Category: Art

Cape Ann Artisans Tour Gets Nod As Second Best New England Festival or Event After Being Edged Out by The Illustrious Maine Whoopie Pie Festival

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Best New England Festival or Event

Winner, Runners-up for the 2013 New England Travel Readers’ Choice Award Are…

From about.com

Eclectic events that celebrate everything from music and art to whoopie pies were the finalists for Best Event in the second annual New England Travel Readers’ Choice Awards. All five of these annual happenings are worthy of your bucket list, but only one could nab 2013’s top honors.

1. ***Winner*** Maine Whoopie Pie Festival

Whoopie Pie FestivalMedia photo courtesy of the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival

In 2012, more than 5,000 people converged on the town of Dover-Foxcroft for the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, shattering previous attendance records. After winning Readers’ Choice honors, 2013 could be an even bigger year for this tasty annual event, which pits whoopie pie bakers against each other in competition for best traditional and best original whoopie pie honors. In addition to sampling entries for a quarter apiece, attendees can enter a variety of contests, enjoy music and participate in a variety of other fun activities. Save the date–June 22, 2013–for this quirky celebration of the official state treat of Maine.

2. Cape Ann Artisans Studio Tour

Twice each year in summer and fall, two dozen artists who call the stretch of coast north of Boston "home" open their studio doors, providing visitors with a wonderful glimpse of the inspiring settings in which they work. The Cape Ann Artisans Studio Tour celebrates its 30th year in 2013: Dates are June 22-23 and October 12-14. In addition to viewing diverse creations and interacting with artists, visitors enjoy spectacular coastal views as they follow this tour through the picturesque and historic towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts.

For the rest of the list click here to view the entire article at about.com

Webcam Screen Shots From The Live GMG FOB Art and Photography Show Going On Now at Cape Ann Giclee

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

click on any of the screen shots to view the show’s live video feed or click here-

http://capeanngiclee.com/live-video-feed

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Breaking News!- Gloucester MA Becomes First City To Have More Than One Cultural District After Mass Cultural Council Approves Downtown Gloucester As The Gloucester Harbortown Cultural District

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

This just in from Mayor Kirk-

Congratulations everyone!  Just received word back from Springfield that we received the designation for the Gloucester Harbortown Cultural District.  This has been a remarkable effort by so many people who have come together with a common vision for our beautiful city.  Thank you all.

Mayor Kirk

We covered the process here on GMG.   At the meeting in which community leaders explained to The Mass Cultural Council Why Gloucester is so special and deserves to be the first City with more than one Cultural District-

Massachusetts Cultural Council Takes Over Downtown Gloucester- Photos At Fred Bodin’s Gallery With More To Come

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Joey C

The Mass Cultural Council came to G-Town to listen to and observe what makes Gloucester so special.  There are no other towns that have more than one Cultural District.  Gloucester already has Rocky Neck.  If approved for Downtown Gloucester, Gloucester would stand as the only City with more than one Massachusetts Cultural District.

When sitting in the room and listening to the distinguished assembly of community people that showed up it was obvious about 10 minutes in that honestly Gloucester deserves this in spades.  There is no where anywhere that is as culturally diverse, enriched and vibrant as our community.

All the people had to do was speak the truth.  It wasn’t about selling Downtown Gloucester.  Downtown Gloucester, it’s merchants, it’s artists, its community and artistic organizations sell itself.

You’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not see it and I can assure you the representatives of the Mass Cultural Council that visited, Anita Walker, Meri Jenkins, Kylie Sullivan and Maren Brown are anything but deaf dumb and blind.

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Huge thanks to the Downtown GloucesterCultural District Steering Committee Catherine Ryan, Lise Breen, Judith Hoglander, Robert Whitmarsh, Anne Robinson, Ronda Faloon, Maggie Rosa and David Rhinelander for laying so much of the groundwork to make this meeting possible and also to Fred Bodin for hosting this momentous event at his Bodin Historic Photo Gallery.

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Melissa I love my new scarf.  You rock!

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STEP AWAY FROM THE CANNOLI – PUT YOUR ARMS UP AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CANOLLI!

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Gloucester Welcomes The MCC Thursday 2/21/13 Info

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Joey C

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Help us Decorate by printing and posting Art Haven’s poster! (attached)

Please print out and share this wonderful poster, a unique and custom welcome for MCC, designed by Art Haven, a founding cultural partner. We’re hoping residents, businesses, and organizations throughout the district at street level or above will put it in their window or door for that day. Founding partner, the  Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will disperse it to its members. GMG will post it to request that folks display it for us.  Fred Bodin is also reaching out to his network to encourage printing/posting! We hope all the partners print/display and share with others.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN HANDLE 8MB FILE OR PDF and thank you ART HAVEN!

Review the Itinerary

The MCC site visit will start at 10 AM with a check in at the Cape Ann Museum.  This will only be a quick stop prior to the first meeting, but will give the committee a chance to greet the delegation, distribute literature and prepare information about the venues and businesses within the proposed CD, and offer them a place to stash any items that they might want later in the day.

· 10:00 AM Cape Ann Museum steering committee will  welcome MCC/check in/home base

· 10:30 the MCC delegation will meet at City Hall with city officials, coffee and pastries courtesy Cape Ann Coffee

· 11:30 the walking tour begins and will include 7 stops (not more than 5 minutes each) with pointing and discussion along the way.

The proposed DGCD footprint very roughly spans from St.Peter’s/the Chamber side over  to Gortons, and from City Hall to Maritime Gloucester. This means it includes the Civic jewels, all of Middle, all of Main, all of Harbor Loop, our waterfront, and Rogers until Rose Baker.  It’s the same footprint used for decades and that we all know. We’ll be included in a select group that receive designation and will be marketed with 5 others on the North Shore. We will be the first town in the state with two cultural districts! It mirrors the HarborWalk’s,  the Chamber of Commerce’s, Discover Gloucester,  and Maritime Trail mapsl, etc–everyone’s efforts to maintain the integrity of downtown and historic harbor area. It will likely increase what is already great and working. Our downtown works hard to offer residents, visitors and employees fantastic experiences!

I’m Blown Away By The Quality Of Work in Tonigh’t GMG FOB Art and Photography Show. Live Video Feed Now with Audio Streaming

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Tonight’s the night at Cape Ann Giclee!

Friday the 29th for some wine, beer, refreshments, laughs, camaraderie, and fun. Smile

You can watch us set up the show on the streaming webcam and it will be running throughout the show-

http://capeanngiclee.com/live-video-feed

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Click the start broadcast button above to watch live!

Joey C, Alice Gardner, Carol McKenna, Craig Kimberley, David Stozer. Eileen Oliver, Elizabeth Gauthier, Kathy Chapman, Len Burgess, Thom Falzarano, Brianmoc, Charlie Carroll, David Cox, Donna Ardizzoni, EJ LeFavour, Father Green, Kim Smith, Skip Montello and Trudy J Allen will be in attendance.

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WE ARE LIVE STREAMING FROM THE GMG FOB SHOW AT CAPE ANN GICLEE…NOW!!!!!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hope to see y’all at Cape Ann Giclee Friday Night the 29th for some wine, beer, refreshments, laughs, camaraderie, and fun. Smile In the meantime you can watch us set up on the streaming webcam we set up and will be running through the show-

http://capeanngiclee.com/live-video-feed

ustream-CAG

Click the start broadcast button above to watch live!

Joey C, Alice Gardner, Carol McKenna, Craig Kimberley, David Stozer. Eileen Oliver, Elizabeth Gauthier, Kathy Chapman, Len Burgess, Thom Falzarano, Brianmoc, Charlie Carroll, David Cox, Donna Ardizzoni, EJ LeFavour, Father Green, Kim Smith, Skip Montello and Trudy J Allen will be in attendance.

Click below for directions-

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View Larger Map

Stained Glass in St. Ann’s Church

Posted on by Matthew Green
Last Supper window in St. Ann’s Parish. Posted in honor of Holy Thursday.

Happy Holy Week / Passover!

– Fr. Matthew Green

Cape Ann Artisans at 30, March 2 – May 26

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 

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Judith Wright, in collaboration with Francis Wright,

Mosaic and Cherry Table, 2002 (Detail). Stained Glass and Cherry.

Saturday, March 30

Cape Ann Artisans Demonstration Day

In conjunction with the Cape Ann Artisans at 30 exhibition, members of the Artisans will demonstrate their crafts throughout the Museum. This program is free with Museum admission. For more information click here.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Mike Foley, Sculpture presentation.
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Leslie Wind, Jewelry-making activity for children.
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Beth Williams, Jewelry; Pam Stratton, Mosaics; Judith Wright, Mosaics.

Cape Ann Artisans at 30, March 2 – May 26

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Cape Ann Artisans’ first studio tour, the Museum is holding a retrospective exhibit of work by 70 past and present members. Cape Ann residents visit free on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. For more information click here.

Aim High Snoop Maddie Mad

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Parent Night At School Madeline shows us her Kindergarten painting depicting what she wants to be when she grows up.  A fashion designer in Paris.  Nice aspiration right there Madeline.  Much better than what she told us she wanted to be last year- a taxi driver or a hole puncher.  Imagine a career as a hole puncher. 

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Sailor Stan’s – A Very Cool Place for Breakfast

Posted on by God's Morning

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In case you didn’t know, Sailor Stan’s is open for breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7:30 until 11:30-12:00.  As season starts coming in, they will be open more mornings.  Sailor Stan’s is one of the coolest most colorful artsy spots on Cape Ann, which always reminds me of Key West.  Karen and Wayne are the nicest people, and will cook you a special breakfast treat.  Wayne has a great display of his bold paintings on display, so your eyes as well as your mouth will be busy.

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Community Stuff 3/22/13

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Congratulations Rockport High School DECA State Winners 

Moving on To DECA International Career and Development Conference in Anaheim, CA this April 
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Left to Right: Loren Grier, Veyla Jackson, Matt Ambrogi, Krysia Strumpf, Miranda Gale (all seniors) 

 If you are interested in making a donation to help sponsor part of the cost for the students to compete at this event, contact Mr. Scott Larsen RHS DECA advisor at slarsen@rpk12.org.

Fundraiser for trip to Nationals will be on Saturday, February 6, 2013 at the Fish Shack 

Pancake Breakfast from 7:30-10 AM

Tickets are $8 and may be purchased from one of the students, at the door, or by emailing slarsen@rpk12.org

We strongly encourage you to purchase in advance. 

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Joey —

     Wondering if we can get this posted to the blog.  For three shows only across the Easter weekend, we’re bringing in a Broadway actor named Bruce Kuhn who has developed a one-man show that tells the story of Jesus, word-for-word from the book of Luke, in good old King James English (which takes to the stage like Shakespeare!)  This is not just a church thing;  it’s a city of Gloucester thing; it’s a Cape Ann thing. The shows aren’t even going to be in a church — they’re taking place at the Gorton Theatre, in historic East Gloucester.

     The stories of Jesus have had an incredible impact on art, literature and theatre across the centuries, and it is our hope to enrich the life and culture of our city by bringing in this show to help our city celebrate Easter.  So we’re inviting everyone who might have once remembered going to Sunday School or Confirmation Class to come and remember what Easter is all about; or anyone who might be curious to hear Jesus in his own words and on his own terms; or anyone who just wants to see a fantastic show this Easter!  It’s a great way to get in touch with the story behind the holiday.  Tickets are available for $15 and can be purchased online at http://eastgloucester.org/brucekuhn.  With only three shows, tickets will go fast.  We wanted the GMG community to get the heads up!

 Thanks for the way you serve our city,

 Tim.

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Little Mermaid Jr Wraps Up At O’Maley

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

O’Maley Innovation Middle School Drama Club performed final show of Disney’s Little Mermaid Junior this past weekend

 This year’s cast and crew of over 100 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, performed a total of seven shows, including one morning performance attended by all current Gloucester fifth graders.

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O’Maley Innovation Middle School “X” cast, 7th grader Jared Gilman (Prince Eric) and 6th grader Sadie Cook (Ariel) pose at the production’s final curtain call on Saturday night, March 16th.

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Final performance scene for “X” cast, left to right, 6th grader Caroline Muniz (Flounder), Jared Gilman (Prince Eric), Sadie Cook (Ariel), and 7th graders TS Burnham (Ursula), Henry Hardy(Scuttle) and Talia DeWolfe (Sebastian).

Anna Vojtech and Roland Cornelis – First Dual Exhibit

Posted on by God's Morning

Anna Vojtech and Roland Cornelis

March 21-31 at The Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street
Anna Vojtech and Roland Cornelis present paintings and sculpture in this not-to-be-missed two-week exhibition. We are looking forward to this landmark show that celebrates the work of two dedicated local artists who are partners in life. This is their first dual exhibition featuring abstract wood sculptures by Cornelis and paintings by Vojtech that cover a wide timeframe—some work dates from the 1980s. You are invited to an opening reception on Saturday, March 23, 4-8 PM and “Meet the Artists” Saturday, March 30, 4-6 PM.

Origami Rabbits

Posted on by Matthew Green

Six different origami rabbit designs I folded last night! Starting from the top center and going counter-clockwise, they are designed by Jacky Chan, Jun Maekawa, John Montroll, Robert Lang, Akira Yoshizawa, and… I’m not sure about the last one in the top right. I might some slight modifications to a very common origami rabbit design.

– Fr. Matthew Green

 

Catherine Ryan Explores The Latest Exhibits At The PEM

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey,

We are so lucky to have the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester , MA . The North Shore is also fortunate to have the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem . There are several memorable exhibits overlapping right now at PEM; I would recommend going for longer immersion without kids, but they’re all kid friendly.  In order to share more shows with my children, we decided the best approach was to divvy up separate exhibits with mini visits to the kids’ Discovery Center . The Discovery Center ’s current home is temporarily pushed back further into the museum as they re-design its formal space. It’s sort of a “best of” right now, cycling through favorites from past installations. A wall sign encourages sending in any ideas we may have. We can’t wait to see what they do. One benefit from the move was my sons’ discovery of glass art on exhibit just beyond the delineation of where they usually turn off to the kids’ wing.

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Here’s the rundown:

  • You have until April 2013  to visit MIDNIGHT to the BOOM: PAINTING IN INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCEworks from the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection

A “wow”, cross-generation response to so many selections in this exhibit, including the Gieve Patels and Sudhir Patwardhan’s Town

  • You have until May 27 2013 to visit  FreePort [No.006]: Nick Cave

The visionary FreePort exhibits are curated by Trevor Smith who is helping the Gloucester Committee for the Arts as part of the final juror selection panel for the HarborWalk Public Art Challenge

The new Soundsuits for Nick Cave’s installation are intricate and lush, joyous and serious, and SO MUCH BIGGER IN PERSON.  My sons—they’re 8– stopped short from the encounter and there was mention of Star Wars and limericks. If it weren’t for one suit entirely covered in buttons they would have lingered. They selected favorites, read the wall label, skipped the headphones, and whooshed right along a curved wall of custom wall paper design After the continuous sounds and sights of Cave’s film installation. They sat through twice; it’s a lot to take in.  One of my sons dubbed his favorite Soundsuits from the film: “Mr. Spotty Square Head” and his second “Chewbacca”. I noticed later that neither of his choices showed masks or faces. In the dark and finding a seat, my other son immediately recited:

My father’s name is Sasquatch

My mother’s name is Yeti

They often feast on frozen fish

But I prefer spaghetti

  • You have until July 7, 2013 to visit Golden Light Selections from the Van Otterloo Collection

They enjoyed the Golden Light exhibit because of its elaborate touch- screen kiosk for Isaack Koedijck Barber’sSurgeon Tending a Peasant’s Foot. (“It’s RIGHT HERE, um look HERE at the painting itself, not the kiosk!) Spend time too with Maria Schalcken’s self portrait, ca.1650. We always make it in this wing because of the Norman Rockwell lucky boy painting, and the monumental ship models–which we visit whenever we come. I was lucky to know Philip Reisman, and film and write about him back in 1984.

One of his Gloucester fishing industry paintings is tucked in this same wing; make sure to have a look.
The Cape Ann Museum has a fantastic Reisman hanging in their archives room.

  • You have until October 2013 to visit FreePort [No.005]: Michael Linn

Thanks to the creative mind of Michael Linn, my sons found anchors and stags, crowns and fish. We journeyed back and forth many collections, scale, spaces and time, enjoying many eureka moments which for them felt like real life I SPY. This also offered me a chance to see the poetry and light of the Bosworth exhibit. LAST CHANCE: you have only till March 31, 2013 to see Natural Histories: Barbara Bosworth’s photography show

Here are some snaps from FreePort [No. 005]: Michael Linn, Peabody Essex Museum

 These two FreePort exhibits have a fun balance and flip experience: you’re stationary for the freewheeling movement that is the Nick Cave exhibit; while the quiet, delicate and inanimate objects for FreePort [No.005] make you move throughout different levels, rooms and halls.

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Rebecca Siswick’s art at Island Art and Hobby

Posted on by Matthew Green

Rebecca Siswick Graham is the Artist-of-the-Month at Island Art & Hobby! Her current collection of artwork in acrylic, encaustic, and mixed media will be on display now through March 31st. They held a reception on March 15, and was well frequented.

Rebecca with her art

 

Her work, inspired in biology, uses an interesting variety of techniques and media.

By the way, Island Art and Hobby also has a growing selection of origami materials:

– Fr. Matthew Green

 

Andrea Gail Model Complete Thanks To Help From GMGers!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Lisa Freed writes-

 

Hey Joey

 

My dad finished building the model of Andrea Gail. Couldn’t have done it without the help of the GMG readers and the history/photos and knowledge they emailed us. Individual pieces, hand built, all from those photos, and research.

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Thank you again!

lisa

 

2013 SPRING EQUINOX FROM THOMAS PHILBROOK

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Greetings all:

FINALLY! The long-awaited Vernal Equinox arrives on Wednesday, March 20th at 7:02 am EDT. Crocus are blooming and the days are lengthening. May the miracle of Spring bring you as much joy as it does to me!

Tom Philbrook

www.thomasphilbrook.com

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Gloucester Friends Represent at Saint Joseph’s Celebration in Valencia Spain known as Las Fallas Festival

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

Our friends Tom & Lorna are in Valencia and shared these photos and the video.  The City of Valencia is given over to a carnival of bonfires, fiesta, fireworks and a healthy dose of satire known as Las Fallas, the fires.

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Displayed on every corner all over the city are colourful ninots, giant papier-mâché figures often 20 feet tall or even more that have been paraded through the streets and then placed in fantasy groups to tower over excited spectators. Each one in some way satirises a political figure, or a soap star, or more exotic creatures from the movies, TV, sports idols, or simply imagination. Some of them are grotesque – others playful and charming – all are larger than life and up for public scrutiny.

Every day at 2pm firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in an noisy event called la Mascletá. This concert of gunpowder is very popular and involves different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with theterremoto, (literally means “earthquake”) as hundreds of masclets exploting simultaneously. While this may not be for the frail or faint-fainthearted, you understand how hearted, the Valencians got their valiant name.

Another important event is the Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados, a beautiful ceremony every March 17 and 18, that honours Valencia’s patron Virgin. Thousands of Falleras andFalleros arrive to the city from every corner of the Comunitat (Valencia State) and take the streets wearing traditional costumes and dancing to their neighbourhood or village bands as they wend their way to the Plaza de la Virgen to offer bouquets to the giant image of the Virgin.  You can also check out this video, image this on main street!!

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Our friend Tom representing in Valencia, Spain

Do you think our Block Parties could be like this?

Paella cooking right in the street.
Paella cooking right in the street.

Catherine Ryan confirms Rockaway Hotel as another Gloucester Edward Hopper match with help from the Sibley family

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

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Hi Joey,

I am hoping readers may think about this Gloucester Edward Hopper project when they peruse old family albums. Why? There are still more Edward Hopper locations in Gloucester to uncover, and the photos may help identify the original sites that inspired Hopper. More importantly, the photographs may provide opportunities for us to share and preserve Gloucester stories and create some new ones. As inspiration, I’d like to share photos and a personal account from Liz Fletcher and the Sibley family that has helped to support the identification of the Rockaway Hotel in one of the Hoppers, thanks to its distinctive staircase. The water and rocks endure.

Thank you so much Liz Fletcher and the Sibley family!

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Artist Liz Fletcher wrote me:

“How well Hopper caught the higgledy piggledy hillside-clinging way people built these sturdy wooden houses.” She included the photo with her cousin climbing a fence, “because it shows the old Rocky Neck Yacht Club, the rest of the smaller buildings in the foreground of the (Hopper) painting were torn down when the condo conversion was done…The colors of the building are the same as it still was in the 50s, when we used to play there as kids in the off-season — that 4 or 5 story fire escape going up the back of the hotel was scary to climb. And those smaller buildings down at the water’s edge look just like the ones I remember as part of the hotel complex. The beach to the left of those buildings could be Oakes Cove, where they do the New Year’s Day Plunge nowadays.”

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From the time artist Edward Hopper created his Gloucester images–in 1912, and then summers in the 1920s–there have been approximately 25 or so positive id’s on Gloucester homes, landscapes and structures that are featured in his art.

This core group of Gloucester Hoppers has been reproduced, studied, and included in important exhibitions. In the 1970s, Art Historian and Curator, Gail Levin, photographed then/now comparisons. Since Levin’s work, many other artists and Hopper aficionados have created series inspired by Hopper’s Gloucester images. But there are so many more Gloucester Hoppers! This quantity is news for Gloucester and for MA. Inspired by the Gloucester HarborWalk, I expanded on that core group to a count of over 100, and have identified the bulk of them. They’re collected into an on-line catalogue with contemporary snapshots and a google map of the locations, which Good Morning Gloucester featured here:  https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/catherine-ryan-kicks-the-ny-times-in-the-nuts-with-her-killer-edward-hopper-interactive-maps-and-photos-and-other-stuff/

Please contact cryan225@gmail.com if you find any photos that may help identify some Hoppers locations, and capture some additional Gloucester stories.

I’m looking for pictures of the homes and neighborhood around the Fort. Hopefully we can identify all of them, and who knows maybe inspire a gift of an original Hopper back to Gloucester for the Cape Ann Museum .

The most recent Hopper location I’ve identified is near Russell’s Florist and right before Lee’s Restaurant, on Eastern Ave. , as you’re heading into Gloucester downtown.

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