This year’s “ArtBeat” festival from the Somerville Arts Council adapts to coronavirus by expanding to a week of surprise pop-up events and virtual performances from July 10 to 18. Danielle Harris will spell out “BLM” with flowers and greenery on the main traffic island in Davis Square. All week, Groundwork Somerville will be painting a mural at its South Street Farm, 198 South St., about “what happens when the earth is given an opportunity to breathe and rest.” Drummer Marcus Santos will pop up at three different hidden locations around town to perform his Afro beats. Check out some additional highlights below. Full schedule at somervilleartscouncil.org/calendar.

Somerville Arts Council ArtBeat 2020 poster. (Design by Paula Champagne)
Somerville Arts Council ArtBeat 2020 poster. (Design by Paula Champagne)

Saturday, July 11
8 p.m. Psychedelic rock band New Aura headline a virtual show. The lineup also includes indie folk singer songwriter Grace Givertz and The Mystery. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89540550532 and https://youtu.be/WK1CPTJrAf0


Sunday, July 12
10:30 a.m. Phil Berman performs a pop-up kids concert for kids of “traditional American children’s music, bilingual world children’s favorites, and original children’s compositions with a twist.”


Monday, July 13
Somerville Poet Laureate Lloyd Schwartz has invited 21 of Somerville poets to each read a poem of their own and a poem they love by someone else. Also look for Ross Gay’s poem “A Small Needful Fact” painted on bike path between Cedar Street and Davis Square and lawn signs featuring poems by local authors throughout the Davis Square area, around the bike path.


Tuesday, July 14
11 a.m. Illustrator and cartoonist Dan Moynihan leads a virtual cartooning workshop: https://www.facebook.com/dan.moynihan.142


Wednesday, July 15
10:30 a.m. Puppeteer Honey Goodenough performs “Sock Monkey Circus” with a cast of monkeys juggling, dancing, and swinging from a trapeze.

8 p.m. Amy Kucharik debuts her new crowdsourced video “99 Bottles” for her new song about “longing for connection and taking a chance on finding it by placing a message in a bottle”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aDw6ajcCQ4. It’s inspired by “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and the Police song “Message in a Bottle.”

8:30 p.m. Callie Chapman leads “[Blend],” a dance and media performance/installation at an undisclosed location and streamed at facebook.com/SomervilleArts combining dance and live video “to create otherworldly images.” Contributing artists include Junichi Fukada, Sara June, Adrienne Hawkins, Cassandra Martin,Alli Ross, Rising Step and Papa Sy. Repeats at 8:30 p.m. July 18.


Thursday, July 16
8 p.m. Optic Bloom, a queer “future soul” duo comprised of Flowerthief and Dephrase, performs. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81684248571 and https://youtu.be/j5RVuolbfUA


If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon. And sign up for our free, weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any of our reporting.


All content © copyright by Greg Cook or its original creators.


Categories: Art Festivals Music