It's been some time since we sent a regular newsletter, but we wanted to share some updates as we head into the last "lazy days" of summer and look ahead to an exciting fall season!

First, on behalf of all The Umbrella family, our sincere thanks to all who helped us reach – and surpass -- our year-end fundraising goal! You provide the vital support to keep our classes, camps, performances, celebrations, exhibitions and other arts programming alive.

Next, I'm excited to announce that you'll see some fresh new faces around The Umbrella. We're pleased to welcome new full-time Development Associate Odiase Williamson and Marketing Associate Sarah Shiner, a new Studio Artist Christiane Corcelle, and we are currently seeking an additional team member to provide customer support to all of our programs.

We're well positioned to welcome you back for a rich programming season in September. Meanwhile, as you'll see below, there's still plenty going on this summer around The Umbrella!

REMINDER: Fall Classes, Season Theater Subscriptions on Sale Tomorrow!

On Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 10AM, registration opens for all Umbrella Arts Education Fall session youth and adult arts classes and workshops. Simultaneously, we’re pleased to announce that season ticketing opens for The Umbrella Stage Company’s 2022-2023 season, featuring bold new twists on favorite titles and characters (Dracula, RENT, The Color Purple) plus our first-ever full-length original play commission, Hortense Gerardo’s Middleton Heights. Tickets will also go on sale for the delightful children's production, The Boy Who Grew Flowers, presented by Treehouse Shakers with Barefoot Books.

AUGUST 11 RECEPTION: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

SAVE THE DATE!

Thursday, August 11: Join us from 6:30-8:30PM! The Umbrella Arts & Environment and Visual Arts Programs, in partnership with Zeke Magazine and the Concord-based Social Documentary Network, invite you to the closing reception for the extended gallery exhibition, “Sustainable Solutions: Documentary Photographers Explore the Climate Crisis.” Free and open to the public.

CALLS FOR ART

The Umbrella Visual Arts has published both juried and non-juried opportunities for professional and community artists.

- Call for Art Lost and Found - New show juried by artist Jessica Straus examines our relationships with familiar, unfamiliar and defamiliarized objects. Apply by September 15.

- Call for 2022 Winter Market Art & Artisan Vendors – Call for artists interested in participating in the Dec 2-4 Umbrella Winter Market. Apply by August 15.

- Become a "Go Out Doors Neighbors" Partner – Invitation to arts centers, cultural councils and artists interested in joining our collaborative regional public art project, as well as local Concord nonprofessional artists who would like to create and display an artdoor at home!

APPLY NOW

UMBRELLA ARTISTS ON VIEW...ALL OVER!

The Umbrella Studio Artists and Teaching Artists are busy creating and exhibiting work in galleries, museums, and other venues all around New England and beyond this summer! A new exhibition round-up on our blog features news of openings, talks and exhibitions from Kat O'Connor, Ilse Plume, Jill Goldman-Callahan, Louise Arnold, Cynthia Katz, Sarah Paino, and others to be added on a rolling basis.

Kat O'Connor, Fathom: The Art of Kat O’Connor

Worcester Art Museum July 16 – October 16, 2022

Jill Goldman-Callahan, "Boundaries: 37 Works by New England Artists"

Six Bridges Gallery June 22-August 13, 2022 

Jill Goldman-Callahan, Concord Art Association Student Teacher Show

The Concord Art Association July 21-August 16, 2022

Louise Arnold

Burlington City Arts July 9 - October 2022 

Cynthia Katz, The 86th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft

Fitchburg Art Museum June 24 - September 4, 2022

Sarah Paino, Food Glorious Food

Cultural Center of Cape Cod Permanent Exhibit

READ MORE

THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

The Umbrella has been pleased to partner with Nashoba Brooks School to present a free, family-friendly Summer Concert Series on Thursday evenings through Aug. 18 at its Discovery Barn, 200 Strawberry Hill Road, Concord, MA 01742. Free tickets and season passes are available online through Eventbrite only. The series continues with featured performances including:

- August 11: Ball in the House

- August 18: Ward Hayden & The Outliers

READ MORE

A Note About This Newsletter Platform

Your privacy is important to us, which is why we want to let you know that the vendor The Umbrella contracts for our email communication software was recently the subject of a cybersecurity incident. It has come to our attention that while some of its clients’ contact names and email addresses may have been exposed, no sensitive personal or financial information was compromised. The vendor engaged a team of digital forensics experts and has not found evidence of any data being publicly distributed or misused; and that team further determined and informed us that The Umbrella was NOT among those whose contact data was compromised during incident.

However, in the interest of transparency, and because you may receive similar messages about the incident from other cultural organizations who use this vendor's platform, we wanted to share this full description of the incident (links to a third-party website). Further, although The Umbrella's contacts were not compromised, the incident may impact some subscribers' ability to receive our emails through the platform; to ensure you continue to receive emails from us unimpeded, we encourage you to make sure we are added to your Safe Senders list.