Arts Previews

On Sunday, March 24, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” the seminal book by children’s author Eric Carle, with art workshops, readings, a dance party and more.

The celebration begins at noon and runs until 4 p.m. Among the events will be a film about Eric Carle at 12:30 p.m.; a reading and book signing by children’s writer Angela DiTerlizzi of Amherst from 2-2:30 p.m.; and a couple of visits from the Hungry Caterpillar itself, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sunday will also offer the last opportunity to see “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns 50” exhibition, which includes details about each page of the book and examines how Carle created the work, translated into 62 languages since it was published in 1969.

 For more information, visit carlemuseum.org or call (413) 559-6300.

“Portraits Over Time” photo exhibit at STCC

Northampton photographer and professor emerita of Hampshire College Sandra Matthews is displaying an updated version of her work “Portraits Over Time” at the Amy H. Carberry Gallery at Springfield Technical Community College through April 6.

Matthews, who taught photography and film at Hampshire for over 25 years before retiring in 2016, has photographed a variety of people at different stages in their lives, using a backdrop collage of newsprint from the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She has updated the work periodically and is now designing a book on the project, which will include text by Valley writers Ruth Ozeki and Polina Barskova.

There will be a reception for Matthews at the STCC gallery on Tuesday, April 2 from 9:45-11:15 a.m. The college is located at 1 Armory Square in downtown Springfield; the gallery is in the Fine Arts building off of Pearl Street and is open Tuesday-Friday, 12:30-4:30 p.m., and  Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Chapbook press sponsors poetry contest

Slate Roof Press of Northfield, a member-run publisher of poetry chapbooks, is accepting submissions for its first “broadside” poetry contest, which will include one winner from either Franklin or Hampshire County, and another selected from contestants across the United States.

Each winner will receive $250 for the Glass Prize and have his or her poem printed in a limited letterpress edition of 100 numbered and signed copies. Slate Roof Press will sponsor a reading for the winner from either Franklin or Hampshire County, and readings of poems by both winners will be posted on Facebook and other venues. Winners will also receive 10 author copies of their broadside.

Poetry submissions — a maximum of three per person — can be done online or through the mail and will be accepted through June 15; a $10 fee is required with a submission. For details on the application process, visit slateroofpress.com/contest.html.