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At the Longfellow House in Cambridge, MA, poet Afaa Weaver will be the recipient of our New England Poetry Club’s prestigious Golden Rose Award. Last year’s winner was Patricia Smith.

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Lynne Zika is an award-winning poet and photographer and a retired editor of closed-captioning. Awards include: Pacificus Foundation Literary Award in short fiction, Little Sister Award and Moon Prize in poetry, and Viewbug Curator’s Selection, Staff Favorite, and Hero Awards in photography. Her father, also a writer/poet, bequeathed her this advice: Make every word count.

Support critical medical care for homeless pets awaiting adoption and shop for great stuff too

Kitty Connection, an all-volunteer non-profit dedicated to rescuing and finding safe, loving homes for local cats and dogs, will hold a Summertime Online Auction from Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23. Auction proceeds will go toward the cost of pre-adoption medical procedures.

Somerville Homeless Coalition was awarded $105,000 in 2023. Michael Libby (left) and Felicity Beal (right), of Somerville Homeless Coalition, pose with Cummings Foundation cofounder Joyce Cummings at the 2023 Grant Winner Celebration.

Cummings Foundation is now accepting letters of inquiry for its annual $30 Million Grant Program. This place-based initiative will deliver substantial multi-year funding to 150 eastern Massachusetts nonprofits.

A pair of grants will help Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) expand cultural events and strengthen hybrid workplace training.

The projects are funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants through the City of Somerville. The funding will help SCES meet key DEI and employee-retention goals, said agency Director of Operations & Community Support Colleen Morrissey.

SMC’s Gallery reception on July 11, 2023. — Photos by Iaritza Menjivar

Michael Talbot, Megan Senturk and Rebecca Kopycinski were the featured artists celebrated at the SCAT Gallery’s July artists reception.

Growing up in Jamaica, Michael Talbot had always had a strong desire to inspire and speak to others through art. In 2012 he left his home country to live in the United States and began pursuing his artistic dreams doing Illustration, Graphic Design, and Animation, and has since been working as a Boston-based Freelance Artist on a wide range of projects, murals, exhibitions, and showcases.

Alissa Ebel and Carley Ruemmele, creators of the “Kitchen to Kitchen: Somerville In Food” cookbook.

By Ana Celerier Salcedo

What began as a brainstorm of ways to raise funds for meals and community voices within the local food system soon became an idea to create a community cookbook. All proceeds from the release of Kitchen to Kitchen: Somerville In Food will benefit Come To the Table’s important work, according to creators Alissa Ebel and Carley Ruemmele.

Saturday, July 15 (rain date July 16), there will be several road closures and detours in place in Davis Square and the immediate neighborhood to facilitate the ArtBeat festival. Please observe posted signage.