Good Morning Gloucester

The Cape Ann Artisans are pleased to announce that the well-loved 37^th Annual Fall Open Studios will be held this October on two days, Saturday and Sunday, October 10^th and 11^th from 10AM-5PM.  The summer Mini-Tours were well-received and as such, the group will consist of eleven of the artists who are able to accommodate visitors within the parameters of Covid-19.  

The participating artists include artists from many genres that will appeal to art lovers and adventurers who look forward to weaving their way around the coast.  In the category of Ceramic Arts, the Fall group includes David Archibald, Cynthia Curtis, and Erin O’Sullivan & Scott Place (Twin Lights Studios).  With 43 years under his belt, David continues to explore combinations of two to four glazes yielding unusual forms of reds, celadons, and blues.  Cynthia’s popular ocean-inspired creations include coral vases, undersea lamps, berry bowls, lobster and starfish ornaments, scallop and clamshell dishes, mugs, and wedding platters, some with melted beach glass.  Erin and Scott look to the ocean’s creatures for their inspiration and serve up pottery and sculpture with a contemporary flair.

Visual artists include Jillian Demeri, watercolorist, and Sinikka Nogelo who creates in several media – as a painter and sculptor. Both Jill and Sinikka are located at Cripple Cove Studios in East Gloucester.  Rockport-based painter Deb Schradieck works in watercolors and oils.   Linda Hogan and Sara Wright represent the fiber arts.  Linda has created under the name Blueberry Cove Quilts for forty years but is new to the Artisans group.  Sara Wright will display her handwoven and original handknit accessories for wardrobe and home, created using contemporary application of color and texture with traditional textile techniques and novelty yarns.  Mosaic and nature lovers will enjoy exploring Pam Stratton’s beautiful garden, Koi ponds, and Mosaic studio.  Pam uses stone, glass, and other materials to create wall pieces, jewelry and sculpture.  

Jewelry artists include Marcie Rae and Jacqueline Ganim-DeFalco of Cape Ann Designs.  Marcie’s jewelry and small wall pieces of glass enamel and fine silver use ancient and contemporary techniques and tools to transform metal into evocative forms and images.  Using historic sea glass and pottery shards, Jacqueline creates distinctive, functional wearable art that celebrates the natural characteristics of the materials and reflects the natural beauty of the region,

Visitors can easily group the tour into geographic proximity by visiting the Gloucester artists and Rockport artists in sequence by neighborhood using the tour map which can be downloaded at CapeAnnArtisans.com.    Appointments are strongly encouraged and will be given first priority.   The full list of Artisans and their contact information is found below.  Weather permitting, artists will take advantage of their outdoor spaces to offer a waiting area and additional viewing of the work.

Visitors will be expected  to be Covid-Compliant, wear facial coverings, practice social distancing, and use hand sanitizer which will be available at each studio.

Below is the Link to the USDA press release https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/08/31/usda-extends-free-meals-kids-through-december-31-2020

I love the working vesssels and I especially love the opportunity to photograph them on the water from the water…….I took these during our recent sail aboard the Thomas E. Lannon:

Goddamit don’t they know I gotta be up at 3 for work?

Cmon boys, let’s close out this series!

Cosmic Horror Adaptations to Replace Halls of Darkness in Covid Conscious Halloween Program

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS – This Halloween season Hammond Castle Museum will offer a room-to-room theater performance of The Horror of Abbadia Mare, an adaptation of five H.P. Lovecraft stories set within the Castle and adapted around one of America’s most prolific inventors of his time, John Hays Hammond Jr. The Horror-Fan culture will recognize many of the elements of H.P. Lovecraft stories woven together with catastrophic results of Hammond’s insatiable curiosity and research at the archives of Miskatonic University into his family’s dark past.

The five adaptations include Lovecraft’s: Dunwich Horror, Dreams in the Witch House, The Hound, The Color Out of Space, and From Beyond. Set in the fall of 1929, Hammond falls prey to his genealogy which was cursed nearly four centuries ago. As guests move through the inner rooms of the Castle they come upon various members of the Hammond household and are drawn into a story of frantic and tragic happenings within the Castle’s walls.

Performances begin at 6 pm and run every 15 minutes through 9 pm on Friday, October 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. Performances are limited to 8 audience members at a time. Each story is approximately eight to 10 minutes long and the program runs 60 minutes in total. This program is appropriate for children ages 13 years and older. Tickets are $25 each. Advance ticket purchase is required, and tickets may be purchased at: hammondcastle.org/TheHorror.

Hammond Castle Museum has stood on the rocky shores of Gloucester’s coastline for nearly 100 years and presents as the perfect backdrop set right in Lovecraft Country, better known as Essex County. The site-specific adaptation was conceptualized by Creative Director and Curator Scott Cordiner and Tour Director Faith Palermo to incorporate many aspects of Hammond Castle and actual pieces of the Museum’s archives.  “H. P. Lovecraft and a number of his stories have an essence which connects science with horror with otherworldliness. We peer into an abyss which bridges the arcane past with the mystery of other dimensions. Hammond sought a bridge between the past, present, and future through his museum, which housed ancient medieval artifacts, and an adjoining laboratory, which sought to invent the future.” said Cordiner.

Hammond Castle Museum is retiring the Halls of Darkness in consideration of health and safety guidelines associated with the Covid-19 pandemic as set for by the City of Gloucester and the State of Massachusetts.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft is widely regarded as the most influential horror writer of his time and the father of “modern horror.” Lovecraft is best known for the creation of “Cthulhu Mythos”, a collection of tales that loosely link the various subhuman entities and supernatural beings that Lovecraft created. Lovecraft’s first cosmic horror novel was published in 1928. Lovecraft, like Hammond, chose to read and write throughout the night often sleeping late into the day. His work did not receive notoriety until several years after his death in 1937.  His body of work is said to have inspired horror writers including Stephen King, Peter Straub and Neil Gaiman. His stories have a dedicated following of cosmic horror fans, has influenced numerous movies, and is the basis of HBO’s current television drama series Lovecraft Country.

–John Hays Hammond Jr.,known as “The Father of Radio Control,” was one of America’s most prolific inventors and a protégé of Guglielmo Marconi, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell. Built from 1926 through 1929, and incorporated as a museum in 1930, the Castle’s architectural style is a mix of a medieval castle, French chateau, and a Gothic cathedral. It was custom built to encompass Hammond’s private residence, laboratory, and museum quality collection of architectural elements such as the facades of medieval shops and doorways from chateaus. Also on display is Hammond’s extensive list of patents, his work with radio control, and his work on guided torpedoes for the military.

Hammond Castle Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not handicapped accessible. The museum offers guided tours and numerous educational and cultural events throughout the year. It is also available as a wedding and private events venue. For more information, please contact Hammond Castle Museum at info@hammondcastle.org, 978-283-2080 or visit Hammondcastle.org to purchase tickets.