Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick town seal designs get public viewing

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Several dozen people stopped by the Morse Institute Library on Sunday to check out 3 town seal designs being considered as a replacement for the 1980 version that’s been questioned for depicting an inaccurate understanding of Natick’s early history.

The designs being mulled are much simpler and cleaner than the older one, too.

seals

 

I’d asked if any designs got left on the cutting room floor and indeed, 1 featuring the gazebo on the common didn’t make the top 3.

Natick’s seal is used for official documents, but also serves as a town logo found on signs, uniforms, and more.

The Town Seal Review Committee soon seeks to settle on 1 design to bring to Town Meeting this spring for approval.

The committee has a sweetheart of a meeting slated for Feb. 14 at 8:15pm, with agenda items including a review of feedback from a public survey and the open house, as well as voting on a Town Meeting warrant article for submission.

You still have time to share your thoughts via the online survey.

town seal design open house

Natick library hosting free craft supplies swap

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The Morse Institute Library in Natick is holding a craft supplies swap this month, with drop-off slated for Feb. 7-9 (make sure your stuff is in some sort of container), and “shopping” for free supplies on Feb. 10-11.

The swap is intended to prevent supplies from going to waste. If you drop something off, you’ll get early access to the craft swap from 9-11am on Friday, Feb. 10. The swap will be open to the general public after that early access period.

Natick Cultural Council grants: Projects range from school murals to senior hip hop to Johnny Cash

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The Natick Cultural Council has announced more than 30 grants ranging in amounts from $200 to $2,132 to fund a variety of projects that support the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences.

The projects, intended to benefit the Natick community, run the gamut from films to dance to history.

One project that we’ve previewed is called “What’s in your heart? NATICK,” and will be a public art display on the MBTA pedestrian bridge.

Among other grant recipients are the Brown Elementary School PTO, which is receiving $1,000, and Lilja Elementary School, which is receiving $1,500. Both will use the funds to paint murals at the schools.

Brown Elementary will be having artist-in-residence Joe Pimentel working with students and staff in March to create a welcoming new mural in the lobby, says Michelle Parven, visual arts educator at Brown.
A generous grant from Natick Education Foundation got the school 75% of the way to funding the cost of the mural, and the Natick Cultural Council grant will cover the rest, Parven says.
What will make this mural unique is that Pimentel “incorporates students into the entire process – from ideation (kids generating drawings based on a theme) to execution (all hands on deck to help with the actual painting).  He feels that this gives students voice in the design and ownership of the finished product,” says Parven who discovered the Ulster County, N.Y., artist on Instagram.
In October, students met with Pimentel over Zoom and made drawings aligned with the theme “Our School Community.”  Pimentel sent Parven drafts of the design, and it has since been finalized in preparation for the artist’s visit to the school during the last week in March.  “While I have renderings, I cannot share them with you at this time—we want to keep things a surprise!” Parven says.
The Council, which awarded grants totaling $16,582 in this latest round, will seek applications again in the fall.

Fiscal year ’23 funding list

Recipient Project Title Amount
Argyrople, Catherine Growing Pains (Feature Film) $300
Brown School Parent-Teacher Organization of Natick, Massachusetts, Inc. Brown School Lobby Mural $1,000
Brown School Parent-Teacher Organization of Natick, Massachusetts, Inc. Ball in the House $2,132
Costarelli, Eve Jerusalema Flash Mob: The Dance of Joy $200
Edgecomb, Diane Fantastical Folktales of Flowers $400
Girardin, Denise What’s In Your Heart Natick? $800
Hiller, David Natick Family Science Nights $400
Historical Natural History and Library Society of Natick, Inc. Know Natick History: Natick Reimagined (working title) $300
Lilja Elementary School School Mural $1,500
Lilja School PTO, Inc. Three Billy Goats Gruff by Pumpernickel Puppets $400
Lilja School PTO, Inc. Peoples of the Dawn Land $400
MUSIC Dance.edu I am Autistic I am Fantastic $300
MUSIC Dance.edu Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! $300
MacInnes, Rebecca “Crankie” Muscial Story-Telling $400
Moock, Alastair Johnson Elementary PTO presents Alastair Moock’s musical social justice assembly “Playing With Tradition” $400
Natick High School RoboNatick Team 6032 “Lightning Hawks” $300
Natick Parents Music Association, Inc. Natick Jazz Night $500
Newman, Howard Knock on Wood, acoustic folk-rock duo $400
Polatin, David “The Fifties – The Golden Age of Music” $400
Quazi, Shahreen Tribute to Natick Praying Indians $350
Radhakrishnan, Smitha Radical Love: A Community Movement $600
SPARK Kindness, Inc. SPARK Kindness Week 2022 $400
Sound & Spirit, Inc. “Get Happy!” $500
Taunton City Band, Inc. Taunton City Band free community concert $200
The A Cappella Singers, Inc. Concert Season 2022-2023 $500
The Morse Institute in Natick Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band $400
Voices of MetroWest, Inc. Trial Educational Tool – ChoralTracks $400
Waterman, Jon Live Music Making History Live $300
Wilson Middle School Masterclasses for Music! $600
Women of Note, Inc. Women of Note Holiday Concert $400
York, Matt Johnny Cash – Songs & Stories $400
Zaino, Nick 100 Years of Boston Comedy $200
Zinshtein, Ronen Dance competition $250
Zinshtein, Ronen National Training camp and Dance competition $250

Public art project launched for 2023: ‘What’s In Your Heart? NATICK’

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A new public art project, dubbed “What’s In Your Heart? NATICK” has been launched, with the goal of displaying 2,023 red wooden hearts featuring words and drawings from anyone inspired. Like with 2020’s LOVE 01760 project, the hearts will cover the MBTA pedestrian bridge fencing in Natick Center come April.

“Participants will be asked to dig deep and define what or who is most important to them and paint that feeling/idea/person/thing onto a 4” x 4” red wood heart,” according to the project organizer.

Supplies will be made available for free at 3 Adams St., and group designing sessions will be scheduled. More to come from local artist Denise Girardin. Follow the What’s in our Heart? Natick Facebook group for updates.<

whats in your heart logo

Filed Under: Art

Natick Cultural Council seeks members

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The Natick Cultural Council, which awards grants that promote the arts, humanities and interpretative sciences to improve the quality of life for Natick residents, is seeking new members.

The time commitment is estimated to be about 12 hours a year.

The Council is on the verge of revealing its 2023 grant recipients.

Filed Under: Art