Events

Arts

“Touching Experience” showcases art inspired by the visually impaired

June 19, 2015 Ose Schwab 0

What does an art exhibit that considers the visually impaired look like? If the Touching Experience exhibition is any indication, it looks like a celebration among friends who discover through art what is possible for others. A few artists in Malden and the surrounding area offer this multimedia exhibition of touchable art through June. Held at the Beebe Estate Gallery in Melrose, a Touching Experience is a combination exhibit of touchable art and works produced by artists with some vision loss, and a performance series intended to appeal to everyone, including individuals with little or no sight. Touching Experience comes as a response to a friend’s journey going blind. Alyce Underhill, Georgetown artist and founder of the project,  describes a day three years ago, when guitar maker and musician friend Joe LeBlanc comes to her photo exhibit. “He stands three inches away from the image. Even then, he has to ask his wife to describe what she sees,” she emotes. “That is so wrong.” “By not offering enough accessible art, we’ve cut people with vision […]

Events

Boda Borg interactive quest sensation to occupy Sparks building

May 27, 2015 kyliegailgarcia 0

Enter a building with a maze of hallways and an array of doors. You have no idea what challenges lie behind each door and no instructions in regards to how to master these quests. This is the Swedish interactive quest sensation known as Boda Borg and, believe it or not, it is coming to Malden. Expected as early as this summer, Boda Borg will occupy the old Sparks department store building located on Pleasant Street in Malden. It will be a facility that houses about 18 quests, the first U.S. location. Ready to learn more about the challenges offered by Boda Borg? Take a look at this video of Neighborhood View reporter Kylie Garcia’s recent chat with Chad Ellis of Boda Borg.

Arts

Malden Reads kicks off season with ‘bits & bites’ opener

February 21, 2015 neighbormedia 0

The Malden Reads season kicked off 2015 with its “bits and bites” opener at the historic Converse building of the Malden Public Library. The community gathering was a success despite attendees having to trek out into one of the snowiest winters in New England’s history. Malden Reads is a community reading program that invites the entire city to read the same book and participate in events based on its themes. The grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 19 featured light refreshments, community conversation and a chance to learn more about the Malden Reads 2015 featured selection and companion books for younger readers. The 2015 featured selection is “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.” Written by Robin Sloan, the book combines elements of fantasy, mystery, friendship and adventure while musing on the transition between new information technology and traditional print books. In the video below, guests including Mayor Gary Christenson chat with Neighborhood View reporter Kylie Garcia about the festive opening celebration. –Photos by Elizabeth Scorsello

Events

Neighborhood View catches up with Congresswoman Katherine Clark

January 29, 2015 kyliegailgarcia 0

On Friday, Jan. 23,  a crowd gathered together at the Malden Access TV headquarters on Pleasant Street for the Mass Access 2015 Annual Membership Meeting in which Congresswoman Katherine Clark was honored as Legislator of the Year. Congresswoman Clark, known for her continued support of local access television, took a moment after receiving her award to speak with Neighborhood View about her first year as a United States Representative and share her thoughts on the value of community access television.

Events

Senior power on display at the State House

January 20, 2015 azanzirsa 0

On Friday January 16, 2015 approximately 250 Massachusetts seniors from across the Commonwealth went to the State House to deliver to Governor Charlie Baker almost 5,000 signature cards. The signed cards were collected as part of a health care campaign initiated by Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) demanding that Massachusetts  “bridge the gap” to affordable health care for seniors living below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) ($35,000) just as they have done for residents under the age of 65. THE PROBLEM: High out-of-pocket costs for health care prevent thousands of seniors from accessing the health care they need. Seniors spend an average of 15 percent of their income on health care compared to individuals 19-64 who spend 5 percent. (Seniors spend three times more) Seniors in good health spend an average of $467.00 per month for health care. THE SOLUTION: Eliminate the asset test and raise income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Programs to 300 percent FDL (MassHealth Buy-In Programs) Raise the MassHealth asset and income eligibility limits for Massachusetts residents age 65 and over […]

Events

MATV Gallery’s Zhang unveils sketch of Malden’s mayor

December 2, 2014 neighbormedia 0

The MATV Gallery is exhibiting the work of Ming Huang Zhang, a participating artist in this year’s Window Arts Malden through January 2015. Zhang hails from China and immigrated to the United States in 2011. Zhang recently sketched Malden’s mayor Gary Christenson. The finished sketch will be on view at the artist’s gallery reception from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10. Click here for Neighborhood View’s profile on Zhang and his breathtaking work.

Events

Parade of Holiday Traditions returns to Malden

November 28, 2014 neighbormedia 0

On Saturday, November 29 starting at 2 p.m. at the Salemwood School, families and children will be attending Malden’s annual Parade of Holiday Traditions carrying and wearing their creations as part of local artist Greg Cook’s Enchanted Forest. The parade will line up along Waite Street Extension and will travel up Maplewood Street then turn left onto Salem Street and will end at the reviewing stand at Malden High School. Santa Claus will be making a special visit and Malden’s City Hall Plaza will boast festive holiday music and the official lighting of the Christmas tree at 4 p.m. On Saturday November 22, Malden artists Kari Percival and Greg Cook hosted a Kids Craft Workshop at the Malden Public Library. Participants created signs and masks on the themes of “Winter Wildlife” and “Peace on Earth.” Percival mentioned they got their inspiration from the Fells ecosystem and the variety of wildlife around Malden during the winter months. The library event was well attended. Parents and kids representing many cultures and ages filled up rows of tables and worked side by […]

Arts

Captivating artwork of Ming Huang Zhang .. now showing in the MATV Gallery

November 18, 2014 annedr 0

The MATV Gallery is exhibiting the work of Ming Huang Zhang, a participating artist in this year’s Window Arts Malden through January 2015. Zhang hails from China and immigrated to the United States in 2011. The work in this exhibit features his oil portraits which are painted in a western style but display subjects and details that are distinctly Eastern. Also on exhibit will be a number of his portrait sketches using a charcoal medium, a favorite of the artist. Zhang frequents Harvard Square where he finds plenty of people to pose for his sketches, which typically take about 15 minutes to complete yet are captivating in their level of fine detail and likeness to the original face. Says Zhang, “I live in Boston and I love this beautiful city. I have liked drawing since I was a preschool child. Every day, I drew on the road with small stones because my parents did not have enough money to buy drawing equipment for me.” In 2010, Zhang drew a giant mural (300 square meters) for the […]

Arts

Henrietta Lacks’ story moves audiences at Malden Reads ‘Dessert Theater’

November 16, 2014 annedr 0

It was an electrifying evening in Malden on Monday, November 10. The cafeteria of Triangle, Inc. at 420 Pearl St. was transformed into an elegant cafe with lamps and candlelight replacing the overhead fluorescents. The opening to the kitchen was covered by grey-mottled panels and formed the backdrop for a theatrical presentation that left the over 70 attendees to the free event profoundly moved by its power and intensity. Malden Reads: One City, One Book in collaboration with the North Shore Black Women’s Association presented a staged reading of an original play, “Henrietta,” based on the 2014 Malden Reads book selection The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Written by poet, musician, songwriter and (now) playwright Licia Sky, the reading was a moving tribute to the African-American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge in the 1950s at Johns Hopkins Hospital and have been multiplied and used worldwide since that time to further the field of medical science. Henrietta was a poor black tobacco farmer from the south whose family continued to […]