Many Graces Farm to open Sub Rosa

NORTHAMPTON — Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra will cut the ribbon on Sub Rosa, a new botanical lounge and flower shop at 33B West St. on Friday at 4 p.m.

Sub Rosa is a project of Many Graces Farm & Design, a flower farm and floral design studio that has operated in the Pioneer Valley since 2018. Rebecca Maillet and Kel Komenda, the owners of Many Graces, began renting two vacant storefronts at 33 West St. (Units A & B), located at the edge of the Smith College campus, in February 2023. In May of 2023, Many Graces the city of Northampton selected the business for a Massachusetts Vacant Storefront Program grant, a program developed by the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Economic Development.

While Many Graces has been actively utilizing Unit A as a production space for its floral design studio, Unit B has undergone a large renovation project to become Sub Rosa. In September, Maillet and Komenda successfully completed a crowd-fundraising campaign to help cover some of the costs associated with equipment purchases and the build-out of Sub Rosa.

The Many Graces studio will be the future location of floral design and farm-related workshops, while Sub Rosa will provide a regular community-gathering space that has the ability to host art shows, floral designers, and musicians as well as feature local farms, caterers, and wine and beer purveyors on its menu.

As queer business owners on a city block riddled with local queer history, Maillet and Komenda chose to name the botanical lounge Sub Rosa as a nod to the lesbian housing cooperative that was formed in secrecy in the late 1960s just around the corner from Sub Rosa’s location on West Street.

Easthampton resident joins Market Mentors

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors LLC, a marketing, advertising and public relations agency, has hired Heather Rush as associate creative director. The Easthampton resident has more than 20 years’ experience in everything from graphic design, photography and copywriting to creative direction, art direction and brand development.

In her previous roles, Rush has been immersed in all things creative, from storyboarding, strategizing and conceptualizing to brand development and implementation, photography and video shoots. Over the past six years, she managed a marketing team of designers and project editors and enjoyed launching campaigns and products through digital and print channels.

A graduate of Elms College with a degree in commercial arts, Rush is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. She has received the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for book cover design and layout, and several awards for best of book series design from BookBuilders of Boston, which also awarded her the 2017 iPad App UX/UI design award. An avid painter, Rush recently spent two weeks in Italy on a watercolor painting intensive.

Active in the Hampshire County community, Rush is a team captain and team organizer/top 50 fundraiser for the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage, a member of the Easthampton Farmers and Makers Market committee and a volunteer with Easthampton Arts.

Reed to direct ServiceNet’s Wellness program

NORTHAMPTON — ServiceNet has hired Megan Reed as director of its Wellness Program. Reed brings a rich background of education and experience to this new venture, which will initially be for adults receiving services through ServiceNet’s outpatient clinics.

After completing her undergraduate degree in studio art at Wooster College in Ohio, Reed moved east to Smith College where she earned her master’s in exercise science and sports studies in 2009. She had played multiple sports while growing up and scored All American honors as captain of her college lacrosse team.

Reed went on to work as a private trainer for people with a wide range of wellness goals, from college athletes to retirees, including those with chronic pain, auto immune diseases, and other health challenges.

For more information about ServiceNet’s Wellness Program, contact wellness@servicenet.org or call 413-588-4522.

Redevelopment Authority seeks developer for Holyoke land

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Redevelopment Authority is seeking development proposals for land located on Race and Main streets available for commercial and residential uses.

The property consists of six adjacent parcels of land that collectively contain approximately .75 acres of land and is zoned general industry. For this property, the HRA is seeking a development that would add new commercial development potentially mixed with housing.

The area around the property has seen notable developments over the past few years with more projects under construction or in the planning stage. Adjacent to the south of the property is the “Cubit” building which is a mixed residential and commercial development, while directly to the north is the Armour Building currently being converted to a restaurant and co-working space. Under construction one block away is WinnDevelopment’s Appleton Mills Phase 1 creating 88 units of 55-plus housing. Phase 2, which would bring an additional 75 units on-line, is in the planning stage.

The proposal package is available for download via holyoke.org/property for-sale/. For more information, contact the HRA oped@holyoke.org or call (413) 322-5655.