Greetings! Massachusetts is rich in arts and culture, so it's no surprise that exciting events, exhibits and festivals are held in the state's 16 regions all year long. Find out more below! 

"Mrs. Jack's Venetian Palace," Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, has a dramatic, new light-filled wing! The addition, by architect Renzo Piano, includes a 3-story gallery for contemporary art exhibitions, an intimate performance hall, and a visitor orientation area. For the first time, visitors can walk through the museum's greenhouses to see plants that are being prepared for the famous courtyard displays in the original 1902 building. The museum's collections reflect Isabella Stewart Gardner's extensive European travels: paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, and decorative arts, including works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Degas, and Manet. Photo by Nic Lehoux, Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Plan your next cultural getaway to Massachusetts!

Come to the heart of excitement and enjoy the month of February with your loved ones in Central Massachusetts!  Turn back time and visit Old Sturbridge Village, with activities running February 11 & 12. Celebrate and  learn about the two hallmarks of Valentine's Day (chocolate & valentines)! Watch historians demonstrate the processing of chocolate by hand as the little ones make their own valentines.  Dig deeper into the history of Valentine's at the Worcester Historical Museum in the city that has been the center of the valentine industry in the U.S for nearly 100 years! Music and theatre lovers can enjoy one of many upbeat shows at the Hanover Theatre during February. For ongoing special events, visit www.centralmass.org  and www.facebook.com/cmcvb.  

 

For more information on Central Massachusetts, click here.

The Museum of Fine Arts on Huntington Ave in Boston presents "Histories of Now: Six Artists from Cairo" now through March 17th.  This exciting exhibit features recent video and multimedia installations by some of Egypt's most important and influential contemporary artists! Signaling the myriad of social and political circumstances that preceded the 2011 revolution, the exhibited works explore issues of movement, social change, and transformation, and navigate the uncertainty and optimism inherent to the future of Egypt.

For more information on Greater Boston, click here.

On Saturday, February 4th, Osterville village in Barnstable transforms into the "Chocolate Capital of Cape Cod" when its picturesque Main Street plays host to the 7th Annual Osterville Chocolate Fest! Featuring chocolate art, tasty exhibits, retail promotions and the "Great Chocolate Dessert Contest." On February 11th, the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies invites you to take a free tour through Delilah, an inflatable, life-sized North Atlantic Right Whale, and learn all about these rare and amazing animals!

For more information on Cape Cod, click here.

Catch The Midtown Men, four stars from the original cast of "Jersey Boys," at Symphony Hall in Springfield on March 2nd at 8 p.m. These talented singers tackle top 60's tunes, from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and The Papas and more, while dazzling the crowd with terrific dance moves!  Be sure to enjoy the Springfield Symphony in concert through May at Symphony Hall. For concert information, visit www.citystage.symphonyhall.com.

On Sunday, February 5th, the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center presents Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura at 7 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium! Ana's soulful interpretation of her land's captivating fado style has made her a star in Europe. Click here to buy tickets. Also, the

Northampton Arts Council's Four Sundays in February series, a festival of indoor entertainment and the area's eclectic arts scene, kicks off February 5th with the Silver Chord Bowl! Tickets can be purchased at northamptonartscouncil.org. 

 

Click for more information on Hampshire County-Amherst and Hampshire County-Northampton.  

The focus is on 20th century American photography this February at the Fitchburg Art Museum, with moving images by pioneers like Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott and Arthur Rothstein. Also on exhibit: ceramics of ancient Iran and South Asia from the collection of Arthur M. Sackler.  Theater-goers may find themselves humming along as Theatre at the Mount, located at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, stages the ever-popular Fiddler on the Roof in late February and early March.

For more information on Johnny Appleseed Country, click here.

In collaboration with ACE MV, the Martha's Vineyard Museum presents "Cooking Through Cultures: Wampanoag Cooking" on Tuesday, February 23rd. Explore culture through cuisine! Kristina Hook-Leslie will share a recipe passed down from her ancestors as she prepare venison stew in the Wampanoag tradition. Call 508-627-4441 x110 to register. 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School in Oak Bluffs. Admission Fee of $35.

For more information on Martha's Vineyard, click here.

A free public launch of the "1704 Raid Walking Tour" will be held March 3rd
from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life at Historic Deerfield! Pick up a free copy of this new walking tour aimed at interpreting village sites connected to the Deerfield Raid of 1704. Please contact 413-775-7216 or arlopez@historic-deerfield.org to reserve your spot.  Funded in part by a grant from Mass Humanities.

For more information on the Mohawk Trail Region, click here.

February Vacation Week is the perfect time for budding artists to work on their craft at camps and workshops throughout MetroWest!  For kids age 6-10, campers at the New England Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin will be introduced to drama activities, singing, dancing, and arts and crafts. At Framingham's Danforth Museum School, morning and afternoon workshops for kids ages 5-18 will explore a variety of materials and themes, from Clay Party to Observational Drawing.

 For more information on MetroWest, click here. 

The Nantucket Arts Council does a fantastic job of keeping music alive during the winter! The Winter Concert Series productions showcase outstanding professional musi¬cians in a series of wonderful performances that run from February into April. All of  the shows were standing room only this past season. Also not to be missed, the Nantucket Atheneum offers educational and cultural programs for all ages. From Family Night to Tai Chi classes, their programs and events enrich Nantucket's community.

For more information on Nantucket Island, click here.

Brush off your winter blues at the 10th Annual Salem So Sweet Festival, a celebration of chocolate, ice sculptures, and wine! From February 10-14, enjoy wine and chocolate tastings, events, great shopping, and more than 15 ice sculptures installed around downtown Salem.  Don't miss the Golden Ticket drawing for fabulous prizes! Check out www.salem-chamber.org for more information. For additional cultural activities North of Boston, visit www.escapesnorth.com.

For more information on North of Boston, click here.

Pioppi's Package Store at
183 Court Street in Plymouth will host Sunday School Wine Seminars this February, featuring knowledgeable speakers and tasting menus from local restaurants! On February 12th, enjoy "Wine Country Road Trip" with Rye Tavern. On the 19th, explore "The Great Northwest" with East Bay Bar and Grille. And on the 26th, take part in "Festa di Italiano" with Il Maestro. Each seminar runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $40 per person. Call 508-746-1943 to reserve your spot!

For more information on Plymouth County, click here.

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2012 season at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 11th at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford with a performance entitled "Virtuoso Orchestra!"  Featuring Mexican composer Arturo Marquez's Danzón No. 2, Germ composer Paul Hindemith's Symphonie: Mathis der Maler, and German composer Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 in A, Op. 56 "Scottish."  Join Dr. David MacKenzie for an informal talk on the evening's program at 6:45 p.m. in the theater.

For more information on Southeastern MA, click here.

Kids will find plenty of things to do this February school vacation week in the Greater Merrimack Valley.  Lowell National Historical Park hosts its annual Kids' Week February 21-25, including a full schedule of free daily events. Verrill Farm will offer cooking classes for kids grades 1-5.  Lincoln's deCordova Museum will offer a number of kids' activities, free with admission.  And on Presidents' Day, Abraham Lincoln himself will pay a visit to the Concord Museum!

For more information on Greater Merrimack Valley, click here.