Video/photo mid November sunrise, Wingaersheek Beach: Crossed paths with a lone coyote twice. Saw it cut across the parking lot straight up path 1, turn left across the dunes, and climb up out of sight, heading in the direction of the homes on the bluff. About 40 minutes later, I was surprised to witness it now galloping along the water’s edge over to the rocks, pausing momentarily to check out a beachwalker with a dog emerging from path 1, then exiting path 3. Evidently, it had completed a big circle route.
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Art and culture have been laced throughout Gloucester’s history. City staff, departments, partner organizations, artists, and volunteers have kept detailed inventory checklists and care of a world class municipal art collection decade by decade for more than a century. Several lists were managed by American art luminaries. Here is a City Hall example from 1937, “A Catalogue of Murals and Decorations in Gloucester Done by Gloucester Artists in the Employ of the Federal Art Project”.
The 250th anniversary formed a committee for the arts. Mayor Alper reinvigorated the City Hall collection display in 1977, “Gloucester Arts & Humanities”. The Waywell inventory dates from the 1990s. When the City updated all its ordinances in 2000, the Committee for the Arts was formally added. In 2005 then CFTA Chair Kate Bodin and former CFTA member John Ronan drafted a prescient and comprehensive art policy celebrating all forms of creative expression. Since 2000, 6 inventory lists have been compiled—by volunteers and/or commissioned.
A major inventory checklist and report completed in 2006 was a dual project orchestrated by the City Archives (link here) andCommittee for the Arts that focused on City Hall. Although the report did not include artwork measurements and was a work in progress, it was another decade’s invaluable record to build upon.
The Art of Gloucester City Hall, 2006. See printable PDF of inventory below (some attribution errors). A written evaluation was included which I’ll add in.
Bethany Jay (principal writing and research)
Information on Gloucester City Hall compiled by Sarah Dunlop, Jane Walsh, and Stephanie Buck of the Gloucester Archives office. Supplemental materials were written by John Ronan. Mayor John Bell.
Gloucester Committee for the Arts- John Ronan, Judith Hoglander, Dale Brown, Christine Lundberg, Steve Myers, Sage Walcott
Committee for the Arts member, Eric Schoonover, took on the task of the first database and digitized record–CDs, later joined by Marcia Hart, with ladder in tow to double check the inventory status and measurements which was not on the 2006 report. Several excels and docs followed and were shared widely. Under successive administrations led by Mayor Kirk and Mayor Romeo Theken, an open access inventory and available online gallery was an expressed goal for multiple city and partner grants, the city’s tourism efforts (a precursor to Discover Gloucester), the City’s two cultural districts, HarborWalk, Gloucester Arts & Cultural Initiative, public arts projects, free apps and platforms.
In 2018-19, Williamstown Art Conservation completed a conservation and full inventory report for the City mural collection, triage and stabilizing–for the first time including works not on display. (author note: I will add the PDF here)
Flash forward to 2024, the Gloucester art collection archives is available anew in an online art gallery through Art Work Archive (www.artworkarchive.com). Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. Some of the artwork information is incomplete or a placeholder. I’m sure cross-checking with the original documentation will continue and help with corrections, and more works will be added.
For example, the monumental murals by Lawrence “Larry” O’Toole (1909-1951) installed in 1982 in O’Maley Middle School are listed “Untitled” in the archive pages. They’re not untitled. They were originally commissioned by Ben Pine for the Gloucester Fisheries Institute and YMCA circa 1940-48 and illustrate fishing industry and vessels common in Gloucester. I interviewed Ron Gilson who confirmed the history and my research. DPW inspected and measured them almost 10 years ago and Williamstown Art Conservation Center, of course, when they did their evaluation. Titles are:
Larry O’Toole, Returning to Harbor, Twin Lighthouses
Larry O’Toole, Tuna Fishing with Spears
Larry O’Toole, Schooner with Rod Fishing
Larry O’Toole, Seine Fishing with Seagulls Overhead
Larry O’Toole, Trawling
Puzzlingly, the Mulhaupt series across from the O’toole’s are on display out of order at O’Maley and could have fit sequentially if the two series were switched at installation in 1982.
In 2021, the Wall Street Journal featured an article about WPA era art and online catalogue resources. Gloucester’s are largely absent, for many reasons. I shared the article news here (3/25/2021) and wrote:
Judith Dobrzynski highlights WPA murals and a renewed online resource* for “Arts in Review” the Wall Street Journal.
“During the Great Depression, federal programs funded the creation of thousands of murals in post offices, hospitals and other locations across the country, many of which can now be viewed online.”Judith H. Dobrzynski. The Staying Inside Guide: Big-Deal Art in Plain-Spoken Venues. Wall Street Journal. March 23, 2021. *A few of the WPA murals completed in Gloucester had been included in an earlier iteration of the website, in some cases misattributed. Gloucester is not mentioned in the article.
The reviewer highlights Coit Tower in San Francisco as one renowned example.
“The New Deal murals inside Coit Tower in San Francisco are also well-known. Painted by some two-dozen artists in 1934, they are social realist panels about life in California during the Depression, with titles like “Banking and Law” and “Meat Industry.” Their story, with a detailed layout, is available in a San Francisco Recreation and Park Department brochure.”Judith H. Dobrzynski for WSJ
The reverse ratio is evident here: Gloucester selected four artists who completed scores of masterworks* for specific public buildings. Monumental stunning mural cycles were commissioned under the auspices of Federal Arts PWAP and WPA-era programs from 1935-42 for Sawyer Free Library, City Hall, the High School on Dale Ave (now Central Grammar apartments), Hovey, Maplewood, and Forbes elementary schools. As schools were closed, disposed, or repurposed, murals were rescued and re-sited within City Hall and later O’Maley.
The City of Gloucester artists were significant muralists and painters. In truth, venerated. They captured stories of Gloucester and became a celebrated part of our history and artistry. When considered as a whole, the Gloucester murals rival WPA era collections completed in big cities. The density of murals are as concentrated as any found in larger cities, like Coit Tower in San Francisco, though spread out among buildings rather than one tower, or one structure, as with Harlem Hospital.
Gloucester’s post office nearly landed a commission, but fate intervened. I’ll save that for the Part 2 post.
Gloucester and greater Cape Ann artists were commissioned for murals beyond Gloucester and Massachusetts and served key roles on selection panels and planning.
Gloucester is not mentioned in this WSJ article or few major compilations.
“Though painted by nationally known and successful artists at the top of their game, the works have suffered from a perfect storm of anonymity.” Catherine Ryan, 2012
City Owned Art Work Archive online gallery
What is new about this 2024 city owned inventory online gallery is that 1) a wonderful creative director, Anna Chirico, was hired to photograph and inventory the collection. Fun fact, Chirico of course has helped her mom, JoAnn, with goodlinens studio on Main Street in Gloucester (goodlinenstudio.com), and 2) Kate Shamon Rushford, Gloucester’s arts, culture, and events coordinator was hired for a part time position within Community Development dedicated to projects like this one. Shamon Rushford is pursuing a Gloucester presence online through Bloomberg Connects Arts and Culture online, too.
I recommend that the city’s .gov website maintain exclusive pages as well, because what’s new and trending in arts engagement is not static or exclusive.
Gloucester DPW has utilized 3D photography for jobs (City Hall after the fire), and city departments including Community Development/Engineering make use of arcgis subscriptions. These resources on the .gov site would help with virtual tours and printables. It’s important to keep city ownership of the content. Gloucesterma.gov went to Discover Gloucester. As long as the content is retrievable, dedicated pages can be available on the .gov site itself regardless of technological or fad obsolescence.
Welcome to the Meat and Sweet Food’s Thanksgiving Order Page. We appreciate every one of your orders. We make all of our food from scratch, with a lot of love. Pickup is Wed Nov 27, 11AM-6PM at our BBQ location, 23 East Main Street, Gloucester. Please contact us if you have questions or need alternate arrangements. You will receive a confirmation email after you order. Please check your spam folder if you do not. You will also get an email from us with a total amount. This will come up to a week after you order. Payment is expected at pickup. Please be patient, we respond one at a time.
Thank you very much, Laurie and Doug 978-559-7564
2024 Cape Ann Shared Kitchen daily schedule
Chez Moi Chez Vous, Chef Fred Arnaud’s French cuisine Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Jenx Food for Your Soul, fried chicken and sides, Thursdays
Meat & Sweets, BBQ Meats and tasty treats, Saturdays
Salty’s Bagels, Sundays
Look for 5 Star Phresh Phood, Lobster Roller and Crepe Du Jour Food Trucks at Farmers Markets and special events.
Print and share, scan and follow!
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Musical treat can’t be beat. Fun plans for Thanksgiving weekend
CAPE ANN SYMPHONY THE 73rd SEASON Yoichi Udagawa, Music Director HOLIDAY POPS A Cape Ann Holiday Tradition featuring The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus Led by Choral Director Brittany Betts
Performances: Manchester & Ipswich Saturday, November 30, 2024: 2:00 PM in Ipswich Saturday, November 30, 2024: 7:30 PM in Manchester Sunday, December 1 2024: 2:00 PM in Manchester
Cape Ann Symphony news about the program:
This annual festive musical celebration led by CAS Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa features a program of holiday favorites for orchestra and chorus.
“The musicians of the orchestra and I love our Holiday Pops concert,” says CAS Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa, “We have selected a wide range of music that celebrates the season, and we love sharing it with our wonderful audiences. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus, now under the direction of Brittany Betts, will be joining us, and it’s always such a joy to collaborate with them. Come join us! We can hardly wait to see you!!”
The Cape Ann Symphony launched The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus under the directions of Wendy Bettsat the 2005 Holiday Pops Concert. . The group has performed with the Cape Ann Symphony at Holiday Pops Concertsin 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 2013, 2014. 2015, 2016. 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Holiday Pops 2024 marks the premiere of new Cape Ann Symphony Choral Director Brittany Betts. Brittany Betts took over leadership of the CAS Chorus this fall when her mother Wendy Betts retired as the longtime Choral Director for the CAS Chorus. “I am especially excited for everyone to hear the new iteration of the symphony chorus.” says Brittany Betts, “After a year off following the retirement of my mom, Wendy Betts, who led the chorus with great success for 16 years, it is a great joy and honor to be part of the rebuilding process. Each of the 32 singers had to audition to make the roster since we were creating a smaller chorus. So, voices had to be strong enough to hold their own and have the ability to blend well quickly. I believe we have achieved success. The singers hail from all over the North Shore – Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Peabody, Ipswich and Georgetown. I am also pleased to have the incomparable pianist, Priscilla Walter, who was the chorus accompanist for many years, back at the piano. She is a gift of a collaborator. We are 8 weeks in now and we are sounding great. There is a lot of joyful (and super focused) camaraderie at our rehearsals. Everyone has been committed from day one to bringing light, beauty, love, joy and hope to our community through music. And there is that in spades throughout the whole program! We hope that the audience will leave feeling great – as if they were seen and held, loved and brought together through the music. You know, energized by the spirit of community at its finest. As the final line in the last piece states – “How great our joy!”
The Holiday Pops 2024 concert program includes Anderson’s Christmas Festival; Greensleeves, arranged by Reed; A Christmas Scherzo, arranged by Sebesky; Custer’s Chanukah Festival; and Selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus joins the orchestra to perform Christmas on Broadway, arranged by Higgins; Pinkzebra’s Winter Lullaby; Holcomb’s Festive Sounds of Hannukah 2nd Edition; Rutter’s What Sweeter Music and Rejoice! How Great Our Joy, arranged by McElory. ” CAS Choral Director Brittany Betts offers insight on the Chorus selections in the program, “The chorus will be presenting five beautiful and fun pieces to reflect the holiday and winter season – filled with traditional favorites and new to us pieces. You can expect to tap your feet to a medley of broadway Christmas tunes, and to feel cozy and reflective as the choir sings a tender lullaby about winter and time passing by. We will then honor our Jewish and Christian friends’ traditions with a medley of Hanukkah pieces, and a stunningly beautiful favorite of the classical choral realm – John Rutter’s What Sweeter Music. Finally, we will top it all off with a rousing gospel piece, Rejoice! HowGreat Our Joy which reflects the jubilance of the Christian Christmas tradition. You will want to stand and clap for sure (and we want you to do so)! Now, don’t worry, we will be inviting the audience to join their voices as one big choir on the sing-a-long as has been a long favored tradition at the Holiday Pops Concerts. So grab your ticket, do your vocal warm-ups and let’s celebrate the season TOGETHER!”
Brittany Betts brings with her a different approach to the choral world having primarily worked as a trumpeter, djembefola (someone who skillfully plays the djembe, a West African drum) collaborator, worship leader, jazz singer and composer. She performs with the David Whitney Orchestra, Riverside Renaissance Swing Band, Cantemus Chamber Chorus and the vocal trio, ONE. In 2023-2024, she served as Artist-in-Residence at First Church Congregational in Swampscott, composing sung liturgies and songs for their Advent and Lenten services. Ms. Betts traveled the country and abroad as a Glocal (local and global combined) Musician Educator and Worship Coordinator with the Global Mission Unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 10 years. During that time she also served on the music staff of Visible Music College in Memphis, TN where she taught voice, music theory, rock bands, the World Music Ensemble and a guided improvisation class.
About Cape Ann Symphony
Founded in Gloucester in 1951, the Cape Ann Symphony is a professional orchestra of over 70 players from throughout the New England area. They perform a subscription season of four concerts per year plus several Pops and youth concerts. The Symphony Board of Directors named Yoichi Udagawa the Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony in the summer of 2000 after a yearlong search. In addition to his leadership of Cape Ann Symphony, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Frequently invited to guest conduct, Maestro Udagawa has worked with many different orchestras including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Nobeoka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Brown University Orchestra, the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Maestro Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. He is known for his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium which has helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. His programs often include premieres of new works – some specially commissioned for the orchestra — as well as great orchestral works across the symphonic repertoire and lively Pops programs. He is also an integral part of the Cape Ann Symphony Youth Initiative.
Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at age fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith. A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is also an accomplished violinist and an avid fan of exercise and yoga.”/ End.
The Cape Ann Symphony’s Annual Holiday Pops Concert, returns to kick off the holiday season on Saturday, November 30 at 2 pm at the Dolan Performing Arts Center at Ipswich High School on 134 High Street, Ipswich, MA; Saturday, November 30 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 1 at 2 pm at Manchester-Essex High School auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. For tickets and information about this Cape Ann Holiday tradition, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
Photo 1: The Cape Ann Symphony Photo by Jeph Ellis Photo 2: Cape Ann Symphony Chorus Photo by Jeph Ellis Photo 3: Cape Ann Symphony OnStage: A view from the Percussion Section. Conductor Yoichi Udagawa in back of photo Photo by Jeph Ellis Photo 4: Cape Ann Symphony French Horn Section Photo by Jeph Ellis Photo 5: Cape Ann Symphony Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa Courtesy Photo 6: Cape Ann Symphony Chorus Director Brittany Betts Courtesy Photo
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Join Paul Cary Goldberg & Antony Ohman at their new solo shows — Saturday November 9th from 4-6pm .
“Paul Cary Goldberg’s street images from the 1970’s alongside his contemporary farm portraits; and Antony Ohman’s black and white series exploring the relationship of images in sequence define this show.
Goldberg has titled his part I Wish That I Could Show You Everything; work spanning 1975-2020. In selecting images, he has pulled from an extensive body of work, choosing intimate portraits of farmers to actions of children just hanging out on the street to the poignant portraits of the hand of his late wife, Lee.
Ohman titles his part in the exhibition I Spy / A Bird’s Eye — a play on the guessing game we all know so well coupled with the notion of a bird’s eye view. He leads us on a search where the viewer’s eye is met by the various captures of a bird’s eye.”
Upcoming November/December 2024 news from Jane Deering Gallery has all the details about two concurrent solo photography exhibits not to miss:
(c)paulcarygoldberg.com
“Jane Deering Gallery presents Two Photographers | Two Solo Shows : Paul Cary Goldberg & Antony Ohman opening Saturday November 9th with a reception from 4-6pm and an Artist Talk on November 23rd from 3-5pm. Paul Cary Goldberg’s street images from the 1970’s alongside his intimate portraits of farmers, and Antony Ohman’s exploration of how series of images can relate to each other as narratives, define this stunning show. The subtle tonalities in black & white photography achieved by the photogravure process is a fascination for each artist. Goldberg and Ohman both maintain a studio on Cape Ann in Gloucester MA. The exhibition runs through December 8th. Gallery hours: Fri & Sat 1-5pm; Sun 1-4pm and by appointment at paul@paulcarygoldberg.com 978-821-9920 or ajohman@gmail.com 857-891-0548.”
October 28, 2024. Surfside Subs is closing for the season— later this year because the weather has been warm, and they are slammed. On some summer days, they have record lobster roll sales. Can you guess how many?
Customers lined up one fall day for mudiga steak subs, turkey subs, tuna salad, pizzas, and yes, lobster rolls, which are on special this week. Also pizza. Buy any pizza and get a second one for $5, scrumptious fresh and hot. Too much? When you’re cold and missing a Long Beach Surfside slice, you’ll be happy you bought an extra to wrap and freeze for later.
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Photos: Late October 2024. Views from the deck at Beauport Hotel offer sweeping vistas of Gloucester Harbor year round. Come fall, the sunsets are dynamic, stunning and lengthy. One meal can feel like a vacation or cruise. And there are blankets! p.s. the forecast this week looks promising!
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On the way to picnic at Good Harbor or Long Beach? Stop in Jeff’s Variety 91 Eastern Ave. The sandwich counter is open until 4pm. They’ve been as busy as summertime this October.
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images: Edward Hopper prints offered through Sotheby’s online auction Oct. 22, 2024
A Corner, etching 1919 (presale estimate 10,000- 12,000) sold $18,000 (hammer price, excluding fees)
Evening, The Seine, etching circa 1915-1918 (est. 20,000-40,000) sold $24,000
Railroad Crossing, drypoint 1923 (est 80,000-180,000) did not sell
Aux Fortifications, etching 1923 (est. 130,000-200,000) did not sell
Les Deux Pigeons, etching 1920 (est. 175,000-225,000) sold $204,000
The Monhegan Boat, etching 1919, (est. 240,000-280,000) did not sell–reserve not met at $190,000
The Open Window, etching circa 1915-1918 (est. 25,000-40,000) did not sell
*Reserves weren’t met for unsold works.
I did not appraise these particular impressions selling today and don’t know their provenance. I have inspected other impressions of these editions from public and private collections in the past and was excited to see a stunning impression of Aux Fortifications for sale earlier this year.
Stuart Davis drawings circa 1912-1913, Houses on the Shore (Summer Cottages) est. 12-18,000 and Clam Diggers est. 7-10,000, failed to sell in Sotheby’s Oct 1 Modern Discoveries sale.
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photos mid October, 2024: The construction crew is busy with framing, foundation and forms for the main building for Good Harbor Beach Inn. Fill and trucks occupy the uphill ground until that phase in construction when the guest lodgings will be framed out again.
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photo October 2024. Revive Wellness storefront calls out a bevy of holistic healing treatments: sauna, cryotherapy, salt cave, compression, massage chair, light therapy, hydrotherapy, and PEMF. Which one will you try?
July 2024
Back in July, I stopped inside the construction site to see what was coming after the demo of Animal Krackers. I was told about the cryotherapy treatment rooms destined for the build out which required specialized construction.
Here’s a look back at Animal Krackers in 2012 and 2019. Maybe they’ll leave a water and treat dish outside for pets accustomed to that stroll by.
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Good Morning Gloucester 