Thom Sullivan has worked to merge the visual arts and poetry in his new curatorialposition at Hadley’s Flying Object.

Any remnants of the New England winter have gone away as summer weather begins to set in for the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. Along with the weather comes the opening of Tuesday Market, a farmer’s market in downtown Northampton. Ben James and Oona Coy founded the market and also co-own Town Farm, a vendor at the market.

Danielle Smith and Lauren Caprio are co-owners of Bear Root Herb Farm, a greenhouse operation in Florence, Ma, selling vegetable, plant, and herb starts. Like Bear Root Herb farm, Ben explains that most of the vendors come to the market from fairly close by. In fact, Town Farm is not a misnomer. It’s located right in Northampton.

For more information about the Tuesday Market, including details about all the vendors selling at the market, visit northamptontuesdaymarket.com. More information about Town Farm and Bear Root Herb Farm can be found at nohotownfarm.com and bearrootherbfarm.com

Linda Henry played the piano as a child for about five years and then stopped playing. But then, as an adult, she discovered something new — playing the piano for contra dancing.

“It’s almost as if it’s a different instrument because I’m not playing from written music, playing by ear,” Henry says. “Using the piano as accompaniment with other melodies.”

Henry has been playing the piano for the Fiddlers Green Contra Dance ever since she started organizing the dance eight years ago. She is accompanied on stage by sit-in musicians, who are all at different experience levels.

“My role there is to welcome everybody no matter what level of musician they are,” she says. “We start with accessible tunes during the first half. As the evening goes on we play more challenging tunes for the more experienced players.”

The dancers are also all at different levels, but they all have one thing in common—they are all wearing a big smile. And Henry says that’s what it’s all about.

“I think of the dance as a gift to our community. And a way of helping people be together in a very joyful way. I think it’s pretty unusual for people to come together in a way that brings so much joy in this day and age. I think the music is a part of what makes the whole thing happen.”

Henry says playing piano for the dance is both extremely rewarding and exciting. But beyond that, it’s also her passion.

“Right now, playing music for dancing at the fiddlers green dance is my main musical outlet. So music and dance are very connected for me. I think of it as me helping the musical part of the evening happen.”

The Fiddlers Green Contra Dance is held the last Saturday of every month. For more information, visit fiddlersgreencontra.org.

Being that Hampshire College does not offer a grad school, faculty sometimes turn to recent alumni to help them with their work. A new book of poetry coming out on Ugly Duckling press edited by a Hampshire Professor showcases some of her former students.

The UMass Amherst Campus Sustainability Initiative is excited to announce the Earth Day 2013 Keynote Address, film screening, and book signing with international expert in sustainability and environmental health issues, Annie Leonard, on Monday, April 22.

Annie Leonard’s documentaries, beginning with world renowned, animated film “The Story of Stuff” has single-handedly transformed complex issues into understandable challenges and has been viewed by audiences all over the world over 10 million times. “The Story of Stuff” exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

Addressing the issue of waste in our society is especially timely here on campus as the University continues to educate the campus community about the new single stream recycling program.

If you run a Google search for Eric Reeves, you’re likely to come up with the Smith College English professor’s abundant research and writing on Sudan. He has written two books about the genocide in Darfur and conflict in greater Sudan and his research has been published many times over. But before that, from the time he was just a kid, Eric pursued his talent for and interest in wood turning. He has been showcased in galleries, local and national, and has been creating his stunning works for decades. However, his creative and humanitarian passions are very much related.

Eric took me on a tour of his wood turning process from start to finish. Listen to just some of the long, careful steps he takes to create his pieces.

The images below depict some of Eric’s wood turnings, as well as his workshop. On the main display case sits a framed photo of a Sudanese woman he met during his visit.

You can find Eric’s works locally at the Don Muller gallery located in Northampton, MA. Visit ericreeves-woodturner.com to see more of his wood turning work and his website sudanreeves.org for more information about his work on Sudan.

A tropical paradise. That was my first thought when I stepped into the conservatory at Magic Wings in South Deerfield. Even after talking to Kathy Fiore, the general manager and co-owner of Magic Wings, I was not totally prepared for this experience.

Fiore says that’s a typical first reaction.

“Sometimes it’s just their first walking in and not knowing what to expect so they’re kind of overwhelmed by the warmth, the beauty of the tropical butterflies, all of the greenery,” she explains. “I don’t think people expect to see that in western Mass.”

That was me in a nutshell. I stood at the entrance for quite a few minutes, just trying to absorb everything—the plants, the colors, and of course, the butterflies, fluttering everywhere. Fiore says there’s much more to the conservatory than just butterflies, though.

“What we have to offer here is an indoor tropical environment. It’s 8,000 square feet. It’s home to roughly 4000 tropical butterflies also lizards, tortoises, birds, fish, so it’s just a tropical menagerie of all sorts of creatures.”

As I continued my walk through the conservatory, I noticed people all around me were smiling in excitement as a butterfly landed on them. A group of kids surrounded one girl who was standing very still, staring in awe at the butterfly that landed on her arm.

But there weren’t just kids there on that Saturday afternoon. People of all ages strolled around the conservatory, taking photos and observing the butterflies. Fiore says Magic Wings appeals to all ages because of the environment the butterflies help create.

“They see it as sort of a serene place for them, a place where they can maybe find some peace, they can relax, bring a book,” she says.

Magic Wings is located at 281 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield, Mass. They are open 7 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm.

Panel part of the symposium, “Trafficking Sex: Politics, Policy, Personhood”

Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall, Smith College

April 18-19 2013, Smith College

Presented by:

Smith College Global Studies Center

Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism

The Program for the Study of Women and Gender

Panelists:

Vednita Carter, Founder and Executive Director, Breaking Free

Crystal DeBoise, Director of Social Services, Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center

Kelli Dorsey, Executive Director, Different Avenues

Moderated by Carrie Baker, Study of Women and Gender

Trafficking Sex: Politics, Policy, Personhood

April 18 2013, Smith College

Presented by:

Smith College Global Studies Center

Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism

The Program for the Study of Women and Gender

Program:

About the symposium:

Over the last year, the Global Studies Center, the journal Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, and the Program for the Study of Women and Gender have presented multiple events relating to the issue of human trafficking. In May of 2012 at the Kahn Liberal Arts Institute, we held a faculty seminar and, in January of 2013, we hosted a multidisciplinary, one-day interterm workshop for students. At these events, we examined labor and sex trafficking, both in Massachusetts and around the world. Participants included scholars, activists, and law enforcement representatives. Panelists presented comparative perspectives and discussed local responses, including how students were or could be involved in anti-trafficking work.

Throughout February, March, and April of this year, we presented a four-film series featuring David Feingold’s Trading Women, Marco Kreutzpainter’s Trade, Mimi Chakarova’s Price and Sex, and David Schisgall and Nina Alverez’s Very Young Girls. Critical reflections on these films included discussions moderated by Smith College faculty members.

This symposium represents the culminating event in our year-long investigation into human trafficking. At this event, we are bringing together a wide range of activists and scholars to discuss and debate the complex and controversial issue of sex trafficking globally and in the United States. The conversation begins on Thursday evening with Smith alumna and longtime feminist Gloria Steinem and Ruchira Gupta, a leading anti-trafficking activist in India and globally. On Friday, there will be three panels on technology, trafficking, and the law; sex trafficking in the United States; and global trafficking and human rights. Proceedings from this symposium will appear in an upcoming issue of Meridians.

It is our hope that this symposium, in conjunction with our earlier events and the forthcoming issue of Meridians, will help to empower young women with the knowledge, strength and compassion that will allow them to take on the challenge of eradicating the trade in human beings—and succeed.