My View of Life on the Dock
Jo-Ann Castano- the godmother of Gloucester community internet wrote me a note this morning to tell me that she nominated GMG as the Most Valuable Boston Blog.
She nominated us here- http://boston.cbslocal.com/most-valuable-blogger/
It’s quite an honor just to be mentioned by someone I respect as much as Jo-Ann after everything she has done for our community.
Thanks Jo!
From Jo-Ann Castano-
My husband Andy and I stayed at The Villa for a few days during our trip to Sri Lanka. We were celebrating New Year’s Day, known as Aluth Avurudda, on April 14th when shooting this. Before we left we had to take a Glosta photo op with our GMG travel badge. The Villa guys, who graciously made our stay most memorable, lined up to wish “Glosta” a Good Morning and Happy New Year. So, this is for you Joey and Glosta.
Hi Joey,
Got a story?
This looked like it might be right up your "port" and may interest your readership. It’s a fun site to globally
explore peoples stories. I love hearing people tell stories. From New York City, I’ve listened to a group of poets
who broadcast their readings. I’ve traveled to India and listened to writers sounding much like one of
those NPR life stories from each place traveled along the road, telling a story, an experience in an exotic
place maybe experiencing a culture shock. Those can be pretty wild and eye opening.
Seems like a great place for poets, writers, musicians, artists, cultural groups and individuals to establish a station
and tell stories of Cape Ann, places to visit, food to eat, cultural adventures, history and life on Cape Ann. Your
account (free) lets you upload an image as well as broadcast list and link to your web site or social media. It’s still
in beta but I’ve had fun exploring it.
Here’s the content from their "About" page:
About
Broadcastr
is a Social Media platform for location-based stories. It enables the recording, indexing, listening, and sharing of audio content. Just like in human memory, every story is bound to a place.
Whether dishing last night’s details to friends, uncovering local lore, perusing restaurant reviews, listening to travel guides, tuning in to citizen journalism, contemplating oral histories, or sharing hilarious anecdotes, Broadcastr amplifies all our voices. Users can take a GPS-enabled walk as stories about their surroundings stream into their headphones, like a museum tour of the entire world. Users can record their own content, create playlists, follow their friends, and share on Facebook.
Broadcastr is currently in beta. The beta will allow us to optimize the application’s performance, streamline the interface and design, and incorporate your feedback to ensure that Broadcastr creates an excellent user experience.You can help us by notifying us of bugs or glitches. Email us at customerservice@broadcastr.com or give feedback at our Beta Blog.
Need some help? To view instructional videos on how to use Broadcastr, click HERE.
Broadcastr, Inc.
Best to you Joey and all your good GMG crazy cast of contributors,
Jo-
Jo-Ann Castano
Castano Design Associates/ArtsGloucester
Guest Post From Jo-Ann Castano Announced first here On GMG!
What: State Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester will read a proclamation from Governor Deval Patrick declaring October Arts & Humanities Month in Massachusetts, kicking off a month-long series of events designed to showcase the public value of the arts and humanities in communities around the state. The event coincides with the kick-off of the "Charles Olson Festival," a week-long collaborative celebration among the City of Gloucester’s cultural institutions and its community of writers, artists and businesses, to honor the 100th year of the poet’s birth.
When: Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 1 p.m.
Where: White-Ellery House, 245 Washington Street, Gloucester
Who: Sen. Tarr, Rep. Ferrante, Ronda Faloon, Director, Cape Ann Museum, Jo-Ann Castano, ArtsGloucester, Peter Anastas, The Charles Olson Society
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council:
The Massachusetts Cultural Council promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities and sciences, to improve the quality of life for Massachusetts residents and contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. MCC is committed to building a central place for arts and culture in the everyday lives of communities across the Commonwealth. The agency pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC receives an annual appropriation from the state of Massachusetts and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.
THE EVENT: Proclamation will be presented on Sunday, October 3rd at 1:00 pm at the …
(left) Susan Erony, To Gloucester with Love. Courtesy of the artist. (right) Paul Cary Goldberg, Olson, Fragment #3. Courtesy of the artist.
The Man Who Loved Gloucester, by Susan Erony
The Big O, by Paul Cary Goldberg
To Gloucester with Love is Susan Erony’s ode to Olson and his passion and to Gloucester through him. She made it with respect and awe for his momentous work. Other works in the installation, The Man Who Loved Gloucester, are condolences for the environment Olson wanted so much to protect. Paul Cary Goldberg’s installation is "a series of photographic fragments, interpretations and riffs on Charles Olson the manpoet, the largeness of him and his work, the BIG O." This program is part of a series of events associated with the Charles Olson Centennial Celebration and is free and open to the public. The historic White-Ellery house will also be open that day as part of Escapes North’s 17th Century Saturdays
Then go out to lunch in downtown Gloucester and head back over to the Cape Ann Museum
on Pleasant Street at 4:00 p.m. for the…
BOOK LAUNCH
Charles Olson: Letters Home 1949-1969
Edited by David Rich, published by Cape Ann Museum
Sunday, October 3, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Poet Charles Olson (1910-1970) took the fishing port of Gloucester as the subject of his Maximus Poems, an enduring literary achievement that explored the relation of self to place on an epic scale. From childhood summers at the Barrett campground to living at Fort Square as a controversial poet at the height of his powers, Charles Olson was fascinated by Gloucester.
This book, published in Olson’s centennial year, is a study in letters of Charles Olson and a sampling of ten people in Gloucester who were part of his circle: artists, writers, a publisher, a museum president, an inventor, and an architect. Editor David Rich has taken the unusual step of arranging each chapter by correspondent and presenting both sides of each exchange when possible: the result is a group portrait, with Olson at the center, of a vibrant literary and artistic scene.
The book signing and reception with editor David Rich will be held at the Museum; this program is free and open to the public as part of the Charles Olson Centennial Celebration.
(left) Book jacket; (right) Charles Olson contemplating a statue of the Madonna, 1961, Fort Square, Gloucester.
Jo-Ann writes-
Hi Joey, Getting more and more feedback on people loving GMG! I just repost
from your site to fb. Works well for me, thanks. This is one of the posting on my fb you
may not have received and might be interested in. Gloucester fine artist, Stevens, is a wonderful
fun guy and the Cape Ann Museum’s use of the White-Ellery House to host one day installations
of artists has been a fantastic opportunity. Think you would enjoy Stevens and
I was interested in that he says here he has processed photographs with coffee. Not sure
if he’s under the influence of caffein or actually processing film with coffee. Either way,
I’m sure he’s captured the historical time and essence of the White-Ellery House in
a unique way. Best to you today Joey… keep that news flying like the gulls.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Saturday. September 4 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Cape Ann Museum
White-Ellery House
Cape Ann Museum – White-Ellery House
Grant Circle, Gloucester, MA
Stevens Brosnihan – White-Ellery Illuminated
One Day Only, Saturday, September 4th, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Firend Room at the Library
Black and white photographs processed with coffee. Abstract imagery that reveals the history of marks,
constructions, and destructions within the White-Ellery house.
Stevens Brosnihan web site: http://stevens-brosnihan.com/
Jo-Ann Castano
CDA/ArtsGloucester
http://www.facebook.com/joann.castano
Put your best image forward
online graphic postings and marketing
Joey had asked me to repost my response to his own GoodMorningGloucester post of August 3, 2019 regarding our intraweb conversation about frustration of receiving postings of flyers with tiny font when we the publishers need to resized for online use. I went on a rant page scroll so for this repost, a bit of edited sense making.
We’re really talking about several issues here. They have to do with many constraints and skills; time management, finances, arts marketing, community networking, understanding technology, access to software, online and offline marketing, graphic design, understanding target markets, the culture of communities and some basics in the complex way the internet works with local and global target marketing.
There are TIME CONSTRAINTS for everyone. I often redesign artist’s and organization’s posters and submissions so that for whatever format they will be published in (blogs, ArtsGlouceter’s CACCN-News Flash, seARTS Newsblast, ArtThrob, individual emails, online news media) they all require different sizing of the image. I want the images to reflect the excellence that is in our community.
Marketing: The image is important to communicate what the message is, especially for arts and cultural groups, since visuals, sounds and communications is what the arts do. I usually design for 600, 500 and 300 dpi. This way it is an added benefit for the artist or group who may not have the software, skills or time. They can reuse and send off these images on their own mailing lists with a more professional look.
I suggest that the designers for organizations make poster size images and then redesign for smaller online ad size at the same time. It’s also a good idea to make a smaller template sized image for use in online calendars. The better the graphics, the more professional the graphics, the more chance of being noticed and reused or mentioned by professional communication channels such as art journals, tourism magazines, gallery dealers and patrons of the arts and culture.
Online, a good policy is to always type the important text of the image below the image so that the text in the image is clearly communicated. This also makes the text available to search engines and benefits the marketing of the client/customer as well. Supply url web addresses as available and needed. I suggest that the client/customer have a web page on their web site with the poster information and include the link to that page for more information when submitting to online marketing. This is also beneficial for those of us who are marketing beyond our regular channels and on to social media which has a larger and broader audience beyond ones own list. This can draw more traffic and interest to the web site. Today one needs to be doing social networking along with the standard mailing list distribution of information. They now go hand in hand.
Check with online marketers about their requirements. Try not to just send online marketers pdf files (unless requested) of your flyer for submissions. Always include an appropriate jpg or gif file image properly sized. Include the text you want submitted in an email or online submission forms. Just as when sending a press release to newspapers, include an image if the publisher can use it. Photo credit and image caption can be helpful also or required.
For artists or cultural groups who don’t have a web site, open a Facebook account and keep it professional. Add images of your work in a photo album, keep people posted on what you are doing and invite people to re-post or “share” your postings. Sounds like it would be helpful to send 500 w/ dpi bold images to GoodMorningGloucester, content typed in an email so Joey can copy and paste easily and give the url to your web site, facebook site, blog or wherever you have an online presence. The more we all re-post, “share” other’s posts with our friends and colleagues, we can share our community collectively with pride.
Most of what I am concentrating on these days is facebook and social networking, marketing of the arts on the North Shore and keeping up with the local, state and national agendas for advocacy in the arts (time permitting, as it is an addiction and passion). If anyone would like to post their own art or event (only arts and culture please) or see what I’m looking at and promoting, visit:
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joann.castano
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ArtsGloucester.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joanncastano
Subscribe: ArtsGloucester’s Community Cultural/Civic Network (CACCN) newsflash mailing list:
email me at: CACCN(at)artsgloucester.com
When promoting the arts or anything else, put the best image forward because Gloucester and our cultural leaders and artists who work so hard, deserve no less. Joey’s and the other photographers’ and artists’ images on GoodMorningGlouceter are stunning and pull at the hearts and interests of our local and global community. Writers and contributors, you are the heart and soul of this place we call home. Thank you !
Joey, love you for what you do and know how much work it is. Besides that, I love how your brain is networked for doing all this, online and off line. Man, do you know how to connect the dots.
blah, blah, blah,…Keep going!
Jo-
sent in from the tireless promoter of good things in G Town – Jo-Ann Castano
Cape Ann Brewing Company at the
American Craft Beer Fest
Seaport World Trade Center Boston
Friday, June 18th and Saturday 19th, 2010
Video of event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBFnGwpbnxU&feature=player_embedded
Fest Times
Cape Ann Brewing Co. (Gloucester, MA)
Booth #713
Fisherman’s Brew (American Amber Lager / 5%)
Fisherman’s Tea Party (Barleywine brewed w/ tea / 9%)
Fisherman’s Bavarian Wheat (5.5%)
Fisherman’s Ale (Kolsch / 5%)
86 brewers pouring over 400 craft beers!
American Craft Beer Fest is the largest and most diverse celebration of American Craft Beer on the east coast. We’re talking 86 American brewers pouring over 400 craft beers for you’re tasting enjoyment! Commence drooling and we hope you do indeed enjoy your beer tasting experience.
Important notes on the beers:
– All beers are subject to change and availability
– All pours are 2ozs (or less)
– Listed percentages are alcohol by volume (ABV)
– Rinse stations can be found throughout the venue
– Respect Beer.
Jo-Ann Castano has been active in promoting local area artists for as long as I can remember on the internet. Her website- www.artsgloucester.com is a who’s who. Click here to check out her twitter feed and stay connected
Gloucester Twitterers You Should Follow- Jo Ann Castano, originally uploaded by captjoe06.
The decorating evening will be held at 28 Emerson Avenue in Gloucester. Bring your creativity and a friend. Children welcome. Decorating is free, but reservations are required. info@foodpantry.org or 978-283-6776.
Visit our web site for more information. www.foodpantry.org
Thanks to Jo-Ann Castano for the Info! http://www.artsgloucester.com/
Thanks to Jo-Ann Castano for this-
[Vimeo 2992669]
I was brought up to think numbers. Dad got US News and World Report and I couldn’t get enough of charts and graphs and later would go on to major in economics at a business school. It hasn’t been til the later part in my life that I have come to understand just how important Art and the process of creating is to one’s being. Once you start to create, you have a hunger to continue to create and expand upon your medium. It may be hard to explain correctly but once you get that feeling, that desire, it’s not hard at all to understand that hunger and how miserable you can feel if you don’t feed it.
Good Morning Gloucester 