Tag: featured

The Open Door FREE Summer Meals for Kids Program is Back!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 ~ todtheopendoor ~ 

From left: Summer Meals for Meals Associates Erin Cole, Somer O’Brien, and Abby Dawson, with Nutrition Education Coordinator Rachel Orie. (Photo Courtesy of The Open Door) 

The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program is back! Local children and teens up to age 18 can get free breakfast and lunch meals at 16 locations across Cape Ann.

Last year, The Open Door Summer Meals for Kids program distributed 17,389 meals, all prepared in-house. The program has sites in Gloucester, Rockport, and Ipswich, and continues to add new locations each year.  

Full schedule below:

Gloucester Walk-Up Locations 

  • The Open Door at 28 Emerson Ave. From June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available for pick-up Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  • Riverdale Park at 1A Veterans’ Way from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Thursday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and Fridays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. 
  • Willowood Gardens at 40 Willowood Rd. from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 
  • Pond View Village at 23 Lepage Lane from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. 
  • Field Days at Burnham’s Field (with East Gloucester Community Church) from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:45 a.m. 
  • Story Hour at the Sawyer Free Library (with Backyard Growers) at the Saunders House Lawn on 88 Middle St. from July 9-Aug. 27 on Thursdays, 11 to 11:30 a.m. 

Enrolled locations in Gloucester include: Gloucester High School, O’Maley Academy, Camp Spindrift, GPS Extended School Year at East Veterans, Literacy and Math Summer Learning at East Veterans, and Gordon STEAM Camp at East Veterans.  

Ipswich Walk-Up Locations 

  • Ipswich Community Food Pantry at 00 Southern Heights in Ipswich from July 1-Aug. 27. Meals available Wednesday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Three Sisters Garden Project at 2 Washington St. In Ipswich from June 29-Aug. 28. Meals available Monday-Friday from 12 to 1 p.m. 

Enrolled location: Winthrop Elementary School.  

Rockport Walk-Up Location 

  • Rockport Public Library at 17 School St. In Rockport from June 22-Aug. 28. Meals Available Monday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The full schedule is also available at FOODPANTRY.org and will continue to be updated through the summer.  

For the second year in a row, Summer Meals for Kids is being entirely funded by The Open Door. Previously, the program received federal funding. Today, it continues thanks to donations and sponsors of The Open Door. 

About The Open Door  

The mission of The Open Door is to alleviate the impact of hunger in our community. We use practical strategies to connect people to good food, to advocate on behalf of those in need, and to engage others in the work of building food security. 

Founded in 1978, The Open Door is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit and community food resource center for low-income residents of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Hamilton, Boxford, Rowley, Topsfield, Wenham, and Georgetown. In 2025, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 12,780 people from 5,718 households through the distribution of 2.48 million pounds of food over 136,851 visits. 

For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.

The Open Door FREE Summer Meals for Kids Program is Back!

This Week at The Cut!

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 ~ The Cut Live

Wednesday our weekly Celtic Seisiún in the restaurant starting at 6pm. This is intended to be a collaborative music experience so come grab a Guinness and enjoy the cozy neighborhood pub vibes! No cover.

Thursday it’s 12/OC with Gavin Marengi at 7:30pm (doors at 7pm), 18+. There are still tickets available for what is sure to be a killer night of country music. Come discover your new favorite band!

Friday we have Rustic Overtones! I don’t know about you, but as a New England kid I certainly had a Rustic Overtones CD! Don’t miss your chance to hear some of your favorite tunes LIVE! There are still some tickets available, but the price goes up $5 day of show, so get yours now. Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm. 21+.

Friday night there will also be live music in the restaurant with Joe Winslow & James “Scuzz” Scuzzarella from 7pm-10pm. No cover.

Saturday Fast Times returns to The Cut. The last time they were here the dance floor was PACKED. Don’t miss your chance to rock out to all your favorite 80’s anthems. There are still GA standing tickets and a few rail seats left. Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm. 21+.

Plus, DJ Vito & Friends will be throwing it down in the restaurant from 9pm – close. No cover.

WE WILL BE CLOSED SUNDAY FOR EASTER but Sunday Sessions will return next week with live music, free pool, 50 cent wings and $5 Notch cans.

BRAVO2 is serving their killer Detroit Style pizzas along with a full menu of other delicious salads, sides, and mains. Come on by and check them out! Updated hours are below.
Their winter hours are:
Wed 5pm – 9pm
Thu 5pm – 9pm
Fri 5pm – 10pm
Sat 5pm – 10pm
Sun 12pm – 9pm (CLOSED FOR EASTER 4/5)
Closed Mon & Tue

12/OC TICKETS

RUSTIC OVERTONES TICKETS

FAST TIMES TICKETS

Northshore Magazine’s Best of the North Shore voting is happening NOW. The Cut has been nominated for Best Live Music (in the PLAY category) and Best Sports Bar (in the DRINK) category. If you love The Cut, please help us spread the word by voting for us! BONS is a great way to help people who haven’t heard of The Cut yet find us!

VOTE FOR THE CUT

Our 2026 The Cut Memberships are always available. Sign up for exclusive presales, perks and privileges!

GET MEMBERSHIP DETAILS HERE

HOURS:
MON CLOSED, TUE CLOSED, WED 5PM, THU 5PM, FRI 5PM, SAT 5PM, SUN 12PM

THE CUT | 177 Main Street | Gloucester, MA

Visit Our Website

Buy Tickets to a Show

This Week at The Cut!

Sawyer Free Library Launches Monthly Artist Program with Exhibit by Artists Erin Luman and Laureen Maher Bowie “Volume One”

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

 ~ Sawyer Free Library ~ 

Artist Reception on Thursday, November 6th, 5:00pm in the Library’s Matz Gallery

The Sawyer Free Library proudly presents Volume One, the inaugural exhibition in its new Monthly Artist Program—marking a vibrant beginning for the Library’s reimagined Matz Gallery and its renewed commitment to the arts. Featuring Gloucester artists Erin Luman and Laureen Maher Bowie, Volume One will be on view November 2 through December 29, 2025.

There will be an Artist Reception on Thursday, November 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Matz Gallery at the Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. The public is invited to attend this special event. No registration is needed.

Volume One celebrates both the creative spirit of the community and the innovative transformation of the Sawyer Free Library itself, which has just reopened following a two-year, $28 million renovation and expansion.

Both artists began their creative journeys years ago by exhibiting in the Library’s Monthly Artist Program. Returning now to inaugurate the revitalized Matz Gallery, they reexamine their art through a fresh lens—bridging past and present in this inspiring debut show.

About the Artists
Gloucester-based contemporary artist Erin Luman weaves memory and daily life into evocative scenes that invite viewers to pause and reflect. What began as a fascination with the weathered cottages of Long Beach has evolved into a body of work capturing small, intimate moments—a century-old bathroom sink, beach towels drying in the sun, or glimpses of lived spaces both personal and universal. While her upcoming winter exhibition at Endicott College will spotlight the studios of local makers, Volume One offers a deeply personal collection drawn from the in-between moments that inspire her.

Laureen Maher Bowie, an award-winning local painter and celebrated colorist, captures the beauty and grit of Gloucester in richly layered oils. Her iconic painting, We Dive at Five, depicting local youth jumping off from the Good Harbor Beach footbridge at high tide, will be displayed publicly for the first time at this exhibition. Maher Bowie’s work has been featured in Exhibit Art New England and will appear in the upcoming Rockport Art Association & Museum National Juried Show.

As part of the Library’s renewed commitment to supporting local arts and culture, the Monthly Artist Program will feature rotating exhibitions that highlight both emerging and established regional artists. The newly formed Matz Committee will help guide future exhibitions, ensuring that the space remains a vibrant showcase for creativity and connection. Local and regional artists interested in exhibiting may submit expressions of interest to matzgallery@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Volume One serves as an exciting kickoff to this initiative—and to the holiday season—with 25% of all sales benefiting the Sawyer Free Library. The exhibition has already drawn enthusiastic community response and stands as a fitting tribute to the Library’s long-standing role as a cultural cornerstone of Gloucester.

Visitors are invited to experience Volume One and explore the beautifully expanded Sawyer Free Library at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester—a welcoming, inspiring space designed to serve generations to come.

For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS SELECT

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

THREE WINNERS FOR 2025 AVP THEATRICAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIP

Screenshot

Kiki Campbell, Zoey Congelosi, and Oceana Seber will each receive $750 for performing arts education and activities

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (Oct. 14, 2025)  – The Annisquam Village Players, the country’s longest continually running community theatre since 1863, is pleased to announce the selection of three local students – Kiki Campbell, Zoey Congelosi, and Oceana Seber – as the winners of the 2025 AVP Theatrical Arts Scholarship. Successful fundraising efforts this year allowed the AVP to offer $750 to each recipient.

Part of the AVP’s mission is to expose young people to the performing arts and cultivate a wider appreciation for music, dance, and community involvement. To support and encourage our young performers, the AVP awards a scholarship each year to students aged 8-22, who have demonstrated a commitment to developing their artistic talent in acting, voice, dance or in theater production, and have participated in at least one AVP production in the previous three years. 

The scholarship funds can be applied to any artistic development, such as classes or private instruction in theater arts, or tuition to a school or camp program offering such instruction.

The winners:

Kiki Campbell, 15, is an Essex resident and currently a sophomore at Manchester-Essex Regional High School. She made her AVP debut in 2022 playing the role of the daughter, Jane Banks, in Mary Poppins and has since participated in other shows, including Gloucester Story, Cinderella, and last season’s Hello, Dolly!, playing Ermengarde. She has also performed with the Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe, playing Horatio in Hamlet, and Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other roles include the Wicked Queen in Maudsley is Haunted, Cinderella in December A Christmas Panto, both with Theatre in the Round. She has also participated in school productions, including the role of Lavender in Matilda Jr., and Tessie in Annie Jr.  She also enjoys spending time writing, drawing, playing guitar, surfing, playing tennis, singing, and raising and supporting monarch butterflies.

Zoey Congelosi, 11, of Rockport, is a passionate and active participant in the local performing arts, including as a member of the AVP’s youth ensemble in the recent productions of Cinderella and Hello, Dolly!. Last Spring she performed in Seussical at the North Shore Musical Theatre, and was in the theatre camp productions of Beetlejuice and Finding Nemo, where she played the role of the cool sea turtle. She also plays trombone in her school band and sings with the Cape Ann Youth Chorus. Zoey hopes to obtain her pilot license by age 14 and rescue animals around the world.

Oceana Seber, 8, of Gloucester, is currently the youngest trouper at the AVP but already has a number of theatre credits under her belt, including the 2024 role of a magical mouse in Cinderella, and a member of the youth ensemble and 14th Street Band in this season’s production of Hello, Dolly!. This summer marked her third season with Cape Ann Arts Alive, the community choral program that performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Oceana also studies piano and violin and loves soaring on the trapeze in her classes with the Seaside Circus.

“We are very pleased to announce these three young and talented individuals as this year’s winners of our annual youth arts scholarship,” said Victoria Fortune, chairperson of the AVP Scholarship Committee. “They all light up the stage when they are here, and we’re thrilled to help them develop their energy and passion for the performing arts beyond Annisquam Village Hall.”

The AVP is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers and is always welcoming new members of all ages and backgrounds. AVP membership includes full-time and summer residents from the greater Cape Ann area, local youth, as well as individuals with professional associations with theatre and music. 

For more information about the Annisquam Village Players or the arts scholarship, please visit www.annisquamvillageplayers.org.