Third Florence Night Out Event Showcases Creative Community Members
Friday, September 19, 2014 from 5:30-8:30pm

A year after the first Florence Night Out (FNO), the widely-anticipated event is back and bigger than ever with an innovative new take on installation art: “Mobile Art Boxes” (MABs), a collaboration between FNO founder Donnabelle Casis, several local artists, and Florence-based business owner Tony Gleason. The MABs are six 8’x8’x16’ storage boxes from Gleason’s company, DIY Mobile Box, that have each been outfitted to contain a multimedia installation by a local artist. The types of art presented in the MABs range from performance to sound art to multimedia to simply the physical installation of objects – and to add to the evening’s excitement, the MABs will be located in unexpected spots throughout downtown Florence. The artists whose work is featured in the MABs are: John Slepian (performance art), Jake Meginsky (sound art/installation), Maggie Nowinski (video), Chris Nelson (installation), Sally Curcio & Anne LaPrade Suethe (installation), The Quarry & The Coast with Mount Emult aka Matthew Newman (short films).

This is a community-based way to engage in installation art while connecting with the many creative people and projects in our area! It’s a great opportunity for a family outing or a Parents’ Night Out: the tremendous number of activities and performances – not to mention delicious refreshments! – should satisfy even the most antsy kids or culture-hungry adults!

In addition to the Mobile Art Boxes, Casis and co-curator Carla Costa have arranged for a wealth of entertaining activities and performances to take place throughout the village of Florence. These include:

• Arts & Industries/Pine Street Studios (221 Pine Street)
  • open studios, demonstrations, and sales
  • 5:30-6:30pm a craft table for children (requires adult supervision) at Art Always
• Cooper’s Corner (31 Main Street)
  • beer and wine tasting
• Cup & Top Cafe (1 Main Street)
  • an artist reception for Diane Nevinsmith at Cup & Top Cafe
  • special menu highlighting local harvests
• Florence Arts & Business Center (140 Pine Street)
  • a peace art tile project by 12 brain injury patients, compiled by Occupational Therapy Master’s candidate Kimberly Bourque
  • free painting sessions with Wine & Canvas every half hour between 5:30 and 8:30pm
  • refreshments provided by First Church
• Florence Civic Center (Park Street)
  • musical performance by The Bakers, The Fawns, and Rick Murnane
• Florence Dental (parking lot) (41 Main Street)
  • bike demo by Full Circle Bike Shop from 5:30-7:30pm
• Full Circle Bike Shop (141 Main Street)
  • post-FNO movie screening
• JJ’s Tavern (99 Main Street)
  • Oktoberfest-themed menu
• Pivot Media (70 Maple Street)
  • photography exhibit of works by Jim Gipe
• Tranquility Day Spa (porch) (40 Main Street)
  • performance by Russell Kaback from 5:30-6:30pm
• Upton-Massamont Coldwell Banker (93 Main Street)
  • art opening
  • musical performance by Free Range Cats
• VFW (18 Meadow Street)
  • 6-6:50pm zydeco dance lessons taught by Teri Anderson of Dance Northampton
  • 7-8pm musical performance by Zydeco Connection
• 8 Main Street
  • games and activities with Family Fun Magazine
• 30 North Maple Street
  • open studios for Sean Greene with guest artist Philip Knoll, Richard Lloyd, Phoebe Berkel, guest artist Brian Maryansky
• Main Street
  • performance of “Tangled Layers” by Kelly Silliman of the tinydance project in collaboration with Charnice Charmant

For more information, please visit www.florencenightout.com