Grace DuVal‘s work worn by Sirena Nuñez. — Photo by Jack Field

The term Artwear refers to clothing and other wearables designed as conceptual or fine art. Artwear operates outside of the boundaries normally presented in fashion to favor an approach that prioritizes style and vision. This show makes it possible for textile artists to be included in open studios in a way that is more conducive to their art form than a studio opening or a gallery.

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Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent  Dennis Daly

Generally, I try to avoid political poems as well as anti-war poems. Not because they don’t have an important place in those overlapping genres – they do. Or because they can’t effectuate changes in belief systems with their emotional and sometimes rational appeal – they can. But even so, overcome with their own self-importance or consumed with the certainty of true believers, the poets, who write them usually fail. Brilliant exceptions like Sigfried Sassoon (First World War), Wilfred Owen (First World War), and Michael Casey (Vietnam War) prove the rule. Therefore, when confronted with reviewable collections of this verse type, I walk, nay, I run in the other direction. But not today.

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Our poet writes: “I’m Irina Canute, a student at Endicott College currently enrolled in Professor Doug Holder’s Creative Writing course. I am majoring in Health Science and expect to graduate in 2027. This poem is in response to a sculpture at the Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College.”

— Photo by Bobbie Toner

Somerville community members are invited to take a first look and provide public comment on proposals to redevelop 90 Washington Street, a nearly four-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station. At the public meeting of the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee (CAC) on Wednesday, April 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., CAC members will review and share input on the recently received proposals and will also welcome feedback on the proposals from members of the public.

To celebrate Earth Week, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”), title sponsor of Bluebikes, will provide a free $15 Bluebikes credit to support cleaner, healthier communities.

Rümeysa Öztürk and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley . ~Photo courtesy of Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Office

Last Friday, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a heartfelt message saying goodbye to her constituent, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Somerville resident and PhD graduate who has chosen to return to her home country, Turkey, after being unlawfully detained and subjected to inhumane conditions by the Trump Administration in retaliation for her protected speech.

Showcasing more than 50 restaurants at one of New England’s largest food festivals

The Somerville Chamber of Commerce will host the 2026 Taste of Somerville on Wednesday, June 10 at Boynton Yards, bringing together more than 50 restaurants, breweries, wineries, and community partners for a high-energy evening of tasting, music, and neighborhood celebration.

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Somerville community members are invited to the “Slice of the City” spring meet-up series. This new series of family-friendly pizza parties in the park offers attendees a new way to connect and engage with city leaders and staff, local elected officials, as well as neighbors, all while enjoying Somerville’s parks.

Events in each of the city’s seven wards will occur throughout the month of May from 5 to 7 p.m. First up is in Ward 5 on Tuesday, May 5 at Trum Field Playground (1 Franey Road). Somerville Recreation will host kid’s activities, and refreshments and pizza will be provided. For more information and to find all event locations, visit somervillema.gov/slice.

Local team at city hall on day of endorsement

The local chapter of a global organization called the Plant Based Treaty has launched a new initiative – Somerville Plant-Based Restaurant Week, inviting local restaurants to celebrate Earth Week by offering special plant-based dishes as well as offering discounts on plant-based menu items. This move follows the endorsement of the Plant Based Treaty by Somerville’s city council which calls for a shift towards plant-based food systems.