Get into the musical swing of the holiday season!  On Saturday, December 5, at 2 p.m. enjoy a free concert with the Nancy Carr Jazz Trio at the Milton Public Library, Keys Community Room, 476 Canton Avenue in Milton, MA  02186.  This one-hour program will inspire and entertain. Holiday-themed refreshments will be served.  The event is appropriate for all ages, is free and open to the public, and includes some very talented musicians.  Don’t miss this event!  Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Pastel by Laurinda O’Connor

Painters for a Purpose will exhibit soft pastel paintings at the Wotiz Gallery of the Milton Public Library from December 1, to December 30.  Sales from the exhibition will benefit the Milton Animal Shelter.  There will be an Artists’ Reception at the Milton Public Library at 476 Canton Avenue on December 3 from 5:30 to 7:30.  

Painters for a Purpose is a group of 12 pastel artists from Milton and surrounding areas who present exhibitions to raise money for causes they support.  Since their inception in 2009, they have raised nearly $12,000 to support the Pembroke Food Pantry, Learn Live Love, The Elizabeth Stone House, The Learning Community Charter School,  Milton Food Pantry, ARC of the South Shore, and now the Milton Animal Shelter.  Painters for a Purpose donate 30% of their exhibition sales to the charity they are supporting.

The Artists’ Reception on December 3 is free and open to the public.  It is an opportunity to meet the artists and participate in a raffle of a Kurt Weiser pastel. Kurt Weiser is a renowned pastelist living in North Carolina. 100% of the raffle proceeds will go to the Milton Animal Shelter.  Donations of cat litter, dog and cat food, etc. will be collected at the opening reception and delivered to the shelter.

Many of the artists have won awards in juried art shows and belong to The Pastel Society of America, Connecticut Pastel Society, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire, Hyde Park Art Association, the South Shore Art Center and North River Arts Society, to name a few.  They are primarily landscape artists capturing the light and colors of New England scenery.  The groups’ works are reasonably priced to encourage sales, and all purchases can be brought home at time of sale, just in time for gift giving.

To see their work and learn more about the group, visit www.paintersforapurpose.com

Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr weighs in with “The Good, the Bad and the Really Terrible Films of 2015.”  Movie lovers!  Don’t miss Ty’s engaging and fun discussion on Thursday 12/3/15 at 7 p.m. in the Keys Community Room, downstairs at the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue in Milton.  The event is free and open to all.  It is sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Suzette Martinez Standring

Here’s a holiday gift with a unique wow factor.  How about writing a memory as a gift for a family member or close friend?  Take those stories you share with family and capture them on paper.  Award winning author Suzette Martinez Standring will offer a FREE workshop called “Give a Written Memory as a Gift,” on Wednesday, December 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Milton Public Library, Keys Community Room, lower level, 476 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA  02186.

The workshop is FREE, but advance registration is required.  Visit www.miltonlibrary.org, click on EVENTS to reserve your space.  The first 15 to register and attend the workshop will receive a free, signed copy of Suzette’s book, The Art of Column Writing.  The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Ongoing free programs continue downstairs at the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA  02186, sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.  Be reminded:

“Knitting with Nina” on Thursday, 12/3/15 at 7 p.m. A drop-in  workshop for all experience levels invites you to enjoy creative time with fellow knitters.

“First Friday Book Chat with Will” on December 4 at 11:00 a.m.  Learn about new and interesting offerings when the Library Director discusses great books. 

The Friends of the Milton Public Library invite you to their Collectible Books Clearance Sale, on Saturday, November 14, from 10am-1pm.  Held in the Keys Community Room, unique books in this sale are priced at $5 or less.  There are approximately 500 books in a variety of categories including art, local interest, classics, children’s, first editions, signed copies, and unusual miscellaneous selections.  Many of the books are newer, in excellent condition, and suitable for holiday gift giving. The Friends Book Shop will also be open during sale hours for more contemporary titles.  For more information, contact cdspiros@comcast.net.

The musical genius of Brian Wilson influenced millions.  On Tuesday, Nov. 17, starting at 6:30 PM, join us for a free screening of “Love and Mercy,” a biopic of Brian Wilson of Beach Boys’ fame.   It is a personal view of a complicated man who contributed so much to the world of music, with his unique compositional style and great lyrics.  It depicts his struggles with mental illness, and the exploitation of his manager, and the redemption of love. The movie is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, drug content and language, and lasts 121 minutes.  

The program will be held in the Keys Community Room, lower level of the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186.  This event is free to the public and sponsored by The Friends of the Milton Public Library.

The stone walls of New England are iconic.  Bring your Inner Mason to learn about the fascinating process from a master.  On November 15 at 2 p.m. expert Kevin Gardner will present “Building New England Stone Walls” and will share 30 years in the business as a craftsman of stone walls. He is the author of the book, “The Granite Kiss: Traditions and Techniques of Building New England Stone Walls.”

The program will be held in the Keys Community Room, lower level of the Milton Public Library, 476 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186.  This event is free to the public and sponsored by The Friends of the Milton Public Library.