Take 5 with Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney on "Tapped In" The inspiration for TAPPED IN is deeply personal for me. With the news filled with the impacts of climate change - extreme weather events, melting ice caps and so much more - I felt like a woman…

Dear Friends, I’m writing today on behalf of The Board of Directors of The Umbrella Arts Center to announce the appointment of Eileen Williston as the Center’s next Executive Director. An experienced arts administrator with over 16…

April is when The Umbrella bursts to life -- with the return of the annual Artrageous Art Auction & Gala, April School Vacation Week program, two new climate-themed art exhibitions and a Youth Forward Climate Action Day, a vibrant Spring classes…

BTCA NAMES "THE MINUTES" CRITICS' PICK! The Boston Theater Critics Association -- a non-profit organization of print, online, and broadcast theater critics who present the Elliot Norton Awards for outstanding achievements in greater Boston…

SAVE THE DATE Registration for spring classes for adults and youth (including April Vacation Week) opens Wednesday, March 6 at 12pm! PREVIEW…

February inspired us to celebrate YOU - all the members of our community who make us YOUR Umbrella by volunteering, subscribing, partnering with us, and supporting us in more ways than we can count. As we wrap up this month of valentines and…

Jeremy Jordan, award-winning actor and musician, joins The Umbrella Arts Center for our annual Broadway Concert! With his effortless and soaring voice, Jordan takes audiences on a decades-spanning journey of the best of Broadway featuring songs…

HAPPY NEW YEAR Still looking for resolutions for 2024? Find new ways to discover your arts at The Umbrella all year round! - Join us for January's Free Family Day at The Umbrella this Saturday, January 6 - The Winter session of classes start…

"The Umbrella is a beacon of artistic creativity and opportunity not just for the Concord area, but regionally as well." Bob C. The Umbrella Arts Center is a resilient, strategic, and growing organization. Since successfully navigating the…

Dear Friends, I am writing today on behalf of the Board of Directors of The Umbrella Arts Center to share that Executive Director Jerry Wedge has announced that, following the successful completion of the strategic goals and plans set forth during…

STROLL THROUGH YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING The Umbrella Arts Center kicks off the holiday season this week with the return of Concord's traditional Winter Market, an annual three-day show and sale of artist, artisan, and hand-crafted work on all…

November is right around the corner, and it feels like fall is settling in. A time for good stories, inspiring art, and being together. There are still a few more chances to catch the Stage Company’s fabulous fall line-up of Lizzie and White…

THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY THROUGH JORDAN KESSLER’S LENS by Pam Ellertson Jordan Kessler Photographed by Pam EllertsonIn his exhibition running through November 12 at The Umbrella Arts Center, fine art photographer Jordan Kessler…

The Umbrella Arts Center is thrilled to announce that its Fall 2023 Concert, part of The Umbrella’s Concert Series, will be presented in partnership with Salt Lick Incubator, a Boston-based non-profit dedicated to championing and nurturing…

Looking for fun and artistic ways to celebrate fall? You’ll find them at The Umbrella! Take in a daring ghost story meets rock concert mash-up with LIZZIE, the show Halloween New England and WBUR say is not to be missed. And then come back…

Save The Date for The Umbrella's Fall Concert Friday, October 20, 2023 7:30pm Exciting artist announcement Monday, October 2! Advance ticket sales begin Tuesday, October 3 at 10:00am General ticket sales begin Thursday, October 5 at…

Welcome to the Fall Semester! There are exciting things happening at The Umbrella this month. From the Ceramics Studio expansion, to renovated education spaces, new class offerings and workshops, free family days, and so much more. If you're…

Dear friends, It’s back to school time and here at The Umbrella we’re making a fresh start as well. You’ll be seeing some changes to our emails over the next couple of months starting with this monthly round-up of upcoming…

GET THE BEST SEATS WITH A SUBSCRIPTION! Single tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 23 for the first two productions of the 2023/24 Season. Be there for the excitement all Season long with a Subscription or Flex Pass - lock in the best seats and…

REGISTRATION FOR FALL CLASSES IS NOW OPEN Sign up now – classes for adults, teens, and youth! REGISTER FOR CLASSES COLORS OF CONCORD: THE GRASSY PLAIN This exhibition features artworks created by our 2022-2023 Umbrella Artist-in-Residence,…

Registration for fall classes opens next Wednesday, August 9 at 12pm! Opening Soon! Our next exhibition in the Main Gallery will be Colors of Concord: The Grassy Plain, on view from Aug 21-Sept 22. This is a culmination of work by Umbrella…

CONVENIENCE. SAVINGS. EXCLUSIVE OFFERS. BENEFIT FROM A SEASON SUBSCRIPTION! CUSTOMIZE your season FEE - FREE tickets at the best discounted rates FLEXIBLE scheduling with the best seating options EARLY ACCESS to other select Umbrella concerts and…

SAVE THE DATE Registration for fall classes opens Wednesday, August 9 at 12pm! PREVIEW…

Free Film Screening This Friday; Calls For Art; Main Gallery Faculty Exhibition; A Feature In The Concord Bridge; Work With Us! CALLS FOR ART Are you an artist looking for opportunities to exhibit or expand your art? We are currently accepting…

2023/24 SEASON Don’t Miss a Moment! Treat yourself to a year full of theater! Our subscribers enjoy the best prices, the best seats, and wonderful benefits. - Two celebrated musicals that will have your feet dancing and your heart singing…

Final Weekend Of Points Of Return; Final Curator Tour; Call Of The Orcas Film Screening; A Feature In The Phnom Penh Post; Support The Arts; Community Storytelling And More! FINAL DAYS OF POINTS OF RETURN On Sunday, June 25 at 3pm, join David…

Rave review of The Color Purple, release of the 360 virtual gallery for Points of Return, Summer Ceramics registration starts next week! A huge thank you to Emmy-award winning Arts & Entertainment critic Joyce Kulhawik for her glowing…

Get Ready For The Umbrella Stage Company'S 2023/24 Season! Featuring a lineup of plays and musicals that exemplify brave storytelling and reimagine the theater experience. “The stories of the 2023/24 season lift up important questions: What…

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Points of Return, curated by A La Luz, began life during lockdown as an online exhibition, featuring artists from around the world. This year—in collaboration with The Umbrella Arts Center—a large-scale exhibition…

Closing Weekend For Middleton Heights After a virtually sold-out run, the stand-out world premiere play Middleton Heights closes this weekend. Celebrate the closing with us with a special pre-show performance by the Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP)…

The Umbrella Welcomes JOHN MAYER - LIVE ON STAGE Friday, June 16, 2023 Known for an effortless blend of mind-blowing guitar playing, soulful voice and impeccable songwriting abilities, John Mayer has lit up the charts with numerous massive…

JUST TWO WEEKS LEFT TO SEE MIDDLETON HEIGHTS! "Funny, heartbreaking, well-paced, and full of memorable moments. [This] play left me feeling warm, full, and hungry for more." - Linda Chin, Theater Mirror There are only two weekends left to see the…

Earth Month has officially begun at The Umbrella with Reflections: Listening to Nature, now open in the Main Gallery! With submissions from people of all ages and abilities, Reflections is the community's response to how the arts help us listen and…

The Umbrella’s annual Artrageous Art Exhibition and Auction is live and open for bidding! Featuring more than 60 works of art by Umbrella Studio Artists and regional artists, the exhibition is an amazing collection of work and is available…

World Premiere on March 31! n the world premiere of an original play commissioned by The Umbrella Stage Company, Hortense Gerardo’s Middleton Heights unravels a wry, charming and honest tale that follows Meena and her Filipino family as they…

The Umbrella Arts Education Program is excited to announce we are embarking on a significant redesign and expansion of our highly popular Umbrella Ceramics Studio Program! The Ceramics Studio has experienced increased and robust demand since…

line-up of LIVE DEMOS We're delighted to announce the line-up of LIVE DEMOS for this year's Open Studios! Drop by on March 18 and 19 from 12-5pm to meet our artists, learn about their process, take in a live demo, and share in celebrating their…

We are thrilled to announce the cast of The Umbrella's first full-length commissioned play, Middleton Heights! Created by local playwright Hortense Gerardo, this dark comedy follows Meena and her Filipino family as they assimilate to life in a…

Openings: New Works by Umbrella Studio Artists February 17 - March 19 Up next in our Main Gallery - Openings: New Works by Umbrella Studio Artists. This annual exhibition showcases recent and ongoing works from our talented community of Studio…

Arts Education is in full swing at The Umbrella! We are currently looking to fill a variety of roles as we head into the Summer Arts Under the Umbrella program. Assistant Camp Director Lead Teacher Assistant Teacher Teen Classroom…

JOIN US FOR DINNER & A MOVIE! Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30pm The tale of an eccentric band of culinary ronin who guide the widow of a noodle-shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe. This rapturous “ramen western” by…

DON'T LET THE SNOW KEEP YOU INSIDE - GET FIRED UP AT THE UMBRELLA! The Concord Film Project is BACK at The Umbrella! The film series returns on February 8 at 7:30pm with the first film showing since 2020. Mark your calendars - tickets will go on…

Join us for a FREE opening reception with the artists TOMORROW, Thursday, January 12 from 5-7pm. Get to know the three Umbrella Studio Artists featured in Earth, Sea, Sky, whose collective time at The Umbrella spans almost 80 years! Suzanne Hill,…

Our first Main Gallery exhibition of the new year will be Earth, Sea, Sky, opening January 8! Featuring works by Umbrella Studio Artists Suzanne Hill, Liz Newell and Barbara Willis, this show presents unique visions of landscapes and seascapes in…

The Umbrella offices will be closed December 26-30. Studios will be open for studio artists and our galleries and exhibitions will be open for viewing. Our current exhibit, Lost and Found will be CLOSING December 30. If you haven't had a…

Our Gift Of The Arts Could Mean Twice As Much In celebration of our 40th anniversary season, members of the Board have generously put forward a dollar-for-dollar match for all new or increased gifts up to $40,000 received this season. The…

Looking for some holiday cheer? The Firebird Pops Orchestra will be playing their first concert at The Umbrella THIS FRIDAY, December 16th at 8pm! Sunday's show has SOLD OUT but there are still a few great seats left for Friday's performance. A…

NEW SEATS ADDED FOR SUNDAY'S CONCERT! Join us and the internet pops phenomenon Firebird Pops Orchestra now playing together live and in-person! Friday, December 16 at 8pm Sunday, December 18 at 3pm Limited seats available for Sunday. Great…

Dear friends and family of The Umbrella: Like many of you, I am thankful for a great many things this year: family, friends, health, work, the planet, and of course The Umbrella! I am sure that you will appreciate that this place and the people…

Rave Rent Reviews and the Opening of Lost and Found! "A wonderful opportunity to see [Rent] in an intimate setting. If you’ve seen it previously and it’s been a while, this local production is worth another look...The stage is…

For almost three decades, Rent has inspired generations of audiences to choose love over fear and to live without regret. This is theater at its best – exuberant, passionate and joyous. Make sure you're there for opening weekend before it…

Celebrate autumn and participate in a walking tour in beautiful, historic Concord Center on Saturday, October 29, 10:30am-12pm! Meet at The Umbrella Arts Center and join the group to view the Go Out Doors public art exhibition in Downtown Concord.…

Dracula Closes With A Sold Out Final Weekend! To celebrate the end of a fang-tastic run, see what Boston Globe theater reviewer, Don Aucoin wrote about his experience in the Black Box Theater this past weekend. La Vie Boheme! Next up this…

"Instead of focusing on...this hatred and fear of things that were unknown, I wanted to celebrate what I loved and to celebrate being curious in the world, having a sense of wonder." The Umbrella Arts Center is proud to present author Aimee…

THE REVIEWS ARE IN! "ACTION-PACKED, FUNNY, SCARY AND PERFECT FOR THE HALLOWEEN MONTH!" - NEW ENGLAND THEATER MIRROR HAS DELIGHTED AUDIENCES AND CRITICS ALIKE! A SOLD OUT opening weekend of Dracula: A feminist revenge fantasy, really delighted…

SINGLE TICKETS NOW ON SALE! Season Kicks Off This Week! Single tickets are now available for ALL SHOWS in our 2022-2023 season. Reserve your seats and give yourself the gift of guaranteed nights of theater in the year ahead. Plus, watch for…

WELCOME TO FALL AT THE UMBRELLA! The weather is crisp and the aroma of cider donuts is in the air--celebrate the season! The Umbrella has so much to offer over the next few months as we kick off our 40th anniversary year. SEPTEMBER On view…

LIMITED SPOTS LEFT! ONLY A FEW SEATS LEFT IN SOME OF OUR *NEW* CLASSES! This fall, we are excited to be both offering new classes with familiar faces and to be joined by a host of new instructors, including Toby Walters (glasswork), Joe Blair…

The Umbrella Welcomes BEN FOLDS - LIVE ON STAGE Friday, October 14, 2022 Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation. His enormous body of genre-bending music includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five,…

CAST ANNOUNCEMENT AND TICKETS ON SALE NOW! CAST ANNOUNCEMENT We're thrilled to announce the cast for our first Umbrella Stage Company production of the season, Dracula (A feminist revenge fantasy, really)! Please join us in welcoming these…

Art Ramble 2022 Take an "Art Ramble"! The Umbrella is thrilled to announce the return of Art Ramble, a Concord tradition, starting September 1! In collaboration with the Division of Natural Resources, this annual, temporary outdoors art…

ENJOY LIMITED-TIME EARLY BIRD PRICING Don't forget to grab your season subscription packages at the early bird discounted rate - now through Labor Day! Be a part of this season's memorable performances, featuring Dracula, RENT, Middleton Heights…

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…

Season Subscription Packages on Sale Now Enjoy limited-time Early Bird pricing when you become an Umbrella Subscriber before Labor Day, guaranteeing yourself a year of amazing theater with benefits that fit you! See our website for all the…

Last week’s decision by the Supreme Court makes meaningful climate change mitigation at the federal level more difficult, at least in the immediate future. The ruling strictly limits the ways in which the Clean Air Act, the nation’s main…

Your gift can make a difference! The Umbrella Arts Center is passionate about being an engaging, accessible, and innovative regional center for the arts. Your support enables us to spark creativity in even the youngest students, encourage…

The Umbrella Stage Company returns this fall with a line-up featuring iconic characters and stories in a series of productions that enable the Company to celebrate the full range of its renovated space! A feminist revenge fantasy, really Based on…

SCENES FROM LAKE STREET DIVE The Umbrella community enjoyed two days of incredible music from Boston-bred chart-toppers, Lake Street Dive, on June 9 and 10. In one of our fastest-selling concerts ever, the alternative soul/rock group brought the…

This week – traditionally the gateway to summer and fun – feels muted as we all grapple once more with the incomprehensible. Our grief, compounded… Buffalo, Dallas, Laguna Woods, the second anniversary of George Floyd’s…

Last chance to see Head Over Heels! New show added Sunday night! Only one more weekend to experience the musical that's "energetic and lively...rich with vocal talent...lovely to look at...done with so much fun and joy!" (Theater Mirror) …