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Date: 10/17/2023
NORTHAMPTON — The Downtown Northampton Association announced last week that Arts Night Out is returning with a new coordinator taking the helm.
Mischa Roy, the founder and owner of Spill the Tea Sis Apothecary Home + Gift, will now spearhead one of Northampton’s signature monthly events in the downtown area.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Roy said that the decision to appoint her as coordinator of the event was a mutual one.
“It was a combination of me having an exciting idea for how we are going to revive Arts Night Out and [the DNA] really needing someone who is willing to champion Northampton and revive an event that’s really been a cornerstone of arts and culture in Northampton,” Roy said.
In the past, Arts Night Out- — which was conducted the second Friday of every month — was an event hosted by Northampton art spaces to promote and showcase creative works and community. On those nights, residents would experience a diverse collection of visual and performing arts while traversing through the downtown area.
Over the past few months, however, activity around the event waned. According to the old Arts Night Out website, the last posted event was in July, and before that, March.
Roy said it has been difficult for the DNA to find time to dedicate energy toward Arts Night Out since the organization already has to run many other events and programs.
With Roy as the new coordinator now, a revival of the monthly celebration is now a reality.
“Arts Night Out is not just an event, but a key economic driver that holds the potential to set trends throughout the Valley and beyond, reinforcing the downtown area as a must-visit destination,” said Jillian Duclos, the interim director of the DNA. “This is not just about reinforcing what’s already established; it’s about reimagining and reinventing.”
Roy opened Spill the Tea Sis Apothecary on 183 Main St. in the summer of 2022, providing artist-made, local and intentionally sourced products that include anything from crystals, candles, small-batch tea, books and more.
The shop grew in popularity as Roy hosted around 10 events a month, curating a selection of items that were either made by shop owners themselves or curated by local artists. It is currently one of the few downtown shops selling products made on Main Street.
The success and popularity of the apothecary allowed Roy to expand to 177 Main St. and open a separate home and gift shop back in May.
After opening the home and gift shop, Roy hosted more events like a Sunday series block party earlier this year, which occurred throughout the summer and into the fall.
“We had such success with those events, so I came up with a dynamic idea of how we reinvigorate Arts Night Out and how we become the hub for arts and culture that it’s always been,” Roy said.
Roy added that the event will still occur at the same time and day of the month as the last iteration of Arts Night Out. She said businesses are still welcome to find their own artists and submit those events to Arts Night Out, but the plan is to reinvent the wheel in some ways.
According to Roy, there will be a submission for artists from all over New England as well as a submission form for businesses and locations around Northampton to become host sites. There will also be a third submission for musicians and street artists to perform on the nights of Arts Night Out.
As the coordinator and someone who understands downtown, Roy said she will then match-make spaces, artists and musicians together with the best people.
“Artists who really have an opportunity to meet the right client base and sell to the right client base in different locations will get to meet them,” Roy said. “It’s a much more successful event for the artists and the locations, so then it actually stimulates the economy in downtown Northampton.”
Roy said she is in the process of reaching out to more stores to prepare them to show art again during this event. She added that they are accepting submissions for future Arts Night Out events now.
More information about Spill the Tea Sis is available at: https://www.loc8nearme.com/massachusetts/northampton/spill-the-tea-sis-apothecary/7987118/.