FRAMINGHAM, MA - The first annual Spring Into Arts! festival wraps up this week with performances by folk legend Tom Rush and Latin sensation Eguie Castrillo. Tickets to both performances may be purchased at the door or by calling Amazing Things Arts Center at (508) 405-2787.

Spring Into Arts! is a project of the START Framingham Partnership, a consortium of 60 individuals and organizations working in partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to support Framingham’s diverse and vibrant arts and cultural community. Over 20 arts and cultural organizations partnered to offer nearly 50 events during the festival’s five-week run. Audiences of all ages were treated to a kaleidoscope of events—from art exhibits and musical performances to family fun days and ethnic festivals.

"The Spring Into Arts festival has succeeded in raising the visibility of the number and variety of quality arts and cultural offerings in Framingham today," says H. Mark Smith, MCC’s START Project Director. "MCC is proud to support the START Framingham Partnership as it continues to increase awareness of the central role that arts play in the life of this community."

Tom Rush fans can see the folk singer/songwriter at the Framingham Civic League at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 20. Credited with shaping folk revival in the 1960s, and its renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s, Rush’s style blends both traditional and modern folk influences. Rush began his musical career in the early 1960s playing in Boston-area clubs while a student at Harvard, and released two albums by the time he graduated. In 1982, after a brief respite from touring and recording sessions, Rush returned to the music scene to introduce the musical forum—the Club 47 series—that would allow established musicians and newcomers to share the same stage. The show continues to fill music halls around the country today.

On Saturday, May 21, Grammy award winner Eguie Castrillo will lead his orchestra in a special tribute to the Mambo Kings at Nevins Hall, Memorial Building in Framingham beginning at 8 p.m. This high-energy performance promises to take the audience back to a time when the Mambo and cha-cha-cha were all the rage, and the orchestras of Puente, Machito and Rodriguez were the top three big bands in New York City. Considered one of the most important percussionists in the world, Castrillo has performed with such artists as Tito Puente, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Winwood, Arturao Sandoval and The Boston Pops. For a full listing of Spring Into Arts! events through Sunday, May 22, visit www.framingham.com for details.

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