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The 25-hour Moby Dick Marathon sails on in New Bedford
Every winter, thousands of fans descend on the New Bedford Whaling Museum to hear the novel out loud.
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June 23, 2025 - Pedro Alonzo and Nicholas Galanin, Vincent Petryk of JP Licks, and Moonbox's New Works Festival
Today we’re continuing our exploration of The Boston Public Art Triennial, with Culture Show contributor, Pedro Alonzo, the Triennial’s Artistic Director and one of the featured artists, the widely acclaimed Indigenous sculptor Nicholas Galanin. Galanin’s works are on view at the MassArt Art Museum, and Evans Way Park, 1 Evans Way. To learn more go here. From there we get the inside scoop on J.P. Licks with the owner and founder Vincent Petryk. He discusses new, seasonal flavors, a collaboration with Levain Bakery, and how he has built a community and a beloved institution that has been a fixture in the region for more than 40 years.Finally Bridget O’Leary, Director of New Play Development at Moonbox Productions, previews Moonbox’s 4th annual New Works Festival, which features seven new plays by local playwrights. To learn more about the festival go here -
June 20, 2025 - Week in Review: Jaws at 50, the Louvre, and the Karen Read ceiling fan
Today Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III and Culture Show contributor Lisa Simmons go over the latest arts and culture headlines on our week-in-review.First up, “Jaws” at 50. They look at how it changed the film industry, it’s mixed legacy on shark conservation, the iconic score and how it has managed to frighten audiences with a mechanical shark named Bruce.Then it’s off to Europe where the Louvre abruptly closed when workers spontaneously went on strike amid unmanageable crowds and in Venice locals are threatening to disrupt Jeff Bezos’ and Laura Sanchéz’s multi-million dollar wedding.Finally, public art as a stress test for an authoritarian regime and Miss Sassy, the cat at the center of a pet eating controversy gets her moment in the spotlight–an art exhibition. -
June 19, 2025 - Mass. Poet Laureate Regie Gibson, Club Passim, and Nina MacLaughlin on the Summer Solstice
Regie Gibson, an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music and an instructor at Clark University, has been selected as Massachusetts’ first Poet Laureate. He joins The Culture Show to talk about how he’ll define this role, his path to poetry and to share some of his work. Gibson is a songwriter, author, spoken-word poet and former National Poetry Slam Individual Champion. From there Michael Busack, the new Executive Director of Club Passim, joins The Culture Show to talk about his vision for the legendary music venue.Finally the best-selling author Nina MacLaughlin joins The Culture Show to talk about her essay book “Summer Solstice,” which is a meditation on a season full of long days, hot nights and fat red tomatoes. -
June 18, 2025 - Annette Gordon-Reed, J. Courtney Sullivan, and the Boston Pizza Festival
Historian, lawyer and Pulitzer-prize winning author Annette Gordon-Reed joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest book “On Juneteenth,” which explores the holiday commemorating the day Union troops announced the end of slavery in Texas. From there best-selling author J. Courtney Sullivan joins The Culture Show to talk about her latest novel, “The Cliffs.” It is an intricately layered novel of family, spirits, and secrets set on the seaside cliffs of Maine.Finally, we top things off with a preview of this year’s Boston Pizza Festival. The festival co-directors, Raffaele Scalzi and Giancarlo Natale, join the Culture Show to talk about New England’s largest pizza festival. It’s this Saturday and Sunday at City Hall Plaza. To learn more go here. -
June 17, 2025 - Imari Paris Jeffries, Dread Scott, and the 50th anniversary of Jaws
Imari Paris Jeffries, President and CEO of Embrace Boston, joins The Culture Show to preview the Embrace Ideas Festival. Kicking off on Juneteenth, this year’s festival is a celebration of joy, power, prosperity and black creativity. Imari Paris Jeffries also gives an overview of Embrace Boston’s latest report, which explores how cultural festivals can help build and strengthen communities. To keep on top of everything Embrace Boston is doing, go here.From there, it’s the interdisciplinary artist Dread Scott. In 1989, the US Senate outlawed his artwork and President Bush declared it "disgraceful" because of its transgressive use of the American flag. Dread became part of a landmark Supreme Court case when he and others burned flags on the steps of the Capitol. He is a revolutionary artist who gives us a new way to see some ugly truths about America. He joins The Culture Show ahead of his event at the Boston Public Library. Tomorrow night you can catch him at the Central Library in Copley Square. His appearance is part of the Lowell Lecture series. To learn more go here.From there we get a jump on the real shark week. As Martha’s Vineyard prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” with Amity Week, Culture Show producer Kate Dellis finds out how the blockbuster film forever changed the island.
