'From Russia with Arts and Culture' Festival This Weekend in Newton

A three-day Russian Festival returns to the Newton Cultural Center for a second year from April 19 - 21.

'Wonder' Takes Stage in Newton [VIDEO]

"Wonder," a story by R.J. Palacio, deals with bullying and empathy among other themes.

Empathy, kindness and compassion was the theme at the Newton Cultural Center on Saturday, March 16 during a 10-hour staged reading of R.J. Palacio's "Wonder," which tells the story of a fifth grade boy and how he deals with bullying, empathy, kindness and acceptance. Nearly 70 actors participated in the event, taking turns reading segments of the book to an audience.  The show was sponsored by the Newton Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, Understanding Our Differences and Newton Community Pride. Check out a video clip from the performance above.  Do you have photos or videos to share from 'Wonder'? Add them to our story by clicking the "upload photo and video" button above.

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Newton Performers to Present Story of Empathy, Kindness

This weekend, the performers will give a 10-hour, marathon staged reading of R.J. Palacio's "Wonder."

Sometimes kindness takes a back seat in our busy lives. This weekend, a local group hopes to change that.  A cast of Newton residents will present a marathon staged book reading of "Wonder" on Sat., March 16 at the Newton Cultural Center at 225 Nevada St. The performance begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 7:30 p.m., according to a press release about the event. "Wonder," by R.J. Palacio, tells the story of 10-year old boy who enrolls in fifth grade. The story deals with bullying, empathy, kindness and acceptance. “This is a hopeful story about friendship and acceptance,” the press release reads. The Newton Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, Understanding Our Differences and Newton Community Pride are sponsoring the show. The Newton "Wonder…

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PHOTOS: French and Chinese Cultures Shine at Newton Heritage Fetsivals

The city kicked off its new Heritage Festival series this month with French and Chinese cultural events at the Newton Cultural Center. Upcoming Heritage Festivals include a Latin American Festival on March 23 and a Russian Cultural Festival April 19-21.

  Want to learn more about the Newton Heritage Festivals? Check out this story here.

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Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs to Kick off Newton Heritage Festivals

Mayor Setti Warren will hold a press conference Friday to announce and promote the heritage festivals.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren will join members of his cultural affairs staff Friday to kick off a series of "heritage festivals" to be held in the city over the next two months.  The new program is part of the city's "13 Villages, One Community" campaign and aims to celebrate cultural diversity in Newton as well as build partnerships with the local business community, Warren's office said in a press release. The Newton Heritage Festivals include a series of events around French, Chinese, Latin American and Russian cultures. To kick off the festivals, Warren will hold a press conference Friday afternoon at Cafe St. Petersburg in Newton Centre. Warren will be joined by Director of Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs Linda Plaut as well as local…

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Winners of Totenberg String Competition to Give Gala Concert in Newton

The First Roman Totenberg Young Musicians String Competition is sponsored by the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs and founded by Dr. Vera Rubin, president of the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association.

Right up until his last few moments of life, renowned violinist Roman Totenberg was still teaching from his hospital bed in his Newton home. As a way to honor the beloved teacher and musician, the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs and Massachusetts Music Teachers Association President Dr. Vera Rubin recently teamed up to launch the First Annual Roman Totenberg Young Musicians String Competition. Now, the winners of the Totenberg competition will be giving a special gala concert this Saturday, Dec. 8.  The concert will be held at the Newton Cultural Center and starts at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door, $5 for students and seniors. The Totenberg String Competition was held on Dec. 2 and was open to musicians age 8-18 who were either …

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Newton's Annual Spelling Bee: The Winners

The event, now in its fifth year, had several ties due to the high standard of spellers in this year's competition.

The following information was provided by the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs: Congratulations to all the magnificent spellers that participated in the four spelling bees held at the Newton Cultural Center in April. There was an overwhelming response in the registration for the fifth year of this event. This year, the standard of the spellers was so high that the judges had to declare several ties, as the children made so few errors. The Spelling Bees are organized by the Mayor's Office for the Cultural Affairs and are generously sponsored by Newton Community Pride.  (With our apologies for any omissions that we have made, despite our best efforts) Kindergarten First group: First place - Porter Yahns (Horace Mann), Audrey Wang (…

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New Project Would Turn City Utility Boxes into Art

Local artists are encouraged to submit proposals to the pilot program called NewtonSERVES BoxART.

Do you ever pay attention to those green utility boxes around Newton? A new city-wide program may have you taking a second look.  Last week, the city announced a pilot program that aims to convert city utility boxes into works of art.  Spearheaded by the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs, Newton Community Pride and the Department of Public Works, the NewtonSERVES BoxART program is calling upon local artists to paint the green utility boxes located around the city.  According to a press release issued by the city, "the NewtonSERVES BoxART Committee feels vibrant public art creates an inviting environment and a sense of place and will choose proposals that will help achieve these goals." Artists who are interested in taking part in the …

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Tanglewood Marionettes' Cinderella Returns to Newton

Kick off school vacation week with entertainment for whole family.

This weekend, families can start school vacation week in a fun way with the Tanglewood Marionettes’ performance of Cinderella. “It’s excellent quality, wonderful entertainment for children as well as adults with beautifully made marionettes,” says Jeanie Smith, associate director of the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, which is putting on the event along with Newton Community Pride. There will be two shows Sunday (10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.) at the Newton Cultural Center. The shows are so popular that a second show had to be added, as pre-order tickets for the 10:30 a.m. performance are already sold out, Smith says. With marionettes about three-feet tall, a performance by the Tanglewood Marionettes is not your average puppet show, says …

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Start Your Holiday Shopping at the Newton Fine Art and Crafts Show

Find unique holiday gifts at the Newton Fine Art and Crafts Show this weekend.

The Newton Fine Art and Crafts Show will return to the Newton Cultural Center this weekend, right in time for holiday shopping.  Taking place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the popular juried art show will feature the work of about 45 artists for sale at affordable prices, says Linda Plaut, director of the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs.  The Newton Fine Art and Crafts Show is a great place for people to find unique gifts for those on their holiday lists, she says. “Whey you buy or wear something made by someone rather than a machine, there’s a real connection with that,” says Plaut.  “It’s a way of getting away from mass production and finding something for yourself or your home that you can …

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