Good Morning Gloucester

Join Maritime Gloucester as we commemorate Howard Blackburn Day!  On Saturday, July 15, resident celebrities will recite select chapters from Joe Garland’s Lone Voyager book followed by the premiere viewing of “Howard Blackburn: Gloucester’s Most Legendary Fisherman”, a new documentary by Kory Curcuru of 1623 Studios.  

(Coinciding with the Blackburn Challenge.) ??   Maritime Gloucester is honored to showcase the poignant account of Howard Blackburn.  Like countless Gloucester fishermen before and since, Howard Blackburn and Tom Welch were trawling for halibut on the Newfoundland banks in an open dory in 1883 when a sudden blizzard separated them from their mother ship. Alone on the empty North Atlantic, they battled towering waves and frozen spray to stay afloat. Welch soon succumbed to exposure, and Blackburn did the only thing he could:  He rowed for shore. He rowed five days without food or water, with his hands frozen to the oars, to reach the coast of Newfoundland. 

So begins Joe Garland’s extraordinary account of the hero fisherman of Gloucester. Incredibly, though Blackburn lost his fingers to his icy misadventure, he went on to set an astounding record for the swiftest solo sailing voyage across the Atlantic.

Affectionately presented by local celebrity readers and authenticated by Kory Curcuru in his new film, Joe Garland’s Lone Voyager is a haunting saga of survival at sea and a thrilled portrait of the world’s most fabled fishing port in the age of sail. 

Howard Blackburn Day Readings at Maritime Gloucester are made possible thanks to local celebrities who are giving of their time and talent to share this remarkable account.  Readers (in sequential order here):  Michael DeKoster, Julie LaFontaine, Sefatia Romeo-Theken, Ed Connolly, Mary Kay Taylor, Mayor Greg Verga, State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Bob Gillis, Ruth Pino, Senator Bruce Tarr and Lenny Linquata.   

Following the chapter readings, we will feature the dramatic and touching tale beautifully produced and portrayed in the premiere viewing of “Howard Blackburn: Gloucester’s Most Legendary Fisherman”, a new documentary by Kory Curcuru of 1623 Studios.  

We invite you to join us at Maritime Gloucester’s Gallery on Saturday, July 15 for some, or all of our scheduled programs.  

·       2-5:30pm  10-15 minute readings   

·       5:30-6pm  Light refreshments served 

·       6-7:30pm  Kory Curcuru’s premier documentary viewing

Hi Joey,

Hope this email finds you well. Friends are asking why I haven’t tried to get our 2nd Saturday open mic up on good morning Gloucester, and frankly, I hadn’t thought to ask. 

If possible to include on calendar/monthly:

2nd Saturday open mic at the First Universalist Church in Essex. Signup at 4pm, show starts at 4:15. We have some great features lined up: July 8-Quandering, Aug 12-Peter Crowley & Linda Werbner, Sep 9-Jim Scott

I usually post flyer on Facebook/Instagram too. 

Let me know if you need more info/different format but thank you for running good morning Gloucester!

-Alexandra Kirby–
Pleasant Street Music StudioTeaching students one note at a time

pleasantstreetmusicstudio.com

The early evening light was so very pretty a couple of days ago and I couldn’t stop taking photos. As I was admiring the schooners out in the water, a couple of people stopped to ask me about a bird they spotted in the tide pool. Was I a birder? No, but I like to take pictures and identify what is in them……was my response. Anyhow, my camera aimed toward this beauty. I believe it’s a night heron and it just added to the magic of the golden hour at dusk. Thank you to the strangers who pointed it out for me.

As you know we love to help businesses that are starting up. The Cut is gonna be a pretty huge thing so when I saw they had an instagram account that was active for over a month but not gaining too much traction I figured I’d give it a boost with the GMG followers with the following post on Friday night:

July 8, 2023

The Cut made their first post on June 5th, just over a month ago and has posted 13 times and has garnered 141 followers.

Here’s the link to follow them on Insta- https://instagram.com/thecutgloucester

Let’s get that follow number up for them GMG style. Click the link and follow them for interior construction pics of how it’s coming along and I’m guessing the news about what big bands will be coming to play there.

After a month garnering 141 followers, we gave it a push and overnight garnered over 290 followers and checking today they have 314.

Nice little bump from the GMG muscle.

Things are settling down after July 4th and Gloucester’s late June and early July festivals.

Link to check out the shop here- https://gloucesterapparel.square.site/

One short year ago, Matt Billey, a wooden boat builder of 25 years, took up painting. In this past year he has made over 100 drawings and paintings. He is deeply inspired by the work of Vincent VanGogh and many of his contemporaries. This show contains 47 of his latest paintings in acrylic and oil. He explores his curiosity in a wide range of subject matters consisting of landscapes, seascapes, boatscapes, still-lives, metaphysical ideas and even a portrait. Most of his work is wildly colorful and richly-layered, while some lends to the local colors of the sea, sky and trees of the North Shore. Matt lives with his daughter, Naomi, in Lobster Cove, Annisquam aboard his 27 foot Danish cutter, Jette. Built over the course of many years, Matt launched Jette in 2014. It is a distinct thrill and pleasure for him to showcase his work in such a beautiful and historic gallery in his own neighborhood. Of special interest, Matt has made all of the wooden floater-frames for this show and is now available to take custom orders. 

 Instagram:  “Matthew_Billey_Artwork”

 Framing:   “Float The Boat Floaters”

Silence…