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Gray Areas: Opportunities for local writers and filmmakers

Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment: • For those who made a New Year’s resolution to finally finish — or start — that novel, registration is open for Lit Youngstown’s ninth Winter Writing Camp on Feb 28. The day-long camp offers writing activities led by regional writers and has dedicated tracks for children ages 5 and older and adult writers. No experience is required. This year's workshop leaders are Christopher Barzak, John Burroughs, Russell Brickey, JRW Case, Meghan Cliffel, Makenna Liller Dahman, Bella Davis, Teresa Leone, Isabella Moreno, Trennae ...

McGuffey program features longtime Mahoning Valley radio host Dan Rivers

Former radio talk show host Dan Rivers will be the guest speaker for the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society’s next Memories of a Lifetime program. Rivers retired in 2024 after more than 40 years at WKBN-AM, and he succeeded Dan Ryan as the station’s late morning talk show host in 2003. Before moving to the area, Rivers did tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Naval Construction Forces, studied radio at Career Academy in Columbus and worked at or managed radio stations in Toledo, Detroit and Waynesboro, Pa., before taking a job at WFMJ-AM in the mid ‘70s. Rivers will share ...

Mahoning Valley arts and entertainment

Art ARTS & EDUCATION AT THE HOYT, 124 E. Leasure Ave., New Castle, Pa.: “Floating Beauty: Women in the Art of Ukiyo-e,” through Jan. 29. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. hoytartcenter.org and 724-652-2882. BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown: 86th Area Artists Annual, through Feb. 15. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. www.butlerart.com and 330-743-1107. FOSTER ART GALLERY, Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa.: “Leah Sydney: If I Could,” ...

Packard band’s 71st year marks America’s 250th

The W.D. Packard Concert Band and its affiliated ensembles will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary throughout 2026. The programming starts with Sunday’s concert, “America’s Jubilee,” which will feature a musical lineup of all-American composers. Thomas Groth, executive director of the band, credited Conductor Galen S. Karricker with putting together the program. “Galen picked the concert and the tunes that would fit into that, America's Jubilee,” Groth said. “You could probably play 10 concerts (with that theme).” The program will include Jack Stamp’s ...

Nude works celebrate human form at Art on Park

Area artists will bare their bare art for Art on Park’s Nude on Park exhibition. This is the eighth edition of the show that celebrates the human form with a slant toward erotic art. According to curator Dovey Wuvey, acrylic paintings dominate this year’s exhibition. Nothing was censored and this year’s submissions leaned more into abstraction as opposed to works that might be considered obscene. “There are less of the classical figure studies, less of the erotic pin-ups,” he said. “There are a few that rely on being witty for their punch, and a few body-positivity ...

Blue Ash rarities from the Peppermint archives make debut

It took about five decades to serve up “Dinner at Mr. Billy’s.” The new Blue Ash album, available now on streaming and due on vinyl and CD in February, compiles some of the previously unreleased music from the 1970s by the band. It’s the latest release by Peppermint Records, a ...