Pier 23 Kitchen on 23 East Main Street closed. The restaurant is for sale: contact (978) 887-9895. Pier 23 owners and AJ’s contributed major upgrades and renovations at this busy spot. (Mooters, LaRosas, and Cacciatores preceded AJ’s at the Harbor.)
The new sign for Oliver’s Harbor Restaurant and Bar features tiles at each end and heralds a change in ownership at 64 Main Street. The Bragas sold Trio which they had reconfigured after opening Italiano Restaurant in the former La Trattoria space and completing a major renovation and build out replete with a new industrial kitchen. Last year they added additional outdoor seating.
64 Main Street on Gloucester’s West End as Italiano 2017 and Trio 2018:
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streetscape, west end Main Street, Gloucester Mass, Jon Sarkin Fish City Studios 2017
PRESS RELEASE from The Arts Council of Princeton:
Three Individuals Who Became Artists By Chance to be the Focus of “Inside Out…When Worlds Collide” An Exhibition at the Arts Council of Princeton January 4 through February 22
Princeton, NJ – The Arts Council of Princeton will present “Inside Out…When Worlds Collide,” an exhibition of works by three individuals who became artists by chance. The exhibit will be on display in the Arts Council’s Taplin Gallery, from January 4 through February 22, 2020. (website here)
Join us on Saturday, January 4 from 2-3PM when the three artists will be creating works of art while the public can watch prior to the Opening Reception to be held from 3-5PM.
Becoming an artist was not the initial intention for Jon Sarkin, Jennifer Levine, or Kenneth Lewis Sr. Through distinct circumstances, art and the need to create became the driving force in their lives. Despite receiving no formal training, these artists are consumed in the process. Their work conveys joy and frustration and questions life on the canvas. It is out of the ordinary, provocative, imaginative, and even obsessive-compulsive.
According to co-curators Ruthann Taylor and Colette Royal, “The show addresses the power of self-taught artistic talent and the drive of the human spirit to create.”
Meet These Extraordinary Artists
Jon Sarkin, of Gloucester, MA, was working as a chiropractor when he suffered a massive stroke one hot day in 1988. He felt a throbbing, excruciating pain in his head and heard a ringing in his ears. After surgery, his brain began to swell and bleed. When Sarkin woke up, he was a completely different man. After the critical phase of the stroke passed, Sarkin began to have a ferocious need to draw and paint. The stroke, says Sarkin, “made art my top priority in life. It made it more important than just about anything.” Sarkin is the subject of the book Shadows Bright as Glass, which traces his journey from doctor to manically-compulsive artist. website here:https://www.jsarkin.com/
Jennifer Levine, of Montclair, NJ, started painting at age 40 when she was going through a divorce. “I had no experience, but needed something to hold onto as I faced the ordeal. I read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and it led me through a process that ultimately changed my life in the most profound and wonderful way. Through drawing and painting, I was able to unearth the depth of my being and find a way to express myself that served others,” says Levine. “Now I paint because I love the process – the feel of the paints and the brush on the canvas. I love the unknown magical alchemy of going from nothing to something. I like discovering the images that appear on the canvas I like how people react and get nurtured or informed or uplifted by the pieces.”
Kenneth J. Lewis, Sr., of Trenton, NJ, is a self-instructed artist who began painting on canvas at the unusual age of 47 years. Kenneth has a spiritual relationship and deep sensitivity for what he produces. On New Year’s Day 2008, Kenneth painted his first piece; he called it “Contemplation”. It was an inner reflective painting as he sat home contemplating his future after 24 years of marriage. He quickly learned he had a very raw and latent gift that could no longer be held back. Lewis painted more as a hobby from 2008 until the death of his mother in 2012. His mother could draw, yet she never attempted to embrace or further explore her talent. He knew that he had to create, not only for himself, but also for his late mother, and for generations that follow. Since that time Lewis has created enormous collections of work. To date he has hosted/curated over 30 group shows, 22 solo shows, and participated in many group shows. He is the curator for Starbucks Trenton.
About the Arts Council of Princeton
The Arts Council of Princeton is located in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street in Princeton, NJ. For more information, please visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777.
The Arts Council of Princeton, founded in 1967, fulfills its mission of Building Community through the Arts by presenting a wide range of programs including community arts outreach, exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops in a wide range of media. Housed in the landmark Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population of the greater Princeton region. Visit artscouncilofprinceton.org for more information.
*The press release included two photos of Jennifer Levine and Kenneth Lewis works.
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PRESS RELEASE from Jane Deering Gallery janedeeringgallery.com 917-902-4359 Jane Deering Gallery presents Jack Evans | AS IS opening Saturday January 4th, 2020 with a reception from 3:00 – 6:00pm at 19 Pleasant Street, Gloucester MA. AS IS is a selection of new paintings and prints by Gloucester’s well-known Jack Evans, owner of Mystery Train Records and respected poet. Evans, self-taught painter, fell in love with the paintings of the 20th-Century abstract expressionists and developed a style influenced by the energy and improvisation of those giants — Kline, De Kooning, Pollock et al. Evans’ passion for art and his tireless commitment to study and exploration is impressive. The exhibition continues through January 31st. Gallery hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-5pm and by appointment.
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One store employee said everything outside is Market Basket’s responsibility. Not sure why they’re not emptied or why people keep adding. It reeks back here. (Barrels by pizza shop were empty.) It is their front door entrance.
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Scatterday’s Driving Schoolis located on the ground floor in the office building at 85 Eastern Avenue, Gloucester, Mass., in the former Eastern Avenue School. Entrance is at the back. There are various learner permit and driver license packages. Some are concentrated full days; for those, Jeff’s Variety is a quick walk away for class breaks.
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Dash of practical and plenty of modern whimsy designs make for great browsing and last minute shopping at goodlinens studio on Main Street in Gloucester. The store carries gorgeous linens plus beautiful kitchen, bath, office, and homegood products– hand made and sustainable plus good design.
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“…The simplicity was part of the selling point. So was the history of Celtics centers past pulling this off. “As soon as (I was told) Shaq did it, I was sold,” Fall said.
Great gifts and vintage finds at Alexandra’s Bread bakery and shop on Main Street Gloucester, Ma. Festive selections are folded in during holidays year round.
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December 22, 2019 the first light Temple Ahavat Achim Gloucester, Ma., 2019 – An additional (buoy) candle on the giant lobster trap menorah will be lit each night until full illumination on the 8th night.
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Have you seen these festive lights December nights? Merry drives and cocoa Part 3 scenes all around Gloucester, Massachusetts, including a few extra GMG reader tips and requests:
photos below- Looking past Man at the Wheel on the left, through wreath, Beauport Hotel tower lit red and green
Merry drives and cocoa nights 2019 (mobile photos #nofilter) 12/8/19 Part One here 12/19/19 Part Two here 12/23/19 Part Three (this post)
Merry drives and cocoa day 2019 (wreaths, traditional displays and/or mostly white lights) 12/13/19 here
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In response to the recent Holiday Lights posts on GMG, Pauline Bresnahan shared a fun memory about a holiday lights competition sponsored by local realtors on Cape Ann in 1985. Her father, Philip McComiskey, won the most festive home category that inaugural year. This First Lighting Contest held by Lufkin & Brown Inc., awarded prizes in three categories.
Reporter Ken Fish wrote that “Midge Kart’s display on 729 Western Avenue, Magnolia – a combination of red velvet ribbon, Christmas lights and spotlights — won in the most traditional category…Philip McComiskey’s lighted trees at 514 Essex Avenue won the festive award…The creche at Lester Mountain Sr.’s home at 2A Pigeon Hill Ct., Rockport won in the religious category…”
Judges were Fitz Lufkin, Ruth Pino, John Kent, Sharon Surma, Diane Polley (author of Let’s Go! Animal Tracks in the Snow, a Cape Ann Reads Honor book), Susan Scola and AnthonyMilitello. Read the article for the fun details and bonus – find out who was awarded the honorable mentions!
Don’t miss the Bruce J Anderson Foundation funding opportunity in the New Year! The foundation has helped many local organizations and initiatives annually like Cape Ann Reads.
They are low key modest with credit but impact many. The Bruce J Anderson generous recommendations from 2019– for just the Cape Ann region– bolstered support across four areas of focus. Chances are every one of us has benefited, or knows someone that has benefited, from this largesse: Arts (Gloucester Education Foundation $8,400; Rockport Music $8,000; Gloucester Stage Company $5,000; and Cape Ann Art Haven $7,500) Environmental Protection recommended for funding (Clean River Project $11,000; Backyard Growers $12,000; Ipswich River Watershed Association $10,000; Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center $6,000; Cape Ann Farmers Market $2,500) Historic Preservation recommended for funding (Cape Ann Museum $7,000; St. Peter’s Fiesta $2,500; Gloucester Writers Center $5,000; Mental Health recommended for funding (Pathways for Children $7,500; Action Inc. $5,000)
Don’t miss the information session and deadline to apply for 2020. Good luck!
Here’s the News from the Boston Foundation outreach for the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation:
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
We are pleased to announce the 2020 Request for Proposals for the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation, a supporting organization of the Boston Foundation. The Bruce J. Anderson Foundation has been making grants on Cape Ann and in the Nashoba Valley for over 30 years. Please review the guidelines carefully and note that the application deadline is Friday, February 14, 2020. Grant announcements will be made in mid-June.
This year we will be hosting an informational webinar session on Wednesday, January 15th. Those interested in attending can join us to hear about the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation’s grantmaking priorities, and the process for applying for funding. Please note that this webinar is not mandatory and attendance will not affect how your application is reviewed. If you would like to participate in the webinar, please accept the attached calendar invitation.
This year all applications will be submitted online.
Please find the 2020 application and a back catalogue of prior grants made from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation here.
We hope you will consider taking advantage of this Bruce J. Anderson Foundation funding opportunity. Questions regarding program eligibility can be directed to the attention of Loren Van Allen at loren.vanallen@tbf.org or 617-338-1621.
Sincerely,
The Bruce J. Anderson Team Ritika Kumar Senior Donor Relations Associate The Boston Foundation 75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116 Direct Line: 617-338-4294 Ritika.Kumar@tbf.org
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Here are a few more twinkling neighborhood lights in Gloucester, Massachusetts, from December 2019, including a few GMG reader requests and tips following the “merry drives and cocoa” post part 1.
(you can double click the photos to enlarge and pinch and zoom)
There are plenty of local homes decorated with white lights only or candles in every window aglow with single color bulbs. I love these, too, but my phone camera not so much.
photo caption below- I’ve always been in love with holiday lights. Personal distinction or traditional inspiriation- I’m grateful for all creative cheer each year. Decades ago ca.1970s, this home and yard (on Lowell Street between Peabody and Lynnfield) was trimmed all in pink lights. Just pink.
photo caption below: Decorated Saugus condos just off Rt. 1 and homes off surrounding streets if you happen to be in that neck of the woods.
(Saugus condos just off Rt.1)Home is best! Gloucester lobster trap tree lighting photo from FOB Margaret
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Home games tonight! 5:30PM vs. Peabody GHS boys JV basketball / 7pm GHS boys Varsity. (Girls’ basketball games alternate with the boys’ so they’re Away today in Peabody.)
Shout out to outstanding communication by Athletic Director Bryan Lafata! Essential content updated on Facebook and twitter (GHS Fishermen Athletics @FishermenGhs) and all that parent email correspondence. There are a ton of winter sports (boys’ and girls teams; varsity and JV): basketball, hockey, track, wrestling, cheerleading, swimming…
Find all the GHS sports schedules and bus times here main page http://northeasternma.org and Gloucester specific page here
Here’s a must read basketball story. I know. I know. It’s not a Celtics story. Trust me if you’re a sports fan and have a beating heart you’ll enjoy the read here. “My Pal Charles: An NBA Star, an immigrant scientist, and a friendship no one believed”, story by Shirley Wang for WBUR.org published in Reader’s Digest Dec.2018-Jan 2019 issue.
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Gray and sunny day views of the beautiful street art mural by Josh Falk on Stone Barn Lane behind Rockport Public Library, Rockport, Mass., with support from Awesome Rockport. Falk’s work on display at Blume coffee shop in Whistlestop Mall is striking. How exciting to see his vision on a monumental scale!
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Good Morning Gloucester 