Discussions about performing arts space will continue in January.
The new Easthampton City Arts+ spoken word program will be held at Luthier's monthly.
That doesn’t mean that the visual arts presence will be any less and discussions will also continue about performance spaces in the city as well.
Unbuttoned, a program that celebrates the spoken word, launched in December but will continue monthly with the next session scheduled Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at Luthier’s Co-op on Cottage Street.
The event features the chance for six to perform or read at an open mic and one featured author. Last month, author Corinne De Winter read.
Also Jan. 28, the ECA+ is launching the inaugural C.H.A.T. (Come Hang Around and Talk) at 6 p.m. at the Art Bar Café, 1 Northampton St. The C.H.AT. will happen the last Monday of the month.
The idea is for artists, writers, performers, musicians, dancers, and creative business owners to connect with each other, she said, something people in the community have said they wanted.
Maxey said they will also launch a curatorial gallery at Eastworks, a program to help teach artists how to create, promote and install an exhibit. The program will begin in February.
Artist forums will be held in March and June to provide a chance “for artists to come and present their work, to have the opportunity to share verbally what they’re doing,” she said.
The organization meanwhile is continuing its discussion of looking at performing arts space in the city.
CitySpace, Inc., Eastmont Custom Framing, Flywheel Arts Collective and the new performing arts group Metacomet Stage held a charette in November asking that, performers, musicians, artists, and community members to attend.
They wanted to talk about the performing arts and how to integrate theater and music among other arts into the greater arts community. They also wanted to talk about where those performers can stage shows,
The event “brought out a lot of people who live in Easthampton who don’t perform here,” Maxey said.
Since that meeting, the group has been compiling a list of existing spaces and looking at how many can be accommodated as well as more technical things like noise levels.
She said people are looking for space for 100 to 200. She said there could be auditorium space available at the new high school, which is slated to open in April.