Amherst Arts Night Plus Returns on Nov. 5

Source: Amherst Business Improvement District

The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) and Amherst Center Cultural District invite all to come enjoy local fine art at Arts Night Plus on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. throughout Downtown Amherst. 

After a successful revitalization of Arts Night Plus in April, the BID is excited to bring back the event quarterly. This free community event brings together local artists, downtown businesses, and cultural spaces for an evening of art. All are invited to stroll through downtown and enjoy the artwork of 12 local artists.

This Fall’s participating artists include Chloe Torres, Diana Stiles, Diane Steingart, John Romanski, Laura Holland, Nancy Meagher, Nina Rossi, Amy Dawn Kotel, Christine Mirabal, Gary Smith, Hadassah Fiorini, and Julie Kumble. Their work will be featured at participating downtown businesses and community spaces, including Masuda’s Cafe, The Toy Box, the Visitor Information Center, The Hive Collective, Zanna, The Unitarian Universalist Society, 189 N. Pleasant St. (formerly Aster & Pine,) and UMass Downtown. 

Visitors can also explore more of Amherst’s arts scene at locations including the Mead Art Museum and Gallery A3, which will be open during the event. Arts Night Plus also offers an opportunity to discover Amherst’s new Electrify Amherst art boxes, featuring artwork by Monica Aguilar near the Spring Street Lot, Ron Lebrasseur near Douglas Funeral Home, and Peter Zierlein near PeoplesBank. These public art installations add to the creative landscape of downtown and offer another way to experience local art throughout the community. 

Arts Night Plus celebrates the connections between artists, local businesses, and the wider Amherst community, inviting visitors to experience downtown from a new perspective and discover the creativity that makes Amherst so unique. 

Additional details about participating artists and locations are below. 

For more information, follow @amherstdowntown on social media. For questions or to learn more about getting involved in local arts and culture initiatives, contact Ben Coakley, Arts and Culture Coordinator, Amherst Business Improvement District: culture@amherstdowntown.com  

Participating Artists and Their Paired Locations 

• The Visitor Information Center will host Diane Steingart and Laura Holland 
• The Hive Collective will host John Romanski 
• UMass Downtown will host Nancy Meagher 
• Masuda’s Cafe will host Chloe Torres 
• The Unitarian Universalist Society will host Amy Dawn Kotel, Hadassah Fiorini, and Julie Kumble
• Zanna will host Nina Rossi 
• 189 N. Pleasant will host Christine Mirabal and Gary Smith 
• The Toy Box will host Diana Stiles 

Additional arts and cultural spaces open in Downtown Amherst during the event:

• Mead Art Museum showcasing exhibits “My Beautiful, Pitiful Age” and “Remittance”
• Gallery A3 
• Town Hall Gallery 
• Virtually: The Burnett Gallery at the Jones Library: https://www.joneslibrary.org/919/Current-Virtual-Exhibit

Public Art Highlight: 

• Electrify Amherst Artwork by Monica Aguilar near the Spring Street Lot 
• Electrify Amherst Artwork by Ron Lebrasseur near Douglas Funeral Home  
• Electrify Amherst Artwork by Peter Zierlein near Amherst Coffee/PeoplesBank

Save the Dates for Future Arts Night Plus Events! 

• Winter – February 4, 2027 
• Spring – May 6, 2027

Biographical Profiles of the Artists

Hadassah Fiorini is a painter whose colorful acrylic works explore themes of love, presence, and the beauty of everyday life. Blending realism and impressionism, she layers vibrant colors and textures to transform memories and ordinary moments into expressive works of art.

Laura Holland is an Amherst-based writer and visual artist who specializes in artist books and bookbinding. After teaching writing and developing art classes at UMass Amherst for 30 years, she began creating and exhibiting her own artist books and has been a member of Gallery A3 since 2017. 

Amy Dawn Kotel is a multi-media creative who has lived and has loved being part of the Happy Valley for over 24 years. She has worked professionally over the years in a few different genres of art including dance, puppetry and fine art. For the last almost eight years, she has focused mostly on fine art. She has had many group and solo shows and has curated art shows throughout the local area.

Julie Kumble is an artist, author, and illustrator whose work draws on more than 30 years of experience strengthening communities, particularly in women’s leadership and social change. She’s an activist for climate and human rights, and has exhibited her artwork throughout Western Massachusetts, including solo and group exhibitions in local galleries and libraries. 

Nancy Meagher is an Amherst painter, writer, and teacher, and a member of Gallery A3 in Amherst. She is the author and illustrator of “Millicent and the Day it Rained Buttons, a Mill River Fish Tale” and “The Fish in the Polka Dot Dress.” In 2024 and 2026, Meagher was a Summer Project Resident Fellow at The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA., where she completed her poetry chapbook, “Morning After Several days of Rain.” Meagher connects with Dickinson’s theme of “home”, finding her own yard filled with adventure.

Christine Mirabal is a multimedia visual artist who also performs and teaches improv, facilitates art journaling workshops, and writes poetry. While her art primarily focuses on the natural world, she’s also passionate about feminism and giving voice to underrepresented groups.

Amherst Indy

John Romanski is a painter and photographer living and working in Hadley. His most current work is acrylic based and explores the central theme of a journey, where life’s limits and boundaries are always at play. John is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He received his MFA in Studio Art from Brooklyn College.

Nina Rossi is a Colombian artist based in Amherst. Her first solo exhibition, Creations of Nina, launched her career in Cali, Colombia. A series of successful art shows followed: Forests of Nina; Reflections of Nina; and Gardens of Nina. Let it Be was featured at the Miami River Art Festival. Dreams of God & Three Peacocks were prominently displayed at the University Club, Winter Park, Florida. In addition to illustrating Nothing Is Everything, she co-wrote & illustrated a children’s book, I Am, currently awaiting publication.

Gary Smith is a 1991 Graduate of The Joe Kubert School for Cartoon and Graphic Arts. He has done professional comic book work for Valiant Comics in NY, NY, and the Canson Paper Company, and routinely participates in shows throughout Massachusetts, CT, etc. His work has been on display at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. He produces his own line of comic books, and his oil paintings are currently on display in several locations in MA.

Diane Steingart is a mixed media artist living in Pelham. She has been a member of Gallery A3 for 9 years and has shown her artworks at various other venues in the valley. 

Diana Stiles is a self-taught fiber artist behind COCO & CORDELIA, creating one-of-a-kind handmade dolls, teddy bears, and whimsical art pieces. Her imaginative creations combine craftsmanship, playful and careful details, and a touch of magic. 

Chloe Torres is a painter based in Northampton, MA. She works in oils, watercolor, and charcoal. She draws inspiration from the beauty found in ordinary things, her everyday surroundings, and exploring the mystery of the unknown.