Lowell This Weekend: March 27-29, 2009

Salsa Lessons at Ole Tapas Bar & Restaurant
Fridays, 8:00 PM, 76 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
"Salsa Lessons at Ole' Restaurant & Tapas Bar
Get those dancin' shoes on! Every Friday night is "Salsa" night at Ole! The fun starts at 8pm - all are welcomed. Classes are just $10. For more information on this and other upcoming events at Ole', call (978) 735-4470."

The Show and Tell Fundraiser
Friday, 7pm, The Revolving Museum, 22 Shattuck St, Lowell, MA
"A reading with Lowell native and featured artist Dave Robinson, poets Paul Marion and Matt Miller. The evening will be a fundraiser for the Urban Village Arts Series (UVAS) so there is a $10 cover charge. There will be live music and UVAS T-shirts and CDs will be for sale! Please join us for this wonderful night in support of these poets and in support of the incomparable Urban Village Arts Series. Tell your friends!"
revolvingmuseum.org/

Beneath the Surface Exhibit (Last Weekend)
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11am-4:30pm, The Loading Dock Gallery, 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, MA
Rex McManamy and Gregory Wright
theloadingdockgallery.com/

Israeli Film Festival
Saturday, 7pm, 101 West Forest Street, Lowell, MA
Presenting: James' Journey to Jerusalem. A devout Christian from an African Zulu community traveles to the Holy Land and is mistaken for an illegal immegrant. Riddled with humor and pathos, based on a true story. Discussion lead by Rabbi Dawn Rose, PhD. Free, donation appreciated.
temv.org

Live Music at 119 Gallery:
Friday & Saturday 8pm, 119 Gallery, 119 Chelmsford St, Lowell, MA
119gallery.org

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Sunday, 3pm, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA
In the Tony-Award winning new musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. Spelling Bee has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser.” This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. The New York Times calls Spelling Bee, “irresistible, riotously funny and remarkably ingenious – gold stars all around.”
lowellauditorium.com/

Builders of Lowell's Creative Economy

One person can make a big difference. Tuesday morning, 8am at the Federal Building (home to MCC's Library) the following people will be recognized by the Center City Committee for their contributions to Lowell's Creative Economy: (editor's note: photos added from awards ceremony)

- Brett and Suzzanne Cromwell of the Lowell Film Collaborative


- Jerry Bisantz of the Image Theater


- Brett Fermeglia, Jason Gibbs and RC Lations of Audio Park Productions


- Steve Syverson, owner of Van Gogh's Gear and founder of the Arts League of Lowell


- Karl Frey, developer of Western Avenue Studios (Steve Syverson accepted in Karl's absence.)

Lowell This Weekend: March 21-22, 2009

Film Screening: The Great American Quilt Revival
3pm, Saturday March 21, New England Quilt Museum
The Great American Quilt Revival explores how quiltmaking came to be finally recognized as a quintessential American art form. For more information, visit http://www.nequiltmuseum.org/



Lieby Miedema: Works on Paper Exhibit
11am-4pm, Saturday March 21, Whistler House Museum
New York born artist Lieby Miedema has been painting for over 50 years and is best known for her abstract style. For more information, visit http://www.whistlerhouse.org


Live Theatre: "Bad Dates"
8:30pm Saturday March 21st, 2pm & 7pm Sunday March 22nd, Merrimack Repertory Theatre
A hilarious and touching comedy. A single mother with a teenage daughter, a screamingly stressful job, and a collection of 600 pairs of shoes, Haley Walker tries to find love in the big city. For more information visit http://www.merrimackrep.org


Dr T with the New Language Collaborative
8pm, Saturday March 21st, 119 Gallery
Eric Zinman - keyboard
Glynis Loman - cello
Syd Smart - drums
with
Dr T - video mix
For more information, visit http://www.119gallery.org/


Gallery Opening: Massachusetts Artists
2pm-4pm, Sunday March 22nd, Brush Art Gallery & Studios
This show, the third biennial organized by the Brush Gallery, has been juried by Nick Capasso, Senior Curator, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture, Lincoln, MA. The exhibition will run from March 22 to June 13, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.thebrush.org


Dance Into Spring
1-5pm, Sunday March 22nd, Polish American Veteran's Club, 201 Coburn St., Lowell. Polka and Big Band music. All welcome. More info: 603-898-2030


Matthias Kaul & Friends
8pm, Sunday March 22nd, 119 Gallery
Matthias Kaul - solo percussion[Germany]
+
Mike Dailey - solo percussion [Lowell]
Andrew Eisenberg - solo percussion [Boston]
Andy Fordyce - solo percussion [Lowell]
For more information, visit http://119gallery.org

St. Patrick's Day events in Lowell

St. Patrick's Day in Lowell is always off-the-hook. You can drop into almost any of the numerous Irish bars in Lowell this Tuesday and hear live music, a great Guiness and awesome corned beef. Sláinte!

Cappy's Copper Kettle - LIVE Music
2pm – ???? - Generations & J.C. and his Golden Oldies
245 Central St, Lowell, MA

Entertainment is GENERATIONS from 2 p.m. til 8 p.m. and J.C. and his Golden Oldies from 8 p.m. til 2a.m.
Corned beef and cabbage served all day $2.00. Cappy St. Patty's Day.
http://lowelldna.blogspot.com/2009/03/paddy-day.html

Cobblestones - LIVE Music
7PM-10PM - Irish Pub Ramblers

THE BEST CORNED BEEF IN TOWN
$19.99 THREE COURSE PRIX FIXE OPTION

More info here: http://www.cobblestonesoflowell.com/St.Patricks.htm



Be sure to stop in and patronize one of the many pubs in Lowell:

View Larger Map

Lowell This Weekend: Celebrate Jack Kerouac

Celebrate Lowell's own author, poet, and painter: Jack Kerouac, during these events on Saturday, all open to the public:

9:30 am- Tour of Jack Kerouac Sites
"Meet on the front steps of the Pollard Memorial Library for a tour of some of the Kerouac Sites of Lowell led by Roger Brunelle. The focus will be on the Moody Street (now University Avenue) Bridge, the Grotto, and the “Mighty Merrimack” as described in Kerouac’s “Doctor Sax”–published 50 years ago this fall."

2 pm- "Images of Jack's Bridge" Art Reception
"Reception at the Arts League of Lowell Gallery at 246 Market Street. The winners of the “Images of Jack’s Bridge” competition will be announced from the 35 artistic representations of the University Avenue Bridge that are on display. Students from the Sullivan Middle School will also be displaying Kerouac Collages they’ve made in an after-school program where they’ve been learning about Kerouac’s ties to Lowell and beyond."

7:30 pm- Kerouac Birthday Party
"Kerouac Birthday Party at Caffe Paradiso. Music by Alan Crane. Open mike for participants to read their favorite Kerouac piece, or a work of they own inspired by Kerouac’s spirit. A Governor’s Proclamation of Jack Kerouac Day in Massachusetts will also be read–and Kerouac Birthday cake served! "
(information based on this post on Richard Howe's blog)

For other events happening around Lowell this weekend, please check out our Google Calendar shown on the right side of our blog!

Check Out Lowell Artist Blogs

"Art is the Handmaid of Human Good" - Just started a series on how to eat on $60 a week with homemade foods.

"Dimestore Romance" - Shares her experience of unboxing her new Kindle II.



"Mill Girl"- Talks about her experience of becoming a seller in a new art consignment shop in Newburyport.


"Adrien Bisson Photography" - has been going strong on a project called "People at Work".



"Bead & Fiber Babe" - Shares some of her new knitting adventures.

Need something green for St. Patrick's Day? Check out the etsy items to the right!

If we didn't mention you this time, no worries, we'll be making the rounds! If you don't see your blog feed listed below and you live or work in the Lowell area, please let us know and we'll get you fed into the blog!

Lowell This Weekend: So Much to Do!

Check out our awesome new calendar on the right side of our site: http://lowellhandmade.com

This calendar will keep you up to date on everything happening related to arts, music, theatre, and culture around the city! There are so many things that we're anxious to get out and do today, so this post is going to be brief! Here are our top five must-sees around Lowell this weekend, but there's soooo much more on the calendar!

Western Avenue Open Studios- Only one day each month, so check it out!
http://www.westernavenuestudios.com/

(Image by Gary Destramp, one of the many artists you could meet at Open Studios!)

Neither World: A Modern Fairy Tale - One day only!
http://www.flyingorb.com


100 Second Film Festival
http://100seconds.org/


Melting Pot Cultural Cooking Class
http://www.119gallery.org/?p=1311

Lowell is known for its culture diversity. one of the best ways to learn about another culture is to learn about its food. In this cooking class you will learn about unique vegetables and meats are and where to find them. There will be a hands on cooking demo and a buffet lunch after.

Y Sok Woodward of Rebel Chef Catering returns for her second installment of ‘The Melting Pot,’ a cooking demo series that focuses on the creating and experiencing the many ethnic cuisines of people in the Lowell area. “Lowell is known for its cultural diversity, says Y, “The best way to learn about another culture is to learn about its food.”

Vagina Monologues
http://www.119gallery.org/?p=1299

V-Day Lowell is joining the global effort to stop violence against women and girls. For the second year in a row, Lowell will present a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues at 119 Gallery on behalf of the V-Day 2009 campaign. The production will benefit The Rape Crisis Services of Greater Lowell.

Lowell This Week: Women's Week

Women Leading Change: In Our Hearts, Homes, and World
Lowell Women's Week 2009 celebrates women--from the women who have come before us to the women of today.
Our celebration takes place during March, proclaimed by a joint resolution of Congress in 1987 as Women's History Month. This month-long observance grew out of Women's History Week, initiated in 1978 by the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women and enacted in 1981 by a Joint Congressional Resolution. At the center of the celebration is International Women's Day, celebrated worldwide on March 8. For more information and the complete list of events, visit: Lowell Women's Week

FOOD & FILM: Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"
MON 7pm Caffe Paradiso
45 Palmer Street, Lowell
Great food + a great film + great company = A Happy Movie-Goer! Downtown Lowell's renowned Caffe Paradiso is our next stop on our "Food & Film" series, which brings classic films to downtown Lowell eateries. Come early for dinner and drinks and stay for Fellini's stunning, haunting classic.
$3 Suggested Donation
For more information visit: Lowell Film Collaborative

GIRLS ROCK
TUE 6:30-8:30pm Lowell National Historic Visitor Center
"Portland, Oregon's Rock-n-Roll Camp for Girls empowers, inspires, and heals. This evocative documentary makes its Lowell debut during Lowell Women's Week at a special event presented by the Lowell Film Collaborative."
For more information, visit: Lowell Film Collaborative

American Textile History Museum
WED 12-1pm
Behind the scenes tour of the new ATHM Education Center
Bring your brown bag lunch and visit the NEW American Textile History Museum’s (ATHM) education area, our newly built costume storage area, and our scholars’ library. During lunch, hear about our NEW core exhibit and then take our special behind-the-scenes tour. See how we will bring textile history, so impacted by women and their talents, to life. No preregistration necessary – just drop in. For more info, visit: http://www.athm.org/special_events.htm

Working Stories - Karen Westphalen
FRI 8-10pm The Revolving Museum
Ages 18+
"WorkingStories is an audio documentary created from interviews with women and men who have worked in the sex industry. This project intends to portray the real lives of individuals who are frequently misunderstood and misrepresented. Many of the interviewees discuss their work as something that they chose to do. By challenging ourselves to see beyond the negative stereotypes, we can hopefully begin to understand the plight of those for whom prostitution is a trap, not a choice, the individuals who most need help in order to find a way out."
For more information visit: The Revolving Museum