The moon reflecting over the water is wonderful to wake up to until morning light fills out the day. It’s officially spring, and none too soon. Chilmark enjoyed coming to life during the four film-packed days of TMVFF: great films, great food, great music, great crowds, and great discussions. Always a March highlight. I loved hearing about “Strad Style’s” subject, Danny Houck, who has now flown on planes and left our country’s heartland for his first visits to both coasts. While he was on-Island, Gay Head Lighthouse keeper Richard Skidmore even gave him a tour.
Last Thursday the Chilmark School student artists and their families celebrated the opening of “Artivism: Art With a Message,” art made about issues important to the students, at the Chilmark library. The meeting room is filled to the brim with wonderful work that will stay up through the end of March. Make it a point to stop by; I guarantee you will find inspiration. There’s still time to register for “Beyond Selfies: A Mobile Photography Workshop” with Kim McCarthy, meeting for four Wednesdays beginning March 29 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm; call 508-645-3360. “Stories and Songs” continues on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Join the Afterschool Craft Club on Wednesdays at 3 pm. Everyone is welcome to bring a takeout lunch and enjoy it and the art in the library’s meeting room.
Hellie Neumann just returned from a two-month sabbatical in Italy, where she took advanced language courses in Florence for one month, then spent a month traveling around Tuscany and Umbria, plus time in Venice and Rome. Hellie managed to meet up with [her] childhood friend from Chilmark, Alessandra Mannoni, daughter of Piero Mannoni and Helen Baldwin of Windy Gates, who lives with her husband and two children on a small farm outside Rome. Now home, she will be going into private practice, operating Hellie Neumann Acupuncture/Up Island Wellness from her Chilmark home, plus house calls. Hellie accepts the Island Club Card, and can be reached at 774-563-8515.
Chilmark Community Church Pizza Nights welcome all on Tuesdays at 6 pm, free.
There are lots of great events at Pathways through April. On Friday, March 24, it’s the annual Imagined Gardens and Landscapes programs, featuring Roxanne Kapitan, Bill O’Calligan, Rebecca Gilbert, and Nina Gomez Gordon. Learn about sustainable gardening practices, the Story Sculpture Walk at Polly Hill, get info about natural dyeing, composting, and goatscaping, and try some homemade kombucha. You can still register for Rebecca Gilbert’s “Basic Natural Dyes Workshop” on Saturday, March 25, from noon to 4 pm. Learn the terminology and techniques of natural dyeing, including mordanting, fiber choices, and methods using dried materials available any time of the year. You may bring a small natural-fiber article to dye, and more will be available for purchase. Registration required, cost is $75. You may register by contacting Rebecca at 508-645-3304 or rebeccanetf@hotmail.com.
The Martha’s Vineyard Poets Collective was canceled two weeks ago, and will be held on Tuesday, March 28. Sorry for the confusion, as last week’s wonderful readers came from John Hough Jr. and his writing group. Doors open at 6:30 pm, program runs from 7 to 9 pm. “Monday Knitting Circle” meets from 1:15 to 3 pm for an instructive session of knitting and spinning. No experience necessary, materials provided. All ages welcome. For more info, call 508-645-9098. Pathways is closed Wednesdays and Sundays, otherwise open from 11 am to 5 pm.
It’s not too early to register for “Diabetes and Sugars,” a free one-hour class offered jointly by the Martha’s Vineyard Partnership for Health and ACE MV, on Wednesday, April 5, from 3 to 4 pm at the MVRHS, Oak Bluffs. This class is an overview of natural and artificial sugars and their impact on blood sugar levels. Participants will gain important knowledge in a number of topics, which will help them become more confident about managing their daily sugar intake and in turn feel better. Pre-registration is required. Please register at acemv.org.
Have a good week.