Spark Newton Brings Music, Art, Poetry and Local Flavor to Newtonville

Spark Newton will bring an afternoon of live music, art, poetry, and fun to the Trio Newton Courtyard on Sunday, October 4, from 1–3 p.m. This free, all-ages event will feature Boston-based musician Malayna Knox, along with creative activities led by local artists and community partners with food and drink offerings from Newtonville restaurants.

Knox, a Boston-based singer, songwriter and keyboardist, will perform a mix of original music and favorite covers throughout the afternoon. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Knox is classically trained, performs in four languages and has more than 12 years of professional experience. She has released original music on Spotify and founded MK Entertainment, a booking agency focused
on creating memorable live music experiences.

The afternoon will also feature a blackout poetry activity led by established Newton poets Grey Held and Elizabeth Lund (also the co-directors of Spark Newton’s Haiku Newton program). A recent artistic and literary phenomenon that has gained widespread popularity over the past decade, blackout poetry is a fun and surprisingly easy way to create a poem, whether you’re an experienced
poet or have never written one before. Participants start with a page of existing text, select words and phrases that catch their attention, and black out everything else to transform the original text into an entirely new poem. Participants will then have an opportunity to share their finished poems with the audience during the concert.

Held is a literary activist, recipient of an NEA Fellowship in Creative Writing and winner of the 2019 Future Cycle Poetry Book Prize, with three published books of poetry. Lund is an award-winning poetry host, reviewer, and interviewer who has written about poetry for The Washington Post and whose own work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Attendees will find plenty to do throughout the afternoon, from creating fall-themed art with sidewalk chalk to an all-ages art activity hosted by the New Art Center and a shoe-themed coloring activity from The Barn family shoe store, with one lucky young artist winning a free pair of kids’ winter
shoes.

Trio Newton’s restaurants will also join the celebration. FUJI at Newton, a Japanese and Thai restaurant, will offer free samples of sushi and sell Thai tea and milk tea (with or without boba!). MIDA, an Italian neighborhood restaurant, will offer free samples of arancini along with house-made pizza and gelato for purchase. Both restaurants have patios in the courtyard and will offer reservations for patio dining that afternoon, so guests can grab a bite while enjoying the music. Reservations can be made in advance through the restaurants’ websites: FUJI at Newton and MIDA Newton.

“This is such a fun way to welcome in the fall in Newtonville,” said Leandra Sharron, Executive Director of Spark Newton. “We wanted to create an afternoon that was more than just a concert, with lots of ways for people to spend time in the courtyard and take part. I hope people will come out and make an afternoon of it!”

Registration is highly encouraged. Visit sparknewton.org/event/free-community-concert-malayna-knox/ to register and learn more.

About Spark Newton

Spark Newton builds community and brings joy by making creativity visible and accessible through free arts and culture events, engaging public art, and vibrant public spaces. Through signature programs, partnerships, and grantmaking, Spark Newton helps create a more vibrant, welcoming, and culturally connected city.