From the Community

Free Screening of Magical Realist Film ‘Hyphen’ on Oct. 3

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The Hyde Square Task Force is offering a free screening of Hyphen, a short film by Boston's Maria Servellón, an award-winning filmmaker, multimedia artist, educator, and arts advocate on Oct. 3. The screening of the film starts at 6 pm, and will be followed by a discussion between the filmmaker and Paloma Valenzuela of La Gringa Loca Productions and a Q&A with audience members. Hyphen is a magical realist, short fiction film based on the director's own memories and experiences. It follows four character versions on a transformative chronicle: Mimi, Maia, Mia, Ria.

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Arts

Three Artist Fellows from Jamaica Plain Awarded $10K City Grants

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Three Jamaica Plain artists received $10,000 grants as part of Boston’s second round of Artist Fellowship Awards. The Artist Fellowship Awards is a pilot program, "...that invests in mid-career individual artists living and working in Boston." “As we work to ensure that local artists can thrive in the city of Boston, it’s so important to have programs like this that support artists creative contributions to our city,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture, via press release. “We’re excited to invest in these artists and give them the opportunity to use this grant in whatever way is most meaningful to them.”

The three Jamaica Plain artists who received grants are Billy Dean Thomas, Shubha Sunder, and Paloma Valenzuela. The following was provided by the city about the award recipients:

Billy Dean Thomas, aka “The Queer B.I.G,” is a hip-hop recording artist and composer born and raised in Harlem, but currently residing in Boston.

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Arts

JP Resident Receives City Grant to Support ‘The Pineapple Diaries’ Web Series

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Jamaica Plain's Paloma Valenzuela recently received a city grant to support writing and completing the third season of "The Pineapple Diaries," a comedic web series that tells the story of four women living Jamaica Plain. The $1,000 grant was one of 29 granted from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Cultural Council, as part of the fourth round of Opportunity Fund grants for 2018 in October. “Artists are doing incredible work in every neighborhood of our city, and it’s important that we continue to recognize and support their efforts,” said Mayor Marty Walsh. “I look forward to seeing Boston’s artists advance their careers and improve our communities through this program.”

The colorful, comedic web series, which can be enjoyed in its entirety here, is part sitcom, part ode to JP. As WBUR explains:
“The Pineapple Diaries” presents familiar 20-something struggles: from navigating an unfulfilling job, to rediscovering oneself after a divorce, to trying to become an Internet celebrity in our social media-obsessed age. These heartfelt, humorous stories find undeniable authenticity while portrayed through a rich cultural lens that’s often overlooked when people think of Jamaica Plain today.

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