James Bennett II

3 weeks ago | wgbh.org | James Bennett II

April 22, 2025 The Museum of Fine Arts will close its Benin Kingdom Gallery on April 28, the museum announced Monday. The gallery opened in 2013 after the MFA accepted works lended from the collection of Robert Owen Lehman. As part of their agreement, the museum would eventually acquire the pieces. But now, Lehman has requested these artworks be returned to him.

3 weeks ago | wgbh.org | James Bennett II

April 18, 2025 A rare recording has resurfaced from the repository of GBH Archives. It’s the voice of the late Dr. Alfred Worcester of Waltham, who at age 95, shared an eyewitness account of the first Patriots’ Day, April 18, 1775, as told to him by his great-grandmother. She had witnessed the dramatic events firsthand as a child growing up in Waltham.

4 weeks ago | wgbh.org | James Bennett II

In the common room of a modest, brownhouse in Concord, Massachusetts, lies the story of Caesar Robbins. He was born enslaved in 1745 in nearby Chelmsford, Massachusetts. And when the Revolutionary War broke out a few decades later, he became one of the area’s Black soldiers fighting for the American cause. The scant records of the time indicate he may have fought at the Old North Bridge during the Battle of Concord, just a quarter mile from where this small home was later built.

1 month ago | wgbh.org | James Bennett II

The Boston Theater Critics Association announced its nominees for the 42nd Annual Elliot Norton Awards Wednesday, recognizing outstanding actors, directors, designers, choreographers, musicians and productions in and around the city. The Huntington’s production of “The Grove” and the American Repertory Theater’s production of “Gatsby” lead the awards field with 10 nominations apiece.

1 month ago | wgbh.org | James Bennett II

March 21, 2025 Since 2011, the city of Somerville has played host to its own version of PorchFest, an afternoon of community featuring musical performances on the front porches of its residents. But this year’s PorchFest, to be held on May 10, brings several key changes: a new application process, certain streets where bands will not be able to play, and new volunteer and emergency management teams.