Millis Arts Festival April 18-23

How are the arts represented in Millis?
The Millis Cultural Council, in conjunction with the Millis Public Library, has come up with a new way to highlight some of the creative endeavors taking place all around town. They will host a week long arts festival in Millis, from Tuesday, April 18 to Sunday, April 23 2017 at various venues in and around town.
“We wanted to do something that would really draw in (residents),” says Jodie Garzón, Chair of the Millis Cultural Council. “We try to have at least one big event a year. There are all these things in Millis that are happening, but they’re not necessarily cohesive. Everything is free – that’s our goal – to have free cultural and artistic events.” Garzón sits on the local cultural council along with Stephanie Copice (Clerk), Michele Kelly (Treasurer), Dove Quinlan, Arlene Harrington Lagos and Patrick Neville.
Events will vary, from children’s music, to Lego-building, to a film festival, a chamber music concert, a photography exhibit at the library and a local art exhibit at Niagara Hall to drama, dance and writing workshops and even drama performance. At Local Town Pages deadline, some events were still being added to the following mix:
On Tuesday, April 18, for example, Super Cool Beans, a children’s musical group will be performing at 11 a.m. at the town hall. At 4 p.m., at the Millis Library, fun commences with Lego Club, a Film Show and culminating with the Seele Musicale Concert (www.seelemusicale.com).
On Wednesday April 19, Audrey Anderson will show in the Roche Bros Community room, and the Sciencetellers are at the library as well.
Thursday, April 20 sees a free drama workshops at the library at 2 p.m. followed by a Drama Sample at the Millis High School Auditorium at 6:30 pm. The sample will feature the middle school drama club and selections from the Millis Theater Group’s recent productions of Almost Maine & Spamalot.
Friday, April 21 will feature free dance workshops presented by Terpsichore, the Millis Middle School High School Dance Club, and a Student Choreography Showcase at 6:15 p.m. at the High School. The day will culminate with a 16+ dance fitness class also at the high school.
The next day, April 22, at the library Sandra Elaine Scott will present a writing workshop, Ben Clark will be discussing his Eagle Scout Project, a book he has created titled Through a Soldier’s Eyes and Thea Iberall and high school students will be doing a reading of her play Women’s Journey.
Finally, the week will end with a Community Art Show (still seeking submissions from local artists) at the Niagara Building from 2 – 4 p.m. on April 23 and the unveiling of the the Millis Historical Commission’s Currier and Ives prints that have been recently restored. Please contact the Millis Cultural Council at millisculturalcouncil@gmail.com for more details, or to inquire about displaying your art at the Community Art Show.
Many of the week’s presentations will be conducted by Millis Cultural Council grant recipients.
“This year, we had kind of a flood of grant applications. It doubled from the previous year,” says Garzón. She credits the increase to an easier online system now used by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
“I’m hoping people will realize that there’s a lot more art activities happening in Millis than they realize and that there are places they can connect to that will interest them, whether it’s Millis Theatre Group or one of the dance groups or a local writers’ club, and that we have talented musicians. We’re just trying to tie them together and let them know that there are those various things going on.”
The community art show will be the finale for a week-long Arts Festival sponsored by the Millis Cultural Council and the Millis Public Library. All week there will be music, dance and theater performances, hands-on activities, workshops and demonstrations by local artists--ALL FREE!
If you have questions or need more information please contact the Millis Cultural Council at (508) 376-1295 or millisculturalcouncil@gmail.com or check their Facebook page for updates.