Nine Artful pianos have been beautifully decorated in Newton city each different from the other, as part of the “Artful Piano” project. The one in West Newton is decorated with fabric swatches from many parts of the world including India making it a "multicultural" piece. Grey Held a poet and artist who collaborated with Lakshmi has written a very special “welcoming” poem to celebrate this piano.

On Sunday May 21st, a community coloring event was organized by Thinkfolk at this special west Newton piano. Adults and kids continued to color a panel that was started on a cold morning at the Kids fest on 13^th May. The sunshine through the two hours helped keep a flow of curious visitors but one wished that more people would come to share in the joy of creating beautiful collaborative art and listen to some lovely music.

Maria Arvelo chairperson of the Artful piano project had organized the fun bike ride between the nine pianos. Riders of the "The piano pedal " stopped by this west Newton piano and rested, played beautiful tunes on the piano and colored on the beautiful Kalamkari panel before they rode on to their next piano destination. Maritza, an accomplished Venezuelan pianist continued to play beautiful tunes on the piano while passersby stopped to listen and or color the panel.

One of the highlights of this particular event was when Grey Held did a call and response version of his "welcome" poem with the bike riders of "the piano pedal".

Welcome: Do-Re-Mi.

Welcome: any rendition of Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.

Welcome: rhapsody and sudden sirens and the hubcap lost in the gutter

Welcome: Do-Re-Mi.

Welcome: any rendition of Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.

Welcome: rhapsody and sudden sirens and the hubcap lost in the gutter.

Welcome to sunset and the long thin shadow of a nearby flagpole splitting the upright.

Welcome to the waitress from the nearby Sweet Tomatoes—the one with many piercings—putting down her paisley purse to bring some Lady Gaga to the keys.

Welcome to the schoolboy who sparkles Mozart’s Prelude in E. Welcome to the raggedy jazz player—with a red feather in his Panama hat— who chases Charlie Parker’s Yardbird Suite, the way a stray dog chases pigeons.

Welcome to myself, as I batter-ram down on middle C and middle C again, as if to break through.

Poem by Grey Held, 

For more go to: www.newtoncommunitypride.org/festival/artfulpianos.html

“The Fabrication” Artful Piano is hosted by “Artitudes”, West Newton.

This Sunday, June 4^th, from 4-5:30pm, Thinkfolk will continue the Kalamkari coloring event where adults and kids will continue to color the billboard "Tree of birds" at the Auburndale Community Library, Newton, MA.

Follow Thinkfolk events  on their facebook page Thinkfolkart.

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