Art
In celebration of national poetry month, there will be a reading of 17th century metaphysical poet John Donne at the Old Whaling Church at 4 p.m. on April 19. The program will also include the music of William Byrd and other composers from the English Renaissance. Donne’s work will be read by John Ortman and Elizabeth Villard, who will be joined by Matt Pelikan on recorder and violin, and Jan Hyer on cello.
In this year-long serialized novel set on the Vineyard in real time, a native Islander (“Call me Becca”) returns home after two decades to help her eccentric Uncle Abe keep his landscaping business, Pequot, afloat. Abe fears and detests Richard Moby, the CEO of an off-Island wholesale nursery, Broadway. Convinced that Moby wants to destroy Abe personally, and all Island-based landscaping/nursery businesses generally, Abe has been obsessed with “taking down” Moby.
On April 4, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Minnesingers performed at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association Festival, and despite this being their first return to the festival in ten years and singing pieces of the highest-rated level of difficulty, they excelled, and were awarded by the association a bronze medal. Congratulations go out to the Minnesingers; their director, Janis Wightman and their accompianist, Melanie Sroka.
Springtime’s probably my favorite season for biking on the Vineyard. The colors and sounds and smells are just the antidote to a long, gray winter; or, if you’re a seasonal resident like myself, it’s a great time to get reacquainted with New England. The weather’s cool enough to pedal fast without overheating, you don’t have to carry as much water, and the traffic is still relatively light. Of course, you do have the drawback that, of the vehicles that are on the road, most of them are landscaping trucks.
What signals the beginning of spring like butterflies breaking forth into the warm breeze?
While school is out, April 20 to 24, giant butterfly puppets will be hatching out of West Tisbury, as Island puppeteers April Thanhauser and Marsha Wynsrig lead a team of youngsters in a week-long puppet building workshop.
The Simon Gallery will reopen today at 10 a.m. for its second season. In their newly enlarged and renovated space, Peter and Ronni Simon will celebrate with a special Easter Weekend sale featuring discounts up to 40 per cent on selected jewelry by Ronni and many photographs by Peter, including some of his iconic and recently created Vineyard landscapes and musical legends.
Ronni will also be premiering a new art form: metal and bead sculptures on driftwood.