Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Public Library weekly Story Time with Christy resumes despites Covid-19 closure. Christy Russo is the Director of Children’s services at the library. She effortlessly brings a Mister Rogers kind flair and expertise to programs. See the first week’s video below focused on friendship. The production quality is well done, and the emoji adds feel sweet and festive. This episode format includes a greeting and “visit” with garden friends, stories*, and activities.
*We Are Brothers We are Friends by Alexandra Penfold and Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato (Macmillan publishing, both)
Manchester Public Library is offering story times as well via social media (including Facebook LIVE). Look for upcoming events here
Weekly Tuesdays at 6:30pm PJ Story Times with Carol Bender, another stellar children’s librarian on Cape Ann, began April 14th, 2020. “Remember to wear your PJ’s and bring your special animal friends for a Facebook live story time!” Upcoming April 21, 28 and May 5
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Do you remember watching the Smothers Brothers in 1968 and seeing this early music video?
Mason Williams, uber-talented musician, comedian, multimedia artist and writer, wrote for television shows as varied as Dinah Shore and Saturday Night Live and was the head writer on the Smothers Brothers. He composed Classical Gas in 1967. A year later he was inspired by a wry conceptual film, God is dog spelled backwards, a compilation of selected visual artworks (paintings and drawings) originally cut to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: The world’s greatest music and the world’s greatest art catalyze the world’s greatest film. Williams commissioned the filmmaker, Dan McLaughlin (1932-2016), to re-edit his student art film* and set it to Classical Gas. McLaughlin was a pioneer in computer animation and leading light in his field. This iteration transformed Classical Gas basically into an early music video. The multimedia collaboration aired on the Smothers Brothers in the summer of 1968 and was a hit.
The result is masterful, though dated. Can you spot a work from the 1960s? Can you spot a work by a woman artist? A black artist? Any outside the cannon? For context, Janson’s influential textbook, History of Art, was published in 1962; McLaughlin’s student film is dated 1963. They are essentially simultaneous encyclopedic pursuits. Linda Nochlin’s groundbreaking essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” was published in 1971; maybe the video’s popularity added some fuel to that fire. It would be fun to edit a sequel with today’s tools.
As is, the editing is trippy fast to match the lightning notes, as break neck as any subliminal messaging. It feels painterly. Brush marks, broad strokes, and beautiful washes. The art is not spliced chronologically or thematically by any categorical art history “ism”, nor by a particular place or institution as in, “Is this stretch the Louvre patch?” Pacing is punctuated with mini concentrations devoted to a single artist. Selections tend to figurative works, seated, faces and gazes, all ages. Representations of love and family feel prevalent and arbitrary. Less familiar artists are included. There are humorous beats and repetition. Paintings depicting a musical bent are fun to spot.
I’m not sure if the order of images was altered from the first iteration to its Classical Gas transformation or how much Williams was involved in the second visually if at all. (So many questions: Did McLaughlin grab images at the library, photographed from artist monographs and museum collection books? Did institutions provide photographs? Maybe he rifled through an art history department’s visual bank? Were any works photographed in person, by McLaughlin, Williams or their contacts? Did he include personal favorites?) *Some of these questions are answered in an audio tape decades after ( listen here ); sad to hear it seems from his perspective he wasn’t done right by Smothers Brothers or his distributor. Library books were combined as part of the work’s mixed media techniques. The crops and zooms helped resize vertical images for an unforgiving horizontal medium. He felt the mosaics were a happy success. Perhaps their inherent fracturing structure optimized the optical goals he envisioned.
Twenty two seconds in, the montage music video kicks off with several DaVincis. (The Portrait of a Musician is included–look for the red cap.) If you’ve never seen the video, I’d recommend letting it ride and experience it whole. If you are familiar with art history you might see a favorite painting quicken past.
Rewatching to concentrate on a few seconds is a fun ID challenge, like the game Masterpiece, or flash cards. Running at ten or twelve images per second at least it’s impossible to dial down without an editing bay. Albeit Mona Lisa, each work was afforded 2 frames. Though incomplete, here’s my stab at attribution during a single three seconds (tops), starting at timecount 22 seconds. Give it a go!
Davinci – Mona Lisa(Louvre), Portrait of a Musician (Milan), Head of Woman (Royal Collection Trust /Windsor), Head of Man Shouting (MFA Budapest), A Man Tricked by Gypsies (Royal Collection), studies of heads in profile (not sure); Rembrandt-Man With Golden Helmet (no longer considered by Rembrandt) (Gemaldegalerie Berlin), A Man in Armor (Glasgow), A young woman trying on earrings (Hermitage), A Girl with a Broom (no longer considered by Rembrandt) (National Gallery of Art), Old Man in Armchair (now considered probably by Rembrandt) National Gallery, London; Titian (Girogiane) Pastoral Concert (Louvre); Pisanello Portrait of Princess (Louvre); AlessoMadonna and Child (Louvre); GhirlandioOld Man and His Grandson (Louvre); David Marriage at Cana (Louvre); Frans Hals The Gypsy Girl (Louvre); Van Dyck Charles I (Le Roi a la Chasse ) (Louvre); Durer Portriat of the Artist Holding a Thistle (Louvre); El GrecoSaint Louis (Louvre); Jean Clouet?Portrait of Francois I; Fragonard The Bathers (Louvre); not sure (portrait of woman); Delacroix Liberty Leading People (Louvre); Daumier Crispin and Scapin (Musee d’Orsay); GoyaDuchess of Alba (Hispanic Society of America); Bonnard Nu dans le bain (Nude in the Bath) (Paris); Van Gogh Detail from Starry Night (MoMa), Self portrait (Musee d’Orsay); Paul Klee Fish Magic (Philadelphia Museum of Art); MiroLessons; Chagall; RaphaelLa Fonarina (National Gallery Rome); VelazquezPortrait of Juan de Pareja (Metropolitan Museum of Art); VermeerArt of Painting (Kunshhistorisches Museum, Vienna); Grunewald Isenehim Altarpiece detail Virgin and Child (Colmar France); BelliniPortrait of a Young Man in Red (National Gallery of Art); Cezanne; and El Greco detail from Burial of the Count of Orgaz (Iglesia de Santo Tome, Toldedo, Spain).
I wonder if the museums have –or could –spot their holdings? What artwork would you add that’s missing?
*McLaughlin (1932-2016) attended UCLA film school for animation graduating in 1958. After serving in the Korean War, he became a pioneer in computer animation, chairing the UCLA animation department and heading the Animation Workshop from 1970 (After Bob Shull) till his retirement in 2007. His son published his writings on animation, see more here , with sample chapters.
Mason Williams (b.1938) attended Oklahoma City University (1957-60) and served in the Navy from 1961 to 1963. Fun artworld aside: friends with Ed Ruscha from childhood.
Many places of worship rang bells in unison this Easter. Did you hear them? Please share if you recorded. Here’s a brief snippet of how the beautiful carillon bells of Our Lady of Good Voyage parish sounded this morning downtown.
As a follow up to yesterday’s post, here is a sampling of the 2020 hand painted Easter eggs by Betty Allenbrook Wiberg and Brenda Wiberg.
And some spring 2020 forsythia, and an Easter Parade clip, just because.
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Susan Dalton shares a vintage postcard image and message from Magnolia that
Dierdre Savage’s message of the bells was shared. Pastor Abram Kielsmeir-Jones confirmed that the Union Congregational Church, Magnolia will particpate in the bell ringing event 10AM Easter Sunday.
Like Dierdre, Susan explains that she’s originally from New York and “wanted to mention that Magnolia’s Union Congregational Church was missing from the group of photos on your GMG Post.” She lives near that “sweet church” which completed a “recent re-shingling project on their vestry.” Thank you, Susan, for this happy update which also gives me a chance to underscore that the first post included some places of worship in Gloucester, not all. Enjoy photographs of a few more below.
Look forward to hearing the ringing of the bells which is an international effort now. “Tuscany and beyond!”
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photos – cover and inside pages from 1979 Annisquam Historical Church 250th commerative celebration (cover art courtesy Louise Kenyon and Folly Cove Designers | text by Paul B. Kenyo) digitized here, collection Annisquam Historical Society
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As one branch of the city’s essential services, Gloucester DPW is busy serving the city during this pandemic. Sanitation, disinfecting and water management are critical public health priorities. Regarding construction and infrastructure work, the Governor gave specific instructions that limit construction projects with safe and rigorous controls so as not to expose anyone uneccessarily to bigger groups. Big DPW jobs may involve layers of interactions among larger crews, city staff, police and partners which is inherently at odds with any social distancing mandate. At the city level, Mayor Romeo Theken and local administration are following the Governor’s advisory on construction to a “T”. It would be unsafe if every town did something differently. “The Mayor is adamant about the use of PPE,” stressed Mike Hale, the Director of Public Works. “She’s spot on with daily notifications and advisory on essential and supplemental guidelines. And she shares directly any Federal and State communications.”
Gloucester DPW has
reduced crew size and staggered staffing level to limit potential exposure
“We have plans a,b,c,d,e as far as staffing goes. Look, the Gloucester DPW staff is fantastic! They want to be here. They’re willing to work; they feel it’s their public duty. The ability to work right now is essential for the staff and the city. DPW work is hard to catch up on under normal circumstances. And we had caught up on so much. We won’t fall back.” – Mike Hale
modified ride sharing (from groups of guys in a truck to 1 or 2 per individual vehicle)
prioritized smaller jobs and/or
specific jobs where bigger crews can be spread out more and the project is still manageable under covid-19 constraints
assigned work that can start and finish without disruption (for example if a building is re-opened it’s good to go)
dispatched crews inside schools cleaning, deep cleaning (management of school disinfecting started the Saturday following the Friday school closing), and traditional maintenance work (i.e. old doors that need replacing)
At Gloucester’s O’Maley middle school campus, DPW is making good progress on a courtyard improvement phase they’ve long planned. Three raised planter wells were removed and three lower planting beds with 16 new trees are coming.
“Lots and lots of concrete panels are being replaced.”
The scraggly boarder gardens around various walls facing the street will be attended to; DPW is teaming with Generous gardeners for the flower beds. The anchor will be relocated within a flower bed along the building.
IN PROGRESS
(photos above)
Wow– even at this stage, the project mitigates the outdated elements that felt harsh. Looks fresh, and it’s easy to envision the future plans so full of life!
BEFORE
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Another building on Main Street is for sale; this one on the east end at 262-264 Main Street. The Cape Ann Moose Lodge occupied the function hall spaces at street level (bar, kitchen, bathrooms, gathering spaces) for more than a decade. There are four apartments on the top floor.
MLS#: 72620467
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A lovely message and clarion request from Dierdre Savage, a Gloucester resident who grew up in New York City:
“Sitting in my too quiet home in Gloucester at 10AM last Sunday morning I was struck and comforted by the sound of church bells coming from up the street. Sure, there would be no usual gathering, but the bells rang. I felt an eerie sense of calm, as if it was a regular Sunday.
Later the same morning, I live-streamed Mass being held in a small chapel at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in NYC.
The endless sound of sirens coming from outside could not be missed. It was utterly heartbreaking.
Here’s a thought – lets get all the church bells in Gloucester – and beyond – ringing in unison on Easter Sunday morning. If you agree — please share this request far and wide.” – Dierdre Savage, Gloucester, Ma
Please consider asking your churches to participate. People across the country have already responded saying their churches are in on the idea — bells will ring across the country on Easter Sunday at 10AM!
various places of worship, Gloucester, MA — and City Hall bell tower 🙂 – click individual photos twice to enlarge to full size (or pinch-zoom)
Manny photographed the bells CLOSE UP at Our Lady here
We hope everyone is staying safe. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this community my whole life and I am so grateful for the support and success of Sugar Magnolia’s. During these uncertain times I would like to be able to give back. We are starting the #Sugarmagssoupinitiative sugar Magnolias will be making three rotating soups per week in the hopes to nourish Sugar Mags fans but also those in need. So with every 4 quarts of soup sold we will donate 1 quart of soup to the The Open Door food pantry!!!! 
If you are interested in purchasing, your orders must be placed Monday for Wednesday, and Wednesday for Friday. That would give me time to place the order for what I need delivered in time to make all of the soups. The soups will be ready to be picked up between 2 and 5 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays, at Sugar Magnolia’s, 112 Main St., Gloucester♥️♥️♥️
If you are interested please message me (via sugar mags facebook) with your phone number and your order. You will receive a phone call back and we will take payment over the phone with a credit card. Once you get a call back and payment is received you order is confirmed.
vegetarian soup $12/quart corn chowder $12/quart non-vegetarian $12/quart add corn bread for extra $3.00
soups will be posted on sugar magnolias FACEBOOK, MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS
🥕🧅🧄🥔
PLEASE SHARE XXOO
UPDATE to bulletin:
The #sugarmagssoupinitiative has exploded!!!!! We have 45+ quarts already for next weeks donation!!! Best community ever! Today we are donating our first 20 quarts of soup to the open door. So excited to be helping our community xxoo
They are going fast so get your orders in. Also let me know if you were adding cornbread. Soups are sold by the quart they are $12 per quart if you add corn bread a quart goes up to $15 
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For the little ones and young at heart, more and more windows in homes and shops are kindly decorated with stuffed animal teddy bears for a welcome and safe distance distraction. There are a few rainbows. Have I missed a street or your favorite?
Here are some of the bears we found on merry drives in Gloucester, Mass., this last week in March 2020, connecting during covid-19. (Click or pinch to enlarge)
Friends are sharing rainbows and heart family art projects from their windows and homes– messages of hope and gratitude for community and caregivers. Have you seen the Rainbow Connection Google Map in New York?
one more shared with GMG (from Arlington)
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MBTA crew disinfecting train station stop, Gloucester, Mass.
George’s Coffee Shop of Gloucester corner of Washington and Centennial sign- Take Out Available (978)281-1910
Wolf Hill sign – Closed Stay Healthy & Safe!
(author’s note: Signs of the times updated as I add signs to the original 3/25/2020 post, most recent at top. Gloucester, Mass.)Continue reading “Signs of the times”→
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Message from Wenham Museum, offering arts programming for the little ones:
TOMORROW – Virtual Elsa Visit!
Thursday, March 26th at 10:30 a.m. via Facebook Live
Elsa will live stream into your living room from the Wenham Museum’s Facebook page! If you missed her visit when we opened “Frozen,” this is a chance to catch her again. She will sing songs and tell stories live from our galleries. We’re hoping this will give parents and caregivers a few moments of respite (or a chance to make a phone call!) and bring some happiness and joy to our youngest friends. Fairytale attire encouraged. Visit our websitewww.wenhammuseum.org
Good Morning Gloucester 