Arts Briefs: Arts fest, toy fest and classical music on the horizon

Law professor and author Joshua Thomas will speak about his book “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights,” at Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley on Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m.

Law professor and author Joshua Thomas will speak about his book “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights,” at Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley on Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. Contributed

From left: cellist Raman Ramakrishnan, violinist Carmen Zori, and Assaff Weisman, members of the Israeli Chamber Project, will perform three works at Smith College’s Sweeney Hall on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m.

From left: cellist Raman Ramakrishnan, violinist Carmen Zori, and Assaff Weisman, members of the Israeli Chamber Project, will perform three works at Smith College’s Sweeney Hall on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m. Contributed photo

Fans of toys will love the 413 Independent Toy Festival at the Northampton Center for the Arts on Saturday, Oct. 12, from noon to 4 p.m.

Fans of toys will love the 413 Independent Toy Festival at the Northampton Center for the Arts on Saturday, Oct. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. Contributed

More than 200 curated artists will showcase works at the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton on Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 14, starting at 10 a.m. daily. 

More than 200 curated artists will showcase works at the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton on Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 14, starting at 10 a.m. daily.  ​​​​​​Contributed

Published: 10-03-2024 4:15 PM

Live classical music

On Sunday, Oct. 20, members of the Israeli Chamber Project (pianist Assaff Weisman, violinist Carmen Zori, and cellist Raman Ramakrishnan) will perform three works: “Duos for Violin and Cello” by Jörg Widdman, “Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 121” by Robert Schumann, and “Piano Trio in A Minor” by Maurice Ravel. The show will be at Smith College’s Sweeney Hall at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 (or $10 for students) and are available at valleyclassicalconcerts.org/tickets.

The show is being presented by Valley Classical Concerts as part of their 2024-2025 season. Other shows planned for the season are the Ciompi String Quartet with pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute on Nov. 2, the Lysander Trio on Dec. 14, the Lydian String Quarter with Pianist Jiayun Sun on Feb. 9, the Espressivo! Piano Quartet on March 9, and the Ulysses String Quartet on March 30.

Paradise City Arts Festival

More than 200 curated artists will showcase works at the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton on Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 14, starting at 10 a.m. daily. The festival, now in its 30th year, will feature the theme “Fables & Folklore: Reframing the Classics.”

The festival will also feature community mural painting, live demos, puppet-making, a silent auction, a 12,000-square-foot dining tent, and more.

Tickets for adults are $14 online or $16 at the box office; student tickets are $8. Kids 12 and under get in for free. Parking is also free.

Voting rights book talk

Lawyer and author Joshua Douglas will discuss his book “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights,” at Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley on Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. The book is about significant Supreme Court cases (including Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, and Shelby County v. Holder, among others) that have had detrimental effects on American voting rights.

Douglas will be joined by Roger Wallace, an educator who was also Douglas’ own sixth-grade teacher.

The event is co-sponsored by the Northampton chapter of the League of Women Voters. It’s free, but the organizers request that attendees register on Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/3p6st6kz.

Toys galore

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Fans of toys — robots, action figures, plushes, and more — will want to flock to the 413 Independent Toy Festival at the Northampton Center for the Arts, where independent toymakers from across New England will showcase their creations.

The event will be at the Northampton Center for the Arts on Saturday, Oct. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission and on-site parking are both free.