Local music organization Nova Arts has begun preparing for its upcoming performance lineup, including the annual The Thing In the Spring festival and additional concerts.
Nova Arts’s website described their organization as, “A non-profit collaborative arts initiative focused on emerging artists, underrepresented voices, and unexpected juxtapositions.”
“We try to put on cool stuff that you’re not going to see anywhere else and do it in a way that’s accessible and try to make sure that we’re not just having straight white dudes playing guitar all the time,” said program Director Eric Gagne.
Nova Arts, located at 48 Emerald Street, features two stages and shares the space with a cafe, roastery, flower shop, vinyl shop and open art studio.
“We just try to curate interesting things,” said Gagne. “A lot of times, it’s stuff that might be a little bit different, a lot more underground. We’ve become kind of a hub for touring bands from around the country, and in some cases, the world.”
The main focus of the company, so far, has been on The Thing In the Spring.
The Thing in the Spring will run from May 16 to 19. The lineup will include artists such as Earth, Buck Meek and The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis.
Thing in the Spring is one of the organization’s largest events, and it takes a long time to plan, according to Gagne.
“I’m already starting to look at 2025,” he said. “Usually, as soon as I announce the lineup for the one that’s coming up, I’ve already started lining things up for the following year.”
Tickets for the festival can be purchased at thethinginthespring.com. Day passes and a limited weekend pass are available.
Aside from the festival, the space will also feature a number of performances. Upcoming performers include folk guitarist Peter Mulvey (Feb. 2) and the Isness Ensemble (Feb. 3).
“We have loud rock bands and quiet folk music and freeform jazz and straight-ahead jazz,” said Gagne. “We have classical stuff, songwriter sessions, all kinds of things.”
“We’re still building community and hosting exciting and surprising combinations of artists,” he added.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
