Good Morning Gloucester

Hi Joey!

Hope you can help us remind everyone that the Cape Ann Contra Dance Summer Series wraps up this Friday, August 21 at the Magnolia Library and Community Center.

The dancing starts at 8:00.

We hope to announce our autumn series soon.

It’s been a busy Summer!

And Fall will be even busier!

New e-books, new paper books, a new web site, and an exciting new opportunity to win books and Kathleen’s hand-knit “furry” cowls for the cold weather a head!
Finally, after years of procrastination KathleenValentine.com has been updated to be mobile friendly and to offer more information on both paperback books and e-books. A contest page has also been added and the prizes are quite special we think you’ll be impressed!

Oh my goodness, where has summer gone!

Pick #1    Strandbeest at Crane’s Beach

I first saw Theo Jansen’s amazing creations on-line a couple of years ago and shared them with my students.  So unbelievably cool…and so excellent to have the opportunity to see them in “person.”

READ ALL ABOUT STRANDBEEST AND WHEN TO SEE THE AWESOMENESS HERE

We are actually planning on heading to the Rose Kennedy Greenway to see Strandbeest next week, but Crane’s Beach this weekend is a fantastic option!

Pick #2  Antique and Classic Boat Festival, Salem

The flash of polished bronze and gleam of varnished wood across the water will be the order of the day as elegant antique and classic yachts sail into the host city of Salem, Massachusetts for the 33nd Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival August 22-23, 2015. Mostly wood, primarily private yachts and aesthetically stunning, the vessels will be on display to the public over the weekend at Brewer Hawthorne Cove Marina. A hallmark of the Festival is the great variety of craft exhibited. “Where else,” says Pat Wells, Coordinator, “can one see 1900s-60s motor yachts, mahogany speedboats, sloops, yawls, schooners and a 19th century gold-leaf canoe! Although many of these craft are museum quality, they are real boats in the water and in use by their owners today.”

See full event schedule and highlights HERE

Pick #3  8th Annual Boston Greenfest

Welcome to the 8th Annual Boston GreenFest ! This is the region’s largest multicultural environmental music festival. Boston GreenFest is a celebration of life and possibility, providing you with ideas and experiences that can shape your life and the life of your community. Our goal is to inform EVERYONE as to the many ways green living can make a positive impact on our world, city, neighborhoods and each of us. The three days have something of value for everyone – the festival is convenient, and free. Individuals, friends, families and groups are encouraged to be at this FREE event. Be part of this community for green change. Have fun, meet people, learn, and be inspired!

HEAD HERE FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS AND FULL SCHEDULE

Seafood Throwdown is coming back to Cape Ann Farmers Market Thursday, August 20 from 4 – 6 p.m. at Stage Fort Park. This unique cooking competition brings local chefs, fisheries advocacy organizations, local food vendors, and food advocates together to talk about why local seafood should matter to us.

This year, the Seafood Throwdown will focus on the current efforts to label genetically modified foods. Market goers will get a chance to learn about the threat of GMOs to the marine environment, local seafood, fishing communities, and the rest of our food as well as opportunities to weigh in on the issues surrounding GMOs, including labeling campaigns.

The two teams going knife-to-knife at this year’s Seafood Throwdown are Mark Delaney of Common Crow Natural Market and Chef David Gauvin Dining Services Director at Addison Gilbert Hospital. Steve Parkes of Maritime Gloucester will hold his annual fillet demonstration. Secret seafood for the chefs and the fish for the fillet demonstration are provided by Ocean Crest and donated by the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association.

Judges for this year’s event include Nancy Sullivan of Cape Ann Nutritional Therapy, Rebecca Peters Campaign Organizer with MA Right to Know GMOs, and Sean Horgan fisheries reporter for Gloucester Daily Times. Angela Sanfilippo of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and NAMA staff will be on hand to talk about our local fishing economies and the impact of GMOs on local fisheries and marine environment. We’ll also be pulling at least one audience member to join the judging team so come prepared.

The Seafood Throwdown is a collaboration between Cape Ann Farmers’ Market, the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA) and the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association and their Community Supported Fishery project Cape Ann Fresh Catch. Seafood Throwdowns started here in 2008 and now spread up to Canada, down the east coast and up the west coast. NAMA partners with local communities to host Seafood Throwdowns in order to promote the ecological and social benefits of locally caught seafood, the impact of local fishing fleet on the local economy, and role of seafood in our food systems.

Cape Ann Farmers Market is held every Thursday from 3 – 6:30 through October 9th. Always plenty of FREE parking right across the street on Market days. Seafood Throwdown is a free event and begins at 4pm.

Once again a spectacular night aboard the Lannon. Sista Felicia crushed it with the food and the wine from Mike DiFazio and the hospitality of The Ellis Family.

There are 46 peaks in the Adirondack Mountains that exceed 4,000 feet in elevation. Nine years ago my niece Ellen set out to climb all of them. A few days ago she succeeded.

Marty (38 peaks and holding)

Click the little gear in the lower right to watch in high definition (1080).

Discover John Sloan’s Gloucester
August 21st

A gallery tour with curator Martha Oaks

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a special gallery tour with Cape Ann Museum curator Martha Oaks on Friday, August 21 at 9:30 a.m. Cost is $10 for Museum members; $15 nonmembers (includes admission). Space is limited; reservations required. For reservations and tickets please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.

One of this country’s most important artists of the early 20th century and a highly respected teacher, John Sloan (1871-1951) spent five summers—1914 through 1918—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:  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.  Approximately 30 additional works, drawn from public and private collections across the country, will also be on display.

Lighthouse Cruise
August 22nd

Circumnavigate Cape Ann by boat to view historic lighthouses and more

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (August 11, 2015) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to offer a lighthouse cruise with Harbor Tours of Cape Ann on Saturday, August 22 at 10:00 a.m. For this trip, a Museum docent will be on board to answer questions and provide insight into the history and culture of Cape Ann. $25 members. $35 nonmembers. Advance tickets required. Please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org for more information.

Enjoy the history and beauty of Cape Ann’s coast – up close! Presented by Cape Ann’s longest-running sightseeing company, you’ll get views of the Cape you can’t reach by car – or on any other boat trip! Bring your camera – you’ll see historic lighthouses, Gloucester’s fishing fleet, lobstermen, drawbridges, islands, and Cape Ann’s spectacular natural beauty. Learn about some of the names of famous artists and poets that spent time here painting and writing. Hear about the great granite industry that flourished here for many years.

Restrooms, snacks and drinks are available on board. Trip length is approximately 2-1/2 hours.

Hopper’s Houses
A Guided Walking Tour
August 22nd

A tour in downtown Gloucester to view houses immortalized by renowned American realist painter Edward Hopper

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a guided walking tour of select Gloucester houses made famous by American realist painter Edward Hopper on Saturday, August 22 at 10:00 a.m. Tours last about 1 1/2 hours and are held rain or shine. Participants should be comfortable being on their feet for that amount of time. Cost is $10 for Cape Ann Museum members; $20 for nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Space is limited and reservations are required. Email info@capeannmuseum.org or call (978) 283-0455 x10 for more information or to reserve a space. The Hopper’s Houses tour will also be offered on August 22.

American realist painter Edward Hopper is known to have painted in Gloucester on five separate occasions during the summer months in the years 1912, 1923, 1924, 1926 and 1928. His earliest visit in 1912 was made in the company of fellow artist Leon Kroll. During his second visit to Cape Ann in 1923, Hopper courted the young artist Josephine Nivison. He also began working in watercolor, capturing the local landscape and architecture in loosely rendered, light filled paintings. In 1924, Hopper and Nivison who were newly married returned to Gloucester on an extended honeymoon and continued to explore the area by foot and streetcar. During his final two visits to the area, in 1926 and 1928, Hopper produced some of his finest paintings. This special walking tour will explore the neighborhood surrounding the Museum, which includes many of the Gloucester houses immortalized by Hopper’s paintings.