Past Events

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MUNROE SATURDAY NIGHTS

Munroe Saturday Nights will launch a new program highlighting the creative process of visual artists in the Lexington community with a look "Inside the Artist's Studio" at its upcoming presentation on Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 PM.  The evening, which will be held at the Munroe Center for the Arts, 1403 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington, will feature presentations by three visual artists: Zoe Perry-Wood, Adrienne Sloane, and Amantha Tsaros. Discussion and audience questions will be moderated by Ben Aaronson, former Senior Editor of the Lexington MinuteMan and now Marketing Communications Manager, Alumni Affairs and Development, at Harvard University.

The format for the evening is modeled on the well known cable television series ("Inside the Actor's Studio") in which conversations with performing artists, examples of their work, and questions from the audience are presented and considered. A reception will be held following the presentation and works of the three featured artists will be on display.

Photographer Zoe Perry-Wood investigates and documents mainstream groups as well non-conforming subcultures.   Her recent series include a five-year project documenting the Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Transgender Youth (BAGLY) and another documenting gay culture in Provincetown.

Fiber Artist Adrienne Sloane teaches sculptural fiber art internationally and has worked with indigenous knitters in Bolivia and Peru. Her work is part of the 3-person show, "Down to the Wire," opening April 13 at the Attleboro Arts Museum and is currently profiled in the spring issue of Vogue Knitting.

Painter Amantha Tsaros has illustrations and prints which have appeared in The New York Times Review of Books, Esquire Magazine and Strathmore Artists' Products. She exhibits her paintings regularly in the Boston area, and her paintings can be found online atwww.amanthatsaros.com.

Munroe Saturday Nights is an arts series for the Lexington and greater Boston community. All MSN presentations are supported in part by a grant from the Lexington Council for the Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Other events during
this season will feature a reading of an original play (May 18) and a staged reading of a new musical theater production (June 1).  

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March 9, 2013
Diabolis in Musica - Medieval Music....with a twist

The medieval music performance group Diabolis in Musica will headline the next Munroe Saturday Nights event on March 9, 2013 at 7:30 PM. The program will be presented at the Community of Christ, 1386 Massachusetts Avenue (across the street from Munroe Center for the Arts) in order to accommodate a larger audience. The event is free (donations gratefully accepted); reservations are strongly encouraged for what is anticipated to be a standing room only event: Saturdays@munroecenter.org .

In medieval times, the tritone was considered to be "the devil in music" and was to be avoided at all costs. But Diabolis in Musica has taken the tritone, and medieval music, to new places. They explain: "Diabolis in Musica is a street party - if that party happened in 1399 or in a gypsy encampment under a desert moon. Our music is antique but our arrangements are grounded on the assumption that people have always loved to dance and laugh."

The company's performers -- who portray fictional musicians from the middle ages -- have been part of the greater Boston music scene for the better part of two decades. Levi Ali, Jocelyn Demuth, Sioux Geroux, Wayne Humphrey and David Irish are among the performers who make up Diabolis in Musica. Between them, the musicians play guitar, percussion, bagpipes, recorder, crumhorn, rauschpfeife, bass marimba, drums, violin, hurdygurdy, gong, and shruti box, offering a huge amount of musical diversity to be represented in their music. The group has recorded an album, "Vibrabimus," which means, literally, "We will rock!". Come and find out for yourself at the next Munroe Saturday Nights event and visit the group's website at http://diabolisinmusica.com/ .

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February 2: Widow's Walk, a play reading of Deirdre Girard's new play, directed by Melinda Lopez

Award winning director, playwright and actress Melinda Lopez will direct Deirdre Girard's new play, "Widow's Walk," in a play reading that headlines the next Munroe Saturday Nights event on February 2, 2013. The reading features a professional cast (appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association) and will be presented at the Community of Christ, 1386 Massachusetts Avenue (across the street from Munroe Center for the Arts) in order to accommodate a larger audience. The performance begins at 7:30 PM and is free (donations gratefully accepted). Reservations are strongly encouraged for what is anticipated to be a standing room only event: Saturdays@munroecenter.org .

In the play, Maddie, Claire, Marie and Sherry are unexpectedly able to realize their dream of opening a cafe together in their small town-- but their plans begin to unravel when the secret that brought them together resurfaces to threaten their business, their friendship, even their freedom. "Widow's Walk" questions how far we would go to support a friend and whether friendships can survive when our most fundamental beliefs are in conflict.

Playwright Deirdre Girard
Deirdre Girard received her MFA in playwriting from Boston University. She has had plays produced at festivals throughout New England in the last few years including the Boston Theatre Marathon, SlamBoston, the Kennedy Center American College Festival, New Works Festival at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, and the Turtle Lane Playhouse Winter Festival. She is a 2012/2013 Playwriting Fellow with the New Repertory Theatre.

Director Melinda Lopez
Melinda Lopez has been named to a three-year playwright residency at the Huntington Theater in Boston as part of a $3.7 million initiative by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Lopez is one of 14 playwrights around the country to be granted such a residency; she teaches theater studies and playwriting at Wellesley College and Boston University. She is currently completing an acting engagement with the Huntington Theater Company in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town."

The reading of "Widow's Walk" continues Munroe Saturday Night's acclaimed practice of offering staged readings of new plays. The distinguished cast of actors, which includes Amelia Broome, Sarah Newhouse, Robert Pemberton, Bobbie Steinbach, and Debra Wise (all appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association), have performed with some of the greater Boston area's most important theaters, including the Huntington Theater Company, Actors Shakespeare Project, New Rep, the Lyric Stage Company, as well as Trinity Repertory Company and the Underground Railway Theater. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lexington Council for the Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency

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FRETLESS
The Acclaimed A Capella Quartet

photo by Zoe Perry-Wood

January 12 ~ 7:30 PM

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Exploring the Written and Spoken Word!
  
The written and spoken word, as explored through plays and poetry, was featured in the Munroe Saturday Nights event held on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

Munroe's acclaimed practice of offering staged readings of new plays continued with the first of this season's play reading series. Works by Massachusetts playwrights Don Cohen, Melinda Lopez and Maxine Lopez-Keough, and Michael Towers were presented. Cohen, a Lexington resident who also directed the evening's plays, offered two compelling monologues, "Anne at Sixteen" and "Samson." The Lopez duo offered us "Bad Santa," a modern twist on the mythical meeting of Santa with a disillusioned young believer. In Towers' "The Contender," a high school teacher is confronted by his effect on a former student in a taut, two-person drama. 

The second half of the evening featured the Concord Academy Slam Poets Collaborative, a group of talented high school youth who have studied with Lexington's Regie O'Hare Gibson (an internationally-acclaimed slam poet and performance artist) and with Concord Academy teacher (and Lexington resident) and poet Cammy Thomas. The poets, Adam Sodano, Emerson Davis, Tyler Rost, Will Sodano, Valentina Gregg, Xiomara Contreras, Zora Jackson-Bartelmus, Gracie Mason-Brown, Jack Colton, and Callie Wadler took the stage and presented their original works to round out the evening.

Performed to a full house on November 3, 2012

Munroe Annual Open House

Saturday, Sept. 8

10am to 1pm

Free sample dance classes, musical performances,
taekwondo demonstrations, dance classes in the ballet and tap
studios, and a ceramics throw-a-thon.

Everyone is welcome. Refreshments provided.

Lots of people eager to meet you!

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Next in the Munroe Saturday Nights line up...

A unique performance series
for the greater Lexington community
  
Join us for the premiere event of
our third season:

Betty’s Bounce
Performing contemporary and vintage ‘Gypsy Jazz’ music that will lift you out of your seat!

September 8 ~ 7:30 PM
Munroe Center for the Arts
1403 Massachusetts Avenue
(parking available at rear of building) 

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Free; donations gratefully accepted
Reserve your place today-- send email to:
Saturdays@munroecenter.org

Note:  All reservations must be claimed by 7:10 PM. 

Munroe Saturday Nights is part of
MUNROE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
1403 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA

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Saturday May 19th & Sunday May 20th

11am - 5pm

Lexington held its fourth annual town-wide Open Studios event, collectively organized by town artists and other volunteers.

This year more than 80 artists who live or work in Lexington opened their spaces for you to visit and see sculpture, ceramics, woodworking, jewelry, painting, fiber arts, prints, collages and photography.

As well as individual studios, group activities and many artists exhibited at:

Munroe Center for the Arts - 1403 Massachusetts Ave.

Lexington Arts and Crafts Society - 130 Waltham St.

Community Space - 2027 Massachusetts Ave.

MUNROE SATURDAY NIGHTS

A large group joined Munroe Saturday Nights on May 12th for a stagedreading of a new play by Merrill Meadow at 7:30 PM at First Parish in Lexington, located at 7 Harrington Road. The program was free, with donations gratefully accepted.

Munroe Saturday Nights on March 10th presented an entertaining evening of Klezmer at 7:30 PM at the Munroe Center for the Arts, located at 1403 Massachusetts Avenue, in Lexington. The program was free, with donations gratefully accepted.

Join Munroe Saturday Nights on February 18th for an evening of original one-act plays presented in staged readings. The plays will be presented at 7:30 PM at the Munroe Center for the Arts, located at 1403 Massachusetts Avenue, in Lexington. The program is free, with donations gratefully accepted.

Featured on February's bill are The Living Proof Project by Alicia Velez, directed by the Lexington Players' founder/producer Sal Jones; Saving Deshawn, or the Carrot Play, by Emily Kaye Lazzaro, directed by the Lexington Players' Jenn Shea; Amber Beads, written and directed by award-winning playwright Melinda Lopez; and DNA by June Bowser-Barrett, directed by Sal Jones. Following the performance, Lexington playwright Don Cohen will moderate a question-and-answer period with the audience, playwrights, directors, and actors.

MCA continues its Munroe Saturday Nights performance series this fall on October 15th at 7:30PM with a stage reading of Don Cohen's Length of Stay directed by Melinda Lopez. Performances are free to the public (donations are welcome). Seating is limited so make a reservation now by emailing saturdays@munroecenter.org.

MUNROE-WIDE OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 12-4PM
ALL ARE WELCOME!



Join us for an afternoon of free art, performance, and snacks at Munroe Center for the Arts’ annual Open House and Open Studios. The bill includes: Artist Open Studios... Photographic Exhibit by Lexington Photographers...Plein Air Painting with Munroe Studio Artist Emily Passman will be on the front lawn. The Lexington Music School will have musical performances in the main studio (first floor) throughout the afternoon.  An Empty Bowls Charity Event will take place in the Art Room from 12-1:30p.  Watercolor, Children's Art, Stained Glass and Illustration Teachers will demonstrate and show their work in the afternoon, in the Art Room.  At 2:00 pm, the Children's Arts Corner will have a free singalong with  Jean Schwartz.  Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do school will demonstrate board breaking, complex moves and kicks, at 1:00 pm in the afternoon. A free children's dance class (for 3-year olds) will take place at the Dance Inn in the morning, and a free adult hip hop class will take place at 12:00 noon in the Dance Inn studios in the basement.  All afternoon, many free events will be open to all.  Please join us for a taste of what Munroe has to offer: 1403 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420. 781.682.6040.

ends this spring performance series with

Folk Music

June 18th @ 8-10p

Please join us for the final performance of our spring series with an evening of Folk Music featuring the Lenny Solomon Band and Delmmark Goldfarb.

The Lenny Solomon Band. Lenny Solomon's style has been compared to early Dylan, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. In the 1970s Solomon was a fixture at the Idler Coffeehouse in Harvard Square, Cambridge, where he performed for over eight years. The Idler was a training ground for such luminaries as Geoff Bartley, Paul Rishell, Spider John Koerner, and Ric Ocasek. He shared bills with performers such as Chris Smither, Carolyn Hester, Bonnie Raitt, and Spider John. Performing original material, Solomon has released four CDs, three of which, Not Life Threatening, Armando's Pie, and Maybe Today are available from his website, www.solomonband.com. Lenny will be performing with Dennis Gurgul, Bill Gibbs and Don Barry.

Delmark Goldfarb is "the best new writer of good-time music," according to former Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian. Del's tune "Portable Man" is featured on the Appleseed Records' "Give Us Your Poor" compilation, along with artists such as Pete Seeger and Keb' Mo' and he can be seen in the new jug band documentary,
"Chasin' Gus' Ghost." Witty, informative and casually profound, this sharp fingerpickin' hipster ex-Marine "blue-collar scholar" (with a background in busking) delivers a relaxed but rousing performance. A recent music review (Kingston Daily Freeman) cited Del's all-original solo CD "a must-have for any purist."

Creating a new opportunity for Lexingtonians to enjoy live performance that is nearby, informal, and affordable, Munroe Center for the Arts has launched a Saturday evening performance series – Munroe Saturday Nights.

An experiment in local, non-profit entertainment, Munroe Saturday Nights showcases veteran performers from the Lexington area – with no admission charge. The performances will take place in the intimate “Art Room” at the Munroe Center.

The inaugural series of Munroe Saturday Nights closes with with this evening of Folk Music June 18.

Performances are free to the public. Because seating is limited to 50, reservations are suggested, but not required. To reserve a spot, email saturdays@munroecenter.org.

Also drop us an email to suggest performers for future events – and to offer volunteer assistance or financial support for this innovative new program.

Halloween - Creative Scarecrows in Emery Park (in front of the Depot)
Sat., Oct. 30!

Scarecrow by Veronica Wharton & Judith Cooper

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Munroe Marches in Patriot's Day Parade

Happy Munroe staff, clients, and supporters celebrate the birth of the nation.

Flag side of art carried by Munroe artists, designed by Lotus Lien, Nancy Mimno, Emily Passman, and Gillian Ross, and decorated by ArtSpan workshop participants. Children ran around the trio carrying stars and stripes on sticks and shouted "America, the Beautiful!"

Van Gogh side of art (Starry Night). When this part of the project faced forwards, children chanted "Go, Go, Van Gogh!"

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Hundreds Attend 2d Annual Lexington Open Studios

See the Lexington Open Studios website for more information.

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Chamber of Commerce Honors MCA

From left: MCA Executive Director Christian Herold; MCA/LACS artist & instructor Emily Passman; LACS Executive Director Jean Hart. Andrea Joliat Photo

Munroe Holds Holiday Benefit Show

Julian Miller, chair of MCA's board, collects tickets. Accompanying him are "Candy Canes" from Lexington School of Ballet's Nutcracker Suite (visible from the left are Esme Goldfinger and Kelley Harding). Katherine Herold photo.

Munroe schools celebrated their first-ever group performance at Lexington High School December 5 with nearly 200 dancers from the Dance Inn and Lexington School of Ballet. Lexington Music School students and staff performed, including internationally-celebrated baritone Robert Honeysucker. Lexington Players Director Sal Jones emceed, Children's Arts Corner held a sing-along, and MCA artists along with ArtSpan students showed art in the foyer.

Click Here for the Program!

Town Meeting Tables Munroe Attempt to Purchase Building

Proposal Available Here
(large PDF)

While all of us in the MCA community are disappointed by Town Meeting's vote, we are immensely gratified by the strong and widespread support for our programs and our contributions to the Lexington community. We believe that, in the end, MCA will thrive in a permanent home here.

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Munroe Center for the Arts seeks to purchase the 1904 Munroe School Building which artists and Munroe performing arts schools have used since 1984. "We are thrilled to think that this great old building will be available forever for the arts for Lexington," said Executive Director Christian Herold. Herold delivered the Proposal to the Town of Lexington on October 9.

View letters of recommendaton appended to the Proposal from Marge Battin, Mary Jo Bohart, Fred Johnson, and Elsa Sullivan and a letter of recommendation from Marian Cohen. View the 2007 Benchmark Study, referenced in the Proposal.

The Town of Lexington issued a request for proposals (RFP) August 26 that gives preference to an arts education center.

Munroe Signs License Agreement with Lexington

Munroe Center for the Arts in the early summer signed a license agreement with the Town of Lexington retroactive to October 2008. As of October, 2008 Munroe is paying Lexington $2,000 a month for the use of the buidling.

School News

What is the Building Restoration Fee?

Munroe last year instituted a modest fee required for all students taking classes at any school at Munroe to address the less capital-intensive parts of building restoration. This $25 fee for each student--with a $60 maximum per family--will be assessed each school year, beginning with fall registrations. Please remember that this fee is due only once a year. The fee demonstrates our collective dedication to revitalizing this much-beloved home for the arts in Lexington. If you have already paid your fee with another registration for one Munroe School this year, you do not need to pay it again.

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Fundraising at Munroe

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation

(or mail MCA a check!). Thank you!

ArtWalk, May 2008

Munroe resurrected this event from 2004, and in close collaboration with the Lexington Arts and Crafts society, organized dozens of artists works in downtown shops, an ArtCycle Parade, and a day of performances on the Visitor's Center lawn. See the ArtWalk web page here.