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Spotlight Series

Arts at the Armory Spotlight Series

The Center for Arts at the Armory curates and produces the Spotlight Series to celebrate the diversity and culture of our community by bringing world-renowned performers, always paired with a local opening act, into our historic and intimate setting. We put the spotlight on local, national and international artists from diverse communities, and provide platforms that amplify these voices.

The series focuses on music but also includes theater and dance, as well as keynote speakers, to create immersive experiences sparking joy, inspiration, reflection, and intercultural learning. Past Spotlight Series artists have included Sweet Honey in the Rock, Rufus Wainwright, Meshell Ndegeocello, 10,000 Maniacs, Shawn Colvin, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ravi Coltrane, The Soul Rebels, John Scofield, iLe, Bill Frisell, Leyla McCalla, Lady Lamb, Lakou Mizik, Tracy Kidder & Jim O’Connell, Rodney Crowell, Bitch, Ryan Montbleau Band, BALA BILA w/Balla Kouyate and Matchume Zango, From Baghdad to Brooklyn by Michelle Azar, Wesli, Chris Pureka, David Wax Museum, Riders in the Sky, Fabiola Mรฉndez, and Acoustic Nomads.

If you are interested in sponsoring a performance or the entire series, please click here for more information.

Upcoming Spotlight Series Events


We Black Folk Showcase

March 20, 2026

Celebrate the Boston-based movement to highlight and expand the Black folk genre!


Rufus Wainwright

April 27, 2026

An intimate concert with one of the most distinctive voices of his generation.


Grace Kelly

May 9, 2026

Saxophonist-singer-songwriter Grace Kelly takes the stage in May 2026 at Arts at the Armory!


Tourmaline

May 28, 2026

Artist, filmmaker, and national bestselling author Tourmaline will discuss her new book!


Tito Puente Jr. with MetMovements

December 11, 2026

Tito Puente, Jr. and his ensemble brings exhilarating Latin rhythms that will get your feet moving.

Search Events

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Sun. Apr. 26, 2026ย ย ย ย 
10:30 am - 11:00 pm
POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER. NEW DATE TBD. Join Side Quest, Danger Wizard, 30 GMs, 19 vendors, 10 panelists and 5 workshop hosts at Arts at [...]
Mon. Apr. 27, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Tue. Apr. 28, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Join us the fourth Tuesday of each month for the Boston Moth StorySLAM! This community-focused, open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone can share a [...]
Wed. Apr. 29, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us to celebrate the unique flavors of Somerville's immigrant-owned restaurants! Get tickets now! YUM: A Taste of Immigrant Cityย is an annual celebration and fundraising [...]
Thu. Apr. 30, 2026ย ย ย ย 
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
The Red Crossโ€™s regular blood drive returns to the Armory. Make an Appointment Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting [...]
Thu. Apr. 30, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join us for a fun evening of connecting with other polyamorous people in a safe and inclusive space.ย  Click here to register Donโ€™t miss out [...]
Fri. May. 01, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Join the Somerville Cinรฉ-Club for "Chaplin: 1915", presenting 5 short films produced by the Tramp during his earliest period as a director. All shorts will [...]
Sat. May. 02, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Mon. May. 04, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Tue. May. 05, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
What's a SMUT SLAM? I'm so glad you asked! It's a fast-paced storytelling open mic based on REAL life, REAL lust, REAL sex. Consenting Slammers [...]
Fri. May. 08, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
iContact is an immersive interactive performance piece exploring our relationships with bodies, technologies and ecologies. The dystopian future arrives and our pet robots, aka phones, [...]
Fri. May. 08, 2026ย ย ย ย 
8:00 pm
Nova Comedy Collective presents Nebula Night, featuring local talent from Bostonโ€™s comedy, music, arts scene, and beyond.
Sat. May. 09, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Arts at the Armory brings Grace Kelly with her โ€œscorching saxophoneโ€ to the Spotlight Series stage on May 9, 2026. Get tickets now!   Grace [...]
Sun. May. 10, 2026ย ย ย ย 
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Sing Out, Fight Back! Yiddish Songs of Social Change: Concert with A Besere Velt Yiddish Chorus and Golden Thread Ensemble Get tickets now! Golden Thread [...]
Sun. May. 10, 2026ย ย ย ย 
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Join us for a joyful Sunday afternoon of Yiddish dance and live klezmer music in celebration of Mother's Day. A 90-minute workshop featuring Yiddish folk [...]
Mon. May. 11, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Wed. May. 13, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Tunefoolery Music is a non-profit organization for musicians in mental health recovery.
Thu. May. 14, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:30 pm
The Joy Formidable step back onto the stage for the first time in two years. These intimate, stripped-back nights offer songs and stories up close [...]
Thu. May. 14, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Join in with chorus songs that are easy to learn and fun to sing
Fri. May. 15, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
One evening. Four acts of IMPROV COMEDY Hosted by Chris & Zack
Sat. May. 16, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:30 pm - 8:15 pm
Get tickets now! Works inspired by scientific curiosity, ingenuity, and invention, featuring Jocelyn Hagenโ€™s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, a multimedia concert experience for [...]
Sun. May. 17, 2026ย ย ย ย 
10:15 am - 5:30 pm
Students who study at Guitar Stop in Porter Square perform! Morning Session10:30 AM โ€“ 1:30 PMNo cover, open to all. Doors open 10:15 AM Afternoon [...]
Sun. May. 17, 2026ย ย ย ย 
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Join us for the Somerville Foundation for our annual Stronger Together Celebration! Click Here to Register. www.somerville-foundation.org/stronger-together
Sun. May. 17, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Join sex educator Robyn Manning-Samuels as we talk about fantasy and sexual communication. Get tickets now! Join sex educator Robyn Manning-Samuels for an interactive workshop [...]
Mon. May. 18, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Tue. May. 19, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Evolution of a Snake Get tickets now! Hosted by Zachary Hourihane (Swiftologist) and Madeline Rubicam (The Lizard Review), Evolution of a Snake is the hit [...]
Thu. May. 21, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Get tickets now! Icons of Puerto Ricoโ€™s Nueva Canciรณn movement reunite for an unforgettable evening of music and storytelling. Roy Brown and Zoraida Santiago bring [...]
Thu. May. 21, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm
An independently-produced, monthly improv show featuring new and veteran local talent. Come see whatโ€™s blowing up!
Sat. May. 23, 2026ย ย ย ย 
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Boston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America 2026 Local Convention, followed by a social. Further details will be forthcoming soon. Get tickets now! [...]
Sat. May. 23, 2026ย ย ย ย 
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
One evening. Four acts of IMPROV COMEDY Hosted by Chris & Zack
Mon. May. 25, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Wed. May. 27, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Join us the fourth Tuesday of each month for the Boston Moth StorySLAM! This community-focused, open-mic storytelling competition is open to anyone can share a [...]
Wed. May. 27, 2026ย ย ย ย 
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Grab your uke and join us as we sing and strum the hits! All levels welcome, from beginners to seasoned hands.
Thu. May. 28, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Artist, filmmaker, and national bestselling author Tourmaline will discuss her new book at Arts at the Armory in Spring 2026! Get tickets now! Tourmaline will [...]
Fri. May. 29, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A night full of long form improv comedy performed by a slew of Boston's top talent. Get tickets now!
Fri. May. 29, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Following the success of his 2025 Shade of Memory World Tour, Sina Bathaie returns with an expanded journey โ€” the White Lotus World Tour โ€” [...]
Mon. Jun. 01, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
A weekly Training course to help improve dancers in the skills in west coast swing.
Tue. Jun. 02, 2026ย ย ย ย 
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
What's a SMUT SLAM? I'm so glad you asked! It's a fast-paced storytelling open mic based on REAL life, REAL lust, REAL sex. Consenting Slammers [...]
Events on Sun. Apr. 26, 2026
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Upcoming Events

Arts at the Armory GlowBall 2026

Arts at the Armory GlowBall 2026

Fri. Apr. 10, 2026, 7:00 PM
Somerville Winter Farmers Market

Somerville Winter Farmers Market

Sat. Apr. 11, 2026, 9:30 AM
Rick & Friends

Rick & Friends

Sat. Apr. 11, 2026, 10:00 AM

The Center for the Arts at the Armory