Building community through the arts
Weathervane (WCA) builds community through music and the arts. We organize concerts, educational programs, and produce collaborative projects, with a focus on the local community of Montague, Massachusetts and beyond.
Founded in 2022 by Jesse Olsen Bay, WCA arose from the vision that music can be the connective tissue of a community. The people of Montague know this, as evidenced by our rich musical culture: the daily Town Singers, concerts and dances at the Common Hall, our Solstice, Mayday and Halloween gatherings. Like an actual weathervane, WCA aims to follow these winds while pointing the way forward.
Weathervane community arts
Weathervane community arts
Jesse Olsen Bay (Director)
Jesse Bay is a composer, performer, and community music organizer based in Western Massachusetts. He teaches students of all ages, leads professional and amateur musical ensembles, and facilitates community musical events. As a composer, Bay collaborates frequently with choreographers and dance companies, for which he has received two Isadora Duncan Awards. His work has been supported by New Music USA, American Composer’s Forum, Ucross Foundation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Bay is currently on faculty at Umass Amherst, and is pursuing a credential in music therapy. More at www.jesseolsenbay.com
Who We Are
Board of Directors
Rebecca Young Allen
Montague Resident; Therapist; Former Executive Director, Andes Amazon Conservancy; Former Board Chair, Vermont Wilderness School.
Nico Nemec
Montague Resident; Community Organizer; Professor, UMass Amherst (Philosophy and Civic Engagement); Board Chair, Montague Common Hall.
Jason Ditzian
Executive Director, Narluga Arts; Arts Advocate; Musician.
Marié Abe
Professor, UC Berkeley (Ethnomusicology); Accordionist; Arts Organizer.
Our Partners
Some of the artists we work with:
Myrtle Street Klezmer
Mare Berger
Juan Carlos Marin
Caroline Davis
Cloudbelly
Tev Stevig
Ramon & Jessica
O Ksenos
Montague Marching Band
Lisa Sokolov
Isaac Taylor
Orkestar
Banitsa
Moira Smiley
Card to Culture
WCA is proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier. EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive a 100% discount on our Events and Projects. See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.