This weekend asks us to think about the ways that communities come together. At Pao Arts Center, experience a new exhibit coming from local Chinatown entities, leading viewers to consider neighborhood trajectories. During the world premiere of the play “A New Era,” audiences are invited to see women gather to fight for liberation. And Somerville’s ArtBeat festival is driven by the concept of revolution, playing on the theme of transformation. All of this, and more, below:
Thursday, July 16
Stop by the opening reception for Pao Arts Center’s summer exhibit, “Tracing Our Footprints/Carving Chinatown’s Future.” The show spotlights the Boston Chinatown Cultural Plan, a “community-driven vision” that was organized by local Chinatown organizations, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the City of Boston. It gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the cultural planning work that builds community, while honoring Chinatown’s past and future. The exhibit, which focuses on eight projects led by four collaborating groups, runs through October 17. Attendance at the opening is free.
Opens Saturday, July 18
Company One Theatre, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, presents a new play by Miranda Austen ADEkoje, directed by Summer L. Williams. “A New Era” follows seven dynamic women who unite in Boston in 1895 and have the opportunity to birth a national movement. This political work is about “the critical role Black women have played in the fight for civil rights, abolition, and Black liberty.” The pivotal roles in history played by Black female figures are often overlooked, but in this play, Boston’s Black suffragist legacy is celebrated. The show runs at the Strand Theatre through August 8, and tickets are pay-what-you-want.
“A New Era” director Summer L. Williams (center) and playwright Miranda Austen ADEkoje (right). (Courtesy Lauren Miller)
Saturday, July 18
Visit Somerville for ArtBeat, the city-wide bash organized by the Somerville Arts Council. This year, the Davis Square event, which runs from 12 to 9 p.m., will bring together 70 vendors, two stages of music, roaming artists, a parade, children’s activities and more. The festival’s theme is REVolution, drawing from the belief that “challenging the status quo” can move us forward. On the same day, you can catch me in concert at the Crystal Ballroom, performing a show called “Speaking It Aloud.” This concert mirrors ArtBeat’s political angle, communicating the idea that when we speak truth to power, we can galvanize change. Indie-rock singer Felicity Paige will also be sharing tunes — about love, ego and “the quiet chaos of being a woman right now.” Tickets for the concert cost $22.80, with processing fees. The greater ArtBeat festival is free.
Sunday, July 19
The ICA presents one more Summer Stages Dance performance this season, a collaboration between visual and sound artist Camille Norment and dancer/choreographer Jimena Paz. This show will offer audience members an inside look into a work in progress that navigates “the expressive and abstract beauty of sound’s dynamic interplay with the human figure in stillness and in motion.” Happening at 2 p.m., tickets are free with museum admission. On Wednesday, Paz will also be leading a free masterclass that’s just as appropriate for beginners as it is for experienced dancers. The workshop will emphasize how moving gently and slowly can be grounding and build inner resilience.
Sunday, July 19
Spend a relaxed afternoon in Copley Square at this vintage market, organized by Select Markets and the Boston Office of Youth Engagement. Between 12-6 p.m., visitors can check out more than 50 vendors offering up secondhand clothing, jewelry, records and more. Vendors include Thrift Reclaim, Capital Vintage and Purple Acorns Creations. There will also be free portraits by Boston artist Nick Shea, food trucks, live spray painting, caricatures and more. Entry to the festival is free.
The scene at Select Markets’ vintage festival in Harvard Square in June. (Courtesy Ken Yin)
