The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Wellesley Cultural Council accepting grant applications until Oct. 15

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The Wellesley Cultural Council is now accepting applications for its annual grant program, with approximately $20,000 available to support arts, humanities and cultural projects benefiting the community.

cultural councilThis year’s grant pool includes $8,400 from the Mass Cultural Council, additional funding from the town, and previously unused grant funds.

Individuals and organizations, including artists, performers, educators, community groups, nonprofits and schools are encouraged to apply. Eligible projects can include concerts, performances, exhibitions, workshops, educational programs, festivals, lectures, community events and other projects that provide a public benefit. Applications must be submitted online by Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Last year’s recipients included organizations such as Art Wellesley, the Town Band, and Wellesley Theatre Project. And oh yeah, The Swellesley Report.

“We want people in Wellesley to know that these grants aren’t just for established arts organizations,” said Marc Zawel, Wellesley Cultural Council chair, in a statement. “If you have a creative idea that could enrich our community, we want to hear from you. We’re especially hoping to reach individuals and groups who may not have considered applying in the past.”

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Art

     

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Wellesley Arts Roundup—September edition

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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

Clarendon Fine Art to open late-Sept.

Wellesley Square is preparing to welcome a fresh cultural destination to downtown. Clarendon Fine Art will officially launch its soft opening later this month, complete with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its arrival at 25 Central Street (the former Laurel Grove location).

The brand comes with significant global experience. The company operates dozens of galleries across the United Kingdom, alongside a flagship U.S. location in Westport, Connecticut, which opened three years ago.

Clarendon specializes in international, contemporary, modern art. A company representative said via email that the gallery prides itself on being warm, welcoming, and accessible, whether the customer is a seasoned collector searching for a centerpiece acquisition or a local resident browsing during an afternoon stroll.

Clarendon Fine Arts joins several art-focused businesses in town and slightly beyond—Beth Urdang Gallery and The Gifted Hand in Wellesley Square; The Painting Place 4 Fun in Wellesley Hills; Framebridge in Linden Square; and Page Waterman Gallery in South Natick. You can also see (and sometimes buy) great local art at the Wellesley Free Library, where exhibits rotate monthly—currently Dan Gee’s photography exhibit, “Local Color In and Around Wellesley,” celebrates the area’s beauty.

Wellesley College Theatre to host The Actors From The London Stage—free performances!

Actors From The London Stage return to campus with their Fall 2026 Tour. Five of England’s top Shakespearean actors bring the Bard’s Much Ado About Nothing to Wellesley College for a week-long Educational Residency culminating in three free performances: September 17th-19th, at the Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall Auditorium.

The Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS) present Much Ado About Nothing in a unique actor-driven production; one of the oldest established touring Shakespeare companies in the world, the AFTLS company ethos and mission is simplicity at its finest. Five actors take the stage, with minimal props and costumes, and direct themselves in a performance of a complete Shakespeare play, with each actor portraying multiple roles. Coming from such prestigious companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, these classically trained actors are dedicated to bringing Shakespeare’s work to life.

Wellesley College Theatre

Art Wellesley, 3rd annual Small Art, Big Party

Art Wellesley
Photo by Art Wellesley

The Small Art, Big Party event is a fundraiser for Art Wellesley that is free for participating artists, with all art sale proceeds supporting Art Wellesley programming. Art Wellesley welcomes donations of  8“ x 8“ artwork from professional and amateur artists to be sold at the third annual Small Art, Big Party.

The party is scheduled for October 2, 2026 from 6pm-8pm at the Lulu Wang Center at Wellesley College. In 2025 the group welcomed over 300 attendees and  hung over 150 works of art.

Artist Talk with Ralph Robinson, wildlife photographer/printmaker

DATE/TIME: Thursday, Sept 17, 6:30pm-8pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.
SPONSOR: Art Wellesley, in partnership with WFL
DESCRIPTION: A wildlife photography expedition to the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia became a turning point in Ralph Robinson’s life and evolving art practice. In this inspiring talk, he will show samples of his artwork, share how experiences in remote landscapes continue to inform his lens-based practice, and how art might deepen our sense of connection.

Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series

DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 19, 7:30pm
LOCATION: Powers Hall in Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492
TICKET INFO here
DESCRIPTION: The Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series 2026–2027 kicks off in Powers Hall in Needham Town Hall with a performance by Lauren Ambrose. Ambrose is a multiple Emmy, Tony, and Grammy-nominated actress and singer celebrated for her acclaimed work across Broadway, film, and television, including standout roles in My Fair Lady, Six Feet Under, Yellowjackets, and Servant.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, season opener, “Musical Tales”

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Photo by Andres Levia

DATE/TIME: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College Auditorium, 50 Oakland St, Wellesley, MA
TICKET INFO here

DESCRIPTION: The concert begins with Elisabetta Brusa’s symphonic poem, Merlin, for orchestra, Op.20. Written in 2004, this describes one of history’s best loved legendary figures. Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante, is dedicated to long-time WSO cellist and WSO board vice president Jan Schwaner, who passed away on July 22. Jan joined the WSO in 1994, and joined our board in 2006. A joyful presence in the orchestra, Jan was an important part of our outreach program as part of the WSO String quartet. You’ll find more about Jan here.

Wellesley Hills Congregational Church presents Bach Vespers Cantata 77

Wellesley Hills Congregational ChurchSeptember 27 @ 4:00 pm

Bach Vespers Cantata 77
Wallace Chapel, Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St.

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Not that we’re being dramatic, but we simply cannot survive without your help.

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Beyond Wellesley

The Great Swell-ephant Migration

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Like seemingly everyone else in the area, we checked out the impressive Great Elephant Migration public art display on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall between Dartmouth and Fairfield Streets.

The elephants, made from an aggressive invasive weed called Lantana camara, are still looking great a couple of years after we first saw then in Newport, R.I.

The project is inspired by life in the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India.

Great Elephant Migration Boston Great Elephant Migration BostonGreat Elephant Migration BostonGreat Elephant Migration Boston

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Art

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Arts roundup for August 2026: Boston Summer Opera; Wellesley Symphony Orchestra; and more

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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 around town.

Boston Summer Opera to perform at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church

Boston Summer OperaEVENT: Performance, Barber of Seville, by Gioachino Rossini
DATE/TIME: Saturday August 22, 7:30pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02481

EXTRA SPECIAL: You are invited sing in Barber of Seville! Adult singers from across MetroWest are invited to rehearse and perform alongside the company’s cast of emerging professional artists in the new Wellesley Community Chorus. The Wellesley Community Chorus requires no audition, no prior opera experience, and no participation fee.

DESCRIPTION: The Barber of Seville is one of the most popular operas—if not pieces—of classical music, ever written, and you probably already know it! This music shows up everywhere, from Looney Tunes to Mrs. Doubtfire to opera houses around the world. The production will be performed in Italian with English supertitles. The run time will be approximately two hours, with one 15-minute intermission.

TICKETS: Tickets are affordable, vibes are welcoming, and Boston Summer Opera guarantee sthat this show will make you fall in love with opera.

This production is kindly supported in part by the Community Fund for Wellesley, a Fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest.

Polly in the Colony, theatre productionBeyond Wellesley, theater production, Polly In The Colony

DATES: Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2026 — 7pm, 2pm.
LOCATION: Boston College High School, Bulger Performing Arts Center, 150 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125
AGES: Recommended for grades 3–6, teachers and families
Tickets $10 kids, $15 adults, teachers get in free. https://friendsofpolly.com/tickets

DESCRIPTION: A 250-YEAR-OLD DOLL WHO WITNESSED THE BOSTON TEA PARTY TAKES THE STAGE. “Polly in the Colony: A True Revolutionary Tale” — a new play for young audiences — makes its world premiere at Boston College High School Aug. 8 and 9, timed to America’s 250th anniversary.

She arrived in Boston on a tea ship in 1773 and was purchased off a shop counter on the very day colonists dumped the tea into the harbor. For more than a century since, she has sat behind glass at Boston’s Old State House, receiving handwritten fan mail from generations of children. Now Polly Sumner — a real, 250-year-old fashion doll — is stepping into the spotlight to tell her own story.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Wellesley Choral Group, and the Wellesley Town Band—have all announced their 2026-27 line-up. Here’s a preview.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in action

WSO will open its season on Sept. 27  with “Musical Tales,” an afternoon of great stories, which will include  Pinar Toprak’s powerful composition of the theme music for the 2019 film Captain Marvel. The program will end with one of the most evocative classical stories, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Rimsky-Korsakov’s dazzling, colorful orchestration and melodies are based on the tales of One Thousand and One Nights.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Photo by Andres Levia

Tickets and entire 2026-27 schedule here.

Wellesley Choral Society

If you love to sing, Wellesley Choral Society would love to meet you. The group is a non-audition chorus, and will hold Open Rehearsals on Sept. 14, 21, and 28, at 7pm, at UU Wellesley Hills, 309 Washington St.

The first concert of the season will take place on Nov. 22. “Music for Chorus and Brass” will feature works by Cruger, Purcell, Pachelbel, Pinkham, Whalen, and Gilbert & Sullivan.

Wellesley Town Band

If you have ever played a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument, there’s a chair, music, a music stand, and a warm welcome waiting for you in the Wellesley Town Band. Players of all ages (grade 8 upwards) are welcome, no auditions are required.
Rehearsals are held at Wellesley High School starting Monday, September 14. The Band is conducted and directed by Pam Choinski.

The season opener will be the Winter Concert on Dec. 6, ant Wellesley High School.

For more information, contact info@wellesleytownband.org.

wfl, august exhibits: https://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/discover-borrow/in-library/exhibits/

Beyond Wellesley, Lyric Stage in Boston announces season line-up

VENUE: Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, 2nd floor (accessible), Boston
PERFORMANCES: 
All My Sons—Sept. 18 – Oct 18
Peter Pan Goes Wrong— Nov. 13 – Dec. 31
Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d — Feb. 5 – Feb. 28, 2027
King James — March 19 – Apr. 11, 2027
Les Misérables— Apr. 30 – June 20, 2027

Not that we’re being dramatic, but we simply cannot survive without your help.

Filed Under: Art

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August library art exhibit—Local Color: In and Around Wellesley

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Sunrise Labrynth, & Clocktower, Elm Park, Wellesley
Sunrise, Labrynth, & Clocktower at Elm Park, Wellesley (photo by Dan Gee)

 

Local Color: In and Around Wellesley

Color Photographs by Dan Gee at Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington St.) from Aug. 1-31. Free & open to the public.

“If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” — Jim Richardson

That is just the beginning of the photographic process. The photographer needs to have the skill and a bit of luck to make a compelling image and not just take a snapshot.  They need to bridge the gaps through the eye-mind-camera-output pathway by sorting through the chaos and capture the image which tells the story.

About the Exhibit

Join photographer Dan Gee for a visual celebration of Massachusetts’ beauty. After relocating from California, Dan set out to explore and capture the rich, captivating local imagery. From glowing sunrises over lush green parks to local conservation land, this exhibition demonstrates that extraordinary imagery doesn’t require traveling far—you just need to get off the couch and go look, sometimes only as far as the backyard.

Each photograph was taken no more than about 15 miles from Wellesley.

 

Wellesley & other Boston Marathon route communities on display at New England Quilt Museum

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Go-the-Distance-quilt
Photo courtesy of Evelyn Dow

 
An elaborate quilt dubbed “Go the Distance” that features Wellesley and the rest of the communities on the Boston Marathon course is on display at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell until Sept. 26.

The Marathon Quilters Guild is behind the collaborative polyptych quilt project, which consists of eight 24″ x 60″panels.

At the start of 2025, the non-profit issued an open invite to quilt and textile guilds and artists across the state to participate in the project, which was completed this past January.

According to a companion guide about the Wellesley panel, the design involved a good amount of research and focuses on landmarks that marathon participants would see during their 4.25 miles in town.

The clocktower, Wellesley College, Town Hall, and the halfway mark are among highlights. The Scream Tunnel at Wellesley College is represented with a white bull horn with the school’s blue lettering and a few examples of signs created by spectators. The artists behind the quilt panel used specialized techniques, including thread painting, to recreate Wellesley College’s Galen Stone Tower.

Wellesley quilt panel
Photo courtesy of Evelyn Dow

 
Hat tip to AG for letting us know about the quilt and its Wellesley connection. 

 

See something? Send something: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley arts roundup, July

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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 around town.

Wellesley Theatre Project—3 classic shows

“SHREK”—Come visit the swamp this summer at Wellesley Theatre Project (WTP) as they bring a Dreamworks favorite to life in an exciting summer production of Shrek, The Musical KIDS! Performances will be held July 9, 10 and 11 at 5pm and July 11th at 2pm, at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College (219 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA 02481). Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors when purchased in advance at www.wellesleytheatreproject.org, or $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors at the door.

“CINDERELLA” —On July 16th, and 17th at 5pm and July 18th at 2pm and 5pm, journey into the most iconic fairytale of all time at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College for WTP’s first session of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Youth Edition! Tickets here.

“SOUND OF MUSIC”—On July 16th-18th, 30th, 31st, and August 1st at 7:30pm, join WTP for The Sound of Music, our inagural Community Production! Tickets here.

Art exhibit at Beth Urdang Gallery

Beth Urdang Gallery, Wellesley
J

GALLERY EXHIBIT: “Summer Selections:
DESCRIPTION: Paintings, Photographs and Sculpture
DATES: now through Sept. 12
LOCATIONS: 15 Central St. and 16 Grove St., Wellesley
HOURS: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30am-5:30pm Central; Grove open by appointment
IMAGE (left): Joshua Jensen-Nagle, “Sunbathers at the Copacabana III”;
archival pigment print photograph; 41″ x 43″ 

Coming soon to the Davis Museum

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College has announced two special exhibits to run Sept. 25, 2026 – May 20, 2027.

“Excavating Antioch: The Archaeology of an Ancient City” follows Antioch-on-the-Orontes—now Ankara, Türkiye—will cross two periods: the ancient city, from the Hellenistic period through the twelfth century C.E., and its excavation in the 1930s. Through artifacts and archival materials, the exhibition will explore daily life in antiquity alongside the modern practices that unearthed and dispersed the city’s material culture.

“Shi: Stories in Stone” will offer cross-disciplinary perspectives on nature, science, art, and culture.

Not that we’re being dramatic, but we simply cannot survive without your help.

Beyond Wellesley

Beyond big names, Levitate Music & Arts Festival to feature rising songwriters & artists

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Six songwriters and 11 visual artists, selected from more than a thousand applicants, will be receiving a total of over $100k in grants, plus have an opportunity to showcase their talents at the Levitate Music & Arts Festival taking place July 18-19 in Marshfield.

The Levitate Foundation is recognizing these musicians and visual artists following an evaluation process that included industry experts from Levitate, Live Nation, Ineffable Music Group, Rhode Island School Of Design, and Artists For Humanity, as well as independent artists.

The six selected songwriters will perform at the Levitate festival on the Soul Stage, while the work of visual artists will be featured at a huge art gallery, where attendees can watch artists in action.

On Friday, July 17, during the Levitate Foundation’s fourth annual Backyard Ball fundraiser, one songwriter and one visual artist will be crowned the Songwriter of the Year and Artist of the Year, each receiving an additional $10k grant support.

levitate

We’ve covered the Levitate Music & Arts Festival in recent years , including last year: