SouthCoast Spring Arts at the MAC

(Marion, MA) – SouthCoast Spring Arts returns to the Marion Art Center (the MAC) with seven events during the regional festival scheduled May 5-14, 2023. SouthCoast Spring Arts is a 10-day event celebrating the arts in our communities by connecting innovative, creative, and affordable art and cultural events in communities across the region, from Fall River to Wareham. Spring Arts events at the MAC are hands-on, interactive, and are offered at low cost or for free. View all MAC events at www.marionartcenter.org/scspringarts.

The MAC will kick off the festival with the MAC Readers’ Theater & Open Mic with Luncheon, at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center on Friday, May 5 from 12:00-2:00pm. The MAC Readers' Theater Group will present a series of poems, skits, short stories, and excerpts. The program will begin at noon with a lunch prepared by the Community Center’s chef, followed by a 1:00pm Readers’ Theater performance. Members of the audience can join the fun, too,reading short pieces, poems, or excerpts during an “open mic” portion later in the program. Material should be submitted ahead of time for consideration by emailing Jack Boesen at [email protected]. The cost is just $5 per person for lunch. To register, contact the Community Center by calling 508-748-3570 by Wednesday, May 3 at 12:00pm. Those who wish to skip lunch and attend just the readers’ theater portion starting at 1:00pm may do so free of charge.

Attend a Paint and Sip Workshop with artist Barbara Healy on Saturday, May 6, 1:00-3:00pm at the Marion Art Center. Paint your own version of a beautiful sailboat in this fun workshop! We’ll paint together using water-based acrylics on canvas. Barbara and her assistant will guide you through each step of the process as you get in touch with your inner artist and enjoy sipping wine along the way. Everyone’s sailboat will be a little different! You’ll leave with a painting and maybe some new favorite wines. You must be 21 or older to register. Please wear clothes you can paint in. In case of rain, the class workshop will move to the MAC studio.The cost is $30 per person and includes all materials and wine tasting. Register at marionartcenter.org/events.

See a film screening in the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater! The Sippican Historical Society will present Frederick Wiseman’s filmEX LIBRIS – The New York Public Libraryon Saturday, May 6, 3:00-6:30pm at the MAC. EX LIBRIS goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest knowledge institutions in the world and reveals it as a place of welcome, cultural exchange and learning. With 92 locations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, the library is committed to being a resource for all the inhabitants of this multifaceted and cosmopolitan city, and beyond. During intermission, learn more about our local institution, the Elizabeth Taber Library, presented in the context of the traditional and modern roles of libraries as discussed in the film. Guests may bring their own snacks or beverages to enjoy, and popcorn will be provided by the MAC. Total runtime of film: 197 minutes. This event is FREE but registration is required.

Take a Tap Dancing Workshop for adults (ages 15+ also welcome) with MAC Dance Academy’s program leader Teah Keogh on Thursday, May 11 from 6:00-7:30pm.This workshop is for adults who need to tap out of “adulting"! Want more happiness and bit less seriousness added to your week? This one hour tap class provides percussive playtime for adults (and teens ages 15 and up) that “taps” into our inner courage, creativity, and strengthens our physical and mental health. This basic level beginner tap class is geared toward those who have had little or no tap training, but will also be fun for anyone who has worn tap shoes before. Light refreshments will be served after the session, and participants will have a chance to mix and mingle. Registrants may bring their own shoes or borrow a previously loved pair from the MAC. Comfortable clothing recommended.The cost is $20 per person, with a capacity of 15 people.

Head to the MAC on Friday, May 12 from 5:00-7:00pm for the opening reception of our new exhibit featuring paintings by Anne Carrozza Remick and Stephen Remick. See Anne Remick’s still life paintings which celebrate the beauty found in “the solitude of simple objects” through her use of expressive color and unexpected composition. Paintings by Stephen Remick include landscapes, plein air paintings, and some figurative works that capture the “backyard and beyond.” Anne and Steve both graduated from Swain School of Design and currently live together in Dartmouth, MA. The show runs May 12-June 24. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists and ask questions.The reception is FREE and open to the public.

See an original play presented by the MAC Theater Playwrights Incubator (MTPI), An Hour with Eleanoron Saturday, May 13 from 3:00-4:30pm.MTPI is pleased to present a new play by first time playwright Cynthia Krause. Krause was selected for the inaugural year of the MTPI program for her short play, a one-woman performance titled An Hour withEleanor. It is a fictional telling of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, based on historical events. The play explores a life of joys and sorrows experienced by this controversial political figure who, along with being the wife of an American president, was a catalyst for social change in her own right. Audience members follow her life’s journey working toward the betterment of her world. Mentors for the first year of the MTPI program include Maura Van Voris and Richard Van Voris. The play is directed by Richard Van Voris and features Linda Monchik as Eleanor Roosevelt. Guests will enjoy this debut tea time performance followed by an informal discussion with the director, actor, and playwright, plus light refreshments. The cost to attend is $8 per person.

Attend aProhibition Party (BYOB) with Buttonwood Brasson Saturday, May 13 from 6:30-9:00pm.Put together your 1920’s attire and bring your favorite “bootleg” beverage of choice. Enjoy the MAC’s speakeasy-cabaret atmosphere in the MAC Theater and galleries while listening to Buttonwood Brass, a versatile ensemble performing Jazz Standards, Classical, New Orleans, Roaring Twenties and the Great American Songbook from the Prohibition Era. Guests are encouraged to dress the part! Light snacks will be provided by the MAC. The cost to attend is $15 per person. Learn more and register for events at marionartcenter.org/events.