical Program offers these leaders the opportunity to take space and time for reflection, review, and renewal, absent the stress of financial concerns and operational demands. Questions? Email Jason Boyd at
CALL FOR EXHIBITION
PROPOSALS! Gallery 263 is taking pitches for their Spring 2023 art exhibition. Organize and present a well-curated exhibition of contemporary art from start to finish, with guidance and support from the staff. A successful proposal considers our unique, multifunctional space and engages our audience visually and conceptually. Open to New England artists of all media types and career levels. Deadline 1/8/2023 Apply online at www.gallery263.com
CALL FOR WRITING
SUBMISSIONS! What do you wish you knew about sex as a teenager? The Sex Letters Project is a collection of writings from people of all backgrounds who want to share their experiences with sexuality, romance and identity. Together we can use our voices to fight sexual shame and stigma and promote a culture of positivity and acceptance! Submit your letters to www. sexlettersproject.tumblr.com. Presented by Pleasure Pie www.pleasurepie.org
Festivals + Projects Grant by the Mass Cultural Council $2,500 grants to support publicly-available cultural activities, projects, or programs taking place before July 2023. Submission deadline: 12/15. Apply at: www.massculturalcouncil.org
New Music Creator Fund offers grants to individual music creators who need support to get to the next stage of their creative practice. The program will support costs which go to
Art by @meiso_eiso Presented by the Lucy Parsons Center
