Author: God's Morning

E.J. Lefavour

This Sunday’s Mug Up at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery will feature a blueberry food competition.  Entries can be anything made with Cape Ann blueberries.  So if you want to participate, get picking, or get yourself to the Farmer’s Market tomorrow.  There will be a famous unnamed ringer in the mix, so bring on your best.  Judges are still being vetted, so if you would like to be considered for a judging position, please speak up (Ed, you are confirmed).

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

Had a great day out yesterday with Skipper Paul Gilman on his 23 foot Grady White media boat “Rebait”, Daphne Papp, Annisquam Yacht Club photographer, GDT reporter, Nick Curcuru and GDT photographer, Allegra, capturing the first day of the Mass Bay Junior Olympics Sailing Regatta out of Annisquam Yacht Club.  Each year a different club hosts the event with north and south shore host yacht clubs switching from year to year.  This is the first time in 15 years that Annisquam has hosted the event.  The day started off pretty calm and the races were delayed a bit, but then the wind picked up and off they went.  We raced back and forth across Ipswich Bay from one race area to the other to catch them as their races started.  A fun day for everyone involved.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

Michael and Katie Goot are here in Gloucester on their honeymoon from Clifton Park, NY.  Michael is a reporter for the Daily Gazette and Katie is an RN.  They are staying at the Peg Leg in Rockport and love it here.  They bought one of my glass paintings, Moonrise Over Wingaersheek, for their new home and life together, and hopefully will become regular friends of Good Morning Gloucester.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

Sunday, August 19th Mug Up will be a Food Competition – Anything containing Cape Ann Blueberries.  Interested Judges, please make yourselves known.  Contestants get out there blueberry picking or better yet go to the Farmers Market Thursday and get your fresh blueberries for your favorite award winning blueberry recipe. 

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

Hi Everyone,

Happy August!

This is an reminder that our meeting will be held on Monday, August 13, 9-11 at the Annie. The first 1/2 hour will be a social time. Please bring your own coffee or tea!

We will continue our custom of having everyone “check in” and share what they would like to about their work.

Newcomers are always welcome.  See you then.

Alice Gardner

Here’s Margi Green getting ready to go into the wild blue yonder in Tom Bernie’s no name red plane.  She said she had a blast and that Tom was the perfect pilot, which I can attest to – you never for a moment feel uneasy in his plane.  So if you’re out and about on Cape Ann and see the little red plane, give a wave to Tom and whoever he might have up there flying with him.

I wonder if that is the hat Margi plans to wear to the “Pass the Hats” Gala and Celebration of Gloucester’s Rocky Neck Cultural District on Friday, August 17th from 6:00 – 10:00pm at The Cultural Center, 6 Wonson Street.   Tickets available at Khan Studio, Imagine Gallery, Rocky Neck Gallery and at the door the night of the event.  In traditional Rocky Neck Art Colony Beaux Arts Ball fashion, it will be the event of the season.  Wear your most creative hat and come out and have fun while helping raise funds for RNAC to purchase The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck!

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

When I took these photos in July, I was sworn to secrecy by the Wicked Tuna film crew and made to promise not to release these photos until after August 4th.  Not sure what all the secrecy was about, but here is the Wicked Tuna film crew and the crew of Pin Wheel out of Rye, NH, who apparently will be upcoming in the Wicked Tuna series.  I don’t have a tv at the gallery, so can’t watch the series, but maybe those who do will understand the significance.  Deb Schradieck, guest artist at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery through August 16th and Wendie Demuth of Wendie Demuth Photography wanted to get in the action too.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

 Commentary by Mary Colussi:  THE SASSY IMP TREE or THEATER PIE SUMMER PLAYHOUSE

          Do you know where the imp tree grows? Do you even know what one is? Don’t feel bad- before this morning, I had never heard of such a thing. Then, when I arrived at the Summer Pie Playhouse, I learned that our play this week is called “Orfeo and the Imp-Trees”. Still, the meaning of the phrase eluded me. Dona, the head director, charged my fellow cheerleader (a kind of counselor and Dona veteran, to those not in the know) and I with the intimidating task of acting out the story of unfortunate King Orfeo, never having rehearsed or even read the old Celtic legend.

          This was to enthuse the heat-battered, tired Players; to embolden them in the face of summer, if you will. And after perhaps the most terrible waltz ever performed- no offense to my partner, whose feet are probably still smarting from the ordeal of dancing with me- we came to the imp trees. By the end of that, the Players were ready to do what they do best: play, which is much more strenuous than you might expect.

          After our ‘rough draft’ performance, we split up into groups, and I worked with a Player who had taken on the role of imp tree. For the record, they are normal, noble trees, who when overtaken by mischievous spirits known as imps, become insufferable troublemakers. My young friend then came up with what may be the sassiest tree I have ever had the chance to act with.

          In case you have not noticed, this playhouse is a long ways from any theater group organized before. It’s small and weird and we don’t have scripts so much as guidelines, and even those guidelines are squiggly and easily crossed. It is the kind of thing that would and does inspire teenagers to come out of the lull of beaches and endless warm days to take part in. We dance with glittery bits of fabric (I being bestowed with the noble title of  “Scarf Minister”) sing a modified, magic-themed rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing”, and teach each other not only to be loud, but to be heard. Best of all, we come up with some great stuff to show the world. Or at least the Cape Ann area. So, what are you waiting for? The imp trees don’t like to be ignored, and trust me, you wouldn’t like to annoy an imp tree. There’s a mistake you only make once.

Two of the most colorful places on Rocky Neck – Kiss on the Neck Ice Cream (the most delicious place to be on a hot August day), and Imagine Gallery, the most positive and cool vibe with Brenda Malloy. 

Cynthia Kennedy Sam from Annisquam and Cambridge represents with Edwardo Cuenca and Margarita Navarro visiting for three months from Grenada, Spain.

www.khanstudiointernational.com

E.J. Lefavour

If you haven’t already, meet Eric Smith, who moved here from Westland, MI and started his new job as Gloucester’s Fire Chief on July 16.  And he’ll now know all there is to know about Gloucester once he subscribes to Good Morning Gloucester.  Welcome Eric, very nice to meet you.  

 E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

An unusual tour of organists takes place August 13-18, when six young Japanese women, “The Yokohama Lucys”, bring their talents to bear on five notable organs in New England. 

During their internships at the Minato Mirai Concert Hall in Yokohama, these women have trained with resident organist, Hatsumi Miura, on a pipe organ affectionately nicknamed “Lucy.”  Lucy is the three-manual, 62-stop instrument built in 1998 (Opus 110) by C. B. Fisk, Inc., the renowned organbuilding firm in Gloucester.  Miura, who organized the tour for her interns, has concertized in numerous cities in America as well as in Europe and Japan, and is a professor of organ at Ferris University in Yokohama. She was recently celebrated for her significant cultural contributions to the city of Yokohama.

On Monday, August 13, at 7:30 PM, three of these distinguished performers will present a concert on the newly completed Fisk organ, Opus 137 at Christ Church Andover, 25 Central Street, in Andover. The concert features repertoire from many eras, including new works from Japanese composers. Barbara Bruns, Music Director and organist at Christ Church Andover was born and raised in Japan and is delighted to welcome her Japanese colleagues to play this recital even before her official inaugural recital of dedication on September 29 at 7:00 pm.

On Tuesday, August 14, at 8:00 PM, the other three performers will take their turn on the organ bench at the historic Old West United Methodist Church, 131 Cambridge Street in Boston. A part of the Old West Summer Series, the concert features familiar repertoire. Old West’s organ, Opus 55 of the Fisk firm, was built in 1970 and is one of the premiere pipe organs in the country. It served for many years as the concert organ for the New England Conservatory. Miura, who was educated at NEC, has played recitals on Opus 55 on several occasions since her days at NEC.

The tour continues on Friday, August 17 at 8:00 PM when Yuka Saruwatari and Reiko Okamoto  play the Jeremy Adams Organ at the Annisquam Village Church, 820 Washington Street, in Gloucester. The Adams two-manual, 13-stop instrument was built in Danvers in 1986. The program features works from many traditions, culminating in an exciting duo of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.  Kathleen Adams, Music Director, at the AVC, notes that Miura played one of her graduate recitals on the Annisquam organ when she was studying under the legendary Yuko Hayashi at the New England Conservatory.  Hayashi, now retired from NEC, will be attending some of these concerts, underscoring the lineage which has ensued from her pedagogy.

On Saturday, August 18, starting at 7:30 PM, two recitals back to back on Fisk organs next door to each other will feature another two duos of “Lucys.”  Kumi Shibusawa and Momoko Koshimizu, will play on C.B. Fisk’s Opus 97 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 48 Middle Street, in Gloucester.  Included on their program is a four-hand/four-feet arrangement of movements from Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik.”  The two-manual, 18-stop organ at St. John’s was installed in 1988.  Mark Nelson, Music Director, recently retired from organbuilding at Fisk after more than 30 years with the firm. Nelson has recently formed the Cape Ann Choir School at St. John’s, open to children 6 years old and up.

The music of the evening continues next door at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 Church Street, in Gloucester following light refreshments served on the lawn in front of the church as the audience traverses from one church to the other.  At 8:30 PM Mineko Kojima and Naoko Asao play the concluding recital on the 1962 Fisk rebuild of an 1893 Hutchings organ.  Their program will feature a variety of organ music including that of contemporary Japanese composers.

All the concerts are free (with free-will donations) and open to the public. For information call 978.283.1909.

In addition to the great lineup of performers and fun that happens every first Thursday on Rocky Neck, stop in at 77 Rocky Neck Ave and welcome artists, Paul George and KT Morse.  It is supposed to be a beautiful evening, so why not think about taking a cruise over to Rocky Neck on the Gloucester Harbor Water Shuttle from Harbor Loop on the hour or from St. Peter’s Landing at 15 after every hour.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

I got lost on my walk this morning.  I am directionally challenged, so normally walk one of 3 established routes.  I had taken the longer walking route up Mt. Pleasant Ave to Moreland to Atlantic to Brace Cove and up St. Louis to Farrington and straight back Eastern Point to East Main and up Rocky Neck Ave.  This time I turned up High Popples, a route I have taken with walking buddy artist, Caroline Kwas, who is not directionally challenged, and has a GPS.  When I got to Grapevine, I followed my “sense of direction”, turned left and continued walking.  By this time I was tired and wasn’t seeing anything familiar.  I spotted a couple in their front yard and went up to them and asked where I was.  They laughed and said: “You’re in Gloucester, Mass!”  It was Ed and Jean Pasquina, and Jean immediately offered to give me a ride back to Rocky Neck, which I gratefully accepted.  Thanks Jean, you get the Good Morning Gloucester angel of the day award.

The next angel is Tom Bernie of East Gloucester.  Tom, a longtime pilot, has wings, and gave me my wings when he took me up yesterday in his very cool two-seater open cockpit experimental, homemade in his basement and attic, bright red plane.  It was without a doubt the adventure of this summer.  I got to take 400+ photos of the coastline from Hampton to Cape Ann, and got many cool shots of familiar places from a very unique perspective.  I’ll be sharing some of them with you over the next couple of days.  This series is Tom preparing the plane for takeoff, me looking like a cool aviator chick, the plane’s shadow on the beach.  Can you identify the others?

Thanks Tom for a really great experience and view of Cape Ann.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

Today Annisquam Yacht Club is quiet, but two weeks from now – watch out!The Annisquam Yacht Club will be hosting the 2012 Mass. Bay Junior Olympic Sailing Festival on August 13-15.  US Sailing’s Junior Olympic Sailing Program is a nationwide series of regattas for youth ages 8 to 21. Each event in this family of regattas is hosted by a different club or organization, but all events share a common goal: to promote the enjoyment of sailing and development of skills to young sailors as well as provide an Olympic pathway for talented junior sailors.

Events mix Olympic-style competition with elements of learning and fun for all levels–from beginning racers to those with Olympic aspirations. In 2012, 30 events are planned in the continental United States and Hawaii and over 4,500 sailors expected to participate. Junior Olympic Sailing is coordinated by US Sailing and sponsored nationally by West Marine and Gill.

The Annisquam Yacht Club will be welcoming sailors aged 8-18 in the Optimist, Laser Radial, and Club 420 classes, and expect more than 300 sailors to participate in this exciting and fun-filled event!

Registration is now open and available online via Regatta Network. For help with registration, contact support@regattanetwork.com.

Grace Papp, 15, has been sailing since she was 7.  This is her third year crewing 420’s – she handles the spinnaker and jib.  Grace loves sailing and sails all day everyday during the summer.  She is the only girl who is going to the overnight away regattas.

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

http://www.conwaysailors.com/theyre-always-from-gloucester/

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com