Above: Book tickets to more upcoming events at SHAC. (images from website and newsletter)
The Southborough History & Arts Center is promoting an opening reception and artist talk for a new art exhibit. The center is launching a “Southborough Salon Series” featuring chamber music concerts.
Both events take place this month.
Opening of “The Nature of Whimsy: The Magical Etchings of J. Ann Eldridge”
Saturday, March 21st, 4:00 – 7:00 pm
The opening of the 2nd exhibit in the Long Gallery will include a short talk by the artist and a reception. Attendance is free, but requires registering for tickets in advance here. SHAC promotes:
Experience the exquisite detail and quiet elegance of J. Ann Eldridge’s work in a new exhibit celebrating her mastery of graphite and etching. Known for her finely rendered portraits and nature studies, Eldridge captures the subtleties of light, texture, and emotion with remarkable precision. Each piece invites viewers into an intimate dialogue with the natural world—where realism meets quiet reflection. Join us at the opening to explore a collection that showcases her careful observation, technical skill, and deep reverence for her subjects. The exhibit opens at 4PM; Ann will give a short talk at 4:30 about her creative inspirations and the physical process of creating etchings in this 500-year-old tradition, with a reception to follow at 5:15.
If you can’t make the special event, but are interested in the art, you can stop in when visiting the center through April 26th. (If you aren’t attending another event/class during that time, you can visit SHAC on Thursdays from 3:00 – 7:00 pm, or on weekends by appointment from noon to 5:00 pm.)
The gallery will also welcome visitors (with free tickets) to examine and discuss the exhibit on Saturday, April 11th from 3:00 – 4:00 pm as part of “Slow Art Day 2026”. [Note: That’s also the day of Annual Town Meeting. But the Moderator has expressed optimism that this year’s meeting won’t run that long.]
Southborough Salon Series: Mozart’s Grand Partita and Dvorak’s Serenade
Sunday, March 29th, 2:00 pm
The new music series kicks off with a concert also billed as a “Wind Serenade”. This event isn’t free to attend. Tickets are $25 for members or $35 for non-members. SHCAC promotes:
We are absolutely delighted to partner with the Claflin Hall Symphony Orchestra to launch what we hope will become a cherished tradition — the Southborough Salon Series, presented three times each year.
Our first concert features a 16-piece “wind serenade” program anchored by two beloved masterpieces of the chamber repertoire: Mozart’s radiant Gran Partita and Dvořák’s joyful Serenade for Winds. Mozart’s Gran Partita (K.361) is a luminous and spirited work from his creative prime, blending graceful elegance with heartfelt lyricism — a perfect showcase for the expressive colors of a wind ensemble. Dvořák’s Serenade, written more than a century later, captures the warmth and optimism of his Bohemian roots, filled with dance-inspired rhythms and folk-tinged melodies. Together, these works embody the blend of intimacy and grandeur that makes wind music so captivating.
Even more special, this concert marks the long-awaited return of live music to the historic Fayville Village Hall — for the first time in more than sixty years. We’re thrilled to celebrate both timeless repertoire and the renewal of a beloved local gathering place for art, community, and connection.
Reminder: There’s also History at SHAC this weekend
As I’ve previously posted, this Sunday, at 2:00 pm, the Southborough Historical Society is holding a special free talk “Commemorating Henry Knox and the ‘Noble Train of Artillery’ in the Automobile Age.” For those details, click here.