Here comes the sun- New mural 131 Main Street at the back of Bravo by the Sea, Gloucester

Building at the corner of 131 Main Street [Bravo by the Sea (formerly Larsen’s)]

view from Hancock Street between Main Street and Rogers St (formerly Topside corner) and back up to City Hall

ARTIST | EMILY GRACE

work underway –

Grimdrops Gloucester mural and hometown pride drops in a big way! | #streetart #spraypaint #publicart #ActionInc #NorthShoreCDC #GloucesterMA

August 2021 – Splash! Enjoy photographs of Grimdrops jazzy hometown portrait off the Elm Street side of Action, Inc. **new** Harbor Village apartment building in downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts. The large scale commission heralds Gloucester’s upcoming 400th celebration in 2023. The artist was born and raised in East Gloucester.

Artist: Grimdrops [Mike Grimaldi], mural artist residing and working in Salem was born and raised in Gloucester, MA.

MORE?

Hopefully NSCDSC will consider commissioning an extra add on for Grimdrops so the artist can extend his characterful water motif ideas straight to the top (and maybe add a gal for history! His vibrant notes brought Virginia Lee Burton Mike Mulligan Mary Ann and folly cove pattern references readily to mind). Come winter the mural might be visible from Chestnut Street. Bonus: if it’s topped off it will be visible year round from that vantage.

Gloucester Mural Map | Public Art

Grimdrops mural is on the map! Gloucester murals | Public art Gloucester, Massachusetts.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

grimdrops.com

About Harbor Village

Harbor Village: a new apartment building developed by Action Inc. and North Shore Community Development Coalition building on 206 Main Street at Elm. This is the second of a few public art commissions for this property via the developers’ ancillary non profit, PUNTA .

About Gloucester 400

Visit – https://gloucesterma400.org/

Wild Portrait: JEKSONE is #JEKS done! Golden lobster mural #GloucesterMA #ActionInc #NorthShoreCDC

www.jeksone.com

@JEKS-NC

Congratulations to the artist and Action Inc and all involved!

photos (right click for captions; pinch and zoom or select “full size” to enlarge): c. ryan 6/9/2021

  1. Signed [JEKS golden lobster mural, aka Brian Lewis. Muralist and street artist. Spray paint. Commission for Action Inc. Main Street, Gloucester, MA., 20210609, photograph © c ryan]
  2. Garnish [JEKS golden lobster mural, aka Brian Lewis. Muralist and street artist. Spray paint. Commission for Action Inc. Main Street, Gloucester, MA., 20210609, photograph © c ryan]
  3. [JEKS golden lobster mural, aka Brian Lewis. Muralist and street artist. Spray paint. Commission for Action Inc. Main Street, Gloucester, MA., 20210609, photograph © c ryan]
  4. Raking light makes visible finishing shield top coat. Aims to protect fading from UV damage and stymie vandalism. Golden lobster by American artist JEKS, June 2021. Photo ©c ryan
  5. Green Reef (up and over view- from Rogers St., by Gorton’s) [JEKS golden lobster mural, aka Brian Lewis. Muralist and street artist. Spray paint. Commission for Action Inc. Main Street, Gloucester, MA., 20210609, photograph © c ryan]

Gloucester Mural Map |

Nearing the finish line – @JEKS-NC spray paint lobster mural on Main Street #GloucesterMA #ActionInc #NorthShoreCDC #PuntoUrbanArtMuseum

www.jeksone.com

@JEKS-NC

@Urban.Art.Museum (Punto Urban Art Museum insta)

JEKS Mural commissioned for Harbor Village apartment building, 2021, NorthShoreCDC development, founder Punto Urban Art Museum.

Views four days on – from Rose Baker (forgot this one in this morning’s post)

Gloucester Mural Map |

#JEKS gilded lobster Main Street spray paint mural #GloucesterMA

JEKS Mural commissioned for Harbor Village apartment building, 2021

Views four days on – from Main, Rogers, and Chestnut Streets; Walgreens lot; Rose Baker and Gorton’s; with City Hall Tower and industry.

Gloucester Mural Map |

NEW Mural underway! Public art Harbor Village, Main St. #GloucesterMA

Harbor Village, Gloucester, Massachusetts, first public art mural going up now! Can you guess the artist?

Before (may 2021) | In process (today)

| After (still to come!)

For Day 2 update, see here

For more BEFORE pictures, see my prior post here

Voting is on for the mural space on Elm Street. See Joey’s post here to VOTE for the 2nd exterior mural (Elm Street)

Gloucester Mural map

Here is a selection of some of the exterior public art murals in Gloucester. Depending upon your device, double click or pinch and zoom to enlarge and/or right click to see the credit details. On mine there is an option to select “view full size”. Indoor murals include masterworks from Gloucester’s public art collection (for example see its major WPA-era New Deal murals).

Public Art opportunity: YOUR future murals HERE! Open call for artists May 2021 deadline #GloucesterMA

photo caption: future site (43′ x 63′) for new temporary mural commission Elm St., Gloucester

About the art call.

Calling all Gloucester, Cape Ann, North Shore and New England area artists! One monumental exterior wall and two interior sites are available for commission submission in downtown Gloucester on the new apartment building, Harbor Village. The exterior mural $5500 (fee & materials. Lift will be supplied.) Two mural opportunities (10 x 10; 10 x 15) inside are $2000 each (fee & materials).

Request for proposals Here

“North Shore Community Development Coalition (NSCDC) and Action Inc. have partnered together to bring new art into downtown Gloucester through the Punto Urban Art Museum (PUAM)…The goal for this call is to provide opportunities for local/regional artists to bring life and color into downtown of Gloucester. Selected Artists/teams will be a part of efforts in celebrating the 400th anniversary of Gloucester!”

application here.

Submission Deadline Sunday May 2, 2021- midnight; project completion target end of summer 2021.

About Harbor Village

Harbor Village: a new mixed income apartment building developed by Action Inc. and North Shore Community Development Coalition on 206 Main Street at Elm (formerly Cameron’s) now under construction.

Harbor Village website HERE.

BEFORE VIEW- One future mural commission will go here!

Not here

Exterior mural could be visible from the next blocks: oblique angle view back to mural wall on Elm Street from Pleasant Street (between Cape Ann Museum and Jane Deering Gallery)

and strip at top visible from Chestnut

Action, Inc.’s support of the arts

Action, Inc. continues a tradition of supporting the arts with these new commissions. The organization has a history of collaboration with community arts partners, commissioning original public art for its buildings, and preserving any historic assets (buildings and art).

Gloucester Murals

Here is a selection of some of the exterior public art murals in Gloucester. Depending upon your device, double click or pinch and zoom to enlarge and/or right click to see the credit details. On mine there is an option to select “view full size”. Indoor murals include masterworks from Gloucester’s public art collection (for example see its major WPA-era New Deal murals).

Artist experience runs the gamut: outsider and novice artists; community collaborations (with established artists helping youth); and solo endeavors (from trained professionals whether emerging or midcareer, established and revered).

corner diner

Nowadays Supreme Roast Beef

1930s | 2012 | 2021

photo credit: Catherine Ryan

Potential walls in Gloucester abound. At the back of Cape Ann Museum on Elm Street across from the new Harbor Village. One day O’Maley (see prior post here)

Continue reading “Public Art opportunity: YOUR future murals HERE! Open call for artists May 2021 deadline #GloucesterMA”

JASON BURROUGHS Goetemann Residency May 2019 intro talk May 6

 

Jason Burroughs Goetemann Artist Residency 2019 – Gloucester Invitational Artist month of May opening talk May 6th

Read more about Jason Burroughs here

Whether as sculptor, painter, muralist, mixed media or assemblage fine artist, Gloucester-born Jason Burroughs works across media with a signature touch. Can’t wait to see what happens from this residency. Follow him on Instagram- he’s been doing a weekly sketch on his instagram page @jazzyjburroughs

What would Jason do here?

Ever since I saw his inventive stepped paintings pre 2017,  I wonder what would Jason do here-

what would Jason do_20190216_ hoping for mural commission here police station _or at O'Maley  Gloucester MA.jpg

JASON BURROUGHS

2017 – inventive sculpture paintings stepped away from flat and vertical surfaces

 

or just about anywhere! I’ve written about the monumental walls at O’Maley ideal for professionally trained artists that are former Gloucester O’Maley grads–like Jason– at the start of their careers. Murals are common public art attractions. To date I have not seen one mural initiative with that focus. Clandenstine street art and graffiti art can break through. (Some practitioners are diametrically opposed to that commercial conceit.) Elite global street artists and muralists command hundreds of thousands of dollars through private and corporate sponsorships. Commissions this scale for young artists with degrees begin at $16,000. That’s a great our town endeavor/grant investment.

ideal-canvas-for-murals-by-former-alums-now-emerging-artists-art-school-grads-omaley-innovation-middle-school-gloucester-mass-feb-3-2016-c2a9c-ryan_100917-14
Monumental walls at O’Maley ideal canvas for murals by former alums now emerging artists / art school grads – O’Maley Innovation Middle School Gloucester Mass- Feb 3 2016

Read about the Parsons Street murals (wall) here.

ABOUT GOETEMANN GLOUCESTER INVITATIONAL ARTIST RESIDENCY –

Established in 2015, this one month residency is offered by committee invitation to an inspiring and highly deserving Gloucester artist. It is understood that artistic inspiration can be difficult to attain when work and family take precedence. The artist is provided with a live-work studio for one month. Read more here about Goetemann juried and invitational artist residencies 

The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck is open Thursday-Sunday. Seasonal Hours are: June through August 12-6pm, September through May 12-4pm.

Gallery 53 at Rocky Neck, 53 Rocky Neck Avenue is open seasonally May – October, seven days a week, 11am-6pm, Thurs-Sat until 8pm.

Visit www.rockyneckartcolony.org for more information. 

Public Art happiness is … Renowned Williamstown Art Conservation Center caring for historic Gloucester murals!

Thanks to Mayor Romeo-Theken, city officials & departments and staff, residents, volunteers, archives and generous grant awards & donations, — Gloucester’s extant historic mural collection has begun a new chapter and is beginning to receive most fitting care at the illustrious Williamstown Art Conservation Center!

Williamstown Art Conservation teams commence work for Gloucester MA_on its historic mural many WPA era _20180510_© Catherine Ryan.jpg
WACC conservation teams on the ground in Gloucester, MA, 2018

 

Located on the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute campus, The Williamstown Art Conservation Center​ (WACC) is a non-profit institution that was established as the regional conservation center for New England by the US government back in 1977.

WACC_20180620_© catherine ryan.jpg
The Williamstown Art Conservation Center is located on the campus of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. (architect Tadao Ando)

 

The summer 2017 issue of Art Conservator, WACC’s indispensable industry magazine, ​focused on the center’s 40th anniversary milestone and Director Tom Branchick. The back page prints the 2017 Center consortium members.

 

williamstown art conservation center member consortium 2017
Gloucester Massachusetts art collection stands with important American collections and just might be the first municipality on this list!~

You can peruse the issue here or follow the link to explore a complete digitized repository of current and past issues. The WACC website URL is: www.williamstownart.org

 

Conservators at the center assessed the condition  and performed necessary triage because of the invaluable support from the city’s Community Preservation Act (CPA). CPA funding and Williamstown Art Conservation Center’s stature are inspiring endorsements for broadcasting the project and compelling additional financial support. As money is raised, every mural will have its necessary care regimen completed. Donations in support of the mural care can be sent c/o the Auditor’s Office, City of Gloucester, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA (note mural restoration). All murals will be displayed in Gloucester as soon as their care is completed.

Sneak peek then and now:

The former Eastern Avenue School (85 Eastern Avenue) was the site for the monumental mural, Schooldays, by Frederick L. Stoddard, from 1936.  This multi-panel triptych was painted 8 feet high and nearly 60 feet long despite an array of unusual architectural challenges. My hunch for its original location on the main floor was confirmed thanks to Barbara Tarr. I’m looking for interior photos of the school that show the mural installed. Over time the school walls were resurfaced, doors blocked, and an elevator installed. Based on my expertise, I recognized that a stand alone piece was misattributed and must have been dispersed, not as bad as the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz after the flying monkeys descend-… still it was dire and will be amazing to have it whole once again! Special thanks go to Gloucester’s Department of Public Works.

catherine ryan correct attribution and rediscovery for major and amazing frederick l stoddard gloucester ma 1936 mural © catherine ryan