Footprints in the Sand

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Good Harbor on Wednesday afternoon was clear and crisp.  Taking a walk on the beach takes all the stress of the day away.  Grateful.

Deb Read Named Goetemann Artist in Residence at Rocky Neck

Posted on by James Eves

Does Art Have to Be an Object?

Deborah Read Named Goetemann Artist-in-Residence at Rocky Neck, October 2025

Gloucester, MA — This October, Gloucester-based artist Deborah Read joins the Goetemann Artist Residency at Rocky Neck Art Colony with a deceptively simple but urgent inquiry: Does art have to be an object?

For Read, the answer has long been “not necessarily.” Her interdisciplinary practice—spanning installation, performance, writing, and collaborative projects—frames art as an act of generosity. As co-founder of Gallery RAG in Gloucester and the international foundation Art+Everywhere, she has created platforms that dissolve boundaries between artist and audience, centering collaboration, care, and mutual support.

Read’s projects invite participation and dialogue: immersive performances with Coco Haze that turn galleries into collective canvases, hybrid works with poet Joel Iwaskiewicz where language becomes performance, and community-based installations like Tejido Vivo, which weave craft traditions into living art. In each case, connection outweighs the object itself.

Her foundation Art+Everywhere embodies this vision, described by Read as “a global, artist-led ecosystem built on mutual generosity.” Its mission: expand access to funding, programming, and creative opportunities while removing barriers of gatekeeping institutions. “The challenge is not scarcity, but activation,” Read explains. “Compassion already exists—in hundreds of hands and eyes—ready to help.”

At Rocky Neck, her residency continues this ethos—not as a retreat into isolation, but as a public process of listening, generating, and sharing. “The question is never just ‘what did I make,’ but ‘what did we generate together?’ Generosity is generative—it can enrich lives, spaces, and even economies.”

Public Programs:

  • Artist Talk — October 5 from 4-5PM at Rocky Neck Cultural Center
  • Open Studios — October 27 and 29, from 12-2PM at Gallery RAG
  • Culminating Talk — October 30 at 6PM at Gallery RAG

For Rocky Neck—a community shaped by both maritime labor and artistic innovation—Read’s residency is both a philosophical question and a practical experiment: What if art is not possession, but presence? Not scarcity, but abundance?

Grove Street Self Storage

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

61 Grove Street

Gloucester, MA

Our deal is still on!!

50% off ALL outdoor units with a 6-month contract!

This is available for a limited time while outdoor units last!

Please call for details!!

978-879-4524

Surfside Subs and Pizza Thursday 10/2 🍕🍔

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓪𝔂’𝓼 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓼
🍕Buy any 18” Pizza get an 18” Cheese for $5
🍕Buy any 16” Pizza get a 16” Cheese for $5

🎉Additional Specials for today!
🦞$13.99 Lobster Rolls
🍔 $4.99 cheeseburgers w/ Chips & Pickles

ALSO FOR LONG BEACH DAIRY 🍦

🚨🚨🚨Half Off Special for 10/2🚨🚨🚨
Vermont Maple Cremee
Sprinkled with Maple Sugar
and
Pumpkin Soft Serve
🍁🍦🎃🍦

Half off only on these two flavors for soft serve, special subject to change

Hands on First Aid & CPR Training

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

**Commercial fishermen who complete this training will become certified in Adult First Aid/CPR/AED, and receive a FREE First Aid Kit customized for fishing vessels.

Meets Coast Guard Requirements under 46 CFR 28.210**

Register

All Out For Autumn

Posted on by Pat D

We were visitng Rockport last weekend with family visitors and I noticed that Rockport has gone “all in” on fall! Despite the warm weather, the fall accents are appreciated.

If anyone needs some custom pins my Madeline is in the biz and killing it. She’s great with graphic design as well! If you have any ideas for custom pins you can contact her at her Auburn pin instagram account!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

https://www.instagram.com/auburnpins?igsh=ZGFpd3I3aDdwZmNp

Sunset at Magnolia Pier

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Walking at sunset is one of my favorite things to do, especially in fall.  Shore Road has many people strolling with their dogs and kids, enjoying the fall weather.

Jinx Day at Marshall Farmstand

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

 

This Saturday is our 2nd Annual Jinx Day!! This year’s Jinx Day we are raising money towards the family of Rockport fire captain Andrew Porter who passed away unexpectedly this past May. He served the Cape Ann community as a part of the Rockport fire department for 25 years as well as being a father of his two young daughters. 20% of all farm stand sales this Saturday will go to their family, so please come show your support.

Today’s Farmer Bob Deal of the Day is $1 off Centerville pies, Real Deal stuffed clams, zucchini and summer squash per lb, and Cindy’s Kitchen and Brianna’s salad dressings. Only with your Farmer Bob Card

Hammers on Stone — The Granite Industry & Cape Ann exhibition reflects on a once-vital Cape Ann industry

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

On View at CAM Green: October 11, 2025 through February 1, 2026

Samuel Lewis Pullman (1900-1961), Quarryman Joe Boston, 1930, oil on canvas. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA. Gift of Abner and Miriam (Pullman) Diamond, 1994 [1994.036.001].

GLOUCESTER, MA. (September 2025) – Along with commercial fishing, Cape Ann is known for its century-long granite quarrying industry. Supplying stones for roads, buildings, and construction all over New England and the world, the granite industry was a prominent employer within the region. This new exhibition, Hammers on Stone – The Granite Industry & Cape Ann, explores its history, artistry, and economic impact. On view at CAM Green, the exhibition is open and free to the public from October 11, 2025 to February 1, 2026.

“We are excited to offer items from our collection that tell the story of Cape Ann’s granite industry,” said Cape Ann Museum Director Oliver Barker. “Rockport and Gloucester had the good fortune of having vast quarries embedded in their landscapes which became storied parts of their histories, economies, and many aspects of life on Cape Ann.”

Drawing on the Cape Ann Museum’s extensive holdings of objects and archival materials related to the industry, most of which were gifted to the Museum by historian Barabara Erkkila (1918-2013), Hammers on Stone will examine methods of harvesting, cutting, and finishing stone, as well as how granite was transported from quarry to wharf and further afield. The exhibit will delve into the lives of those involved in quarrying and consider how the industry helped shape Cape Ann’s artistic landscape, inspiring generations of artists to the present day.

For over a century, the granite industry played a vital role in Cape Ann’s economy, providing jobs for workers from across New England and around the world, generating profits for those fortunate enough to share in ownership of the region’s many quarries, and contributing to the unique and authentic sense of place that characterizes Cape Ann today. On a broader scale, the industry contributed significantly to building and transportation projects across our nation during a sustained period of growth and expansion. 

Along with examples of tools used in the industry, artwork in a variety of mediums will be shown including recently gifted paintings by Alfred J. Wiggin and Gabrielle de Veaux Clements, as well as other collections pieces including sculptures by Walker Hancock and George Demetrios, and a block print by Eino Natti a member of the Folly Cove Designers.  A contemporary photograph taken by photographer Steve Rosenthal and inspired by the quarries will also be on display.

Eino Natti (1909-1975), Polyphemus (detail), 1950, ink on linen, linoleum block print. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA. Gift of Anne S. Howells, 1990 [2677].

Several programs that highlight the region’s granite history and communities will accompany the exhibition. Festivities begin with an opening Member reception on Saturday, October 11, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., followed by a slate of walking tours, demonstrations, and talks throughout the fall and winter. 

On Saturdays, October 25 and November 1, visitors are invited to join a docent-led Granite Pier and Quarries Walking Tour in Rockport. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Granite Pier, the 90-minute tour covers approximately 1.5 miles and offers an on-the-ground look at Cape Ann’s storied granite industry. Stops include the Granite Pier, Keystone Bridge, Flat Ledge Quarry, Rockport Granite Company Square, and Little Parker’s Pit. Comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate attire are recommended. Tickets are $15 for CAM members and $25 for non-members, with registration required; parking fees and bottled water are included.

The Museum will also host a series of CAM Talks and demonstrations, most taking place at the Janet & William Ellery James Center at the CAM Green. On October 25, the afternoon features a granite block shaping demonstration by local stonecutter Scott Natti at 1:30 p.m., followed by a lecture by Suzi Natti, How the Granite Industry Changed the Face(s) of Cape Ann, at 3:00 p.m. Together, these programs explore both the technical artistry of granite cutting and the social history of the industry’s largely immigrant workforce.

Additional talks include Les Bartlett’s presentation, Don’t Take it for “Granite:” The Intriguing Story of Butter, Stone and the Economics of Cape Ann’s Granite Industry, on November 8 at 3:00 p.m., which uncovers surprising connections between everyday goods and the granite trade. The series concludes on January 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., with 100 Years in 20 Minutes: The Story of Granite Quarrying on Cape Ann, presented by Monica Lawton. Illustrated with photographs and first-hand accounts, this program offers a sweeping overview of the people, places, and events that defined the industry over a century.

CAM Talks are free for members and $10 for non-members, with advance registration required. More information and registration details can be found at www.capeannmuseum.org.

LINK TO HIGH-RES IMAGES: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/hsmr28nh6921xhvg91uxe/AKom05oEtZK61C33TeWv1qs?rlkey=i3patxk0kbe5r9o90ycpgshiv&st=cmczvxy8&dl=0

Surfeiting and Pizza Wednesday 10/1 🍕🍔

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓪𝔂’𝓼 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓼
🍕Buy any 18” Pizza get an 18” Cheese for $5
🍕Buy any 16” Pizza get a 16” Cheese for $5

🎉Additional Specials for today!
🦞$13.99 Lobster Rolls
🍔 $4.99 cheeseburgers w/ Chips & Pickles

ALSO FOR LONG BEACH DAIRY 🍦

🚨🚨🚨Half Off Special for 10/1🚨🚨🚨
Vermont Maple Cremee
Sprinkled with Maple Sugar
and
Pumpkin Soft Serve
🍁🍦🎃🍦

Half off only on these two flavors for soft serve, special subject to change

GMGI Hosts Annual Byrnes Lecture: Rockfish to Resiliency – Marine Genomic Insights for Oceans & Human Health

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 ~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute ~ 

Please join us on Thursday, October 9,  at the newly renovated Sawyer Free Library for our annual Byrnes Lecture exploring how cutting-edge genomics is transforming our understanding of ocean life and human health.

The ocean is a source of endless mystery, sustaining life on Earth and inspiring generations of discovery. Within its depths, remarkable creatures hold clues not only to the resilience of marine ecosystems but also to the health and longevity of humans. Yet, as pressures from climate change, overfishing, and pollution intensify, understanding how ocean life survives and adapts has never been more critical.

GMGI researchers are harnessing cutting-edge genomic technologies to illuminate the hidden blueprints of marine life, driving forward new strategies for conservation, and building essential connections between ocean science and human well-being.

Admission to this event is free, but registration is required. Click here to reserve your spot.

Doors for this event open at 5:00pm, with the lecture beginning promptly at 5:30pm.

This is GMGI’s Annual Byrnes Lecture, honoring longtime GMGI and community supporter John Byrnes. As a resident of Cape Ann for over 20 years, he was an integral part of the community, providing advice and generous philanthropic support to GMGI and many other organizations.