Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

JANUARY 4, 2026 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

A Community Exhibition of 30 Local Artists 

Kick off 2026 with a vibrant celebration of creativity at the Sawyer Free Library. 

The Library’s Matz Gallery‘s Winter Exhibition Just Add Color brings brilliant hues and fresh energy to the gray winter months with an inspiring exhibition of original artwork by 30 talented local artists.

On view from January 4 through February 27, 2026, this joyful winter exhibition features nearly 50 unique works of art, all available for purchase. A portion of every sale directly supports education programs at the Sawyer Free Library, making this show a celebration of both art and community.

All are welcome at the Artist Reception on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Meet the artists behind the work, explore the exhibition, and enjoy a vibrant evening of creativity and conversation. 

Curated by Pat Alto and Jan Charles, Just Add Color participating artists include: 

Pat Alto, Jackie Bennett, Coco Berkman, Linda Lea Bertrand, Ted Bidwell, Charles Browne, Beth Buckingham, Michele Champion, Janice Carragher Charles, Traci Thayne Corbett, Elli Crocker, Denise Delaney, Robert Dwelley, Barbe Ennis, Laurie Flemming, Maya Kline, Mary Lee, Bonita LeFlore, Kelle Louaillier, Lynn Maguire, Allison Moir-Smith, Claudia Morris, Jennifer Pinck, Holly Popeo, Jan Roy, Jim Seavey, Mike Shea, James Sheradin, Mike Storella, Rosemary Sullivan

For additional information, please contact matzgallery@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

“Just Add Color” brings bold expression, creative joy, and a much-needed splash of brightness to the heart of winter.

Meet Isabelle! Your future sunshine companion. This 7-year-old girl is from Puerto Rico and is a ball of pure happiness and wiggle energy. Sweet, gentle, and endlessly affectionate, Isabelle is the kind of dog who happily follows you from room to room, rests her head on your lap, and fills your home with calm, comforting vibes. Puppyhood is in the rearview mirror, and Isabelle is living her best life with cozy beds, easygoing strolls, soothing voices, all the pets she can get. Isabelle can be selective with other dogs, and isn’t a fan of cats. She knows who she’s comfortable with, so she’ll thrive best as the only pet in the home-where she can feel safe, relaxed, and soak up all your attention (and yes, she loves being the center of it!).

Isabelle is considered special needs, but her medical considerations are very manageable. She has a mild heart murmur that currently requires no treatment-just a cardiology recheck in 9-12 months to keep an eye on things. She also previously had a benign facial mass (a trichoblastoma) that’s already been removed; no further treatment is needed, just simple monitoring to be sure it doesn’t return. Gentle, grateful, and full of love, Isabelle is ready to give boundless affection to the person who offers her the second chance she’s been patiently waiting for. Could that be you?

Great news! We’re running a New Year’s adoption special and waived the adoption fees for Isabelle until Monday 1/5, to help her find her forever home!

capeannanimalaid.org/dogapp

BreedChihuahua, Short Coat/Mix Age7 years 5 months 29 days GenderFemale SizeMedium ColorTan Spayed/NeuteredDeclawedNo HousetrainedYes Special NeedsNo DogsNo Cats

Thank you and Happy New Year!

______________________________________
Cape Ann Animal Aid

Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter
4 Paws Lane
Gloucester, MA 01930

(978) 283-6055

www.CapeAnnAnimalAid.org

www.facebook.com/CapeAnnAnimalAid

Saturday, January 10
2 pm – 6 pm

C.B. Fisk, Inc.
21 Kondelin Road

Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
www.cbfisk.com
click here for map

OPUS 166
CHURCH OF THE LITTLE FLOWER
CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA

3 manuals • 54 stops • 46 independent voices
(1:16 scale model shown)Copyright © 2026 C. B. Fisk, Inc., All rights reserved.

JANUARY 5, 2026 ~ THE CUT LIVE

Thursday we have reggae LEGEND Luciano Messenjah up on The Cut stage for the first time! Soul Rebel Project will be opening and there are still some tickets available. Don’t miss this opportunity!! Doors are at 8pm. Show at 8:30pm. 

Friday we will have Joe Wilkins & Friends performing live in the restaurant from 7pm-9pm. No cover. Just come hang, grab a drink and some Detroit style pizza, and enjoy the neighborhood bar vibes!

Saturday it’s Tantric with support from Charing Cross up on The Cut stage. Both bands are new to The Cut, but tickets are going FAST. Grab yours while there are still some left. This show is part of answering the call for “harder” bands. If you’ve been hounding us for an opportunity to headbang, jump around and really ROCK, this is it. Doors are at 7pm. Show at 8pm. 

Plus we are throwing it down with DJ Vito & Friends in the restaurant from 9 to close! DJ Vito Ferrara & Friends will be with us every Saturday night. No cover. Follow us on social media for guest DJ updates!

Sunday we’ll have all the NFL wild card playoff games on in the restaurant. The Pats play at 8pm. You still have a chance to enter to win a VIP Super Bowl Party experience in the venue for you and your crew. All you have to do it watch a game at The Cut. 

BRAVO² will be serving their killer Detroit Style pizzas along with a full menu of other delicious salads, sides, and mains starting Thursday at 5pm. Come on by and check them out! 
Their winter hours are: 
Wed 5pm – 9pm
Thu 5pm – 9pm
Fri 5pm – 10pm
Sat 5pm – 10pm
Sun 12pm – 9pm
Closed Mon & Tue

LUCIANO MESSENJAH & SRP TICKETS

TANTRIC & CHARING CROSS TICKETS

BRAVO² IS OPEN AT NOON ON SUNDAY! COME WATCH FOOTBALL WITH US!! We have NFL Sunday Ticket and we’re the only bar in town that has enough TVs to show ALL the games. You can also scan in each game day for a chance to win a VIP Super Bowl Party Experience! We’ll be hosting the best Super Bowl Party on the North Shore back in the venue!!

Our 2026 The Cut Memberships are now on sale. Sign up for exclusive presales, perks and privileges!

GET MEMBERSHIP DETAILS HERE

HOURS: 
MON CLOSED, TUE CLOSED, WED 5PM, THU 5PM, FRI 5PM, SAT 5PM, SUN 12PM

THE CUT | 177 Main Street | Gloucester, MA

Visit Our Website

Buy Tickets to a Show

JANUARY 1, 2026 ~ SAWYER FREE LIBRARY

Please join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday evening, January 8, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm for a conversation with Peter Swanson, acclaimed local author of Kill Your Darlings, The Kind Worth Killing, Eight Perfect Murders, and more. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity for book signings. Copies of Peter’s books will be available for purchase at the event courtesy of The Bookstore of Gloucester.

The event will take place in the Sawyer Free Library’s Community Room, located on the ground floor at 2 Dale Avenue. To register visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Peter Swanson is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award and a finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and Her Every Fear, an NPR Book of the Year. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine.

In his latest novel, The Kind Worth Saving, Swanson revisits characters from The Kind Worth Killing, as a private investigator follows a possibly adulterous husband—only to discover that the twisted trail leads back to the woman who hired him.

A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Emerson College, Swanson lives in Gloucester with his wife.

A great visit Gloucester high school students.

Thank you for a warm write up.

Link to article

Out of the truck to capture this

January 2, 2026

📸:Ruth Goutal