Next ‘Honoring Elders’ program to highlight Spittle, Drohen
Gail Mason will convene the next “Honoring Elders” event at the Wendell Meetinghouse, featuring Nancy Spittle and Rick Drohen, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m.
“Honoring Elders” celebrations provide opportunities to learn about the honored individuals and their role in shaping local environments, and to share stories and appreciations of those being honored. The program is free to attend, thanks in part to a grant from the Wendell Cultural Council.
Spittle and Drohen, who married and raised kids in Wendell, both have degrees in nursing. Spittle served on Wendell’s Board of Health from 1991 to 1998, was a Scout leader, worked for seven years as the Swift River School nurse, has been with the Wendell Council on Aging since 2014 and helped create the Village Neighbors group.
Drohen helped people build their own homes and built his own home in Wendell. He has held numerous other jobs (psychiatric nurse, mental health professional, carpenter) and served on the Committee for the Department of Industrial Accidents, the board at Franklin County’s YMCA in Greenfield, the Wendell Highway Committee, the Wendell Planning Board and the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse board.
Alves to perform 18 original songs
The Wendell Meetinghouse will host award-winning documentary filmmaker Steve Alves for a performance of 18 of his favorite original songs on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m.
Olivia Nied will accompany Alves on several of his songs. The songs are curated based on the theme, “The Gift of Life.”
“I’ve been singing, writing songs, and playing piano and guitar since I was a teenager,” Alves said in a statement. “After a 40-year career producing movies, I turned my attention full-time to songwriting in 2020.”
Alves hopes his performance invites the audience to experience gratitude and a sense of well-being.
“I am hoping that those who come look at the person sitting next to them, smile and walk out the door in a good mood,” he said. “That’s the whole purpose, bringing awareness to the gift of life.”
Alves’ previous career as a film producer included writing and directing films about New England’s natural and cultural history, including “Food for Change,” “Talking to the Wall: The Story of an American Bargain” and “Together in Time: A Story of New England Contra Music and Dance.” Additional information on his films is available at stevesfilms.com.
Tickets are available in advance by visiting patron.wendellmeetinghouse.org/ticketing/wmh/catalog/events.
Creative Experiences grants coming to Franklin County
The Massachusetts Cultural Council recently announced more than $3.44 million in grants to support 738 festivals, residencies, performances and other cultural activities through the Creative Experiences grant program, including funding that will bolster programs in Franklin County.
Among the programs highlighted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council is “Creativity in the Stacks,” a flexible community program for hands-on arts and crafts classes led by the Shutesbury Public Library that is receiving a $5,000 grant. Workshops include Intro to Inkscape and 3D print design, screen printing, rug braiding, clay projects, leather tooling, glass fusing, watercolors, woodcarving and mosaics.
Similarly, through the LaunchSpace Mobile Makerspace & Creative Workshop Series, the Leverett Library offers a fully stocked and staffed traveling makerspace where people of all ages and abilities explore and create art. Workshops feature both traditional and modern artistic mediums like leather tooling, block printing and rug braiding. The program is getting $2,500 in grant funding.
Other Franklin County funding recipients include the Bernardston Senior Center ($2,500), Cooler Communities in Greenfield ($5,000), Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield ($2,500), Eggtooth Productions in Greenfield ($2,500), Field Memorial Library in Conway ($2,500), Franklin Land Trust of Shelburne ($2,500), the Friends of Robert Strong Woodward ($5,000), the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library ($5,000), the Greenfield Business Association ($5,000), Greenfield Community College ($5,000), the Mary Lyon Foundation of Buckland ($5,000), Nam’s School in Greenfield ($5,000), the Ohketeau Cultural Center of Ashfield ($5,000), Orange Public Libraries ($5,000), Richie Richardson FAB of Montague ($5,000), the Sunderland Public Library ($5,000), Tilton Library in South Deerfield ($5,000), Charlemont ($5,000) and the Wendell Free Library ($5,000). The complete fiscal year 2027 Creative Experiences funding list is available at massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/creative-experiences/funding-list.
Folk musician coming to All Souls Church
All Souls Church at 399 Main St. in Greenfield will host an evening of acoustic music and storytelling with folk musician Claudia Schmidt on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m.
With a 12-string guitar and mountain dulcimer, Schmidt blends folk, jazz and traditional roots music into a tapestry of song and spoken word. Admission is $20 at the door, though no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Schmidt will also lead the church service on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 10:30 a.m. Her message on Sunday morning is, “If I only had the nerve.”
Exhibit by Bernice Tuttle on display in Erving
“Pierced Together (Again): From Quilts to Collage and Beyond,” an exhibit by Bernice Tuttle, is on display in the Erving Public Library’s Community Room through Wednesday, Oct. 28.