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Date: 5/19/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – Residents will have the opportunity to sip some beer, listen to music and appreciate local art at the Arts & Brew event from the East Longmeadow Cultural Council (ELCC).
On June 18, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., the ELCC will partner with the local brewery and taproom, Brew Practitioners, 45 Baldwin St., to offer entertainment while displaying local artwork. “We really don’t have a lot of that in East Longmeadow,” said ELCC Chair Jo Ann Asselin.
The Cultural Council chose to partner with Brew Practitioners for the event partly because it is a new local business. There is also a parking lot adjacent to the business in which the council received permission to stage the art exhibits. There will be tents showcasing art from local artists and emerging artists from East Longmeadow High School. There will also be a “Little Monets” tent, featuring opportunities for children to color and face painting.
Mary Jenewin-Caplin of the ELCC told the East Longmeadow Town Council that the event is family-oriented. There will be food trucks present and Caplin described the musical entertainment available on the patio at Brew Practitioners as, “something for everyone.”
The Arts & Brew event will tie in with events at other locations in East Longmeadow that day, including Historical Commission tours and a craft fair at the Norcross House, Caplin said.
“We are dedicated to promoting all things East Longmeadow,” Asselin said. “We’re hoping people will come and have a good time, and sneak a little art in there,” she said with a laugh.
Arts & Brew is being funded, in large part, by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Historically, the Cultural Council’s role has been to review applications and award funding from the state to organizations and events that others have organized. This is the first event of which the Cultural Council has been the primary organizer, but Asselin said if it is successful, she would like to see the council continue to host these types of events.
Asselin said she is hoping to let more people know about the work done by the council. Those interested in joining the organization can contact her at jasselin@charter.net for an application, which is vetted by the town manager.
To learn more about the ELCC, visit https://www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/266/Cultural-Council. More information about Brew Practitioners can be found at https://brewpractitioners.com.