The LAVA Center

The LAVA Center Where ideas erupt, and creativity flows, community grows. Our mission is to create opportunities and build community in and through the arts and humanities.

a community arts & humanities space, arts incubator, and black box theater in downtown Greenfield, Mass
cafe/gallery hours, recurring events, free programming, community, inspiration! The LAVA Center is a community arts space, arts incubator, and black box theater in downtown Greenfield, MA. We are a place where all, including marginalized communities and individuals, can have their voices heard.

An arts incubator, providing many opportunities for creatives and their work to be nourished. Our humanities programming centers on local history, and social and environmental justice themes. The LAVA Center is located at 324 Main St., between TD Bank and the Pushkin Gallery. NOTE: Our staff is part-time, and we cannot always respond to comments quickly. You may get a faster response if you contact us using this form - https://thelavacenter.org/contact-us/ - or text us at 413-376-8118. Thank you.

Writers Read: Ellen Meeropol, Carolyn A. Cushing, Elizabeth MacDuffieWednesday, Sep 9, 7pmThe LAVA Center: 324 Main St, ...
09/08/2026

Writers Read: Ellen Meeropol, Carolyn A. Cushing, Elizabeth MacDuffie
Wednesday, Sep 9, 7pm
The LAVA Center: 324 Main St, Greenfield

Writers Read is a monthly opportunity for an audience to come and listen to local writers in an intimate environment. Each second Wednesday of the month, three writers read from their work, followed by a discussion facilitated by Lindy Whiton. These discussions have been eye opening, touching, and inspiring. Audiences have left the venue ready to write.

Ellen Meeropol is the author of six novels, most recently Sometimes an Island and The Lost Women of Azalea Court, and the guest editor of the anthology Dreams for a Broken World. Ellen is a founding mother of Straw Dog Writers Guild and member of the WriteAngles Conference planning committee.

Carolyn A. Cushing (she/her) is a Tarot practitioner, seeker of justice, and poet inspired by nature and focused on the places where life and death meet. She served as the Poet Laureate of Easthampton, Massachusetts 2023 - 2025. Find her on-line at soulpathsanctuary.com/poetry

Elizabeth MacDuffie Elizabeth MacDuffie is founding editor Meat for Tea: The Valley Review, producer of the Meat for Teacast, and co-runner, with her husband, Mark Alan Miller, of Meat for Tea Press. She’s had work published in Silkworm, Thimble, The Hooghly Review, and in the 2025 and 2026 New Generation Beats Anthologies, among other places. She lives and works in Holyoke, MA.

$1-5 suggested donation

https://www.facebook.com/events/2441308116287692/

Making Masked Theatre this Friday September 11th from 6-8pm at The LAVA Center! Masks required.Description:Black flyer w...
09/05/2026

Making Masked Theatre this Friday September 11th from 6-8pm at The LAVA Center! Masks required.

Description:
Black flyer with white writing.

Image of an actor on stage, visible from the waist up. She is wearing a theatrical mask that she built. It is an ivory half mask with heavy light blue eyelids and long black curling eyelashes. The hair is made of blue and purple and fuchsia paper curls. Actor is wearing all black, including a black bnx duck bill style n95 respirator. Her hands are just above shoulder length with fingers spread and held away from her body in the lower right corner. The open lid of a black and silver footlocker is visible.

Text:
MAKING MASKED THEATRE #2
Centering actors, theatre makers, and performance artists who wear respirator masks.
In person:
Wheelchair access. Masks required and provided. Register for Virtual Option.
monsterclowngirl.mmm.page

At the bottom of the page:
The LAVA Center logo: pink and purple on white:
Local Access to Valley Arts, The LAVA Center
On the lid of the footlocker in the lower right hand corner:
LAVA CENTER
324 Main Street Greenfield, MA
6-8pm 2nd Fridays

09/05/2026

LAVA’s extended season of creating art from reclaimed, repurposed and reused materials! We will learn from local artists who turn waste to wonders, trash to treasures.

Join Daniel Hales this Saturday, Sep 12, noon-2pm at The LAVA Center in Greenfield for a free workshop on multimedia collage.

Registration recommended: http://bit.ly/4fEmdQa

https://www.facebook.com/events/1048997621420082/

First Sunday Word: LAVA Fundraiser + National Beat Poetry CelebrationSunday, Sep 6, 12-6pmThe LAVA Center: 324 Main St, ...
09/04/2026

First Sunday Word: LAVA Fundraiser + National Beat Poetry Celebration
Sunday, Sep 6, 12-6pm
The LAVA Center: 324 Main St, Greenfield

Human Error Publishing holds a monthly poetry, spoken word, story telling event the first Sunday of each month.

There is an open mic with 5 minute slots and two featured writers

Sept 6th, 2026 will be a special event from 12 noon until 6:00pm
Food and refreshments will be offered. This is an all afternoon event so bring any snacks and drinks to add to the festivities.

This is a fund raiser for the LAVA Center and a Celebration for National Beat Poetry Foundation as part of their yearly festival. This year there will be online zoom readings and this one day live reading.

Bring a number of poems, stories, The format will be a round robin where everyone gets to read one poem, story and once everyone who wanted to read did, we will start over until we run out of time.

Doors open at 12 noon.
The readings will start around 1;00 and going until 5:30pm, closing at around 6pm.

We hope to see you there.

Paul Richmond

https://www.facebook.com/events/1806716733830163/

📣Calling All Artists!!📣🎨Submit your work to The LAVA Center's 7th Annual Community Art Show!🏠This year's theme is 'Home ...
09/03/2026

📣Calling All Artists!!📣

🎨Submit your work to The LAVA Center's 7th Annual Community Art Show!

🏠This year's theme is 'Home & Resilience'. On display at The LAVA Center in November and December.

‼️DEADLINE for submissions: September 18th

✔️Submit here today!: https://tinyurl.com/comartshow

🎨Next RE-ART Workshop!🎨✨️Come out next Saturday, September 12th to see Daniel Hales work with mixed media and collage! 🖌...
09/03/2026

🎨Next RE-ART Workshop!🎨

✨️Come out next Saturday, September 12th to see Daniel Hales work with mixed media and collage!

🖌Plenty of materials are on site for you to explore in this workshop!

📋Registration is recommended for this event here: https://forms.gle/AHxq3jvdsNTtzPLC7

Christine Mirabal: Escape! – opening receptionSaturday, Sep 5, 11am-2pmThe LAVA Center: 324 Main St, GreenfieldJoin Chri...
09/03/2026

Christine Mirabal: Escape! – opening reception
Saturday, Sep 5, 11am-2pm
The LAVA Center: 324 Main St, Greenfield

Join Christine Mirabal for an opening reception for her art exhibit, “Escape!”

Artist Statement
The focus of Christine’s art is primarily the natural world. She finds it soothing to depict skies and clouds, forests and creeks, and seas and rocks, as well as animals. In the paintings in this exhibit, the theme is escape.
Nature is a place that many people run to. It provides nourishment for the soul and brings peace to troubled minds. These pieces invite the viewer to put aside their cares and step into worlds that are familiar and at times, comforting. They vary from starry skies, to smooth seas, to babbling brooks. But dark, moody, clouds and wild vegetation are also included as Nature has many facets and not all of them are calm. Still, Nature is a part of humanity and to escape to her is to run home.

Artist Biography
Christine Mirabal is an emerging Latina artist who has been painting with acrylics for over three years. Her style is abstract and nature inspired. She mainly paints landscapes, animals, and flowers. Other subject matters include cityscapes, feminism, and the depiction of underrepresented voices. Her pieces range from colorful to black-and-white and are playful, though sometimes enigmatic. She challenges the viewer to figure out their meaning and in doing so, draw closer to themselves.
She also creates mini-zines, writing prompts, and handmade journals. In addition, she performs and teaches improv and writes poetry.

https://www.facebook.com/events/4562451793991778/

Smack Dab Q***r Open MicFriday, Sep 4 @ The LAVA Center: 324 Main St, GreenfieldSign-up at 6:30, performances start at 7...
09/02/2026

Smack Dab Q***r Open Mic
Friday, Sep 4 @ The LAVA Center: 324 Main St, Greenfield
Sign-up at 6:30, performances start at 7!

Smack Dab Q***r Open Mic is a free 18+ LGBTQIA community open mic in Greenfield, MA with the slogan “All genders, all the time.” Your hosts are Jules and Avery.

Smack Dab was founded in San Francisco in 2003 by writer Kirk Read and queercore historian Larry-Bob Roberts. Smack Dab stopped in San Francisco during the start of the pandemic in 2021, but Smack Dab was resurrected by Avery and Jules in Western Massachusetts last year! Q***r joy and creativity is resistance at its finest!

Comics, poets, musicians, dirty stories, journal musings, puppeteers… bring it on! Five minute limit.

https://www.facebook.com/events/932528949287248/

The 6th annual LAVA Film Festival is accepting submissions through Friday 9/11!The LAVA Film Festival is a showcase of M...
09/01/2026

The 6th annual LAVA Film Festival is accepting submissions through Friday 9/11!

The LAVA Film Festival is a showcase of Massachusetts filmmaking talent—from students to professionals and everyone in between. We spotlight local filmmakers who create films that engage with the community and are made with joy.

Learn more and submit here—> https://filmfreeway.com/LAVAfilmfestival

Follow the event—> https://www.facebook.com/events/1457545432851763

Address

324 Main Street
Greenfield, MA
01301

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 2pm
Thursday 11am - 2pm
5pm - 8pm
Friday 5pm - 8pm
Saturday 11am - 2pm

Telephone

+14133768118

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