Fabric of history: PVMA painting included in the Met’s ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ exhibition

By CHRIS LARABEE

As the national art and celebrity worlds coalesced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Met Gala in early May, the exhibition coinciding with the event at the nation’s most-visited museum also featured several local ties.

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Blanche Cybele Derby of Northampton

Behold “Eatsizza,” Northampton resident Blanche Cybele Derby’s take on pizza: “I start with a base of lightly toasted bread, spread with a pesto made from goutweed and lemon balm greens. I top this with ramps, lightly cooked morels, asparagus, ostrich ferns, a little cheese and then bake until everything is heated through.”

Local tragedies, set to song: Historic Northampton will stage ‘Northampton Stories: From the Operas of Sawyer & Erdman’ next weekend

By CAROLYN BROWN

Two dark moments in Northampton history – the 1806 execution of two innocent immigrants and the 1960 arrest of a closeted Smith College professor – have an unlikely connection: an upcoming event will explore them both in opera.

Arts Briefs: No shortage of choices this week — music, theater, dancing, improv and more

Whole Children & Milestones, an organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will put on an original production, “All the Feels,” at the Smith College Hallie Flanagan Theater on Friday, May 30, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 31, at 2 p.m.

Taking refuge in paint: Following residencies in Ireland and Scotland, Northampton artist Nicole Gadon draws from the natural world

By CAROLYN BROWN

Artist Nicole Gadon is based in Northampton, but her work recently took her to two residencies in Great Britain and Ireland that have carried with her to her artistic practice here in the Pioneer Valley.

Speaking of Nature: A great time to be a red eft: Part two in the three-part life cycle of the Eastern spotted newt

By BILL DANIELSON

It has been a long, wet, raw month of May and my outdoor time has been curtailed by rotten weather on the weekends. So, it was with the utmost enthusiasm that I capitalized on a rare rain-free Saturday morning to get down to the Thinking Chair and commune with Nature just a bit. The chickadees (at least one of them) were ready to resume the practice of landing on my hat for some treats and I was very happy about that. I was also keen to see what was going on deeper in the forest, so after an hour of quiet observation time I got up out of my chair and headed into the woods.

‘My heart requires it’: Pioneer lesbian singer-songwriter Linda Shear will perform benefit show in Northampton, May 31

By CAROLYN BROWN

Celebrated lesbian singer-songwriter Linda Shear will play a benefit show for Straw Dog Writers Guild on Saturday, May 31, at 4 p.m. at Northampton Center for the Arts.

Valley Bounty: A growing Good Bunch: Shelburne Falls farm remains optimistic for the future

By JACOB NELSON

“It’s usually around April 20 when I plant things in the field that can handle light frost,” says farmer Dan Greene of Good Bunch Farm. “Then there’s about a longer wait until the next big planting date in late May. By then the threat of frost is gone and you can finally plant all the warm-loving crops. After that, you really don’t have any time except for weeding and harvesting.”

Let’s Talk Relationships: Listening well is a relationship superpower: Advice for building better communication

By AMY NEWSHORE

What do you think is the No. 1 issue couples bring to therapists and relationship coaches? If you guessed communication, you’re right.

Earth Matters: Wood sounds good: Reclaiming trees and ties to our land

By CHRISTINE HATCH

If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, it most certainly can. 

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Lesléa Newman of Holyoke

Portrait of the artist as a caprese salad, submitted by Lesléa Newman of Holyoke.

Fearlessly following her muse: Artist Rosemary Barrett’s upcoming show in Easthampton is rich with surrealist oil paintings

By CAROLYN BROWN

Holyoke artist Rosemary Barrett has worked in many mediums, but her upcoming show in Easthampton will highlight a collection of oil paintings. Barrett’s show, “The Awakening,” will be featured at Big Red Frame in Easthampton from Saturday, June 7, through Saturday, June 28, and will be featured in Easthampton’s June Art Walk on Saturday, June 7, from 4 to 7 p.m.

‘The myth of the Wild West lived strong in him’: Local artist honors father’s memory with exhibition of his handcrafted holsters

By CAROLYN BROWN

When the late Western Mass. artist Tom Bernard was in his 70s, he opted to turn his lifelong passion for the American West into a collection of handcrafted holsters for toy guns. Now his daughter, artist Gretchen Jennings, is showcasing her father’s love and work with an exhibition, “Cowboy Art.”

Arts Briefs: StrangecreekCampout in Greenfield, Valley Jazz Voices in Northampton, and more

The music festival Strangecreek Campout will return to Greenfield from Friday, May 23, to Monday, May 26, at Camp Kee-Wanee.

Speaking of Nature: Celebrating 28 years of Speaking of Nature: A new resolution for the future of my bird-watching

By BILL DANIELSON

Last Saturday was a bit of a milestone for me. It might easily have come and gone without me realizing it, but thanks to my obsessive record keeping I happened to see a notation in the pages of my 2025 field diary and avoided an embarrassing oversight. Last Saturday marked the 28th anniversary of Speaking of Nature, an event that I don’t think I could have ever imagined back in 1997 when I sent in my first column.

‘Irving Berlin’s View of the East River’ films in western Mass: Behind the scenes of an indie movie set in the Valley

By EMILEE KLEIN

“Reset!”

In heavenly harmony: The Singing Priests to perform at Our Lady of Peace in Turners Falls, May 22

By DOMENIC POLI

It’s long been said that to sing is to pray twice. And a group of Catholic clergymen in western Massachusetts that truly takes that sentiment to heart is slated to spread some cheer in Franklin County later this month.

‘Once I started playing the organ, I was hooked’: Beloved longtime minister of music Dick Matteson bids farewell

By CAROLYN BROWN

After 65 years playing and directing church music, 17 of those as First Church Amherst minister of music, Dick Matteson is ready to celebrate his legacy with the Pioneer Valley. He plans to retire next month, and a farewell concert will be held this Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m.

Valley Bounty: Hillside Nursery thrives in a niche market: Small plant farm in Ashfield specializes in lady-slipper orchids and woodland wildflowers

By LISA GOODRICH

The spring planting season is upon us, and home gardeners are out in full force on weekends, visiting farm stands and garden centers hunting for just the right elements for their gardens and outdoor spaces. The season celebrates the return of the sun and warmer overnight temperatures, with many sun-loving species taking center stage on magazine covers, websites, and in newsletters.

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Jane Szelewicki of Hadley

Jane Szelewicki of Hadley went asparagus picking for the first time and this was the bounty she collected.