Stavros Center for Independent Living to Be Honored on Oct. 3

EASTHAMPTON — Stavros Center for Independent Living will be honored through a special day of music, film, disability history, and community on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 50 Arrow Gallery in Easthampton.

The event will feature live performances by the Gaon Soloists at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., paired with screenings of The White Nine, a documentary connected to the history of the independent living movement and the fight for disabled people to live with autonomy, dignity, and control over their own lives. The Oct. 3 program celebrates the work of Stavros while connecting that work to the larger history of disability rights and independent living.

For decades, Stavros has worked throughout Western Mass. to support people with disabilities in living independently and making their own choices about where and how they live. That work includes advocacy, peer support, personal care services, housing assistance, durable medical equipment, home accessibility, employment support, and other programs built around a simple principle: people with disabilities should have control over their own lives.

“This event is an opportunity to celebrate Stavros, but also to remember the movement that made organizations like ours possible,” said Jason Montgomery, director of Development at Stavros. “Independent living was built by disabled people refusing to accept that institutions, systems, or other people should get to decide what our lives look like. That fight is not history. We are still doing that work every day.”

The event is presented by 50 Arrow Gallery and Hashi Pottery Plus, with support from the New England Foundation for the Arts. Admission is free for Stavros staff and board members. A suggested donation of $20 is requested from the general public.

Stavros is also seeking community and business sponsors to help support the program and continue building connections between disability advocacy, arts, and community life in Western Mass.

Later that evening, 50 Arrow Gallery will continue its Oct. 3 programming with the opening reception for Gourd Folk Fest, giving visitors another opportunity to gather, experience art, and spend time in community.

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