Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

04/28/2014

This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, click on “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.

Sources of the week are available to discuss:

  • The rituals surrounding Mother’s Day and how the holiday can affect estranged families; 
  • How crowd-funding is changing the landscape of local politics;
  • How Comcast’s plans to shed 3.9 million customers positions the company for its anticipated merger with Time Warner. 

Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.

Free Wind Ensemble Concert Features Young Musicians

When: Tuesday, April 29, 7:30 p.m.

What: A free public concert by the New England Youth Junior Ensemble will demonstrate the talent of musicians provided instruction by UMass Lowell. The group is comprised of students in sixth through ninth grade from throughout the community who work with UMass Lowell music students under the guidance of conductor Debra-Nicole Huber, director of instrumental music outreach and associate director of university bands.

Where: Durgin Concert Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell. Free parking will be available near the venue in the Wilder Lot.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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MarqueeStudents’ Winning Art to be Shown on 80-Foot Marquee

When: Opening is Thursday, May 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Art will be shown on a rotating basis daily through June 23.

What: Three UMass Lowell students are among seven artists whose work will appear on the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center’s 80-foot outdoor LED video screen for “Art on the Marquee.” A program of Boston Cyberarts and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the initiative solicits artwork that is judged by a panel of artists, curators and Boston Convention & Exhibition Center staff, which selects the winning entries. Works by UMass Lowell students Joseph Amico, Hannah McGrath and Jia Yi Lin will be among the selected works to appear on a rotating basis throughout June 23. The art will be visible from a half-mile away, including from Summer, D and Congress streets, as well as from the hotels, restaurants and businesses in the Seaport District of Boston.

Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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StringLowell Youth Perform as Nation’s Best String Ensemble   

When: Saturday, May 3, 1 p.m.

What: Lowell schoolchildren from age 8 to 18 who perform in UMass Lowell’s String Project ensemble – recently named the nation’s best by the National String Project Consortium – will present a free public concert themed “A Little Party…” in celebration of the award. Founded in 2001, UMass Lowell’s String Project brings high-quality instruction in stringed instruments to schoolchildren throughout the city. The concert will be conducted by UMass Lowell music faculty member John-Morgan Bush, the String Project’s executive director.

Where: Durgin Concert Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell. Free parking will be available near the venue in the Wilder Lot.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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Exhibit Showcases Artwork of Esteemed Former Professor    

When: Reception, Sunday, May 4, 5 to 7 p.m. Exhibit runs from Thursday, May 1 to Sunday, June 1. Gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays, 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.

What: The exhibit “Brenda Atwood Pinardi: A Retrospective” will celebrate the late artist’s work throughout her lifetime and her three decades as a UMass Lowell art professor and mentor. The show honors her range of work, from her subdued figures and shimmering mermaids to dark monoprints and eclectic collages. During her career, which spanned more than 50 years, she worked in paint and assembled media. Although often depicting a world of fantasy, her works included universal themes of comfort, romance, power and loss. For more information about the show, the public may contact Alexandra Kittle at alex@uforgegallery.com or 617-553-4480.

Where: UForge Gallery, 767 Centre St., Jamaica Plain 

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

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UMass Lowell Student to be Honored as One of Commonwealth’s Brightest     

When: Thursday, May 8, noon

What: Massachusetts Department of Higher Education officials will honor outstanding students from each of the state’s 29 public campuses – including Kimberly Chao, a UMass Lowell student from Chelmsford – during the “29 Who Shine” event. The honorees, chosen because of their academic achievements, record of student leadership and community service, stand poised to contribute greatly to the civic life and economic well-being of the state. Chao is a business major with dual concentrations in accounting and finance. Among her activities at UMass Lowell, she serves as vice president of the Finance Society and president of the Accounting Society. In that role this past year, she organized volunteers to help build houses on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. Chao plans to begin a job with a Boston public accounting firm after graduation.

Where: Massachusetts State House, Grand Staircase, 24 Beacon St., Boston

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu