Love this weekend with the schooners sailing around Gloucester Harbor.


My View of Life on the Dock
Love this weekend with the schooners sailing around Gloucester Harbor.



ALVIN FOSTER AND THE SOUL ECLECTIC BAND ROCKS AT FINAL
GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE CONCERT
Friday, September 6 free concert on Meetinghouse Green
Alvin Foster and his Soul Eclectic Band will have you boogying to the beats of Motown and Soul, at the final concert of the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation’s summer concert series, Music on Meetinghouse Green, on Friday, September 6, from 6:30 PM to 8 PM. Foster and his band will take you back in time to the 60s, 70s and 80s. “We will play soul music underpinning Black people’s courage to be happy and celebrate life, love, spirituality, and growth, in the face of racism,” explains Foster.
Boston-based Foster found his musical passions through youthful immersion in Hip-Hop, Soul, and Jazz. His musical influences include Miles Davis, James Brown, Lou Rawls, Anita Baker, and Aretha Franklin. He has been performing to great acclaim in the Boston area for over ten years. Foster and the Soul Eclectic Band use timeless gems to deliver a fun-filled and thoughtful musical experience.
Alvin Foster is a vocalist, music director, songwriter, and faculty member of the Berklee College of Music, his alma mater, where he teaches Ensemble. He has arranged, directed, or performed for events honoring Berry Gordy, Harry Belafonte, and Lena Horne to name a few. He currently serves as Executive Director for SaveOurSelves Productions, a multi-faceted musical platform that produces live concerts, studio recordings, publications, and educational clinics.
Each week Music on Meetinghouse Green partners with a different non-profit organization to raise awareness for the services they provide to the local community. At the September 6 concert, the audience is invited to contribute a freewill donation to the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation, founded in 2015. The mission of the Meetinghouse Restoration Project is to complete a historically informed but fully functional building restoration, both to preserve this important landmark and to be a cultural gathering place for all of Gloucester and Cape Ann. Gloucester-based restaurant The Causeway will provide delicious seafood.
The Gloucester Meetinghouse, home of the Unitarian Universalist Church, is located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets. The concert is handicapped accessible. Event parking is available on the green and at additional parking lots nearby in the Historic District. Folding chairs will be provided or bring your own beach chair or blanket. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held inside the Meetinghouse.
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is grateful to our 2019 sponsors who made this series possible:
Hero: Scobie Ward
Platinum Tier: J.J. & Jackie Bell, Cape Ann Savings Bank, Harry & Mary Hintlian
Gold Tier: John and Janis Bell, Bomco, Michael & Mary Ann Bresnan
Silver Tier: Anonymous, Gib and Sarah Carey, JoeAnn Hart & Gordon Baird, Charles Nazarian, John and Sandra Ronan
Bronze Tier: Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Bill & Rose Hausman
All 2019 Music on Meetinghouse Green concerts are dedicated in honor of Linzee Coolidge and the late Beth Coolidge for their vision and generosity.
Donna Ardizzoni / Circle Consulting Group 978-526-9222
Donna Ardizzoni / Circle Consulting Group 978-526-9222

The porpoises were an exciting find during my sail on the Ardelle, but there were many other sites to enjoy from the water.







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Kenny MacCarthy I Bob and Sue McDermott I Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty
Join Feather & Wedge for brunch this Sunday with music by jazz guitarist Peter Fedele. Peter is well known for his unique style that combines traditional jazz, with bebop, rock and funk.
Reservations highly suggested! 978.999.5917
Sunday, September 1
10:30 – 2:30 PM
Feather & Wedge, 5 Main Street, Rockport, MA 01966
https://featherandwedge.com/events
Don’t miss Gloucester Maritime Heritage Day, Saturday August 31st, from 10am to 4pm.
By Gail McCarthy
Maritime Gloucester will bring the glory of sailing the open seas during the Age of Sail to shore on Saturday for its Maritime Heritage Day, an annual event tied in with the Gloucester Schooner Festival.
The free, daylong event — which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — offers visitors an opportunity to step aboard a schooner and feel the history of these sailing vessels. The public will also have the chance to watch America’s oldest marine railway in action, which also learning about traditional boat building and the biology of the region’s oceans.
“Both locals and visitors can come down with their families, and it’s free and it’s meaningful,” festival chairwoman Daisy Nell Collinson said. “It’s one of those passive educational things. You are learning and absorbing things without making it feel like a lesson.”
This year, the festival venue is expanding and will include both Maritime Gloucester’s home base on Harbor Loop and the temporary schooner docks about a block away on Rogers Street. The dirt lot known as I4C2, next to The Gloucester House restaurant, will be dedicated to the festivities for the day.
The additional space will allow more boats to be open for deck tours, with greater opportunity for the public to experience them.
“Maritime Heritage Day is one of my favorite things about Gloucester Schooner Festival,” said Michael De Koster, executive director of Maritime Gloucester. “Not everyone wants to get out on the water, but everyone can have a great day of maritime fun at Maritime Gloucester and at the new schooner docks at I4C2. So many great community organizations get together to show the best of Gloucester and make it a family-friendly day.”
To interest all ages, organizers have pulled together a variety of local organizations and exhibitors, each with their own attraction or activity. Participants include Gloucester 400, Cape Ann Art Haven, Cape Ann Museum, Cape Ann Vernal Pond, Essex Shipbuilding Museum, Great Salt Marsh Project, Lowell’s Boat Shop, Ocean Alliance, North Shore Sea Scouts Ship 5, Seaside Sustainability, Schooner Adventure, Schooner Roseway and Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association.
OLLIE — Ocean Learning Lab and Immersive Experiences — will be at the I4C2 lot, along with other exhibitors, so those waiting to board schooners can find out more about the maritime environment while having some fun.
There also will be artisans displaying their wares and food vendors, including The Eclectic Clam, Gig Rower Hot Dog and Veggie Burger Stand, and Kim Gregory Pure Pastry, serving up their specialties.
Where: Maritime Gloucester at 23 Harbor Loop
When: Saturday August 31st 10 AM-4 PM
Price: Free and open to the public
All Day Arrival of Participating Vessels.
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Mayor’s Reception for invited guests (ticketed event)
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Gloucester Block Party on Main Street in downtown.
All Day
Viewing and Deck Tours at Schooner Docks at I4C2
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Maritime Gloucester Heritage Day
Maritime Gloucester, located at 23 Harbor Loop in downtown Gloucester, will host its annual Heritage Day celebration from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The event is free to the public.
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Concert on Stacy Boulevard
Enjoy a community concert on The Boulevard before and after the Parade of Lights and Fireworks.
7:00 pm
Boat Parade of Lights
The annual Boat Parade of Lights begins at dusk at Jones Creek on the Annisquam River, travels down the river, through the drawbridge and into Gloucester Harbor, ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harbor.
9:15 pm
Fireworks Display over Gloucester Harbor. (following Parade of Lights, time approximate).
8:30 am
Skippers Meeting
This meeting is required for all Schooners sailing in the Mayor’s Race. Meet at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.
11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of Charge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
1:00 pm
Start of Mayor’s Race for the Esperanto Cup, Columbia Trophy, Ned Cameron Trophy; and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point.
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Reception and Awards Ceremony
for captains, crews and invited guests (ticketed event).



Last Chance! These must see 2019 shows are closing soon: Don’t miss ICA Watershed Purple (installation view above) closing September 2; DeCordova New England Biennial and the Provincetown Art Association & Museum’s 1945 Chaim Gross exhibition close September 15; and catch Renoir at the Clark before it’s gone September 22nd.
A few of the listed upcoming exhibitions to note: the NEW building and exhibits at PEM are opening September 2019; Homer at the Beach is on display at Cape Ann Museum thru December 1 (and catch a Richard Ormond lecture on John Singer Sargent’s Charcoals Sept.28 at Cape Ann Museum (ahead of the Morgan exhibition opening October); three new shows opening at MFA; Gordon Parks at Addison; and Alma Thomas at Smith. A Seuss-focused experience was pronounced destined for Boston, ahead of its TBD venue, by the LA entertainment company co-founders. Some shows I’ve already visited and may write about, mostly from a dealer’s perspective as that is my background. Exhibition trends continue to evolve and reveal new directions. A few patterns I see in the exhibition titles: what’s annointed for display and how it’s contextualized (corrective labels); immersive exhibits; revisiting colonial methodologies and themes; major solo surveys; women artists (and this upcoming season boost underscoring womens’ suffrage and 100th anniversary of the ratification of women’s right to vote); illustration; environment; and issues of humanity and migration. The list is illustrated with images of the sites. All photographs mine unless otherwise noted. Right click or hover to see info; click to enlarge. – Catherine Ryan
Note from author: The list below is alphabetized by town, and details upcoming exhibitions at each venue as well as some that are closing soon. Click the word “website” (color gray on most monitors) for hyperlinks that redirect to venues. For a list alphabetically sorted by venue, see my Google Map (with a Candy Trail overlay) “Art Museums in Massachusetts” here and embedded at the end of this post. I pulled the map together several years ago. No apps to download or website jumping. Easy scroll down so you don’t miss an exhibit that’s closer than you think to one that you may already be exploring. A few are open seasonally (summer) or weekends only–call first to check before visiting. Major new architectural building projects are underway at BU (closed) and MIT. The 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common will undergo restoration. Get ready for close observation of conservation in process. – Catherine
1. John Greenleaf Whittier historic Home and Museum website
2. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art website
3. Emily Dickinson Museum website ongoing special guided tours through two historic house museums- Homestead and Evergreens, and programs
4. Eli Marsh Gallery – Amherst College website
5. Mead Art Museum – Amherst College website
6. Addison Gallery of American Art Philips Andover website
7. Cyrus E. Dallin (1861-1944) Art Museum website
8. Attleboro Arts Museum (like NSAA) website
9. The Belmont Woman’s Club & 1853 Winslow Homer (seasonal) website historic house museum
10. Montserrat College of Art website
11. Murals, Cabot Street Beverly
12. Beverly Public Library website
13. Long Hill historic home and gardens 114 acres website
14. Boston Athenaeum website
15. Boston Black Heritage Trail, NPS website
photo info: Visitors will see the Robert Gould Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial undergoing conservation beginning fall 2019
16. Boston Children’s Museum website
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17. Boston Freedom Trail website
18. Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park website
(photos show info gateway on the Greenway near the ferry access to Boston Harbor Islands)
19. Boston Public Library website
20. Boston Society of Architects website
21. Boston University BU Art Galleries website
22. Design Museum, Boston website
23. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway website



24. Innovation and Design building (aka Boston Design Building makeover in process in winter 2016 photos posted here) website
25. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum website
26. Guild of Boston Artists website
27. ICA Institute of Contemporary Art website


Nice installation with a few surprises and thoughtful connection to other exhibtions on view. (The LeWit and Johns selections triggered what about that work or artist? I wish May Stevens and Harmony Hammond were included and my list grew from there. That’s part of the fun of the exhibit.)


28. John F. Kennedy JFK Presidential Library & Museum, UMASS Boston website
29. Massachusetts State House art collection website and Boston Commons public arts and spaces
30. McMullen Museum of Art BC – Boston College website
31. MAAH – Museum of African American History, Boston website
32. MFA – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website




33. Otis House Museum, Historic New England website historic house museum
34. Paul Revere House website
35. Society of Arts & Crafts, at Pier 4 Boston website
36. USS Constitution, NPS website
37. Cape Cod Museum of Natural History website
38. Fuller Craft Museum heads into 51st season website
39. Larz Anderson Auto Museum website
40. Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate website
41. Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon website
Harvard –
42. Harvard Art Museums (Fogg; Busch-Reisinger; and Arthur M. Sackler) website
Why do any of the Harvard museums charge an entrance fee?
43. Harvard – Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts website

The Carpenter Center was closed for an event on the day I scheduled to see the Oppermann exhibition – good reminder to call first for the must see shows on your list.
44. Harvard – ‘The Cooper Gallery’ / The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art website

45. Harvard – Gutman Gallery website
46. Harvard – Graduate School of Design Gund Hall Exhibition website
47. Harvard – Ernst Mayr Library website
48. Harvard – Houghton Library website
49. Harvard – Lamont Library (Harvard ID required) website
50. Harvard – Museum of Natural History website
51. Harvard – Peabody Museum of Archaeology website
52. Harvard- Pusey Library Exhibition Gallery website
53. Harvard – Widener Library (Harvard ID required) website
54. Central Square Murals, Cambridge website
MIT –
55. MIT Museum website **OCTOBER 2021 MIT Museum moving to KENDALL SQUARE**
56. MIT List Visual Arts Center website– MIT Media Lab more
57. MIT Hart Nautical Gallery website
58. MIT Museum Studio and Compton Gallery student projects website
59. MIT School of Architecture Galleries website
60. MIT Wiesner Student Art Gallery website Stratton Student Center
61. Mount Auburn Cemetery website
62. Museum of Science, Boston website

63. Museum of Russian Icons website
64. Louisa May Alcott Orchard House 399 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States (978) 369-4118 guided tours year round plus special events
65. Ralph Waldo Emerson House (seasonal) website
66. Walden Pond State Reservation – Henry David Thoreau website
67. Concord Museum website
68. Cahoon Museum of American Art website
69. Crane Museum of Papermaking website Founded in 1930. Mill venue dates to 1844, built after papermaker Zenas Crane’s retirement
70. Cape Cod Museum of Art – 39th year website
71. The Art Complex Museum (Weyerhaeuser collection) website
72. Thornton W. Burgess Society Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen website *may join Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster to combine and become the Cape Cod Museums of Natural History
73. Essex Shipbuilding Museum website
74. TOHP Burnham Town Hall & Library, Essex website don’t miss Alexia Parker paper collage

75. Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) website
76. Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham State Univ. website
Continue reading “Massachusetts Museum Guide: upcoming art exhibits at 150 institutions”

Lunch from the Cupboard. Drink keep cold with my sharp new koozie! Thanks Joey!
More back to school beauty…
Leveraging complete streets and Chapter 90 funding, Gloucester’s DPW is completing a big project on Cherry Street at O’Maley. Sidewalk and street improvements follow along Cherry towards Reynard, stretching straight through to Washington Street. The work will be completed in a week or so.
This guy’s home may be a bit cramped, but it sure is pretty.
