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See our page for arts events in our members' communities.

Banned in Boston
Boston, the Athens of America, has a checkered past when it comes to art - yes, books, plays and various paintings really were banned in Boston. It's all a part of playing the part of the snob. Read more about censorship in Boston (even "Snow White" wasn't spared). The city finally eliminated the official position of censor in the mid-1970s.

You Call That Art?
Strangely, one place the censor didn't reach was old Scollay Square, known to generations of sailors as the premier location on the East Coast to see strippers (some of whom were able to twirl their tassels in opposite directions). Most of the area was torn down in the early 1960s to make room for Government Center, a soulless plaza of bricks leading to the world's most objectionable city hall. The square was immortalized in ''Charlie on the MTA,'' originally written as a campaign song for a communist candidate for mayor (the Kingston Trio version changes his name; they wouldn't have gotten air time otherwise).

The world's only Museum of Bad Art is in Dedham. Do you consider huge outdoor gas tanks to be art? We do: complete with a proported portrait of Ho Chi Minn painted by a nun...truly a one-of-a-kind.

Fine Arts
Boston and Cambridge can go head-to-head with some of the fine arts capitals of the world when it comes to museums. There's the active gallery scene on Newbury Street. Read some of Cambridge columnist's Kate Gould writing on Boston Art and Literature.

North of Boston, Cape Ann is a well-known artists colony with a whole flotilla of working artists, galleries, and museums. East Gloucester's Rocky Neck Art Colony is a particularly famous spot for both scenery and shopping. Essex is sometimes called the "America's antique capital." Is it true? Find out for yourself.

Golden Age of American Literature
No where in our area has there been a stronger influence on American writing than from Concord. You might have heard of some of these folks: Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott? Oh, yeah, the authors you slept through in 9th grade American Lit class.

Music & Dance
Listings for Blues, Folk/Acoustic, Jazz, Rock, Ska, Classical, and music that doesn't yet have a name. Listen to the radio! Dance information.

Theater
Boston gets its fair share of Broadway shows - the city's often the place where shows get "tuned up" before going to the Big Apple. Eastern Massachusetts also has an active community-theater scene. Here's your Boston-area theater list.