Arts

Transformed Mosesian Center for the Arts to Reopen in November with Several Performances Scheduled in 2021

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Mosesian Center for the ArtsA rendering of the what the new lobby at the Mosesian Center for the Arts will look like after renovations are complete. Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the Mosesian Center for the Arts will reopen after closing for the Pandemic with a brand new look which will transform the lobby space into a place where patrons can spread their wings. The arts center located in the Arsenal on the Charles is scheduled to reopen at the beginning of November, and more than a dozen events have been scheduled through the end of 2021, said MCA Executive Director Darren Farrington. Visitors will notice that the twin stairway with a platform in between has been removed. “The (old) lobby had a limited amount of space,” Farrington said.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center Welcomes Writers & Musicians for Earfull Series, Group that Melds Hip Hop & Other Genres

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The Mosesian Center for the Arts provided the following announcement:

While the Mosesian Center for the Arts building remains closed for renovation, the arts center continues to produce live, in-person events on the grounds of the Commander’s Mansion at the Arsenal on the Charles. On July 14 and August 4, two Earfull events takes the stage—and both are nearly sold out. Since the early 2000’s, Boston musician and author Jen Trynin, and bookstore connoisseur Tim Huggins, have been hosting the series, bringing together the worlds of writers and musicians. They prove that, given the right environment, Book People will love the experience of live music, and Rock People will realize how cool it is to hear great authors reading their work aloud. On July 28, STL GLD performs with Regie Gibson.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center Bringing Live Music, Comedy, and Earfull Series to Town This Summer

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Will Dailey will give his first live performance since 2019 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts Live at the Mansion. The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Mosesian Center for the Arts is thrilled to bring live, in-person events back to the Arsenal on the Charles. Despite being shuttered since March 2020 and now closed for major lobby renovations, the arts organization will be presenting five fabulous evenings of entertainment on the grounds of the historic Commander’s Mansion on Wednesday evenings this summer. On June 23, seven-time Boston Music Award-winner Will Dailey will take the stage fresh off Boston’s Hot Stove Cool Music benefit as he gears up for Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Music Festival later this summer. This will be Will’s first live show back in front of an audience since 2019.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center for the Arts Reimagines Historic Building, Programming & Benefit

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The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

After having to cancel last year’s Annual Benefit and Mosesian Awards, board and staff members at the Mosesian Center for the Arts have been working diligently to plan this year’s event. “The benefit will be held virtually,” reports Executive Director Darren Farrington, “but that won’t diminish the spectacle and enjoyment.”

The event theme is REIMAGINE, in recognition of reimagining its programming virtually over the past year, reimaging its staff and how and where they work, and reimagining the design of their space itself. Housed in an 1894 industrial workshop of the former United States Army Arsenal, the fifteen-year-old arts center will undergo a major renovation to its lobby and classroom spaces this year. “Because of all of the changes, we’re using this benefit to tell a story,” Farrington says. “It’s the story of this building and of the Mosesian Center for the Arts, through video segments about the history of the space and about all of the arts programs that we host here now.”

Event highlights will include a short documentary film titled From Armaments to Arts about the history of the building; a conversation with architects on redesigning historic spaces, moderated by GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen; visits from companies that regularly perform at MCA, including Watertown Children’s Theatre, New Repertory Theatre, Boston Midsummer Opera, Flat Earth Theatre, and Earfull; new music from Boston-based power pop band JATK; a virtual exhibition of reimagined artworks; and the reveal of the concept designs for the lobby renovations.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center for the Arts Reimagining Itself in 2021

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The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

Closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mosesian Center for the Arts has had to reimagine its programming. In the past year, the nonprofit has kept its virtual doors open, however, for programs like Watertown Children’s Theatre, providing exceptional online production opportunities and classes, and for free online content, including an Annual Meeting, on its website and social media. The MCA has even reimagined itself with a new Executive Director, Darren Farrington, who joined the arts center last August. “In this year of upending change for the arts and all of our community,” Farrington said in an announcement to the center’s membership, “the MCA is embracing the opportunity for more change. We’ve been reimagining the look and functionality of our building itself.”

Since last summer, the MCA has quietly been conducting a feasibility study with architects from Sasaki Associates for a renovation of lobby and gallery spaces, classrooms, and administrative offices.

Around Town

Get Ready for YardArt Watertown, See How to Participate

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The following information was provided by the YardArt organizers:

Push back against this dreary winter by creating something in your yard, porch or doorway – a structure, an art project, a contraption, or anything that pops to mind. Delight, surprise, inspire, and amuse yourself and your neighbors! Anyone can participate–no fees and no age requirement. Your creationshould be family friendly and viewable from the street or sidewalk. Yourproject will be listed on the YardArt map and you’ll receive a yard signto mark your location.

Entertainment

Make Your Own Creation and Join in YardArt Watertown

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Everyone from artists to people who have never created anything before are invited to make something and display it in their front yard as part of a Town-wide art exhibition. Organizers of the event, dubbed YardArt Watertown, wanted to bring some cheer to Watertown during the gloom of winter, said one of the organizers, Roberta Miller. “We need something this winter that is fun and gets people outside — kind of like porch fest, only it’s art,” Miller said. “Some people have done projects similar to this, decorate your door. So, after a lot of discussion with this small group, the idea emerged that we would do YardArt and we would encourage people to make something fun.

Entertainment

Mosesian Center for the Arts Announces New Executive Director

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Darren Farrington was hired in August 2020 as Executive Director of Mosesian Center for the Arts. The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Board of Directors of the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts (MCA) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Darren Farrington as Executive Director effective August 17, 2020. Darren is a highly experienced and passionate arts administrator, educator, theatre maker, and arts advocate. During these challenging times, Darren’s grounded, creative, and thoughtful leadership brings an unwavering confidence that MCA will continue to deliver on its mission to enrich the lives of diverse audiences and participants by providing exceptional experiences in theatre, visual, and literary arts. For the past ten years, Darren has been the Executive Director of No Boundaries Youth Theater in New Britain, Conn., which he co-founded in 2010 for underserved children and teens. Darren has also worked for the past three years as Administrator for the Connecticut Arts Alliance, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization for arts and culture.