Arts Briefs: Summer concert series in Hatfield, a call for fiber artists, and more

Summer concerts at Black Birch Vineyard

Signature Sounds Presents will kick off its new season of outdoor concerts at Black Birch Vineyard in Hatfield on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 6:30 p.m. Its first show will feature Boston quartet Darlingside (described by NPR as "exquisitely arranged, literary minded, baroque folk-pop") with folk-punk duo High Tea opening.

The rest of the season's shows will be Deadgrass on Friday, Aug. 8 ("a string band jamgrass adventure through Jerry Garcia's musical world"); singer-songwriter (or, as she calls it, "writer song-singer") Heather Maloney on Friday, Aug. 29, and Saturday, Aug. 30, with singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon opening; and jazz/ragtime/blues band Tuba Skinny on Friday, Sept. 12. All shows start at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets prices vary by show; tickets are available at signaturesoundspresents.com.

Photography exhibition at 33 Hawley

Central Florida photographer Carlos Semedo has an exhibition of work, "Chiquinho," on display at the Split Level Gallery at 33 Hawley in Northampton through Friday, Aug. 29.

According to a press release, the exhibition "prioritizes color and light—each photo's individual mood is tangible. Often photographing subjects from musical and artistic countercultures, Semedo seeks to paint each individual through his own visual codes formed while growing up in a saturated sunshine state. What’s implied through this lens is a larger narrative; each photo reveals a cinematic logic beyond a single frame, fueled by Semedo’s innate curiosity."

The exhibition was curated by Adrienne Albro-Fisher and Sophie Gill as part of the Emerging Curator Program at A.P.E., which gives community members the opportunity to curate real-world art spaces.

"Chiquinho" will have an opening reception on Friday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.

For more information about Carlos Semedo, visit carlossemedo.com.

CitySpace announces Pay It Forward awardees

CitySpace in Easthampton recently announced its 2025 Pay It Forward cohort. The program offers selected local artists a residency at CitySpace, stipends, rehearsal space, professional development opportunities, and other benefits. Each awardee will also be responsible for hosting (an) event(s) at CitySpace.

The awardees are musician Hazel Basil; performer and storyteller Mercedes Loving-Manley; educator, performer, and visual artist Muriel "Monik" Johnson; actor, director, and experimental drag performance artist Patric Madden; hip-hop producer and musician Ricky Nixon; jazz and R&B singer Chestina Thrower; multidisciplinary writer Mo Schweiger; and musician, composer, and educator Ailey Verdelle.

For more information about the new cohort, visit cityspaceeasthampton.org.

Audition for ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’

Valley Players will hold appointment-only auditions for its December production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. Callbacks will be held on Friday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m.

The radio play, an adaptation of the famous Christmas movie starring Jimmy Stewart, will feature live foley effects and a cast of five to six actors (of any age or gender) who will perform up to 10 roles each. Memorizing lines is not required because actors will read from the script during the show.

According to the audition call, “The prime requirement to be cast is the ability to convincingly perform multiple character voices.”

The play will be a dinner theater show at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland on Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20. Proceeds will benefit the affordable housing nonprofit Way Finders.

For more information or to sign up for an audition slot, visit koalendar.com/e/wonderfullife. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

Call for fiber artists

Fiber artists in New England and members of the Deerfield Valley Art Association are invited to submit fiber work for consideration in the Fall into Fiber Arts exhibition at Fiddleheads Gallery in Northfield, which will run Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Nov. 2.

Submitted art could include sewing, quilting, tailoring, needlepoint, embroidery, cross-stitch, rugs, knitting, weaving, crocheting, felting, and more.

Accordingo to the artist call, all submitted work must be "original, of exhibition quality, and prepared for hanging or display."

To submit your artwork or if you have questions, contact Jeanne Sisson at [email protected]. The deadline is Friday, Aug. 15, and submitting work is free.

Stomping Grounds Dance Festival returns

Stomping Grounds Dance Festival, a showcase for original movement-based performance pieces by local artists, will return this year at 33 Hawley on Saturday, Aug. 9, with performances at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m.

The festival is "a vehicle for connecting the dance community across style, existing cohorts, geography, and experience," according to the event description.

Stomping Grounds includes works by by Lisa Leizman Dance Company, Kelly Silliman, Zazie Tobey, Lexi Major Jameson, Hayley White, Nona Monahin, Francesca Baron, Sharon MacDonald, Chelsea Perry, Miranda Busansky + Piper Morrison, Maeve Sterbenz, and Michelle Marroquin.

Tickets are available via www.nohoarts.org and are $20 to $45, sliding scale, for one performance plus a reception (with refreshments) or $35 to $90 for a festival pass, which includes both performances and a reception. Subsidized tickets are available through the Northampton Center for the Arts Community Fund. (More information about that is available at nohoarts.org/community-fund.)