Community Events in Arlington MA

The Oldest Continuously Operating Mill Site in the United States. 

When people visit the Old Schwamb Mill in Arlington, MA for the first time, they are often amazed when they step inside- it’s indeed a workplace from another century. The smell of decades of birch, bass wood, and black walnut, the sight of period tools resting on a polished workbench, and the gentle sound of belt-driven lathes immediately transport young and old to America’s industrial age.

Forty-five minute tours of the main building’s first and second floor are available by a museum staff member on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Some highlights: In the original office, you can view an 1898 roll top desk, a “hidden” closet door and a substantial 1905 safe. Visitors can also encounter a rare and remarkable sight: a very intact Civil War-era shop floor that contains multiple generations of tools and machines. Upstairs, you’ll see the glue room, admire examples of finished frames in the frame showroom, and enjoy a temporary art show or historical exhibit in our galleries.

Old Schwamb Mill has a unique history. Charles Schwamb emigrated from Germany in the 1840s, one of six Schwamb brothers who came to America between 1837 and 1857. The brothers brought wood working skills and the ability to adapt and thrive in towns dominated by the descendants of English settlers. After working for years with his brothers, Charles and his brother Frederick bought the mill in 1864 and commenced the manufacture of oval picture frames. The Charles Schwamb business sold picture frames and linear moulding to frame shops and galleries throughout the northeast, including in the cities of Boston and New York. For the next century this Mill, along with two other Schwamb manufacturing concerns, were major sites of commerce and employment in Arlington.

When fourth-generation owner Elmer Schwamb retired in 1969, Patricia Cunningham Fitzmaurice, a visionary local community activist/preservationist, saved the Mill from almost certain destruction. She raised both awareness of its historical value and the funds needed to secure the property. She brought together a group of remarkable, civic-minded citizens to form the Schwamb Mill Preservation Trust. Within six months, she and the Trust had founded the Old Schwamb Mill as an  industrial museum a decade before the Lowell National Historical Park, allowing generations of visitors to experience the small family-run factories that once covered nineteenth and twentieth-century New England.

Today, the Mill’s customers include museums, frame shops, and architectural and interior design firms as well as individuals looking for fine-crafted frames that will display family portraits, photos, artwork, or mirrors. The hand-turned frames are constructed from solid hardwoods such as black walnut, maple, cherry, mahogany and zebrawood.

The Old Schwamb Mill maintains a schedule of events that make visiting the Mill a regular occurrence for its many friends. In its second-floor gallery, the Mill offers various shows throughout the year by local painters, photographers, collagists, and sculptors, plus one show with a focus on the Mill’s own history. Frequent lectures, including an annual Frame Lecture, give visitors another chance to experience the Mill’s beautiful interior.

There is also a summer music series, as well as children’s programs including storytelling, crafts, music and a puppet show. Two signature events include the Mill’s annual outdoor Oktoberfest on the first Saturday in October, as well as a holiday craft fair in November.

The Old Schwamb Mill is located at 17 Mill Lane in Arlington, just off the bike path. Those who are interested can donate, and receive updates to find out about the latest happenings.

If you’re hungry, be sure to head over to The Roasted Granola for a cup of coffee and a treat. Or you can grab a slice of pizza at Andrina’s. You could also stop by for a drink or dinner at The Heights Pub or Jimmy’s Steer House.

 

Arlington Open Studios returns on Saturday, November 13 in a mostly with lots of new features and visitor favorites.

Over 50 participants will be featured this year at 3 locations in Arlington Center. The Robbins Library will offer a Book & Art Sale as a new addition to the event. Six Studio Artists will open their doors to visitors. Participating artists will present a range of mediums including painting, photography, fiber, ceramics, glass, fine jewelry, mixed media, printmaking, and sculpture.

As a bonus, this year’s event will feature a Porchfest Stage on the steps of Town Hall and poetry readings from the Red Letter Poems Project.

For more info visit: https://www.acarts.org/arlington-open-studios

 

OCTOBER 23rd 

ART & MUSIC at Mill Pond Park

October 23, 1 – 4 PM

Mill Pond Park at Old Schwamb Mill | 17 Mill Lane | Arlington MA

New England Sculptors Association (NESA) has partnered with the Old Schwamb Mill and the Town of Arlington to present  an outdoor sculpture exhibition at Mill Pond Park.

The Mill will host a reception from 1:00 – 2:30 PM. Come meet the artists and enjoy a concert that will follow from 2:30 – 4:00 PM by FOGGY MOUNTAIN CONSORT, a Renaissance/Blue Grass Band. http://foggymountainconsort.com/

The installation of six juried pieces that are available for purchase can be enjoyed through the middle of November. The participating artists’ sculptures on view are:

Mid-Century Modern Heart by Cassie Doyon

Weedy Sea Dragon by Cassie Doyon

My Love by Memy Ish Shalom

Cat by Marin Murakoski

Colliding Worlds by R. Douglass Rice

Dragoon by Dan Rocha

ABOUT NESA

New England Sculptors Association (NESA), est. 1948, supports established and emerging sculptors in achieving their highest potential and in connecting with fellow artists, curators, and collectors. Together with our partners, we promote excellence in sculptural art and seek to inform, educate, and inspire the public throughout New England and beyond. 

http://nesculptors.org

ABOUT OLD SCHWAMB MILL

The Old Schwamb Mill is the oldest continuously operating mill site in the U.S where guided tours are available as well as demonstrations of frame-turning on original 19th-century lathes, still used today to create handmade oval and circular frames. The Mill presents a calendar of events held throughout the year, including gallery and park exhibits, musical performances, lectures and special events.

Also at the Mill…

‘3 Views of a Secret’

Three Views of a Secret

“Three Views of a Secret” is currently on display in the mill’s gallery. It features nature-inspired paintings and sculptures from Arlington artists Gwen Chasan and Dan Cianfarini and Lexington-based Bill Cohn.

The collection showcases Gwen’s tantalizing watercolor and acrylic paintings of birds’ nests, landscapes and botanicals, Dan’s haunting watercolors of New England and international landscapes and structures, and Bill’s other-worldly “industrial-organic” ceramic sculptures. Each artist’s interpretation of the visible world is an affirmation of life, a welcome therapy as we emerge from the global pandemic.

Cianfarini, is an artist who paints exclusively in watercolors, focusing on representational landscapes that often include architectural or other man-made elements to suggest human presence or the passage of time. He is also drawn to certain aspects of the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, specifically its search for beauty in the natural cycle of growth and decay.

Since beginning to paint about 20 years ago, he has studied painting and drawing with instructors in the greater Boston area, Maine, and Italy and has participated in several solo exhibitions as well as numerous group exhibitions. His most recent work can be seen at www.danswatercolors.com.

Cohn is a Lexington-based ceramic artist and sculptor. Working in clay, rock, and wood, his unique “Industrial/Organic” themed sculptures have been described as evoking feelings of “being in the New England woods or on a foreign planet all at the same time.” Bill’s work enriches landscapes, gardens, atria and homes. His pieces have been featured in solo, two-person, and juried group shows. Bill has been a studio owner at Artspace in Maynard MA since 2000, and his work can be seen at www.billcohnart.com and on Instagram@cohnbill18.

Chasan is an Arlington artist who creates watercolor and acrylic paintings inspired by the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Her work bridges realism and expressionism as she is drawn to expressing the inner world and emotions evoked by what we see around us. Gwen loves to experiment with new materials and approaches to making marks and images. She has studied drawing and painting with artists in the Boston area, Italy and Greece. Her work has been included in solo and juried exhibitions locally and regionally. She paints in her Arlington studio and teaches workshops in Massachusetts. Her work can be seen at www.gwenchasan.com, and on Instagram @gwen_chasan_art.

These works will be for sale after the show which ends on November 6.

 

 

The Old Schwamb Mill has announced the return of their Music at the Mill series. Enjoy the sounds of live jazz at the Old Schwamb Mill in Arlington on Thursday, August 12 at 6:30 pm. Described as “electric jazz with an Italian flair”, the music employs world rhythms and Mediterranean melodies with a funk edge. Musicians Sergio Bellotti, Tino D’Agostino, and special guest Maxim Lubarsky will perform. Admission is free, with a $5.00 suggested donation.

The Mill is also featuring a current art show, “Three Views of a Secret,” featuring the work of Gwen Chasen, Bill Cohn, and Dan Cianfarini.

For more information, contact the Old Schwamb Mill at telephone 781-643-0554 or via email at info@oldschwambmill.org.

Music at the Mil | Old Schwamb Mill | Town of Arlington MA

Old Schwamb Mill | Music at the Mil | Things to do in Arlington MA

Things to do in Town of Arlington MA | Visit Arlington

 

Music at the Mill, Old Schwamb Mill.

Music at the Mill

Short History of Old Schwamb Mill

In 1838, Jacob Schwamb emigrated to Boston from Untenheim, Rhein Hessen, Germany.  Jacob was the first of the Schwamb brothers to emigrate to the United States.  By 1857, six of the seven Schwamb brothers had emigrated from Rhineland Pfalz to the United States.

In their heyday, nine separate mills, each with one or two backup mill ponds, dotted the Mill Brook Valley along Massachusetts Avenue from East Lexington as far as Mystic Street in Arlington. The water of the Mill Brook was used by each mill wheel in turn, and the water was then passed on to the next. After 1872 the mills were forced to gradually convert to steam when the Arlington Heights residential plan was laid out and the town dug a reservoir on Lowell Street, in anticipation of the professional class expected to populate the Heights. The influx was not realized because a prolonged recession cut demand and the Arlington Land Company went bankrupt within two years. Complaints were also lodged that the water was not clean. In 1898, Arlington applied to join the Metropolitan water system and in 1899, its petition was granted. Thus, the Heights were able to escape the fate of having the waters of the Great Meadows flow into their sinks…

We were excited to see this press release from the Arlington Center for the Arts announcing the Porchfest will be back in full swing on June 18, 2022. In the meantime, fans can look forward to a “Porchfest Stage” this November at Arlington Open Studios.

An Update on Arlington Porchfest

In the spirit of the much-loved community event, Arlington Center for the Arts (ACA) is excited to present Arlington Porchfest Stage on the front steps of Arlington’s Town Hall as part its annual Arlington Open Studios event on Saturday, November 13, 2021. The Porchfest Stage will feature free public performances by local Arlington Porchfest musicians throughout the day. A call with details will go out to previously participating music artists later this summer. Musical acts will be selected by a committee composed of previous Porchfest hosts and volunteers.

Also, ACA is thrilled to announce the return of a full-scale Arlington Porchfest on Saturday, June 18, 2022. A call to music artists, Porch Hosts, and volunteers will go out early in the new year.

Because of the pandemic, ACA was not able to present a Porchfest event this past spring, and other organizational obligations precluded sufficient planning for a large-scale event in the fall. After careful consideration, we decided it would be best to fully embrace commitments already made and look forward to an all-out Porchfest event in its regular time slot during spring 2022.

“Things may look a little different this year, but you can be sure that ACA is working thoughtfully to create unique occasions for community-building through the arts,” said Executive Director Tom Formicola.

ACA is proud to present a return to community celebration with its Arlington Open Studios 2021 event on Saturday, November 13. This year’s event will feature an impressive footprint — occupying one full block in the heart of Arlington’s Cultural District. In addition to Porchfest Stage, Open Studios will showcase the work of local artists at three locations, including ACA, Town Hall, and First Parish Unitarian Universalist. Also, Robbins Library will host a Books & Art Sale as part of the day-long event.

For those members of the Arlington Porchfest community who will miss an event in their neighborhoods this year, ACA will soon be posting a DIY Porchfest Guide so that die-hard Porch Hosts and musicians might coordinate some more intimate events of their own for the enjoyment of friends and neighbors this summer and fall as suits their schedules.

Those interested in learning more about Porchfest Stage, DIY Porchfest Kits, and Arlington Porchfest 2022, please check be here regularly, or visit www.acarts.org

Originally posted on July 8, 2021 by Arlington Porchfest

Poems are popping up all over Arlington Heights! This summer, 50 original haiku poems fill storefront windows all along Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Heights; Arlington MA Neighborhood Haiku. The poems are being painted by 18 volunteer artists working with coaching from legendary sign painter Kenji Nakayama.  A jury selected poems from almost 200 entered; the poets — ranging in age from 7 to 92 — drew inspiration from the streets and shops, green spaces and local history, people and community spirit of the Heights. Local poet and teacher Jessie Brown led 4 well-attended haiku workshops. Arlington’s poet laureate, Steven Ratiner, worked with his Beehive Poets group to put together a special collection of haiku.

On Wednesday, July 14, 2021 6:30 – 8:00 pm, a community celebration will take place.  Featuring an open mic, live music, and a storefront stroll with some special opportunities to shop local.  Plan to stay for dinner or get a takeout picnic at one of the great eateries of this distinctive neighborhood.

Arlington MA Neighborhood Haiku

Organized by Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture’s Public Art Curator Cecily Miller with Janet O’Riordan, Jessie Brown, Rob Davison, Julie Horvath, Emily Patel and Sarah Short. Thanks to the Grants Committee of Arlington Commission for Arts & Culture and the Mass Cultural Council for funding, event sponsors Century 21 Realty and Roasted Granola, and the many local businesses who made contributions and are generously hosting poems in their windows.

Visit Town of Arlington MA