Wellesley is fortunate to have a lively arts scene, with various opportunities to engage with or make art at any given time. Check out a concert, theater performance, or art reception this month. Here are just a few events happening soon, here and beyond Wellesley.
Don’t see your arts event listed? Email us at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
A standing ovation for Wellesley’s own D-mac
The Wellesley High School community has been puffed up with pride this week as Choral Director Dr. Kevin McDonald—affectionately known by his students as “D-mac”—was recognized out of thousands of music educators across the country. Dr. McDonald has been named one of only 30 recipients of the prestigious 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence Award.
This recognition comes on the heels of an already stellar year; earlier this school term, he was also celebrated as a finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educators Award. His commitment to the arts has not only shaped the voices of his students but has now caught the attention of the highest levels of the music industry.
The celebration will culminate this autumn at The Pinnacle in Nashville, where Dr. McDonald will be honored among his peers and industry leaders during a milestone anniversary event. With a red-carpet moment on the horizon and a guest list featuring top artists and industry titans, it is a well-deserved moment in the spotlight for a teacher who gives so much to his community.
WHS artists’ work on display in library
Congratulations to the dozens of Wellesley students, and their teachers, who have been recognized as among the most artistic in Massachusetts through the annual National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Art awards come in categories such as photography, jewelry and drawing, and writing. On display in the Wellesley Free Library are winning artworks from WHS students.
Also on display is the work of WHS Intensive Drawing and Painting students. Mr. Reddy challenged the artists to synthesize multiple sketches from the summer into a new, cohesive piece, and to create a piece exploring the topic of Then vs. Now.
Interested in exhibiting art at the WFL? Exhibit policy here.
Arrais Ballet to perform Midsummer Night’s Dream
Arrais Ballet, a ballet studio in Needham, will be presenting 3 performances of a Midsummer Nights Dream on May 9th and 10th at the Wellesley High School auditorium.
Paulo Arrais, a renowned arts connoisseur, retired as a Principal Dancer from Boston Ballet in 2023 and founded Arrais Ballet shortly thereafter. After a short two years Arrais Ballet has already earned recognition for training dancers, including pre-professional dancers, who go on to perform and compete at top levels nationally and internationally. This upcoming event will showcase the talent and dedication of its current performers, which include dancers from Wellesley.
Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, “Dance!”
DATE/TIME: Sunday, May 10, 2pm
LOCATION: The WSO is back at the beautifully renovated Mass Bay Auditorium, 5o Oakland St., Wellesley
TICKETS here
HIGHLIGHTS: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) – Four Waltzes; Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937) – Concert Piece, Harp, Op. 39; Claude Debussy (1862-1918) – Dances Sacres et Profanes, Emily Richardson, Harp; Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) – Estancia: Four Dances; Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) – Petruchka
Ceramics show at Page Waterman Gallery & Framing
EVENT: Art exhibit by ceramic artist Amy Drury Sullivan
DATES/TIMES: Friday, May 15, 9am-3pm; Saturday, May 16, 9am-3pm
LOCATION: Page Waterman Gallery & Framing, 57 Eliot St (RT.16), South Natick
DESCRIPTION: Following the warm response to her first show last fall, Amy returns this spring with another beautiful collection of handcrafted ceramics — thoughtfully made pieces that balance artistry, texture, form, and everyday usefulness. Amy’s work reflects a lifelong connection to the arts and to craftsmanship rooted in home, family, and tradition.
Art Wellesley, Colossal Collage Maker Night
Let’s create a colossal collage together. During community maker nights, participants use found papers to cut, glue, and assemble a botanical-themed collage. Think big, as in colossally big. Elizabeth Cohen and Jenny Schneider will expertly guide the process. The colossal collage will be hung at the Wellesley Free Library throughout June. This event is free and open to everyone. No art experience required.
Event is free, but space is limited—Registration required.
Wellesley Society of Artists
EVENT: Heatwave Awards Reception
DATE/TIME: June 10, 6:30pm-7:30pm
LOCATION: Natick Morse Institute Library, 14 E. Central St., Natick
DESCRIPTION: Please join the Wellesley Society of Artists for the awards reception and an opportunity to meet the exhibition artists.
End-0f-year Wellesley HS and MS arts performances
More information at https://www.wellesleypops.com/home
Beyond Wellesley—”Something Rotten” at Lyric Stage, Boston
Something Rotten, playing at the Lyric Stage in Boston through June 7, is a high-energy, madcap musical comedy, a well-executed romp through the Renaissance. As the saying goes, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness,”—and then there’s Nick and Nigel Bottom. The two brothers find themselves perpetually stuck in the shadow of the era’s undisputed rock star: William Shakespeare. Desperate to knock the Bard off his lofty perch, the brothers set out to create something entirely new. Their solution? Writing the world’s very first musical.
However, the path to innovation is rarely smooth. A lesson—think twice before you rely on a psychic to help you steal Shakespeare’s future bestseller. As the Bard himself said, “It is not in the stars to to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.”
The 2.5-hour play (including one intermission) has it all. Intellectual property theft. A brewing clergy scandal that just might take down the Puritans. Love at first sight, of which the grownups disapproved. Tortured artists. And plenty of zany. Audiences not only receive a scholarly explanation of the genesis of the musical (um, sort of?), but are caught up in the kind of drama only thespians can create. Filled with double entendres, jealous playwrights, and a relentless quest to be the greatest wordsmith in London, no matter the cost, Something Rottten is fresh as can be.
Under the direction of Ilana Ransom Toeplitz, the production moves with a frantic, infectious pace. Shout-out to the live (but behind-the-scenes) orchestra, which breathed life into the clever music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick.
Family heads-up—mild profanity and innuendo. Perfect for teens and up.
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