Community Events & Pop Ups
In 2018 Attack Bear Press and Easthampton City Arts partnered with amazing artists, performers, poets, musicians, and filmmakers to bring some of that Attack Bear culture to this year's Cultural Chaos. We have also appeared at Easthampton Bookfest, and Downtown Northampton Association's Northampton Block Party. Check out the features below!
Poems on Demand
Poet + typewriter + spontaneity. Poetry on Demand invites a local poet to spotlight and create special one of a kind poems for festival goers. Past writers have included Adam Garbowski, Elizabeth Macduffie (Meat for Tea), and Nicole M. Young.
Promesa: Documentary film.
The independent short documentary examines the economic crisis in Puerto Rico, before Hurricane Maria, by exploring how its colonial relationship with the US has had both political and personal impact on the islanders. Bilingual with English and Spanish subtitles.
Panel discussions have followed film screenings with filmmaker Michelle Falcón Fontánez and activists Samantha Marie Medina Figueroa and Johanyvette Rodriguez Gonzalez featured in the film. Donation are accepted to support employment efforts throughout the island. Come learn, directly from Hurricane Maria survivors, how you can help.
Street Songs: A No-No Project Spin-off
The No-No Project is up to more nonsense. Turning the in-studio project into a live performance, poets and musicians have featured across the Pioneer Valley in both outdoor and indoor spaces.
Typewriter Popup
Alexandra Woolner provides festival goers access to type on Alex’s collection of Vintage typewriters. Further, Alex Woolner is onsite to instruct other typewriter enthusiasts on cleaning and general maintenance of these machines. Materials including paper, letterhead, stationery, and correction slips are provided. Typists are welcome to bring their own materials and always keep whatever they have written!
Lucha Adore: Free Life and Love Advice from a Luchador
Lucha Adore is a stationary performance art piece in which Jason Montgomery will be portraying El Oso Azul the Heavy Weight Champion who will be providing life and love advice to the people of Easthampton at his booth (think Lucy from Peanuts). Along with Life and Love advice El Oso provides information about the cross-cultural history of Lucha Libre and its importance to Chicanos and Mexicanos. Paper Luchador Masks for kids to create their own luchador identity are available.
El Oso Azul’s Cardboard Arroyo of Mythical Creatures
El Oso Azul’s Cardboard Arroyo of Mythical Creatures is a stationary performance and installation art piece in which Attack Bear Press Co-founder Jason Montgomery. For the Belchertown Art week Art Walk El Oso brought his friends with him! The Cardboard Arroyo of Mythical Creatures features a series of mythical from Chicano folklore. These include a Chupacabra, El Cu-Cuy, and the Thunderbird. The people of Belchertown were invited to come and draw, color, paint and share their own mythical creature.