Day: June 12, 2017

This Is What To Get Your Dad For father’s day-

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

You don’t have to spend a penny.

I am 100% certain that the best thing anyone can get their father is the gift of asking him what it is HE would like to do and then not making him feel guilty for letting him do it.

Very simple.

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Most guys if they want something and can afford it, will go out and get it for themselves anyway.  If a guy wants to sit on the deck with a cigar and scotch, here’s a novel idea- Let him do it!

If the guy wants to sit around and watch the Red Sox, wait for it…….. Let him.

If the guy wants to go to the beach with the family, I know this is really outside the box thinking…………Go to the beach.

If he wants a nice dinner…….. make it happen.

Am I right fellas?

Blech. Why?

Posted on by Catherine

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One thing is for certain, when Stage Fort is trash heaped, DPW will pick it up…but why does it have to be like this? Trash operations and picking up litter are expensive. National and state parks worldwide are taking out the trash cans rather than trash by instituting various carry in/carry out policies. Cape Ann is about as National Park worthy as any designation out there. I like

Carry IN Carry HOME 

to extra underscore that the parking lot isn’t “out” enough. Marketing won’t help 100%. Despite anti-litter, Keep America Beautiful and green goals, we drop stuff. Especially if it’s convenient. The Law of Litter will prevail. If there are barrels we toss it in, then on, and too quickly around. Once any scrap meets ground, an overflowing heap isn’t far behind. It’s the psychology of litter: people are more likely to litter where there’s litter.

There are great DPW departments (like ours), policies in place in every community, and people who stop pollution (like Donna, Kim, Patty, Amy, and others here in Gloucester). I am amazed and grateful for just how cleaned up the beaches and parks are with every morning’s reset.

Gloucester offers options: DPW, barrels, carry in/carry out, volunteer clean ups and pooper scooper baggy dispensers. If it’s not enough, other options include allocating more funds to the DPW and police department via the municipal budget, entrance fees, and ‘take out/to go orders’ tax charge. Or us.

all photos: Stage Fort Park this morning (before DPW) photos by Pauline Bresnahan. thanks for sending to GMG, Pauline

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They brought their own bags…

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people start pollution people can stop it

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BABY SWANS

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Meet the Swan family. They live on a pond in Eastern Massachusetts. On an island in the middle of the pond, Papa and Mama built a nest made of cattails, reeds, and sticks. For six weeks Mama and Papa Swan took turns sitting on the nest warming, or incubating, the eggs.

Within hours of hatching, the baby swans, called cygnets, are mobile. Precocial refers to animal species in which the young are relatively mature from the moment of hatching. Within a day or two, Mama and Papa take the cygnets to water for their first swim.

Unlike songbirds, which are born naked, blind, and helpless, cygnets are born with downy soft feathers and with their eyes open. Piping Plovers are another example of a bird species that is precocial. The cygnets will soon outgrow the soft down.

A family of cygnets is called a clutch or a brood.

Two week old swans are sleeping on the bank of the pond. Although cygnets are precocial and relatively independent, they are unable to regulate their body temperature. They rely on warmth from Mom and Dad, and from snuggling each other during nap time.

Cygnets absorb the last of their yolk  into their tummies before hatching, which means they don’t have to eat for several days. Their first meal might be a nibble of an insect caught along the water’s edge.

The cygnets forage for insects and pond vegetation.

Precocial birds find their own food, occasionally with instructions from Mom and Dad.

See the little tiny V-shaped wing bud, tucked over the bill. Notice how much proportionately larger are an adult swan’s wings (below). Cygnet’s wings grow rapidly. They usually learn to fly by early fall, at about five months old.

Back to shore to preen and to warm up.

Time for another nap!

An adult swan’s bill has jagged, serrated edges that look like small teeth and are very sharp. Nesting swans can be very aggressive. They will hiss, puff out their feathers to appear larger, flap their wings, move very quickly when angered, and smash their body and wings at a perceived predator. Swans will bite and peck, too. Please keep a safe distance when observing swans, especially nesting swans.

Papa and Mama Swan need their rest, too.

 

MR. SWAN EMERGENCY

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

We Friends of Mr. Swan would like to know who posted the do not feed sign because there is a planned “rescue” of him, which is to take place tomorrow, Tuesday.

We are all aware of his injured leg, and expect that it will heal. If it does not heal, we will have a swan expert have a look at him and take him to Tufts, if needed.

To the well-intentioned person, Mr. Swan will be EUTHANIZED if he is rescued by the wrong group. Whoever is planning Tuesday’s rescue should be aware of the following information, passed on by Jodi Swenson, our region’s local bird rescue expert:

“Because he is non-native, Mr. Swan would have to go to New England Wildlife Center. But, if it is just a limp, or something like that, leave him alone because a hurt leg that won’t get better will make him non-releasable, and that means EUTHANASIA”

Please, please contact kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. THANK YOU.

 

Mr. Swan, filmed several days ago at Niles Pond. He is staying in the water, probably so as not to bear weight on his leg. He is eating fine and his feathers are well-groomed and in good shape, signs that he does not need to be rescued at this point. Also, in order to fly from Henry’s Pond to Niles Pond, he needs to run on his feet, otherwise he won’t become air born. Mr. Swan is well over twenty years old. If his leg is not curable, he deserves to live out his life in his own neighborhood with his friends.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVA2oYWFuDW/

Annisquam Arts Summer Studio for Kids

Posted on by James Eves

Ignite your imagination this summer at Annisquam Arts!

Developed by artist and educator Dawn Southworth, Annisquam Arts tips off its 23rd season by offering a variety of workshops for young artists. Conducted at Dawn’s open and professional home studio on Goose Cove, we have easy access to Gloucester’s cultural center and Cape Ann’s most scenic spots. The entire program runs for seven weeks, June 26 – August 10, with new courses each week.

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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS

Dawn Southworth is a well-known Boston artist recognized for her mixed media works and installations. Dawn teaches art at Glen Urquhart School, in Beverly, MA, and is a former visiting faculty member at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Dawn previously owned Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA. Her work is represented in many public and private collections, including the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the Addison Gallery of American Art, the US Embassy in Morocco, the Boston Public Library, and Fidelity Management and Research. More information about Dawn and her work can be found at www.dawnsouthworth.com.

Haley Stevens is also a member of the Glen Urquhart School faculty, as the After-Care Associate. Haley has a BFA in art and design from Salem State University, where she focused on education and was awarded a Presidential Creativity Award for printmaking. In 2009 Haley received a Gold Medal from the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition. She is also MA certified to teach art and greatly enjoys working with children. It is her goal to inspire young artists to do their best and find their inner voice.

Courtney Kelly is a local North Shore artist and former first grade teacher at Glen Urquhart School. With a one-year-old daughter, she now practices art from her home. Courtney’s passion for art started at a young age, leading her to study Fine Arts at Drew University. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in elementary education from Lesley University. She loves inspiring children through art and learning and looks forward to embarking on her second summer with Annisquam Arts.

REGISTER TODAY!

You may register online at www.annisquamarts.com, by phone (978) 290-2107, or by brochure, which can be requested by calling or emailing Dawn at dawn_southworth@hotmail.com.

While there is no official registration deadline, we encourage you to sign up early as our workshops do fill up quickly!

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS

Young Artists’ Summer Studio Workshops

Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-1:00pm, Ages 6-14, $250 per week

Young Artists’ Summer Studio Workshops run Monday through Thursday, 9:00am – 1:00pm for ages 6-14. We’ll have a blast engaging with a wide range of materials and artistic techniques in a multi-sensory studio environment. Small class sizes and individual instruction allow for all levels of ability to be nurtured. All classes are led by Dawn with assistance from Haley Stevens and a few helpers.

CAPE ANN ADVENTURES

Week 1: June 26-29

This week, we’ll be on the go! Sketchbooks in hand, we’ll follow the footsteps of legendary Cape Ann artists such as Stuart Davis, Nell Blaine, Marsden Hartley, Milton Avery and Edward Hopper. We’ll make daily excursions to some of the area’s most scenic destinations and inspiring galleries and studios. A Gloucester harbor boat shuttle will bring us to explore the Rocky Neck Art Colony…and to get an ice cream of course ☺ Walking shoes, swimsuit and a towel are encouraged this week!

CRAZY COOL COLLAGE

Week 2: July 3-7 (Class runs Monday-Friday with no class Tuesday July 4)

Clip, cut, collect, compose, construct – this week is all about creative collage! Made with a variety of materials, our creations will include 2D whimsical drawings and 3D found-object sculptures, and a whole lot in between. We’ll experiment with a combination of printmaking, photography, and magazine collage, with inspiration from  the mixed mediums of Robert Rauschenberg, cutting edge pieces by Kurt Schwitters, the Twentieth Century’s greatest master of collage, and the crazy upside-down world of Julian Schnabel.

WOODWORK WONDERS

Week 3: July 10-13

This week, the studio door will open to a woodworking shop!  We’ll be inspired by one of nature’s greatest treasures to create abstract wood sculptures like Louise Nevelson, wacky driftwood portraits, and mobiles with wood scraps, sea glass and buttons à la Alexander Calder  We’ll even build our own personalized step-stools. Together, we’ll safely learn about tools like hammers and various joining and gluing techniques to make our constructions sturdy. From the decorative to the functional, wood is a perfect, versatile material to fire-up our imaginations!

FROM TRASH TO TREASURE

Week 4: July 17-20

From the beach to the recycling bin, our art materials this week will come from unlikely places! We’ll cast the sand beneath our feet into whimsical sculptures, and make funky 3D pieces with driftwood and found objects. Colorful shards of pottery, buttons, marbles, shells, and other collected treasures will help us see that art is truly everywhere. Come with your imaginations revved up as we transform discarded remnants into modern masterpieces!

PLAYING WITH PATTERN

Week 5: July 24-27

Pattern, color, and designs galore! We’ll use a variety of fanciful techniques to flex our creative muscles. From collage to block printing, you’ll have your family and friends mesmerized by your creations! We’ll experiment with a craypas-watercolor resist and try our hands at bold optical illusions. Looking to color experts like Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and Frank Stella, we’ll turn blank canvases into eye-popping masterpieces.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Week 6: July 31- August 3

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Come on an artistic safari, guided by the works of Henry Rousseau, Deborah Butterfield, and Franz Marc. Along the way, we’ll use a variety of fun and sophisticated techniques. Make animals spring to life in colorful 3D paper-mache masks and beautifully detailed metal embossings. Channel your spirit animal in an Aboriginal dream drawing and get messy with a big chalk-pastel masterpiece. This week, set free your imagination to run wild!

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!

Week 7: August 7-10

Learning to draw is the goal! Ancient cave paintings, modern-day graffiti, traditional Chinese calligraphy, what do these varying techniques have in common? We’ll spend this week celebrating the humble line, the foundation for every great masterpiece! With tools like ink, charcoal, oil stick, and pastels we’ll draw inspiration from the textured drips of Jackson Pollock, the spirited marks of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the punchy dots of Roy Lichtenstein.

Afternoon Specialty Workshops

Monday-Thursday, 2:00pm-5:00pm

Ages 6-14, $225 per week

 

For two weeks this summer, Dawn is teaming up with Courtney Kelly to offer Afternoon Specialty Workshops. Together, the morning and afternoon workshops provide an exciting full day option for those students who desire a longer day of artmaking fun!

DRAW IT!                                                                            

Week 4: July 17-20

 

Are you up for an artistic challenge? Whether an avid drawer or a curious beginner, students will learn advanced techniques using graphite pencil, color pencil, and markers. Each day, students will learn the essentials of drawing by experimenting with new and varied subjects. Students are instructed step by step and encouraged to incorporate their own creative vision and personal flair!

 

PAINT IT!

Week 5: July 24-27

 

This week’s class is designed to build on the “Draw It” class, but it can also be taken as a single class. Students will experiment with several unique painting mediums, including watercolor pencil, watercolor paint, oil sticks, and acrylic. From portraits and landscapes to animals and abstract work, we’ll will explore different techniques and tricks to make brilliant masterpieces to hang on our walls!

LOCATION

Dawn Southworth’s studio

63 Bennett Street South  • Gloucester, MA 01930

Phone: 978-290-2107 • Email: dawn_southworth@hotmail.com

 

“Spacious and beautiful” Sawyer Free Library a must see in 1885 travel guide | 123rd annual meeting tonight!

Posted on by Catherine

library 1906IMG_20170317_101159

Sawyer spacious and beautiful then and now. “What is the future we want?”

ANNUAL MEETING: tonight, June 12, 7pm, from SFL board letter: “…As we step back from our original plan for a new building, we need to make crucial decisions about the library’s future…”

from the tourist guide description 1885

“SAWYER FREE LIBRARY 

At the corner of Dale avenue and Middle street, a few yards from the City Hall, is the spacious and beautiful “Sawyer Free Library” building. These attractive grounds were purchased by Samuel E. Sawyer, Esq., for the purpose of establishing a permanent home for the library, in February of last year. of Mr. William A. Pew, for the sum of $20,000. The grounds of this noble mansion are extensive and well laid out, and Mr. Sawyer has spent large sums of money in fitting up the place for the purposes of what it is now used. The large rooms and stately halls are carpeted and elegantly furnished.

The walls are adorned with over one hundred and fifty rare and valuable paintings and pictures, collected during Mr. Sawyer’s visits to foreign cities and in this country.

The generous donor has done everything that could be done to make the home of the library that bears his name convenient and beautiful. When the library was dedicated in July, 1884, a large assembly of our best citizens were present, together with several persons from abroad. Mr. Sawyer then presented to the trustees the deed of the entire property, comprising nearly 30,000 square feet of land, and thereby made it a perpetual gift to the citizens of Gloucester. The building was erected in 1764, and is consequently over 120 years old, though during that time it has been somewhat altered and improved by several owners. Mr. Pew built the fine tower upon it and the verandas around the first story, and also the “porte cochere.” He laid out the grounds with considerable taste, and protected them with the fine walls of dressed granite and iron gateways. Mr. Sawyer’s improvements have embellished this valuable estate in many respects, and to-day it is one of the finest sites within our city. The rooms are open daily, afternoon and evening (except Tuesdays), from 2-5 and 7-9- Thursdays, in evening only.

The library owns about 65,000 volumes.”

-from In and Around Cape Ann: A Handbook of Gloucester, Mass., and Its Immediate Vicinity. For the Wheelman Tourist and the Summer Visitor by John S. Webber, Jr with eleven illustrations. Gloucester, Mass: Printed at the Cape Ann Advertiser Office, 1885. in the collection of the Library of Congress

“Brook Bank” Sawyer’s summer home and Sawyer’s Hill (heading to Magnolia)

Samuel Sawyer Brook Bank Sawyers Hill

Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company Festival at Windhover June 27-July 2, 2017

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Windhover Season Opens with Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company

Performance of signature dances as well as “lost” work among highlights

Rockport, MA, June, 2017—Windhover is proud to announce the annual performing arts season begins with a bang when the internationally renowned Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company takes up residence starting on Tuesday, June 27 until Sunday, July 2, 2017. The company of six dancers will be teaching master classes, culminating in three public performances scheduled for Thursday, June 29 at 7:30pm, Friday, June 30 at 7:30 and Saturday, July 1, at 7:30pm. The performances will be on the outdoor stage if weather allows. Otherwise they will be performed inside the back studio, and it will be first come first-served with limited space. No tickets are required, but a suggested donation of $20 is greatly appreciated.

The PERFORMANCE schedule is as follows:

Thursday June 29 & Friday June 30th at 7:30pm

Ina Hahn’s choreography to two sections of Bach’s cello suite no.6 performed live by cellist Josh Gordon. The piece is titled: “Fragments of Six”. Sharing the program is Paul Taylor’s work titled “Junction” performed to Bach’s cello suites no.1 & 4.

“Tracer” is the last piece on the program. It was a lost work created by Paul Taylor in 1962 that disappeared from the repertory. The work was reconstructed last year and performed at the 92nd St Y in New York.  It involved a collaboration between the late renowned artist Robert Rauschenberg and choreographer Paul Taylor. Art historian Robert Saltonstall Mattison will provide insights into this collaborative process with an introductory talk beforehand.

Saturday July 1st: at 7:30pm

An all-out Paul Taylor program with masterpieces that include “Company B” with songs sung by the Andrew Sisters. The “Uncommitted”, with music by Arvo Pärt is from 2011. And “Junction” performed to sections of Bach’s cello suites no. 1 & 4 which is a link to Ina Hahn and her choreography, as both choreographers used J.S. Bach’s music as their inspiration for their dances.

MASTERCLASSES: Open to the public to all ages and all levels are SIX masterclasses taught by company members from the Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company. Donations are welcome. The schedule of classes is as follows, taught in the back dance studio at Windhover.

Wednesday, June 28th

9:30-11:00 am: General class level, all ages.

4:00-5:15 pm: Beginner class

5:30-7:00 pm: Intermediate class

Thursday, June 29th: 9:30-11:00am General class level, all ages.

Friday, June 30th: 9:30-11:00am General class, all ages.

Saturday July 1st: 9:30-11:00am General class, all ages.

For further information, please contact Executive Director, Lisa Hahn at

Lhahn@art-horizons.com or by phone at 978-546-3611.

Cape Ann Auction & Estate Sales – 82 Main St. Gloucester, MA 01930

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Cape Ann Auction & Estate Sales – 82 Main St. Gloucester, MA 01930
Not for the faint of heart.

June 15th Auction and June 17th Yard Sale at 65 and 82 Main St. Gloucester MA
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Auction!
Thursday, June 15th, 6pm
Inspection 3-6
65 Main St. Gloucester
The Dog Bar Restaurant
Cash ONLY
No Buyer’s Premium!
Antiques, Jewelry, Old Postcards & Photos, Coins, Collectibles & much more!
978-395-7077
The sale will have hundreds of treasures including Gold Jewelry 18k, 14k, 10k, lots of antique postcards, an Alice M. Curtis photo, silver coins, proof sets, watches, art including a hand carved 19th century folk art ship plaque, Chinese wall panels, an unusual early 20th century Pith helmet, an early pond boat model, fishing lures & reels, fabric & linens, an early pewter bowl with ship incised, maps & charts, an early sign off of a Rocky Neck home (3 Terrace Lane) Gloucester & Cape Ann ephemera & book lots, box lots and lots more!

For pictures and details go to: http://www.capeannauction.com

Inspection starts at 3pm, so get here early and have something to eat & drink! It’s going to be a FUN NIGHT!

If you’ve never been to our CASH ONLY live auctions, here’s a couple of things you should know!

1. There is NO BUYER’S PREMIUM!
2. There is NO REGISTRATION PROCESS!

Come with cash – Save a lot – have FUN!

for more information please follow the link below:
http://www.capeannauction.com/