In the Picture Books: Gallery of Art Showcases Charlesbridge Illustrations

By Leave a Comment

The Belmont Gallery of Art Spring 2014 exhibit, “Books on the Charles – 25 years of Charlesbridge Picture Book Illustrators” continues now through May 17. This special exhibit celebrates 15 New England-area picture book artists who have created art for Charlesbridge Publishing, Watertown’s award-winning children’s book publisher.

Featured illustrators in “Books on the Charles” include Jef Czekaj, David McPhail, Jamie Hogan, Robin Brickman, Tim Jones, Ryan O’Rourke, Brian Lies, David Hyde Costello, Wayne Geehan, Rob Bolster, Alan Witschonke, Judy Love, Leslie Evans, Ralph Masiello and Nicole Wong.

“We’re so pleased to be working with the Belmont Gallery of Art,” says Donna Spurlock, Marketing Director for Charlesbridge Publishing.

“For 25 years we’ve been very lucky to be working with extremely talented artists creating beautiful picture books for young readers. It’s wonderful to see so much of their work displayed in this show celebrating the unique art of children’s book illustration.”

The nearly 100 original works – many for sale – in “Books on the Charles” showcase a wide range of artistic techniques and visual storytelling styles ranging from whimsical pen and ink drawings to three-dimensional collages to delicate impressionistic watercolors to bold and realistic acrylic paintings to textured linocuts, with each page displayed reflecting that particular artist’s unique approach to bringing the reader inside the world of a picture book.

The BGA’s Books on the Charles show also includes several special exhibit events, including a visit with author/illustrator Leslie Evans taking place at the Belmont Public Library, Wednesday, May 14 during Children’s Book Week.

The Belmont Gallery of Art is located in the Homer Bldg., Town Hall Complex, 19 Moore St., Belmont Center (just off Leonard St., behind Belmont Savings Bank).

Gallery hours are Thursday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday., 1 p.m. to  4 p.m. The gallery is wheelchair accessible.

You can also visit the Belmont Gallery of Art’s website at www.belmontgallery.org for more details.

Things to Do Today: Chenery Band Concert, Underwood Pool Committee Meets

By Leave a Comment

• The Chenery Middle School’s 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert will take place on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery’s auditorium.

• A day after Town Meeting members voted to approve the money to build the new Underwood Pool complex, the Underwood Pool Building Committee is meeting at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall’s conference room 2 to set a project schedule so the pool can be completed by June 2015 as well as sign contracts with the architect and owner’s project manager.

• Belmont Against Racism will discuss the book “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson on Thursday, May 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The Beech Street Center’s women’s musical group, the Bel Aires, get together on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. for a little singing. A suggested donation of $2 is requested to defray the cost of the leader and pianist.

• Belmont High School Girls’ Varsity Tennis takes on Wakefield High today at 3:30 p.m. on the tennis courts adjacent to the high school parking lot.

• On this day in 1945, V-E Day (Victory in Europe) is declared as combat ends after German forces agree in Reims, France, to an unconditional surrender.

What to Do Today: Lemonade and Cookies for Chenery Kids, Walk and Bike to the Butler

By Leave a Comment

• The Daniel Butler Elementary School is celebrating Bike & Walk to School Day by forming walking groups led by exemplary cyclists and walkers to travel by foot or pedal to the Butler. Co-sponsored by Sustainable Belmont and state and national Safe Routes to School organizations, walkers will depart from their various locations around Butler at 8:15 a.m. to arrive at school no later than 8:25 a.m.

• Chenery Middle School students who are out early on Wednesday can stop by the Assembly Room at the Belmont Public from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. to enjoy lemonade and cookies while doing your homework. This event is for middleschoolers only. High schoolers can hang out at Starbucks.

• Belmont High’s Boys’ Lacrosse will be in action vs. Woburn High at  4 p.m. at Harris Field. And Club Rugby will be traveling to Danvers to take on St. John’s Prep also at 4 p.m.

• On this day in 1824, the premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is performed in Vienna. Deaf and in poor health, Beethoven stood next to conductor Michael Umlauf during the performance.

Things to Do Today: One Book One Belmont Author Speaks, Madrigal Singers at the Beech

By Leave a Comment

• The Belmont Public Library welcomes author Nathaniel Philbrick for a talk on his award-winning book, “Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution” at 7:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Winner of the 2013 New England Book Award for Nonfiction, “Bunker Hill” was selected as the 2014 One Book One Belmont selection. Philbrick’s presentation marks the conclusion of this year’s events. Refreshments will be served, and a book signing will be hosted at the end.

• Belmont High’s Dr. Jeff Shea will be presented the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Award at an all-school assembly at the school at 9 a.m.

• Just back from their spring trip to Austria, the Madrigal Singers of Belmont High School will be giving a free concert on Tuesday, May 6 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The concert is open to the community so swing on by.

• Varsity Boys’ Track and Field (vs. Lexington) and Boys’ Tennis (against Burlington) will be at home with the action starting at 3:30 p.m.

The Week to Come: One Book One Belmont Author to Speak, Mother’s Day Flowers

By Leave a Comment

• The Belmont Public Library welcomes author Nathaniel Philbrick for a talk on his award-winning book, “Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution” on Tuesday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Winner of the 2013 New England Book Award for Nonfiction, “Bunker Hill” was selected as the 2014 One Book One Belmont selection. Philbrick’s presentation marks the conclusion of this year’s events. Refreshments will be served, and a book signing will be hosted at the end.

• Belmont High’s Dr. Jeff Shea will be presented the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Award at an all-school assembly at the school on Tuesday, May 6 at 9 a.m.

• On Wednesday, May 7, the Daniel Butler Elementary School will be celebrating Bike & Walk to School Day by forming walking groups led by exemplary cyclists and walkers to travel by foot or pedal to the Butler. Co-sponsored by Sustainable Belmont and state and national Safe Routes to School organizations, walkers will depart from their various locations around Butler at 8:15 a.m. to arrive at school no later than 8:25 a.m.

• Beginning this Friday, May 9 and running through Sunday, May 11, the Friends of Belmont Softball will be hosting its annual Mother’s Day Flower Sale at the Lions Club at the MBTA commuter rail station at Common Street and Royal Road.

• It’s the annual Belmont Pops Concerts where the Belmont High School cafeteria is transformed into a “Pops”-style arrangement with table seating where audience members will be entertained by Belmont High musicians while having light snacks and other refreshments. There are two concerts, on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 both starting at 7 p.m. Sales from tickets benefit POMS, Parents of Music Students.

• The Chenery Middle School’s 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert will take place on Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery’s auditorium.

• Belmont Against Racism will discuss the book “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson on Thursday, May 8 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Just back from their spring trip to Austria, the Madrigal Singers of Belmont High School will be giving a free concert on Tuesday, May 6 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The concert is open to the community so swing on by.

DPW Open House Saturday Until 2 PM

By Leave a Comment

The Belmont Department of Public Works is inviting the public to an open house to celebrate National Public Works Week today, Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DPW yard at the end of C Street.

Please join us and bring the family to meet Public Works employees, see heavy equipment, ask questions, collect recycling and water conservation information. There will be raffles, cold drinks, balloons and coloring books for the kids!

 

Things to Do Today: Final One Acts, Sports Galore at Belmont High

By Leave a Comment

• The final performances of Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s annual One Act Plays take place tonight in the High School’s Little Theater at 6 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. One Act tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults. Tickets are on sale at Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center and at the door but these performances traditionally sell out so get them early.

• “Guys and Dolls” presented by the students of Chenery Middle School will be performed at 7 p.m. in the Chenery’s auditorium. Tickets are available online and at Moozy’s at the corner of Trapelo Road and Belmont Street and Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center. Preconcert tickets are $10 adults and $8 for students. Tickets will also be available at the door with adults paying $12 and students $8. The final performance is Saturday at 7 p.m.

• Lots of sports this afternoon at Belmont High School: Boys’ Tennis vs. Wilmington High at 3:30 p.m.; both baseball and softball get underway at 3:45 p.m. against Wilmington and Girls’ Lacrosse against Wakefield High at 4:30 p.m. at Harris Field.

• On this day in 1941, General Mills began shipping a new cereal called “Cheerioats” to six test markets. The cereal was later renamed “Cheerios.”

DPW, Butler Elementary Ready to Recycle on Saturday

By Leave a Comment

Got recyclables but they won’t fit or won’t be accepted in the blue/green recycling bins?

On Saturday, May 3, there will be a pair of location where you can dispose of non-toxic (those have to be recycled once a month in Lexington) materials in Belmont.

• From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DPW Water Division Yard at 35 Woodland St,. residents will have the chance to recycle things like textiles, bulky-rigid plastics, Styrofoam and paper to be shredded, courtesy of the Belmont Department of Public Works.

Since the event will take place during the DPW Day celebration, residents coming only to recycle items should enter by the DPW Water Division via Woodland Street and exit via Prince Street.

Any questions about the recycle event, call 617-993-2689.

• The annual Butler Elementary School Electronics Recycling Day will take place from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the school at 90 White St. This is a convenient, environmentally-friendly way to recycle electronics at rates lower than what the town charges.  So gather up your old monitors, TVs, – anything with a plug counts.  Rates will range from a buck to $30 for disposal.
Residents can swing by the Butler to drop off unwanted electronics before heading over to the DPW event.

Things to Do Today: Curtains Rising at School Shows, Liquor Licenses Meeting, LEGO Club

By Leave a Comment

• The curtains are going up for “Guys and Dolls” presented by the students of Chenery Middle School at 7 p.m. in the Chenery’s auditorium and for Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s annual One Act Plays at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater.

“Guys and Dolls” tickets are available online and at Moozy’s at the corner of Trapelo Road and Belmont Street and Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center. Preconcert tickets are $10 adults and $8 for students. Tickets will also be available at the door with adults paying $12 and students $8. Additional performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

One Act tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults. Tickets are on sale at Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center and at the door but these performances traditionally sell out so get them early. You get another chance to be in the audience tomorrow at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• The Belmont Board of Selectmen will be continuing an earlier public meeting on the four applications for full-liquor or a beer and wine licenses this evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• In Control Crash Prevention will present “7 Ways to Make Good Teen Driving Memories” tonight at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Public Library’s LEGO Club for children in kindergarten through the third grade will be held in the Library’s Assembly Room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. All LEGOs will be provided. 

• Town Meeting members from precincts 7 and 8 are holding caucuses at 7:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Town Hall to fill representative vacancies.

• Quarterly real estate and personal property tax bills are due to the Treasurer’s Office at Town Hall by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. You can make the payment online by going to the town’s bill payment web page. If you need assistance, call 617-993-2770.

Things to Do Today: Revolutionary Art, Rugby’s Final Home Game, Bridge at the Beech

By Leave a Comment

• As part of the library’s One Book One Belmont 2014 events program, Nicole Claris from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will presents treasures from the MFA’s collection of Revolutionary-era art during her talk “The Revolution in Boston As Seen at the Museum of Fine Arts” from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room. The talk will include portraits of the key leaders who author Nathaniel Philbrick portrays in “Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution,” this year’s One Book, One Belmont selection. Claris currently supervises and trains the 120 actively touring Gallery Instructors at the MFA.  She also leads regular gallery talks for visitors.

• The Belmont High School Rugby Club team is on its way for a return trip to the state championships. So come cheer on the boys and girl at their final home game of the season as the XV take on Boston College High at 7 p.m. at Harris Field on Concord Avenue.

• Town Meeting members from Precinct 2 will be holding a meeting in the Board of Selectmen’s Room in Town Hall to discuss articles in the upcoming Town Meeting warrant. The fun starts at 7 p.m. 

• Duplicate Bridge Club meets from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. Every Wednesday the club holds American Contact Bridge League-sanctioned games. All are welcome to play. Cost is $5. Phone: 339-223-6484 for more information.

• On this date in 1885, the Boston Pops was founded by Henry Lee Higginson, who was its director and financial backer until 1918.