Published: 1/17/2021 4:01:53 PM
GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center, a gallery and art space at 324 Main St., has temporarily closed its physical gallery space, due to concerns and legal restrictions related to the pandemic.
Instead, The LAVA Center is increasing its online programming, with several new weekly writing and reading groups that will meet online.
“It’s a period for us to think ahead as flexibly as we can,” said Jan Maher, a co-coordinator of The LAVA Center and a board member of Local Access to Valley Arts. “What if COVID continues to dominate the rest of the year? Or, what if we can open up by late spring or summer to our fullest capacity?”
At the beginning of January, The LAVA Center had opened an art show, featuring work by local artists Cara Finch and Charmae Bartlett.
However, this week the gallery closed at least through Jan. 24, citing the state’s tight restrictions on occupancy of indoor public spaces. The gallery’s normal capacity is 49 people, and it is now limited to 25 percent capacity, or 12 people, Maher said.
“So it’s pretty challenging,” she said.
The ongoing art exhibits may be re-created in some sort of virtual format, but the gallery coordinators are not sure yet what form that might take, Maher said.
Other online programming that is starting this month, listed below, will continue for the foreseeable future, even past the gallery’s reopening, Maher said.
■A “virtual cafe” for poets and writers to share and discuss their work will be held on the first Monday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
■A playwrights’ circle will be held on the second Monday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
■An online book club will meet the third Monday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
■A group for fiction writers to share and critique their work will be held on the fourth Monday of each month, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Event registration is available on The LAVA Center’s website, localaccess.org.
Reach Max Marcus at
mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.
0 Response to "The LAVA Center in Greenfield closes temporarily, adds online programming - The Recorder"
Post a Comment