Arts

November 8, 2024 0

Artist Cassie Wang Finds Even Rhythm by Mixing Dance With Computer Tech

When it comes to dance, Cassie Wang, a resident artist at the Boston Center for the Arts, doesn’t shy away from taking a scientific approach. Wang’s work, in fact, blends dance, digital art and technology to explore big themes like identity, nostalgia and longing. Born in Kansas and now based in Boston, Wang started her artistic journey at an early age when her mother enrolled her in ballet classes. Though ballet became a significant part of her life, it was […]

November 4, 2024 0

‘Imagine Yourself in My Place’: Palestinian Poet Mosab Abu Toha Asks of MIT Audience

by Harmony Witte

Perhaps Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha’s most threatening weapon against Israel in its relentless and devastating bombardment of Gaza is his pen. But that very pen could also be what puts him in the most peril. “I think the fact that I’m a poet and a writer, I should be killed maybe sooner than others,” said Abu Toha to a packed audience late last month near Boston. This was one of several powerful moments during Abu Toha’s talk on Oct. […]

October 28, 2024 0

Cuban Diaspora Artist Carves a Space Out in Boston’s Art Scene

by Harmony Witte

New England sculptor and painter Fermin Castro knew he was an artist from the time he was a child, drawing in classes with friends. But he wouldn’t realize that calling until after a detour into the sciences. “Social media is also a good chance to be in contact with different kinds of artists, specifically for an emerging artist today. That’s very important because you will be able to adapt an idea or form and transform it into your own style […]

October 25, 2024 0

Korean Americans Celebrate Nobel Prize to Han Kang in Literature First

by Ava Belchez

Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024—the first writer from South Korea to be awarded this prize. Yet, she has “declined to hold a press conference, citing the global tragedies of the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict,” according to The Korea Times, citing a letter from her father.Korean-American software engineer Todd S.J. Simmer said this move was “commendable for her to take a step back to recognize the struggles and tragedies that are unfolding in those […]

October 25, 2024 0

‘More Than a Village’ Explores Changing Climate Through Chinese Woodblock Prints

by Yuchen Hong

In an exhibit at Boston College’s Carney 203 Gallery using traditional woodblock printing, artist Cina He explores the effects of climate change in her hometown. Born in Liuzhou in Guangxi province, He moved to Buenos Aires at age 12. Her artistic practice is deeply informed by these two distinct cultural landscapes. Now a senior at Boston College, she is pursuing a double major in transformative education studies and studio art, with a minor in film studies. Her show, “More Than […]

October 11, 2024 0

Filipino Festival Serves Up Flavors,Memories of Home

by Ava Belchez

Mary Crown – who moved from the Philippines to Boston two decades ago – stood amid the chatter of Tagalog and English, the smell of barbecuing pork, and the voice of America’s Got Talent semi-finalist Roland Abante singing “Dynamite.” “I’ve never seen so many Filipinos,” she joked. Crown was among the throngs gathered at the Church Street parking lot in Cambridge for the 3rd Annual Filipino American Festival on Oct. 6. The event was organized by the Harvard Square Philippine […]

October 11, 2024 0

Tribute: Boston Ballet’s DePrince Remembered as ‘Truly Inspiring’

by Kristen Si

Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a former dancer for the prestigious Boston Ballet and a champion for diversity in the arts, passed away at age 29 on Sept. 10. DePrince was an inspiration to countless dancers and artists around the world for her exceptional work both on and off the stage. “I personally felt Michaela was a beautiful dancer and truly inspiring in her ability to break through glass ceilings,” Beth Mochizuki, artistic director at the Asian American Ballet Project, told the […]

October 11, 2024 0

‘Join or Die’ Argues Clubs Can Save America. But Is It Just Groupthink?

by Harmony Witte

Is the downfall of Democracy dependent on something as simple as the decline of social clubs? That’s the central theme of “Join or Die,” a documentary film that screened at film festivals in 2023 and is currently making the rounds at community film screenings across the country. “The trend toward greater polarization in America did not begin five years ago. It certainly did not begin with Covid. It didn’t begin with Trump. It began 50 years ago. You can see […]

September 27, 2024 0

‘Most Famous Woman in China’ Visits Hub

by Yuchen Hong

Chinese author and mega celebrity Yue-Sai Kan, while on tour at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center on Sept. 16, discussed her cross-cultural influence in promoting China abroad, and introduced her aptly titled new book, “The Most Famous Woman in China.” Kan’s journey from a modest start to becoming a global media icon and influential philanthropist coincided with China’s dynamic transformation over the years. Both topics were her focus at the meet-and-greet book event. “I’m both a witness and a participant,” […]

September 27, 2024 0

CineFest Founder Tackles Big Questions on Identity

by Harmony Witte

Sabrina Avilés founded Boston’s only currently operating Latino film festival, CineFest Latino Boston, in 2021, during a time of personal crisis. “I was in a kind of a very pivotal moment in my life at that point, and my father was very ill and close to dying,” Avilés, executive director of CineFest Latino Boston, told the Sampan recently. “And so it just made me reflect about a lot of things. When something like that happens, you just reflect about, you […]

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