Day: April 7, 2013

EDWARD HOPPER GLOUCESTER MATCH WITH HELP FROM GMG TIP???

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Catherine Ryan submits-

Thank you again Sibley family! The recent GMG Hopper post of the Sibley family helping to identify the Rockaway Hotel in an Edward Hopper drawing generated more discoveries! For reference, here’s the Hopper Rockaway image and a link to that previous GMG post-

Catherine Ryan confirms Rockaway Hotel as another Gloucester Edward Hopper match with help from the Sibley family

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Joey C

 

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There are several Edward Hopper examples in the collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston , including this beauty, the 1926 House by ‘ Squam River . Can you name its Gloucester location? There are notes indicating that it’s in the general direction heading into Annisquam.

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IT’S NOT. I admit to clinging to this suggested area with some unreasonable hope because of personal bias (my parents lived on Wheeler’s Point for 30 years, and the charm and might of its full panoramic vista). I climbed around friend’s properties, sought views from Pole Hill and multiple high vantage spots. But I could not connect that landscape anywhere to this Hopper image.

All it took was reading one tiny email description from a GMG reader – I didn’t even need to visit the spot—to know immediately how right it was. I’m sure some other readers may know it, too.

Hint #1:

For one thing, many of these Gloucester Hoppers are views seen from a succession of magnificent granite sentinels. They are sites of great natural beauty conditioned geographically by glacial stone. This particular location has a massive sweep of boulder outcroppings.

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Hint #2

These two houses in the Hopper drawing are still standing and exact.

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Hint #3

If there is one Hopper, chances are there are others within close proximity.  Here’s two other Hopper drawings, all from the same general perch.

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Who had the keen eyes? Thank you to Kathy and Jeff Weaver for identifying the sight line for the Gloucester Edward Hopper image, House by ‘ Squam River in the collection of the MFA. It’s no surprise to me that artist Jeff Weaver—who has a history of Gloucester veduta painting himself, and who knows a great thing or two about extraordinary detail, composition, surface and color as bearer of light– would have a tip! You can see more of Jeff’s work here http://www.jeffweaverfineart.com/.  Gloucester creates many optimum sites for plein air study, and artists continue to evolve their work into unmissable interpretations of reality.

And here’s the Answer:

You are looking past Centennial across the landscape of Newell Stadium and Gloucester High School . (Perhaps this might be a possible new funding source for Newell Stadium? This same stadium and field site is the landscape featured in an iconic Gloucester Edward Hopper work of art. )

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There’s another famous Gloucester artist with a link to this same location, and a nice connection for Gloucester high school, and our students to know. Thanks to Fred Buck for sharing this Strople photo from the collection of the Cape Ann Museum and their archives for the Gloucester HarborWalk’s  Virginia Lee Burton marker. It’s a contemporaneous photograph of the GHS high school being built. The steam shovel was the model for Virginia Lee Burton’s beloved Mary Ann from Mike Mulligan ©1939. Follow back the plume of smoke- “Mary Ann” is turned away from the viewer.

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Adorable Zoë Annabelle Newton

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Zoë Annabelle

Yesterday I stopped by to see Rob Newton at Cape Ann Community Cinema to talk about the premier of my film. I asked him if he minded if we shared this photo on GMG of his baby daughter Zoë Annabelle–he said something about ET–but I think she is just adorable! 

A Call To Artists. Show us your Work Space

Posted on by capeannpainter

A Call To Artists. Show us your Work Space.

Anyone who would like to share their work space with GMG Email the photos of your studio or workspace to: frontiero@hotmail.com and I’ll post them and a link to your website if you have one.

Here’s Deb Clarkes new work space she’s fixing up. She has a beautiful view.

from deb clarke:

A room with a door and a few work walls.  after i remove some furniture, bedding, etc.  It will double as a guest room as needed.  I’ve been so hungry for space that I cannot wait for full clean up to start working.  I always open new work space with a self portrait.  Just  mixed up some egg paint.  off  to draw.

best,

deb.

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http://debbieclarke.blogspot.com/

Stepping Up for City Hall – a Bananas Fundraising Event

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Good Morning Joey,

Event visionaries Kathy Slifer and Jan Bell along with the amazing Maggie Rosa have once again teamed up to provide an exciting event of fashion and fun to benefit our City Hall restoration efforts. They have enlisted the mastermind of style, Richard Leonard, and his Bananarettes, to produce an elaborate and high class revue, Stepping Up for City Hall. You will feel you have been transported to Broadway from the minute you step into our historic Kyrouz Auditorium, and you will leave uplifted and entertained. Tickets on sale now for the two limited-seating shows, Saturday evening May 4th and Sunday afternoon, May 5th at Bananas. All details are contained in our attached flyer. Don’t miss out – tickets are selling fast!!

—- Friends of City Hall

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Here are the reviews from the last one this team put together-

Glam O Rama Reviews and Props From Maggie Rosa and Erika Hansen

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Joey C

From Maggie Rosa-

Gloucester has many treasures –  two of them were celebrated in a unique way this past weekend as vital contributors to the vibrancy of Gloucester’s downtown.


At the invitation of Kathy Slifer and Jan Bell, maestro and treasure RIchard Leonard staged one of his renowned Bananarettes shows in our treasured City Hall as a fundraiser for the restoration of CIty Hall.  During the two shows, one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday afternoon, the genius of Leonard to excite and tantalize with a hint of naughty but nice thrilled all in attendance.

City Hall was transformed from the center of city government to its second function, the center of our community. During its almost 140 year history City Hall seen circuses, Buffalo Bill shows, many parties and the 375th City Anniversary Sculpture Show but as Maggie Rosa, Chair of the City Hall Restoration Commission, remarked during the shows “Nothing, nothing can match the excitement of a Bananas show in City Hall – truly an historic event in an historic building.

From Erika Hansen-


Joey, you totally get how important this event was!

As you know, I have been looking at things that “lift my heart, open my mind and take my breath away” and the Banana Glam O Rama Fashion Show at City Hall did all those things and more!

I am intimidated to even take a stab at recording it, out of fear that I am not doing it justice, but I can’t resist your plea so here goes:

As Jackie Hardy commented, from the moment the lights dimmed and the music started, there was a palpable feeling that we had been transported to Broadway.

And then the first set of gorgeous women glided onto the stage looking like a 30′s Hollywood extravaganza come to life.

The production values were incredible:  everyone and everything looked and sounded stunningly gorgeous against the dramatic backdrop of City Hall’s Kyrouz Auditorium.  (And the silhouettes underneath the “Build not for today alone, but for tomorrow as well” quote were astounding!)

As a producer/director, Richard Leonard channeled Florenz Ziegfeld and Busby Berkeley; as a performer, he channeled Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy.  Most importantly, he added his own inimitable flair and essential Richard Leonard-ness to all of the above and gave us the show of a lifetime!

Each routine was masterpiece:  from Carmen Miranda to Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell to (yes!) Tom Jones…and all points in between.

It was a perfect mix of costumes, beauty, talent, humor, music, history and culture.

A special shout out to my sissy, Elise, whom many thought was a dancer by the way she moved so gracefully across the stage.  She epitomized 30s glamour and as Sue Ferhmann said (looking striking and elegant herself  in a classic tuxedo), it doesn’t hurt when you look like Elise!

And to Maggie Rosa’s very apt assessment that this event was a celebration of 2 Gloucester icons: Richard Leonard and City Hall, I add a third:  Margi Green’s legs!  Her already popular Relax and Lengthen stretching classes at the Arts & Wellness Center (222 Eastern Ave.) will now have waiting lists I’m sure!

I could go on and on (but I won’t!)…instead I will just leave you with this point:  my daughters, who were mesmerized for the entire performance (although my younger daughter did cover her eyes with her program during Tom Jones‘s gyrations!), were so inspired that they promptly acted out their own version of the spectacular Sisters act they had just witnessed (nuns (!) singing the song made famous by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in White Christmas).  As event visionary and organizer Kathy Slifer put it, “that’s what it’s all about!”

Banana Glam O Rama Pics From David Cox

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Joey C