Periodically, we pose questions about issues artists face in their work and lives. It's hard to calculate the change and disruption the COVID-19 crisis has caused, on every level. We were curious about the ways it might have shifted the trajectory of artists' work. We asked artists in different disciplines: How has the pandemic impacted your creative practice? Cat … [Read more...]
New Work New England
The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has announced an exciting new grant opportunity for New England performing artists: New Work New England. What does it fund? New performing arts work in New England. It awards grants of $7,500-$15,000 to support the creation of new work that has the potential to engage multiple New England communities. The program has a special … [Read more...]
Balla Kouyaté In the Spotlight
The National Endowment for the Arts just named Massachusetts Traditional Artist Fellow Balla Kouyaté as a 2019 NEA National Heritage Fellow. … [Read more...]
Jodie Michael: Sticking With It
Jodie Michael is a drummer currently studying in the Global Jazz Masters program at Berklee College of Music. ArtSake recently caught up with her to learn more about her experiences as a student and being a jazz instrumentalist. Why drums? Why not drums?! The drums were always an instrument I felt a connection to, prior to making it my career. When I decided to take it up I … [Read more...]
Mary Bichner: Seeing Music
Mary Bichner is a composer, orchestrator, and performer whose opera-in-progress, The Memoirs of Antonina, will have a special concert reading at Central Square Theater (Sep 2, 2018, 7 PM, free but reservations required). We asked the artist about her unique musical mind, the support she's earned from funders and organizations, and what's next in her intriguing and colorful … [Read more...]