The Brookline nonprofit Gateway Arts, dedicated to advancing the careers of artists with disabilities, opened a new 9,000 square-foot facility on Station Street on Tuesday. The new office on a street that has become a local arts hub represents a major expansion for Gateway, which is part of the larger nonprofit Vinfen. It expands the… Continue reading Gateway Arts opens new expanded center on Station Street
Category: Arts
Looking back: In the 1980s, a quirky, award-winning animation studio operated out of a trolley barn in Brookline
The home garages of Silicon Valley are known as the birthplaces of tech giants Apple and Microsoft, but on the other side of the country, in Brookline Village, a popular animation studio also began operating out of a garage. Olive Jar Animation was established in 1984 by Bill Jarcho and Mark D’Oliveira, two Emerson College graduates… Continue reading Looking back: In the 1980s, a quirky, award-winning animation studio operated out of a trolley barn in Brookline
Pennsylvania musician tracks down the headstone of America’s first female hit songwriter – in a Brookline shed
Zach King was on an unusual mission when he came to Brookline in January. The Pennsylvania musician was looking for traces of an oft-forgotten American music legend. There were no Billboard Top 100 lists or streaming services to propel music artists fame in the 1800s. But Marion Dix Sullivan managed to become the first female… Continue reading Pennsylvania musician tracks down the headstone of America’s first female hit songwriter – in a Brookline shed
Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
A 3,600-square-foot mosaic of blue, green and purple has cemented itself in the asphalt space near the Old Lincoln School, the temporary home for the youngest Pierce School students. As part of a monthslong effort to liven up a drab blacktop, each class of students designed its own game to be played on a single… Continue reading Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
Strummerville Ukulele Club expands to Brookline with monthly jam sessions at the library
Two dozen people strum ukuleles, filling the second floor of the Brookline Village Public Library with the catchy melody of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.” Welcome to the Brookline meetup of the Strummerville Ukulele Club, which invites both seasoned and brand-new ukulele players to jam in a group of 20 to 30 people on… Continue reading Strummerville Ukulele Club expands to Brookline with monthly jam sessions at the library
Coolidge Corner Theatre union gathers boycott support as contract talks continue
Over a year after it was formed and still without a contract, the union representing workers at the Coolidge Corner Theatre is collecting signatures for a pledge drive intended to gauge public support for a potential boycott of Brookline’s cinema. The Coolidge Corner Theatre Union (CCTU) has garnered over 400 signatures since it launched the… Continue reading Coolidge Corner Theatre union gathers boycott support as contract talks continue
Five art exhibitions to check out around Brookline this summer
When Praise Shadows art gallery first opened its doors, Senior Manager Jayna Mikolaitis recalled that some visitors were surprised to see a gallery space in Coolidge Corner. “I think a lot of people in the neighborhood were used to going to museums and paying admission,” Mikolaitis said. “They would peek their heads and be like,… Continue reading Five art exhibitions to check out around Brookline this summer
Federal cuts create uncertainty for Brookline arts organizations
The Coolidge Corner Theatre received an ominous email from a government address on May 2, informing it that its National Endowment for the Arts award would be terminated at the end of the month, according to a recent post on the theater’s Instagram account. The NEA, an independent federal agency, is “the largest funder of… Continue reading Federal cuts create uncertainty for Brookline arts organizations
New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
A new vibrant cartoon mural across from the Driscoll School is one of 10 pieces of art springing up on walls around brookline. The mural by artist Kenji Chai, sprawled across the side of Stoked Pizza Company on Beacon Street, is part of the Murals Around Town initiative orchestrated by Brookline Art Makes Community and… Continue reading New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
Healing through ink: Brookline tattoo artist specializes in gender-affirming and post-cancer care
Darlene DiBona, the owner of a Brookline tattoo parlor that specializes in serving clients undergoing gender-affirming care and breast cancer treatments, says her work is more important now than ever. DiBona is the founder of Odyssey Wellness Tattoo on Harvard Street in Brookline Village, as well as its primary tattoo artist. She is a leading… Continue reading Healing through ink: Brookline tattoo artist specializes in gender-affirming and post-cancer care
Nonprofits and businesses on Station Street bring bustling art scene to Brookline Village
When Gateway Arts moves from its longtime home on Harvard Street to the Studios on Station Street on July 1, it will be the latest sign that the arts scene in Brookline Village is on a post-pandemic rebound. Gateway, which signed a 10-year lease late last year for more than 9,000 square feet of space… Continue reading Nonprofits and businesses on Station Street bring bustling art scene to Brookline Village
‘Little Big Eye’ makes a splash at Puppet Showplace Theater
A fabric red fish with shining eyes swims through the air on the hand of an actor. It meets a large octopus with tangled tentacles covering the head of another actor. While the two puppets interact on land, a third actor recreates their conversation with a smaller version of each puppet swimming in a 60-gallon… Continue reading ‘Little Big Eye’ makes a splash at Puppet Showplace Theater
‘Art just flowed out of him’: Brookline artist John Wilson’s powerful legacy on display in new MFA exhibition
Every summer community members in Roxbury gather to wash “Eternal Presence,” a seven foot bronze head maquette outside the National Center for Afro-American Artists. Adults soap up the face of the sculpture affectionately known as the “Big Head” while kids enjoy cleaning out the ears, polishing a legacy erected by a member of their own… Continue reading ‘Art just flowed out of him’: Brookline artist John Wilson’s powerful legacy on display in new MFA exhibition
Boston Ballet School to acquire Brookline Ballet School
The Brookline Ballet School will be acquired this summer by the Boston Ballet School, a larger regional organization with locations across the Boston area. Trinidad Vives and Parren Ballard, who founded the Brookline Ballet School and have been running it for the past 15 years, recently took jobs at the Washington Ballet School in Washington,… Continue reading Boston Ballet School to acquire Brookline Ballet School
Audio story: How Village Vinyl & Hi Fi keeps record culture spinning in Brookline
This audio story was produced by Aiko Njuguna in collaboration with the Brandeis University Journalism Program. Click the play button to listen, or scroll down to read a transcript. Aiko Njuguna (Brookline.News): Your first record is unforgettable. Carla: I think it was probably Meet the Beatles in 1964. Pam: The first classical record that I… Continue reading Audio story: How Village Vinyl & Hi Fi keeps record culture spinning in Brookline
The best books of 2024, according to Brookline’s librarians and booksellers
What was Brookline reading in 2024? To find out, we got data from the Brookline Public Library, and talked to some of its staff, along with getting recommendations from local booksellers. Top 10 Brookline Public Libraries borrowed titles, in print: The all-fiction list includes tales of forbidden love and an account of a New England… Continue reading The best books of 2024, according to Brookline’s librarians and booksellers
Seven stories that shaped Brookline in 2024
Our first full year as Brookline’s local news outlet was eventful and busy. It was at once challenging and joyful for myself and our team at Brookline.News. Here are some of the stories that shaped Brookline in 2024: Middle East conflict felt deeply in Brookline The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023… Continue reading Seven stories that shaped Brookline in 2024
News in brief: Arts nonprofit Gateway plans expansion with Station Street lease
Gateway Arts, a Brookline organization which supports artists with disabilities is planning to expand, moving into a new building on Station Street. Gateway, which is a program of the health and human services nonprofit Vinfen, has signed a 10-year lease for more than 9,000 square feet of space at 9-21 Station Street, the organization announced… Continue reading News in brief: Arts nonprofit Gateway plans expansion with Station Street lease
How a retired Brookline physician’s intricate card table won ‘best in show’ at a regional woodworking competition
The interior of Michelle Hallee Wong’s home near Fisher Hill is striking. Amid the white crown molding, gold-framed artwork and wooden floors dressed in large rugs with ornate patterns, the standouts are various furniture pieces she created, like the tripod side tables in the living room and the tea-caddy-turned-jewelry-boxes in the dining room. The pièce… Continue reading How a retired Brookline physician’s intricate card table won ‘best in show’ at a regional woodworking competition
Step by step: Local artists paint dance lessons on Brookline sidewalks
Caitlyn Kwan stood on the balls of her feet, as instructed by the footstep silhouettes painted on the ground beneath her and the directions that told her to “travel on your toes.” With her arms held out in front of her in a semicircle, she lightly walked four steps — right, left, right, left —… Continue reading Step by step: Local artists paint dance lessons on Brookline sidewalks