“Observed,” an exhibit by Chesterfield artist Martin Bridge, will be on view through April 2 at Hope & Feathers Framing and Gallery, 319 Main St. in Amherst. Bridge will be painting live, on site, Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a closing reception April 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Bridge works in many different media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, theater design and performance. His work expresses his belief in the sacredness of nature and the importance of mankind’s connection to the natural world.
In his artist statement, Bridge says he decided to take up live painting because he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of his process, which he could not do when working alone because he became so immersed in his work.
“Feedback, observations and interpretations from onlookers I spoke with often influenced where I went with a particular painting and energy of the experience fueled my creativity and movement of the brush and paint,” he said.
Gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, call the gallery at 835-0197.
“Animals Within,” a collection of wildlife prints and paintings by Leverett artist Hillary Wilbur Ferro, will be on view through March 30 at the Burnett Gallery, 43 Amity St. in Amherst.
Ferro teaches visual art at the Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield and has lived in the Amherst area for nearly 40 years.
The Burnett Gallery is located on the second floor of the Jones Library, Hours are Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
“A Touch of Whimsy,” an exhibition of quilted wall-hangings by Elizabeth Sylvan of Florence, will be on view through April 29 at the Northampton Cooperative Bank, 253 Triangle St. in Amherst.
Sylvan creates her quilts with raw-edge appliqué, hand-coloring and machine stitching. In her artist statement, she says she incorporates universal symbols like the sun and moon, birds, water and seasons to connect the viewer to the natural world.
This installment features images of a purple cow, triceratops, flamingos, flowers and more.
The exhibit is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. For information, visit www.sylvanquilts.com.
“Sepideh — Reaching for the Stars” will be shown Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Amherst Cinema as part of the theater’s “Science on Screen” film series.
The movie follows an Iranian teenage girl who lives in a small town 400 miles south of Tehran. She is obsessed with astronomy and becomes an active member of a local astronomy club led by her physics teacher.
Salman Hameed, Hampshire College professor and director of the Center of the Study of Science in Muslim Societies, will lead a discussion following the film.
Regular admission.
“The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga” will be shown Wedneday at 7 p.m. at the cinema.
The film is an exploration of Eastern Europeans’ changing perceptions of nature from the sinister forest home of a mythical witch to a refuge from famine, destruction and war.
Filmmaker Jessica Oreck will be at the screening.
Regular admission.
“Florence, Arizona” will be shown Thursday at 7 p.m. at the cinema.
The city of Florence is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread throughout nine prisons. This documentary film weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have been affected by the surrounding prisons.
Director Andrea B. Scott, a Brooklyn-based documentary filmmaker, editor and writer, will be on hand for the screening.
For tickets to any of the films, visit www.amherstcinema.org.
Valley Light Opera will sing the Resurrection portions of Handel’s “Messiah” Sunday at 2 p.m. in the sanctuary of Wesley United Methodist Church, 98 North Maple St. in Hadley.
VLO soloists will be Elaine Crane, soprano; Kathy Blaisdell, alto; Ted Blaisdell, tenor; and Ramsey Kurdi, baritone, with the audience singing as the chorus. Some scores will be available, but bring yours if you have one. Donations will be accepted.
“I Breathe With You: Part II,” an exhibit featuring work by artists from the United States and more than a dozen other countries, will open with a reception Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. and will remain on view through May 6 at the Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Through paintings, drawings, photographs, digital projections and videos, the artists expressed their concerns for equity and justice.
The artists were prompted to create work based on these questions: What form of bias and discrimination has become deplorable to you? What does it look like? Feel like? How are individuals or communities affected? What would best solve this condition? What steps should we take to eliminate it? What one act might you perform to improve this condition? What would full health feel or look like for the one suffering?
Gallery hours are Mondays and Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays through Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. (Closed for academic breaks.) For information, call 545-5177.