Holyoke Media

Afro-Caribbean Culture and Music Celebration
2024-06-14 18:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-15 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Halifax) | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Celebrate Juneteenth and the power of culture in Holyoke June 14 & 15
FREE Workshops both Friday and Saturday 4:00 – 5:00 pm
St. Paul’s Church
485 Appleton St., Holyoke, MA 01040
FREE Performances both Friday and Saturday 6:00 – 8:00
Holyoke Media Center
1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA 01040
Join us on June 14 and 15 to celebrate Juneteenth here in Holyoke as we bring the power of culture as a space for dialogue and unity through music, dance, talks, and conviviality.
Both days there will be dance and percussion workshops led by world-renowned artists

Lazaro Galarraga – Afro-Cuban Percussion
Roman Diaz – Afro-Cuban Percussion
Danys (La Mora) Perez
Oyu Oro – Days (La Mora) Perez Dance Company
Sandy Perez – Afro-Cuban Percussionist
Rumba by the Connecticut River

These activities are free and open to the public.

Valley Jazz Shares - aRT
2024-06-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Pheeroan akLaff (drums), Scott Robinson, (reeds), Dr. Julian Thayer (bass).
From the Valley JAzz Shares website:
”
The trio known as aRT – akLaff, Robinson, Thayer – is a highly adventurous group of creative minds that has been performing new and startling music since 1988. aRThas appeared at jazz festivals, art galleries, and scientific conferences here and abroad, and has produced collaborative projects with sculptor Rob Fisher and choreographer LaRue Allen. aRT’s 1991 “Flying Carpet” multimedia performance at the Knitting Factory premiered a new, improvisational method of interactively intermixing art/performance video streams. This idea was expanded upon in 1996 for the Studio for Creative Inquiry in Pittsburgh, where their planetarium performance “Night of the Living Cell” combined imagery of cell life with real-time video feed of the performers – in 3D! “The result,” The Wall Street Journal reported at the time, “could become a new form of artistic experience.” In 1997, aRT was selected to be the closing act for the Sun Ra Festival in New York. In 2020, aRT performed in Philadelphia for the Institute of Contemporary Art’s exhibition on Milford Graves, with whom aRT had been working toward a collaborative music/science project. As Mr. Graves was not well enough to perform, he graciously provided a set of his TonoRhythmology/Sonification recordings – which he created by translating his own physiological data into musical sound — along with his blessing to incorporate them into the performance. This provided a means by which he could, in a way, be present and part of the music… an idea that aRT hopes to expand on in future performances. Most recently, aRT mounted a major multimedia concert event at Roulette, “Higher Powers,” in honor of painter Richard M. Powers’ 2021 centennial.
aRT: Pheeroan akLaff is one of the most important drummer/percussionists in creative music. Since a very young age he has been a major contributor to the artform, working alongside giants such as Anthony Braxton, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill, Oliver Lake, Sam Rivers, Henry Threadgill and many more. Pheeroan’s music is steeped in powerful ritual and imagination, and through his organization Seed Artists he is finding new ways to present this music to the public.
Scott Robinson is an award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist who has presented his music in nearly every corner of the globe, appearing on more than 275 recordings. He has worked with Joe Lovano, Ron Carter, Maria Schneider, Chet Baker, Henry Grimes, Ella Fitzgerald, Anthony Braxton and many more. Scott’s ScienSonic Laboratories imprint has released more than a dozen adventurous and far-reaching albums, including Flow States with Milford Graves, Roscoe Mitchell and Marshall Allen. His quartet album Tenormore was named “Best New Release” in a 2019 JazzTimes poll.
Dr. Julian Thayer is currently Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science at UC Irvine. A Fulbright Fellow and winner of the Distinguished Scientist Award, he has produced more than 650 publications, and is ranked among the top .1% of most-cited researchers worldwide. His research on music and psycho-acoustics has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Psychology Today. An accomplished bassist, Jules has recorded with Geri Allen, Charlie Mariano, George Garzone and others.”

Board of Public Works Special Meeting
2024-06-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
The special meeting of the Board of Public Works, Sewer Commission and the Stormwater
Commission will be held on Monday, June 24, 2024 at 6:00pm at Holyoke Media, 23 Suffolk Street, Holyoke MA.
Meeting ID: 830 8429 5831
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join Zoom meeting
Agenda:
Call to Order
1. Consent Agenda
a. Consideration of Minutes of the Past Meeting
2. 6:15 pm – 7:30 pm Presentation from Veolia
3. Consent Agenda continued a. DPW Director Report
b. City Engineer Report
c. Commissioner’s Liaison Reports
d. Abatements (second meeting of the month unless otherwise noted)
i. Kayla Rodriguez – 14 Laurel Street (SR003181)
4. Review and Affirm Chapter 214 MGL, Acts 2002 5. Board of Public Works Summer Meeting Schedule

Open Stage Showcase
2024-07-19 00:00 | MA
Discover Exciting New & Established Western New England ArtistsAugust 8th 7:00 pm @Holyoke Media 1 Court Plaza Holyoke, MA Free AdmissionSolo artists, duos, and trios performing their own original music.The New Music Alliance (501c(3) and Holyoke Media have partnered to present this monthly Showcase in the Brand New State-of-the-Art Holyoke Media Facility!Enjoy a great show in a superb acoustically-optimized listening room environment- Unique to this area!
Who’s Appearing? (in order of appearance)* Jesse Brody Marlboro, VT* Uncle Stash Pittsfield, MA* Steve Rodgers Hamden, CT (Featured)* Still Rivers Wethersfield, CT* Bekka Dowland Westfield, MA* Dave Wiedenfeld & The Unexpected Easthampton, MA* Ian Galipeau Keene, NH–Your Host: Mark SherrySponsored by Downtown Sounds

Theater of the Mind
2024-07-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Come hear a collection of podcasts a group of teens created drawing from their experiences and imaginations, they have put together a collection of scenes that explore relationships, bullying, boundaries and more. Recommended for ages 13+
Reserve tickets for free at PTCO.org/VPM
Engage your community with the stories that matter to you!
Valley Playwright Mentoring (VPM) is an afterschool theatre program for teens ages 13 and up. No previous theatre experience is required!
Participants create a performance or podcasts based on stories from their lives that is shared with the community. Teens who complete the program receive a stipend. Space is limited to 12 participants per group.

Masters of Sonic Liberation
2024-07-25 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-08-29 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-09-26 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-10-24 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly live experimental music performance featuring musicians from across New England.

Open Stage Showcase
2024-08-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States

Rinse Cycle
2024-08-22 18:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Rinse cycle aims showcase the intersection of experimental, noise, and electronic music in honor of the musically diverse community of western mass.
Featuring: A.R. Sun – Sad Noise – Web Hex – Tempestade – Barbie Ai.
Free and open to the publics, donations welcome.

Foes of a Minimum Wage Guard
2024-08-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
SHOPLIFTING! INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SHRINK! EMPLOYEE DISHONESTY! ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME! RISING COSTS!
Tickets are now available for my upcoming solo play, “Foes of a Minimum Wage Guard”!
For this semi-autobiographical tale, I included some of my experience working in loss prevention and retail security. I always imagined what life would’ve been for me if I stayed in the field.
In this comedy story, Steve Smelly, an old complacent retail guard for a struggling department store in a dead mall, is reassigned as a loss prevention officer. If he fails to stop rampant thefts, he will be terminated by a grumpy district manager.
This 90-minute story of self discovery is a tribute to the forgotten department stores and malls that closed in recent years. I will be portraying 10 different characters and the conclusion to this ride will knock you out of your seats!

Police Chief Search Public Listening Session
2024-08-27 17:00 - 19:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
The Search Committee tasked with evaluating candidates for the position of police chief and then forwarding their recommendations to the Mayor will hold a public listening session at Holyoke Media on Tuesday, August 27, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Police Chief David Pratt announced his retirement on May 3. After 31 years of service, Chief Pratt will step down July 31. Holyoke Police Captain Isaias Cruz will serve as interim chief until a permanent chief is named.
The Search Committee recently engaged the services of Public Safety Consultants LLC to assist the team. Public Safety Consultants provides a range of specialized services, including personnel management, to municipal fire and police departments in Massachusetts. One of the firm’s principals, Russ Stevens, will participate in the listening session. He has 37 years of municipal and state law enforcement experience, retiring as Chief of Staff to the Connecticut State Police Colonel. Stevens holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s in Communication. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy and is currently the President of the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.
Appointed to the Search Committee by Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia are Kelly Curran, the City’s Personnel Director, Ward 1 City Councilor Jenny Rivera (chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee), Holyoke Police Sargent Joseph Zurheide, Narcotics Intervention Officer Detective Dorothy Beben, Community Police Officer Josh Colon and citizen participants — all members of the Police Relations Committee — Axel Fontanez, retired Holyoke Police Captain Alan Fletcher, Quilana Rivera, Colleen Chesmore, Rosanna Lopez, and Jennifer Keitt.
Watch the live stream HERE

License Board
2024-09-04 17:15 - 20:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
The Regular Meeting of Holyoke’s License Board.
Agenda forthcoming.

Community Creatives
2024-09-05 17:00 - 2024-09-06 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Julissa and Ebbie set the stage for the public to share your poems, your music!
COVID safety measures in place.

Building Community Through The Arts
2024-09-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
visual arts + poetry workshop
We hope you’re as well as can be during these Times. As the days get shorter and we move further into the election season, we understand the importance of gathering community to remind each other that “we are each other’s magnitude…we are each other’s harvest” (Gwendolyn Brooks). We are offering two workshops and an open mic on Sept. 5 and 6.

We invite you to show up as you are and bring your grief, your rage, your joy and whatever you might be holding. These offerings are QTBIPOC centered and are all welcome! ✨💜

Thurs. Sept. 5
6-8 pm visual arts + poetry workshop

Fri. Sept. 6
5-6:30 pm workshop
7-8 pm open mic and reading with Ebbie + Julissa
Slots are 5 min. for the open mic.

Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA

As a practice of community care, we are requiring well-fitted, high filtration masks (KN-95 or higher). Extra masks provided at the door. We will have at least one air filter running in the space.

Space is limited so please RSVP by Tues. Sept. 3 if you can! Very limited spots available for walk-ins. Please share with your networks widely. Thank you!

Building Community Through The Arts
2024-09-06 17:00 - 18:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
We hope you’re as well as can be during these Times. As the days get shorter and we move further into the election season, we understand the importance of gathering community to remind each other that “we are each other’s magnitude…we are each other’s harvest” (Gwendolyn Brooks). We are offering two workshops and an open mic on Sept. 5 and 6.

We invite you to show up as you are and bring your grief, your rage, your joy and whatever you might be holding. These offerings are QTBIPOC centered and are all welcome! ✨💜

Fri. Sept. 6
5-6:30 pm workshop
7-8 pm open mic and reading with Ebbie + Julissa
Slots are 5 min. for the open mic.

Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza
Holyoke, MA

As a practice of community care, we are requiring well-fitted, high filtration masks (KN-95 or higher). Extra masks provided at the door. We will have at least one air filter running in the space.

Space is limited so please RSVP by Tues. Sept. 3 if you can! Very limited spots available for walk-ins. Please share with your networks widely. Thank you!

Open Stage Showcase
2024-09-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Discover Exciting New & Established Western New England ArtistsSeptember 12th 7:00 pm @Holyoke Media 1 Court Plaza Holyoke, MA Free AdmissionSolo artists, duos, and trios performing their own original music.The New Music Alliance (501c(3) and Holyoke Media have partnered to present this monthly Showcase in the Brand New State-of-the-Art Holyoke Media Facility!Enjoy a great show in a superb acoustically-optimized listening room environment- Unique to this area!
Who’s Appearing? (in order of appearance)
* Zack Danziger Holyoke, MA/Dummerston VT* Sasha K.A. Easthampton, MA* Peregrine Road (Rachel Bell & Karen Axelrod) Brattleboro, VT (Featured)* Erin Ash Sullivan Amherst/Harvard, MA* D. A. Stern New Haven, CT* Derrick O’Kanos Enfield, CT, Brattleboro, VT* Jesse Brody (aka Jesse Lepkoff) Marlboro, VT
–Your Host: Mark SherrySponsored by Downtown Sounds

A Benefit Show for the Sexual Minorities Archives
2024-09-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Join us for a night of queer short films, drag, music and a RAFFLE with prizes from local artists & businesses to benefit our beloved Holyoke-based queer archives & the Muslim Alliance for Sexual & Gender Diversity (MASGD)!
Flywheel presents
A Benefit for the Sexual Minorities Archives featuring:
JUANA B ONTOP
(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069342126907)
PERENNIAL
(https://perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/album/art-history)
FEMININE AGGRESSION
(https://feminineaggression.bandcamp.com/)
Selected video shorts from SMA collection
More acts TBA
Hosted by: Lorelei Erisis
Holyoke Media
1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA
Doors at 7:30pm / Show at 8pm
$10-20+ suggested donation
Mask required & free at door to be more accessible to immunocompromised folks
Flyer by Crystal Ford
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Minorities Archives (SMA), one of the oldest and largest LGBTQI archives in the United States, located in Holyoke, MA. Now occupying most of an historic Victorian house affectionately called “The Pink Lady,” the Archives has been stewarded for most of its five decades by curator Ben Power and many dedicated community volunteers and board directors.
As a community resource with a mission to remain outside of institutional/university ownership, the SMA is currently struggling to make ends meet–to pay monthly utilities and basic operating costs. As a national treasure located right in our backyard, we are hosting this benefit to help the SMA continue its work as a steward of 10,000s of pieces of queer media and a community resources for researchers, students, activists and LGBTQI folks looking to understand more about the people and movements that make up their lineage.
Please visit the:
SMA’s website (https://sexualminoritiesarchives.wordpress.com/) Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FollowtheSMA) and Instagram @sexualminoritiesarchives
…for more info as well as episodes from the “Out of the Archives” podcast (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1005022).”

Cinema on the Road Presents: Bomba Ancestral, Metamorfosis, Tito Matos: ahora sí
2024-09-20 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
We present three short films that tell the stories of Puerto Rican communities and their cultural advocacy efforts. Bomba Ancestral, directed by filmmaker Eli Jacobs Fantauzzi, honors the ancestors from whom we inherit this beautiful dance, the Bomba. Metamorfosis, created by youth from the town of Orocovis, narrates the resilience of a community transforming an abandoned school into a community center. Tito Matos: Ahora Sí, directed by Noelia Quintero, tells the life story and legacy of Tito Matos, a prominent plenero and cultural advocate. Following the screenings, we will have a conversation with the audience. Join us for this dialogue and learn more about our Asociación de Documentalista de Puerto Rico.

Loculus Presents - Sideways Door 3
2024-09-22 07:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A weekend of ecstasies & escape routes an annual-ish festival celebrating multi-disciplinary performance, process, and practice
Holyoke Media Performance:
Doors 7pm – Show 7:30pm
$15 – $30 sliding scale
Performances by:
Nat Baldwin LOCULUSArien Wilkerson / GLORYHOLE Bobby LaBitch + Kieran Lally / American Ballet Theatre
For more information on the other Sideways Door 3 events, Please visit www.loculuscollective.com

Valley Jazz Shares - Josh Sinton/Jeb Bishop Duo
2024-09-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
From the Valley Jazz Share’s website:
“Called “varied and exciting,” as well as “one of the most striking baritone saxophonists,” Josh Sinton has been heard with some of the leading voices of Brooklyn’s creative music scene since arriving in 2004. He’s led bands as varied as Predicate, musicianer and Ideal Bread as well as performing in the Nate Wooley Quintet, Anthony Braxton’s Tricentric Orchestra and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. He’s studied at the AACM while living in Chicago in the nineties, the New England Conservatory in Boston in the aughts and with friends and colleagues here in NYC. He performs regularly on his chosen instrument the baritone saxophone as well as on bass clarinet and alto flute. He also writes music (and words) when the occasion demands. He is proud to count Ingrid Laubrock, Jonathan Finlayson, Tom Rainey, Jeremiah Cymerman and Guillermo Gregorio among his colleagues and looks forward to making music with many other musicians.
Jeb Bishop was born in Raleigh, North Carolinawhere he began playing the trombone at the age of 10. He majored in classical trombone performance at Northwestern University from 1980-82, studying with Frank Crisafulli. At the same time, he developed an interest in philosophy, eventually majoring in the subject, and spent 1984-85 studying philosophy at the Higher Institute of Philosophy of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He pursue graduate studies in philosophy, first at the University of Arizona, then at Loyola University of Chicago (where he was awarded the Crown Fellowship in the Humanities). Returning to Chicago in 1992, he completed his M.A. at Loyola in 1993. By this time he had already begun to make connections with improvising musicians in Chicago, having joined the Flying Luttenbachers as bassist (later adding trombone) in late 1992. In late 1995, Bishop joined the Vandermark 5 as one of its founding members, and remained with the band through the end of 2004. During this period he also became associated with many other groups, including the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, School Days, Ken Vandermark’s Territory Band, Mars Williams’ Ayler XMass and his own Jeb Bishop Trio, In 2012, Bishop relocated to North Carolina, where he made associations with musicians in the area including David Menestres, Dan Ruccia, Carrie Shull, and Eugene Chadbourne, and helped present and organize performances in the NC Triangle region. In 2015, he relocated again to Boston, and is now back in Chicago.”

Open Stage Showcase by New Music Alliance
2024-10-10 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly concert by different singer-songwriters and musicians.
This month:

American Elm
Heather McLarney
Sage King
Marvin Jackson
Tobey Sol Laroche
Martha Borne

Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums film screening
2024-10-22 19:00 - 21:00 | MA
Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums, the Award-Winning Documentary on the Life and Music of GRAMMY-Nominated Pianist and Composer Omar Sosa,
Trailer here.

The Obituary
2024-11-01 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-11-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
“The Obituary,” the latest creation from playwright Benjamin D. Smith, delves into the poignant tale of a father and son grappling with issues of identity, love, and acceptance in a contemporary world, ultimately leading them to a fateful crossroads.
In a narrative where one lifetime proves insufficient, a son is granted a second chance to communicate the unspoken to the departed, unravelling fifty years of enigmatic family history in the process.
Benjamin Smith, an up-and-coming playwright and student enrolled in Harvard’s esteemed Dramatic Studies Program, weaves an enthralling theatrical narrative that peels back the layers of a family’s hidden triumphs and tribulations.

The Obituary
2024-11-02 15:00 - 16:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
“The Obituary,” the latest creation from playwright Benjamin D. Smith, delves into the poignant tale of a father and son grappling with issues of identity, love, and acceptance in a contemporary world, ultimately leading them to a fateful crossroads.
In a narrative where one lifetime proves insufficient, a son is granted a second chance to communicate the unspoken to the departed, unravelling fifty years of enigmatic family history in the process.
Benjamin Smith, an up-and-coming playwright and student enrolled in Harvard’s esteemed Dramatic Studies Program, weaves an enthralling theatrical narrative that peels back the layers of a family’s hidden triumphs and tribulations.
Catch this compelling production on October 9th, 11th, & 13th at The Latea Theater. Keep an eye out for ticket availability!

Open Stage Showcase by New Music Alliance
2024-11-14 19:00 - 22:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
Discover Exciting New & Established Western New England Artists
Solo artists, duos, and trios performing their own original music.
The New Music Alliance (501c(3) and Holyoke Media have partnered to present this monthly Showcase in the Brand New State-of-the-Art Holyoke Media Facility!
Enjoy a great show in a superb acoustically-optimized listening room environment- Unique to this area!
Who’s Appearing? (in order of appearance)
* Daring Coyotes, Easthampton, MA
* Dan Zukergood and the Meanies, Holyoke, MA
* Anna May, Waterford, CT
* Martha Bourne, Plainfield, MA
Your Host: Mark Sherry
Sponsored by Downtown Sounds

Open Mic'd
2024-11-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA, 01040, United States
A monthly open mic for poets organized by Attack Bear Press.
Open Mic’d is free and open to the public.
Share your poems before an audience that welcomes everyone.
