Nichols House Museum to offer upcoming programming
Nichols House Museum, located at 55 Mount Vernon St., will celebrate Women’s History Month with the Nichols House Tours on Thursday through Saturday at 10 and 11a.m., and noon; and on Sundays at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.
Meet the fascinating women of the Nichols House, including the Nichols sisters– artists and activists at the turn of the 20th century– as well as domestic staff members and local artists. Preserved as a museum by Rose Standish Nichols, a pioneering woman landscape architect, the home is furnished with an original collection, including furniture and textiles handcrafted by Rose and her sister Margaret.
The museum will also offer a virtual program, ‘A Beautiful Friendship: Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French’ on Wednesday, April 8, at 6 p.m.
Explore the multi-layered friendship between sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French in a virtual presentation by Dana Pilson, Curatorial Researcher and Collections Coordinator at Chesterwood, the home of Daniel Chester French.
For more information, visit nicholshousemuseum.org.
WECA meeting set for April 9 at West End Neighborhood Center
The next meeting of the West End Civic Association (WECA) will be Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m. in the West End Neighborhood Center on Thoreau Path. Get an update on current activities and a look ahead to future plans. All West End residents are welcome to attend.
Randall Goosby with Zhu Wang in concert April 12 at Gardner Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum welcomes Randall Goosby with Zhu Wang in concert on Sunday, April 12, from 1:30-3 p.m. at Calderwood Hall, located at 25 Evans Way.
Virtuoso violinist Randall Goosby returns to the Gardner Museum with pianist Zhu Wang for an intimate recital of epic music. Two major sonatas bookend the program: Debussy’s elusive and gorgeous sonata is paired with Beethoven’s sunny F major essay in the form. The concert also includes Southland Sketches by Harry Burleigh, who was key in forging a quintessential American musical language, modifying the gorgeous modal inflections of spirituals with the chromatic ambiguities of Wagner’s harmony. Romance by Boston’s Amy Beach, the best of the Second New England School of composers, gorgeously drinks from a similar Wagnerian well. Dvorak’s Four Romantic Pieces provide a bridge between these worlds, showing how Romanticism and folk traditions can be seamlessly interwoven.
Tickets each cost $50-85 (tickets for students and children age 5-17 are $20 each; senior tickets cost $45 each). https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/randall-goosby-with-zhu-wang
‘Masquerade: A Gibson Soiree’ coming April 15 to St. Botolph Club
Gibson House Museum will host ‘Masquerade: A Gibson Soiree’ – a Victorian masquerade party and cocktail reception to benefit the museum – on Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Botolph Club, Boston.
Masks and ‘Edward-Goreyesque’ Victorian or Edwardian touches are encouraged as part of your cocktail attire.
Throughout the evening, neither dark nor dreary, be sure to enjoy creative cocktails, sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, delightful piano music and tarot card readings.
All proceeds will support the preservation and operation of the Gibson House Museum.
Tickets are $175 and may be purchased online at: https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/museum-benefit, or by sending a check with the names of your guests to the Gibson House Museum, 137 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02116.
This year’s benefit will feature some notable raffle items, including a one-year membership to the Boston Athenaeum, another to the Edward Gorey House, a behind-the-scenes tour of the MFA, a gift certificate to La Voile, and more.
Further details, as well as a link to purchase raffle tickets, can be found at: https://www.thegibsonhouse.org/museum-benefit
Lanterns & Luminaries fundraiser set for April 16 at Old North Church
As the nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence, Old North Illuminated will kick off Patriots’ Day weekend with Lanterns & Luminaries, a special evening event on Thursday, April 16, at Old North Church in the North End.
The annual fundraiser will honor Keith Lockhart, longtime conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, with the prestigious Third Lantern Award. This recognition celebrates individuals who exemplify the values symbolized by Old North’s legendary lantern signal — leadership, courage, hope, tenacity, and active citizenship.
The evening program, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at 193 Salem St., commemorates Paul Revere’s famous ‘two if by sea’ signal of April 1775. The event will feature a small ensemble of Boston Pops musicians, festive music played on period instruments by the 18th century-style duo Tripp and Toddy, a dramatic reading of Paul Revere’s Ride by Roberto Mighty, remarks from Lockhart, the presentation of the Third Lantern Award, and the lighting of the lanterns in Old North’s steeple.
Tickets are available for purchase in advance. For details and to register, visit www.oldnorth.com/lanterns.
Geothermal Networks Forum coming April 22 to Copley BPL
Neighborhood Association of Back Bay (NABB), along with other environmental organizations, will sponsor a Geothermal Networks Forum on Wednesday April 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library’s Rabb Hall.
Thie event is free and open to public, with speakers and interactive fun tables to explore. Register online at: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/69b47a258089f23c6761f1f5
Nichols House Museum offering tours
The 1804 Nichols House Museum at 55 Mount Vernon St. was home to an early 20th-century family of artists and activists, along with their domestic staff. The house was preserved as a museum by Rose Standish Nichols, a pioneering woman landscape architect. It is furnished with an original collection, including works by the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, as well as furniture and textiles handcrafted by Rose and her sister Margaret. Tours are offered on Thursday through Saturday at 10 and 11 a.m., and noon; on Sundays at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.
For more information, tickets, and to register, visit: nicholshousemuseum.org
Come play Mah Jongg at the West End Community Center
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, you are invited to join the friendly Mah Jongg group. Instructors will be available to help new players, and everyone is welcome. Come meet new people, socialize, and play the game.
The group meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the West End Community (within the West End Neighborhood Center), 75 Blossom Court (entrance on Thoreau Path).
To sign up or for more information, email Audrey Tedeman([email protected]) or Sandy Connor([email protected]).