Author: Kimsmithdesigns

Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."

TRIDENT GALLERY EVENT: TLAS 13 – Vincent Cacialano (UK) Alan McDermott(UK) My Brother Daniel (Rockport)

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns
11144441_925229410870434_5457494383474000610_oSaturday, August 29th at 7:30 pm.

My Brother Daniel – Live electronic Music Set

Alan McDermott/Vincent Cacialano – Dance Film “Animation Project”

Vincent Cacialano with Sarah Slifer Swift- Dance performance “Crescendo”

My Brother Daniel is the live and improvised moniker of Scott D Buchanan aka Radio Scotvoid. His original music is heavily influenced by chiptune, ambient electronica and noise; however you may hear trickles of freeform jazz, funk and even punk rock within his style. Scott will bring his knowledge of dj-ing, controller-ism and improvisation to the table for this special one-off live set made especially for Trident. http://radioscotvoid.com/

Animation Project is a collaboration between Film Artist/Animator Alan McDermott and choreographer Vincent Cacialano. The short clips demonstrate a trial and error process of ideas and techniques using animated stills with the intention to explore the energy of motion and it’s trajectory in space beyond the body.

Crescendo- Magnet is a movement performance choreographed through mind/body states and motivation, and a connection to sound and space. Concept by Vincent Cacialano, performed by Cacialano and TLAS Director Sarah Slifer Swift. http://vincentcacialano.com/

Admission is free. Voluntary donations ($10 suggested) compensate the artists. The free experience of art at Trident Gallery is made possible by those guests who support the arts through purchases of fine art and donations to performing artists.

Seating is limited. Guests may reserve seats by visiting the gallery, by calling +1 (978) 491-7785, by sending e-mail to events@TridentGallery.com, or by joining this Facebook event (please do not respond “Maybe”). Trident staff will respond promptly to confirm seat reservations or else to advise regarding standing room, floor seating, or waiting list status.

Trident Gallery will close at 6:30pm to prepare for the performance.

House doors open at 7:15pm, 15 minutes before the event (earlier if possible). At fully reserved events, guests without reservations will be invited to occupy empty seats promptly at the scheduled start time.

If unforeseen circumstances require postponement or cancellation of this event, notices will be posted here and on the gallery web site,http://TridentGallery.com/

The Trident Live Art Series presents performances by seasoned professionals showing experimental and collaborative work in the intimate salon setting of the gallery. Performances of 20–40 minutes are followed by refreshments and informal conversation.

Founding support for the Live Art Series is provided by Trident Gallery. Supplementary fiscal support in 2015 is provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

ISRAEL HOROVITZ LIVE AT THE SAWYER FREE LIBRARY!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

https://instagram.com/p/6D5Qyzjyjs/

Israel reading from Heaven and Other Poems!

Israel Horovitz Mary Weissblum Β©Kim Smith 2015Israel Horovitz and Mary Weissblum

Gillian Horovitz Β© Kim Smith 2015Gillian Horovitz, center

 

 

Roses of Reunion for Gloucester Gardens

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Bourbon Rose β€˜Variegata di Bologna’ Β©Kim Smith 2015

‘Variegata di Bologna’

With Reunion so much in the news, I thought readers might be interested to learnΒ that Reunion is home to some of the most highly scented roses in the world, the Bourbon roses. Bourbon roses grow very well in Gloucester gardens and have the wonderful combined qualities of fabulous fragrance and repeat blooming. I wrote a bit about them in my book Oh Garden of Fresh PossibilitiesΒ (see chapter 14).Β Bourbon roses are so named because ReunionΒ was formerly called Isle de Bourbon.

Excerpt from Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!Β 

A sepal, a petal, and a thorn
Upon a common summer’s mornβ€”
A flash of Dewβ€”A Bee or twoβ€”
A Breezeβ€”
A caper in the treesβ€”
And I’m a Rose!

Emily Dickinson

Rosa bourboniana

The Bourbon roses (Rosa bourboniana) comprise one of the most extravagantly scented class of roses, along with having a wide range of growth habit in form and height. From the shrubby and compact β€˜Souvenir de la Malmaison,’ growing to about two feet, to the thornless climbing β€˜Zephirine Drouhin,’ there is a suitable Bourbon rose available to fill nearly every conceivable desired effect in the landscape.

Named for the island of Reunion, formerly called Isle de Bourbon, Rosa bourboniana is a natural crossing of the China rose (repeat blooming) with the Autumn Damask rose. Reunion belongs to the archipelago of Mascareignes in the Indian Ocean and lies east of Madagascar. Originally discovered by the Portuguese, then colonized by the French in the seventeenth-century, Reunion had a diverse population of settlers from around Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. The Bourbon rose was discovered growing wild in Reunion in approximately 1817.

Hybridized Bourbon roses flower in hues of white to china pink to cerise and purple. The flowers are quartered at the center and filled with overlapping petals. With their sublime fragrance, tolerance for cold temperatures, and freedom of flowering (β€˜Louise Odier’ remains in bloom from June until the first frost), Bourbons are amongst the most distinctive of all roses.

The following is a list of Bourbon roses successfully growing in our garden, along with one failure noted.

β€˜Louise Odier’ ~ 1851 ~ Bourbon ~ Delicate china pink, camellia-style flowers, enchanting and intensely fragrant. Blooms lavishly throughout the season, from early June to November, with a brief rest after the first flush of June flowers. Grows four to five feet.

β€˜ZΓ©phirine Drouhin’ ~ 1868 ~ Bourbon ~ Clear hot pink. Thornless. The sensuous Bourbon fragrance is there, only not as intense relative to some others noted here. Repeat blooms. Twelve feet.

β€˜Madame Isaac Pereire’ ~ 1881 ~ Bourbon ~ Deep raspberry-magenta. Considered to be one of the most fragrant roses. Six to seven feet. Note: We no longer grow Madame Isaac Pereire as its buds usually turned into brown, blobby globs that rarely fully opened due to damp sea air.

β€˜Souvenir de Victor Landeau’ ~ 1890 ~ Bourbon ~ Deep rose pink, richly fragrant and consistently in bloom through October and into November. Pairs beautifully with Louise Odier. Four to five feet.

‘Variegata di Bologna’Β ~ 1909 ~ Bourbon ~ Creamy pale pink with rose-red striations. Suffused with the heady Bourbon fragrance. The foliage becomes tattered-looking later in the season. Slight repeat bloom, although it initially flowers for an extended period of time, four to six weeks in all. Tall growing, best supported against a pillar.

β€˜Souvenir de Saint Anne’s’ ~ 1916 ~ Bourbon ~ Ivory flushed with warm pink and cream single to semi-double blossoms. Sensuous Bourbon fragrance. Compact growing, ideal for the garden room. Continually blooming. Two feet. Note: β€˜Souvenir de St. Anne’ is a sport of β€˜Souvenir de la Malmaison’ (1843), with the similar lovely colorway. The unopened buds and blooms of β€˜Malmaison’ have the tendency to be ruined in damp air, whereas β€˜St. Anne’s’ do not.Bourbon Rose β€˜Variegata di Bologna’ Gloucester Garden Β©Kim Smith 2015TipsΒ for improved rose culture:

Continue reading “Roses of Reunion for Gloucester Gardens” →

CAMELOT PHOTOS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT Β©KIm Smith 2015TheΒ Annisquam Village Players superb production of Camelot is playing now through Sunday. Once again the Players have created summer theatre magic, set in an enchanted world where Right is Might!Β Visit the AVP website here to purchase tickets. Do not miss this show!

Hats off to the stellar cast and production team, with an extra huge shout out to production:Β Co–directors: Terry Sands and Mary Curtis. Production Manager: Seania McCarthy, Stage Manager: Lori Correale, Musical Director: Marcia Groome, Set Designers: Chicki Hollett and Tom Moriarty, Costumes: Jessie Summers, Choral Director: Kristina Martin, Choreographer: Deej Viau. See the program for a complete list of cast and crew.

ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -2 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -3 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -4 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -5 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -6 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -7 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -8 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -9 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -11 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -12 Β©KIm Smith 2015 ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS CAMELOT -17 Β©KIm Smith 2015

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE Continue reading “CAMELOT PHOTOS!” →

GMG FOB Mary McCloud Tucker Rainbow Photo

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Mary writes from her view from Salt island Road, “Beautiful Gloucester Rainbows ~ always part of our vacation :)”
photo (10)

NeverDark Series Continues: Staged Reading of Harold Pinter Play Starring Lindsay Crouse

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Lindsay_Crouse_color_headshot_300_dpiGloucester Stage continues the NeverDark series with a special staged reading of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party featuring Gloucester’s Academy Award nominee Lindsay Crouse on Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30 pm. There will be a Talk Back with the director and actors following the reading. In The Birthday Party Stanley Webber is an unassuming piano player living in a rundown boarding house on the English coast. Two sinister strangers, Goldberg and McCann, arrive supposedly on his birthday. As the celebration progresses the strangers turn Stanley’s birthday party into a nightmare. The reading is directed by Courtney O’Connor and features Lindsay Crouse, Allyn Burrows, Chelsea Diehl, Tom Grenon, John Porell, and Brett Milanowski. Admission to the reading is Pay-What-You-Wish. For information about the staged reading of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party and the NeverDark series, call the Gloucester Stage Box office at 978-281-4433 or visit www.gloucesterstage.com.

Gloucester resident and Gloucester Stage favorite Lindsay Crouse was last seen at Gloucester Stage in her award winning role inDriving Miss Daisy. Academy Award nominee Lindsay Crouse made her Gloucester Stage debut in 2007 in The Belle of Amherst; followed by a return to Gloucester Stage in 2008 in Going To St. Ives, in 2010 in Table Manners, in 2011 in Living Together and in 2012 in Round and Round The Garden. A long-time veteran of the New York stage, Lindsay Crouse has performed off and on Broadway, and has won the Obie and Theater World Awards. At the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles, she starred with John Mahoney in Conor McPherson’s The Weir, breaking the theater’s box office records. On television, Ms. Crouse has guest-starred on C.S.I.,Criminal Minds, Law and Order, E.R, NYPD Blue, Colombo,Murder She Wrote, Touched By An Angel, Hill Street Blues, Frasier, ARLI$$ and Alias. She spent a season as the infamous Professor Maggie Walsh on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She appeared on all three television networks simultaneously playing recurring characters on Providence for NBC, Hack for CBS, andDragnet for ABC. She has played three different characters on Law and Order, and appeared as the formidable Judge Andrews on Law and Order SVU. A feature film veteran, some of Ms. Crouse’s best known films include The Insider, The Verdict, House of Games,Slapshot, Communion, All The President’s Men, Prince Of The City, Daniel, The Arrival, Indian In The Cupboard, Mr. Brooks andPlaces In The Heart, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Ms. Crouse currently teaches around the country a class that is unique in the world, combining principles of Buddhism with principles of drama, creating a fresh approach to acting, writing and directing in all media.

A longtime Gloucester resident, Ms. Crouse began spending her summers in Gloucester as a child and does not miss a summer on Cape Ann. Her parents began summering in Gloucester in the late 1940’s as an escape from New York City. Lindsay’s father playwright Russel Crouse found inspiration on Cape Ann. He often worked here with his longtime partner and collaborator Howard Lindsay. Their partnership of over 28 years is one of the longest in theatre history and responsible for such hits as The Sound of Music, Anything Goes, Life With Father and the Pulitzer Prize winning The State of the Union among others.

NeverDark is a series of second-stage events that include lectures, talk backs, film screenings, play readings, and other events designed to enhance the knowledge and enjoyment of all Gloucester Stage Mainstage productions. The NeverDark series continues with the staged reading of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party on Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30 pm All NeverDark events are Pay-What-You-Wish. For information about the NeverDark series, call the Gloucester Stage Box office at 978-281-4433 or visit www.gloucesterstage.com.

John Sloan, Robert Henri, and John Butler Yeats: A Portrait of Friendship at the Cape Ann Museum

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

John Sloan, Robert Henri, and John Butler Yeats: A Portrait of Friendship

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (July 31, 2015) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present John Sloan, Robert Henri, and John Butler Yeats: A Portrait of Friendship on Thursday, August 13 at 7:00 p.m. This is the second of three lectures offered in conjunction with the John Sloan Gloucester DaysΒ exhibition on view at the Museum through November 29, 2015. The exhibition will be open for viewing prior to the lecture from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Presented by Avis Berman, an independent writer, art historian, and author of Rebels on Eighth Street: Juliana Force and the Whitney Museum of American Art; James McNeill Whistler; and Edward Hopper’s New York.

060.tif
060.tif

Self-Portrait, Working, 1916
Oil on canvas
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Gift of John and Helen Farr Sloan
Β©2015 Delaware Art Museum/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

High resolution image available on request.

When we consider the subject of portraits of artists, our first thoughts tend to be of likenesses painted on canvas, etched on a plate, or exposed on a negative.Β But equally compelling in the study of artists and why they make the images they do are those portraits deduced and composed from the examination of psychological and social motivations. This sort of portrayal based on deeper emotional currents is especially revealing in the case of the American painter and printmaker, John Sloan. Sloan could not have matured into the artist he was without the catalytic interlocking relationships he sustained with two other forceful personalitiesβ€”the painters Robert Henri and John Butler Yeats.Β The power of these artists’ intense, transformative personal and intellectual friendshipsβ€”friendships that became central experiences, opened doors to new worlds, and were precious founts of support and inspirationβ€”does much to explain many facets of Sloan’s life and work.Β The three men’s association also had more general consequences for American artβ€”it was a great influence on drawings, paintings, and prints produced by a number of outstanding artists in Sloan and Henri’s orbit.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. For more information, please call (978)283-0455 x10 or emailinfo@capeannmuseum.org.

The third lecture in the series, presented by Michael Lobel on October 30, will be Passing through Gloucester: John Sloan Between City and Country.


About the exhibition:
One of this country’s most important artists of the early 20th century and a highly respected teacher, John Sloan (1871-1951) spent five summersβ€”1914 through 1918β€”living and working on Cape Ann. During that time he created nearly 300 finished oil paintings, using Gloucester’s rugged landscape as a backdrop to experiment with color and explore ideas about form, texture and light. Arguably the most productive period of his career, the body of work that Sloan created during this time continues to astonish and delight viewers a century after it was completed.

The Cape Ann Museum is proud to have five major works by John Sloan in its permanent collection:Β  Sunflowers, Rocky Neck, 1914; Old Cone (Uncle Sam), 1914; Glare on the Bay, c.1914; Red Warehouses at Gloucester, 1914; and Dogtown, Ruined Blue Fences, 1916.Β  Approximately 30 additional works, drawn from public and private collections across the country, will also be on display.


Exhibition Sponsors:
John Sloan Gloucester Days is sponsored by Carpenter & MacNeille Architects and Builders, Inc. and by Cape Ann Savings Trust & Financial Services.


PLAYTIME STORIES ON SATURDAY MORNING AT GLOUCESTER STAGE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Playtime_StoriesCastand ProjectionsPlaytimeStoriesCastAnglePlaytime Stories Cast Performs

 

SEE MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL AND

HENRY AND MUDGE COME ALIVE ON STAGE

Live Theatre Performances for Young Audience Members Age 3 and Older

Gloucester Stage continues Playtime Stories, a fun combination of children’s stories, live performances and children’s activities for ages 3 and older, on Saturday, August 8 at 10 am at Gloucester Stage, 267, East Main Street, Gloucester. The stories set for August 8 are Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Cynthia Rylant’s Henry and Mudge. Following the stories, young audience members are invited to join Youth Program Director Heidi Dallin, Gloucester Stage Education Apprentices: Avery Daniels and Amelia Dornbush and cast members for activities and theatre games.Playtime Stories offers young children the unique opportunity to experience the fun and magic of live theatre as they watch their favorite books come to life onstage as well as the opportunity to join the Playtime Stories Company in fun and interactive workshops relating to the story. Each week Playtime Stories explores a different story ranging from classic fairy tales to new stories to works by local authors. Upcoming books to be read and performed by the Playtime Stories Company include Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel on August 8, the classic stories of Cinderella andPeter Pan on August 15 and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Dr. Seuss’ new story, What Pet Should I Get? on August 22 All Playtime Stories’ performances are held at 10 am at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Admission is $5. For more information, call the Gloucester Stage Box Office at 978-281-4433 or visitwww.gloucesterstage.com

PlaytimeActivitesAveryandAmeliaEducation Apprentices Amelia Dornbush and Avery DanielsΒ 

ChloePlaytime Stories Company member actress Chloe de Gaspe Beaubien works on project with audience members

Photos by Heidi Dallin

Gloucester Summer Storm Photos

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

What a day for capturing dramatic skies!
Gloucester city skyline summer storm Β©Kim Smith 2015

https://instagram.com/p/59lgpEDyqZ/

https://instagram.com/p/59eu9kDyvG/

summer storm Β©Kim Smith 2015downed tree Β©Kim Smith 2o15Downed tree on the road to Eastern Point Lighthouse

PERFECT AND GORGEOUS RAINBOW AND A HALF OVER NILES POND!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Stopping for a moment to take a photo when it began to thunderstorm, again! I love that you can see the reflection of the rainbow in the pond water.

RAINBOW GLOUCESTER MA Β©Kim Smith 2015Niles Pond Rainbow

Click to view larger.

HARBOR CRUISE TO BENEFIT THE CARLO “SLEEPY PALLAZOLA MEMORIAL FUND”!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Join the Pallazola friends and family in honoring and raising funds for The Carlo “Sleepy” Pallazola Memorial Fund on a wonderfully fun cruise aboard the Lady Sea.

11821978_10207326156819116_1260539154_o

Gloucester’s Middle Street – An ever evolving neighborhood

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Guided walking tour offers historic perspective

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (July 31, 2015) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present Historic Middle Street, a guided walking tour of one of Gloucester’s many historically rich streets, on Saturday, August 8 at 10:00 a.m. The tour meets at the Cape Ann Museum at 27 Pleasant Street and lasts about 1 1/2 hours. Tours are held rain or shine. Cost is $10 for Museum members; $20 nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Space is limited, reservations required. Emailinfo@capeannmuseum.org or call (978) 283-0455, x16 for more information or to reserve a spot. Additional walking tours are offered throughout the summer – please visitcapeannmuseum.org/events for more.

Did you know that a resident of Middle Street, Gloucester, saved the town from a British attack by sea during the Revolution? Or that a leading feminist and religious free thinker lived halfway down Middle Street? Or, that the 1764 Saunders House that forms part of the Sawyer Free Library has undergone at least three radical architectural changes including a massive Victorian tower? Four centuries of Gloucester’s social, economic, and architectural history are packed into this one short street in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Join us for a docent-led tour of an ever-evolving neighborhood where you will see surviving evidence of the past and will learn about structures and people now gone.

unnamed-1The Saunders House, now part of the Sawyer Free Library,Β in the early 1880s. Photo by Edward Corliss & J. F. Ryan House Photographs, c. 1882-85. 4″ x 6″ cabinet cards. From the collection of the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives.

Amazing Footage of Cecil the Magnificent Lion

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

141202150915-lion-exlarge-169Cecil the Magnificent

One of the most heartbreakingΒ aspects of Cecil’s brutal and gruesome killing is learning about how human kindΒ hasΒ forever altered the gene pool of African lions. The unrelenting huntΒ forΒ the largest and most dominant of the lions has led to an overall weakening of the species. In recent studies, scientists have shown that the largest male African lion is thirty pounds smaller than the largest male lion of only a few decades ago.

EMXP61 Image shot 2014. Exact date unknown.

Powerful and Regal Cecil

cecilobit01.adapt.768.1

Images courtesy Google image search.

Kamsihibai Storytelling at Abi’s Art Studio with Rachel Grinstead-Babson

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns
Kamishibai Lady Storytelling at Abi’s Art Studio in Lanesville
1073 Washington St. Β 01930
August 3 – August 28
Monday & Wednesday at 10 and 12
Tuesday at 1:30
IMG_4659
*Kamishibai is a fun storytelling experience from Japan for kids from 3-10. At Abi’s Art Studio we tell stories, play games and create our own Kamishibai Stories to take home and share with friends and family.
Parents can drop-off or stay and play with us, $12 a visit.

Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Daughter!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Good Harbor Beach Liv Matt Β©Kim Smith 2015Niles Beach swim, Good Harbor Beach late day walk, Champagne, fresh-off-the-boat lobs, lemon-chocolateΒ cake–celebrating Liv’s birthday with her sweet husband Matt–Gloucester-style! So happy to have them here for the weekend. Hurry back!

birthday cake Β©Kim Smith 2015

https://instagram.com/p/53ZP4vDyhW/

https://instagram.com/p/53Y0EHjygp/