Tag: Just for fun!

ON the radio: “Hi this is Elizabeth from Gloucester…” Wait wait don’t tell me NPR news quiz

Posted on by Catherine

WWDTM_logo_clr_stacked_highresDid you catch this week’s  witty radio mainstay “Wait wait don’t tell me?” Legions of fans of Wait Wait follow host Peter Sagal’s chatter and quip call-in format with listeners. He most always asks them where they’re calling from.  So what did he say when Elizabeth Stephens declared she’s from here?

PETER SAGAL: “I love Gloucester.”

Have a listen and thanks to John and Alexandra from Alexandra’s Bread in Gloucester, Massachusetts, for sharing.  Congratulations to caller Elizabeth Stephens! I’d love to hear more about what it was like and how it came about. And the mystery greenhouse you’ll be managing? Great fun to hear you and Gloucester on the radio.

 

Wait wait dont tell me Aaron Sorkin March 2 2019

 

transcript excerpt and link to full show below the break

BILL KURTIS: From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME, the NPR news quiz. Let me toss your salad. I’m…

(LAUGHTER)

KURTIS: I’m Bill-samic (ph) vinaigrette.

(LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE)

KURTIS: I’m Bill Kurtis. And here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody.

(CHEERING)

SAGAL: We have a wonderful show for you today because we are going to fix Washington…

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: …By which I mean one of the great disappointments about Washington is that it’s nothing like “The West Wing.” We want the real Washington to have snappy dialogue, the soaring speeches, the perfect comebacks. And then we want it to be canceled.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Well, later in the show, Aaron Sorkin himself, the creator of “The West Wing” and “The Social Network” and “The Newsroom,” will come on to punch up reality itself. But first, we are interested in your snappy dialogue, so give us a call. The number is 1-888-WAIT-WAIT – that’s 1-888-924-8924.

Now let’s welcome our first listener contestant. Hi, you are on WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME.

ELIZABETH STEPHENS: Hi. This is Elizabeth Stephens, and I’m from Gloucester, Mass.

SAGAL: Gloucester.

PAULA POUNDSTONE: Hey.

SAGAL: I love Gloucester.

(CHEERING)

SAGAL: What do you do there?

Link to the complete episode

transcript for this portion of the show: https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=699562979

come to hear the story and build a steam shovel or create your own machine! Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel Lanesville #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

February 23, 2019 Lanesville Community Center Virginia Lee Burton Writing Center

Lanesville Feb 23 2019.jpg

Patriots hype | It’s on! MFA Boston vs the J Paul Getty 3pm today #MuseumBowl twitter showdown

Posted on by Catherine

Over the past few years, museums join in the Super Bowl spirit via trash talk on social media accounts. From humorous challenges and clever collection puns it’s morphed into big stake art bets for Super Bowl contenders: Some wins have triggered a museum loan from the losing city’s rival fine arts institution. Yesterday (see below) the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, announced a twitter showdown with the J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Look for #MuseumBowl and @mfaboston and @GettyMuseum. It’s going down at 3pm TODAY, Friday, Feb 1, 2019. I don’t know if there’s a wager but I hope so! It’s great fun no matter what.

The MFA makes good use of their archives dog, Riley.

 

MFA Boston twitter account Museum Bowl 2019

now theyre cooking

we want the Getty famous painting Hans Hoffman Hare.jpg

Public hearing Thurs. night Jan 31 in support of Cape Ann Lanes

Posted on by Catherine

 

A message from Nic & Cailtin Pszenny & Jim Frontiero, owners of Cape Ann Lanes

Looking to the Future…

You probably already heard our plans to add a larger kitchen and brewpub within the existing footprint of our business.  Click here to read the GDT article.

(ed. note: and recent article in Cape Ann Beacon)
 
The last step in the approval process is to get a special permit for our brewpub from the Zoning Board of Appeals. Thank you to all of you that have show such amazing support since the GDT article was released last week. If we can get this approval, we can finally make this a reality.
 
You can attend the public hearing THIS Thursday, January 31st at 7 PM in the Kyrouz auditorium at Gloucester City Hall (upstairs).
 
Some things that we want everyone to know about our plans:

-We will always be a family friendly candlepin bowling alley 
-We already have a food establishment permit
-We already have our Federal, State and city license to have a Brewpub
-We already serve food and beer/wine, we are just looking to improve and increase capacity to serve our customers
-We need to improve our capacity and offerings for food and beverage to keep up with demand and other entertainment options
-We still run birthday parties for people of all ages and all kinds of events
-This will help keep locals on the Island to have fun AND attract people from off the island to increase revenue for the CIiy of Gloucester
-We love this city, this business and this community and we are here for the long haul!

Sincerely, 
Nic & Cailtin Pszenny & Jim Frontiero
Owners of Cape Ann Lanes 

Sign up to read to Zyla the dog at Sawyer Free Library!

Posted on by Catherine

Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library children’s services offers fantastic weekly programming. Zyla the Therapy Dog loves a good book! The next “Sign up to read” or sit with Zyla are January 29th, March 5th and May 14th. Looking ahead: there’s plenty of time to prepare for the annual Poetry Without Paper contest co-founded by Jon Ronan with Christy Russo, Director of Children’s Services. This year, national Poem in Pocket Day falls on April 25, 2019.

 

Ellen F. Kenny from Mass Center for the Book, Mayor Romeo-Theken, & Justine Vitale share photos from Once Upon a Contest at Cape Ann Museum

Posted on by Catherine

Stop by and meet some of the participants featured in Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads at a special Cape Ann Museum CAM KIDS second Saturdays family activity on January 12, 2019, from 10AM-12PM. Later that same day, artists Mary Rhinelander and Julia Garrison are offering a printmaking linocut demo related to the Folly Cove designers and the major Virginia Lee Burton The Little House Her Story exhibition!

Thanks to the four public libraries of Cape Ann and Cape Ann Museum, Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads is a testament to the imagination and immense artistic talent of artists and authors. Below are photographs from the first reception for the exhibit at Cape Ann Museum January 5, 2019.

Courtesy photos from Ellen F. Kenny, Mass Center for the Book. Thank you for capturing the spirit of the reception at Cape Ann Museum! Mass Center for the Book Facebook [Folks featured in the big group shot from L-R: Anna Vojtech (Artist-Author), Claire Wyzenbeek (Artist-Author), Jean Woodbury (Author), Christina Ean Spangler (Artist), Maura Wadlinger (Author), Juni VanDyke (Artist), John Plunkett, Martha Geraghty ( Author), Barbara McLaughlin (Artist-Author)]

 

The Cape Ann Museum reception was beautiful. Everybody from the museum is so welcoming. The courtesy photos below document the start of the reception from Mayor Romeo Theken, Justine Vitale, and others. See Kim Smith’s photos from later in the afternoon and from another visit here! We’re so grateful to have a record of this joyous time. The show continues at Cape Ann Museum through February 24 before traveling throughout Cape Ann in 2019.

Installation view Once Upon a Contest at Cape Ann Museum December 2018.jpg

 

View and/or print out the Once upon a contest selections from cape ann reads trifold brochure. It’s paginated at 6pp but can be assembled like so:

Super fun winter vacation at Cape Ann Art Haven & Cape Ann Museum

Posted on by Catherine

It’s inspiring to see the creative collaborative energy among downtown Gloucester mainstays. Here’s Cape Ann Art Haven winter vacation line up with Cape Ann Museum: They often work together to present engaging camps and events. The 2018 winter vacation at Art Haven includes visits to the Virginia Lee Burton retrospective and the Cape Ann libraries’ Once Upon a Contest Selections from Cape Ann Reads travel exhibit at Cape Ann Museum. Both shows are ideal context for the camp’s theme: “Imagine and create new worlds!”

Cape Ann Art Haven Cape Ann Museum 2018

Cape Ann Residents Enjoy FREE Admission January at Cape Ann Museum and you should see the line up of special art events!

Posted on by Catherine

CAPE ANN MUSEUM free admission to cape ann residents in january each year_©c ryan

Upcoming shows and special events planned for January- check out the news from Cape Ann Museum. Become a member!

January is Membership Month! Cape Ann Residents Enjoy Free Admission All Month

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (December 19, 2018) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to announce that January is Membership Month, a time when all Cape Ann residents are invited to visit the Museum and participate in programs free of charge. The goal of membership month is to show the Cape Ann community the benefits of enjoying the Museum all year!

The Cape Ann Museum tells multiple stories, all relating to a single remarkable place and during the month of January all Cape Ann residents (Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Essex) are welcome to enjoy its galleries for free.  From Cape Ann’s earliest days as a fishing and shipping port to its mid-19th century role in the granite industry, to its singular charms of light and sea that have attracted countless artists from the 19th century to the present, Cape Ann boasts a rich and varied culture of nationally significant historical, industrial, and artistic achievement.  If you’ve never been to the Cape Ann Museum before, now is the time. Its collections represent the history of this remarkable place, its people, its industries and especially its art and culture—we invite you to explore!

In addition to its permanent collections, the Museum offers a rotating schedule of special exhibitions throughout the year as well as related programs and events for adults and families. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit (or revisit) the current special exhibition, The Little House: Her Story which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the publication of the Little House, written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton and the newly opened exhibition Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads, award-winning children’s books by local artists and writers inspired by the 2017 Cape Ann Reads original picture book competition. Also on display are the paintings of Crane Beach by Dorothy Arnold in the special exhibition Sky, Horizon, Light: Perspectives on Crane Beach.

Whether you are looking to spend a quiet day of contemplation after the busy holiday season, wishing to share a bit of your home town with guests or have lived here for years but just never visited, the Cape Ann Museum welcomes you for a visit celebrating you and this wonderful place in which you chose to live.

In addition to free admission, the Museum has lined up a full schedule of programming for visitors to enjoy:

Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p..m.
Story Time in the Gallery

Young visitors are invited to join CAM staff and special guests for story time in the gallery. Offered in conjunction with The Little House: Her Story and Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads. Free and open to the public. Museum closes at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 5 at 10:30 a.m.
Winter Shorts Gallery Tours

Join CAM docents for three 20-minute themed mini tours. Topics include: artists who captured similar subjects; provocative portraits; and Virginia Lee Burton as teacher. Free for Museum Members and Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission. Reservations recommended and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, January 5 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  
Opening Reception – Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads

Join us for a celebration of the award-winning children’s book authors and illustrators inspired by the 2017 Cape Ann Reads original picture book competition. Free for Museum members and Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission.

Wednesday, January 9, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Appraisal Night with Brattle Book Shop’s Ken Gloss

Join Antiques Road Show veteran Ken Gloss for a closer look at antique books and manuscripts, with special emphasis on children’s literature. Offered in conjunction with The Little House: Her Story. Free for Museum members and Cape Ann residents; $10 nonmembers/nonresidents. Reservations required and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

Thursday, January 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Young at Art: At the Beach

Toddlers and caregivers are invited to take a closer look at Sky, Horizon, Light: Perspectives on Crane Beach

Free for CAM members, Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission. Space is limited. Reservations required. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 978-238-0455 x12 or email sarahflanagan@capeannmuseum.org.

Saturday, January 12 from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m.
CAMKids Second Saturdays: Cape Ann Reads

Explore the inventive worlds of children’s book illustrators in the Cape Ann Reads exhibition then create your own storybook in the Activity Center. This program is free and open to the public. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 978-283-0455 x16 or email sarahflanagan@capeannmuseum.org.

Saturday, January 12 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Blockprinting Demonstration

Drop by to see blockprinting in action with artist Mary Rhinelander. Offered in conjunction with The Little House: Her Story. Free for Museum members and Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission.

Friday, January 18 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Surveying the Collections: Historic Quilts

On select Fridays through April, the public is invited to observe CAM curatorial staff as they survey the collection. Join us for one session or all four to gain a better understanding of the Museum’s holdings. Free for Museum members, Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission.

Saturday, January 19 at 10:30 a.m.
Winter Shorts Gallery Tours

Join CAM docents for three 20-minute themed mini tours. Topics include: practical art objects; cloud paintings; and artwork in the Captain Elias Davis House. Free for Museum Members and Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission. Reservations recommended and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, January 19 at 3:00 p.m.
Perspectives on Crane Beach Ecology

Join Trustees’ coastal ecologist Jeff Denoncour for an overview of Crane Beach. Offered in conjunction with Sky, Horizon, Light: Perspectives on Crane Beach. Free for Museum members and Cape Ann residents; $10 nonmembers/nonresidents. Reservations required and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, January 26 at 10:30 a.m.
Winter Shorts Gallery Tours

Join CAM docents for three 20-minute themed mini tours. Topics include: Cape Ann granite; the year 1804; and I spy. Free for CAM Members and Cape Ann residents or with Museum admission. Reservations recommended and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, January 26 at 1:00 p.m.
Family Tour

Enjoy an animated family tour of the Museum to explore paintings, sculptures and maritime objects. Created for children ages 3 – 12 with a caregiver. This 30-minute tour ends in the Activity Center for art projects and play. Free for CAM members or with Museum admission. Reservations required. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 978-283-0455 x16 or email sarahflanagan@capeannmuseum.org. 

Saturday, January 26 at 1:00 p.m.
A Conversation with the Curators

Gallery A4 Chief Curator Michiyo Okabe and Atsuko Tanaka join CAM Curator Martha Oaks to discuss the cultural collaboration behind The Little House: Her Story. Free for Museum members and Cape Ann residents; $10 nonmembers/nonresidents. Reservations required and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com.

 

About the Cape Ann Museum

The Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, two historic homes and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Visit capeannmuseum.org for details.

The Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at http://www.capeannmuseum.org.

 

 

Cape Ann Museum launches travel exhibit: Once Upon a Contest – Selections from Cape Ann Reads children’s picture books!

Posted on by Catherine

Discover a world of new, original picture books through art! Courtney Richardson shares Cape Ann Museum’s news for the Once Upon a Contest group exhibition  opening next week:

Cape Ann Museum Meredith Anderson designed header for Once Upon a Contest

Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads

A special exhibition celebrating local children’s book authors and illustrators

 GLOUCESTER, Mass. (December 14, 2018) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present Once Upon a Contest: Selections from Cape Ann Reads, a ground breaking show on view until February 24, 2019, stemming from the country’s first children’s picture book contest hosted by four public libraries. The exhibition brings special attention to award-winning local artists and writers and the art of children’s picture books. There will be an opening celebration on Saturday, January 5 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. This program is free for Museum members, Cape Ann Residents or with Museum admission.  For more information visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10. 

Once Upon a Contest was drawn from manuscripts recognized for distinction during the Cape Ann Reads 2017 original picture book competition.  The special group show was organized and circulated by curator, Catherine Ryan, with support from the Bruce J Anderson Foundation | The Boston Fund.  Visitors will find picture books created by traditional author-illustrators (individuals who create both text and illustrations), friends and family pairings, repeat partnerships, volunteer match ups, self-taught and master artists, storytellers, published authors, and educators. 

The exhibit features work by:  Leslie Galacar, Martha Shaw Geraghty, Marion Hall, Steven Kennedy, Charles King, George King, Michael LaPenna, James McKenna, Barbara McLaughlin, Alexia Parker, Victoria Petway, Jim Plunkett, Diane Polley, Mary Rhinelander, James Seavey, Gail Seavey, Kim Smith, Christina Ean Spangler, Bonnie L. Sylvester, Juni VanDyke, Maura Wadlinger, Betty Allenbrook Wiberg, Kirsten Allenbrook Wiberg, Jean Woodbury, and Claire Wyzenbeek.

For a few, inclusion in this show will mark their debut display at a museum. The works on view range from preliminary mock ups and unfinished pages to final published illustrations for original books. They cover diverse themes and points of view and provide glimpses into stories and methodologies. The exhibition will include a reading nook for visitors of all ages.

Cape Ann Reads came about in 2015 when the four public libraries on Cape Ann –Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library; Manchester by the Sea Public Library; TOHP Burnham Public Library, Essex; and Rockport Public Library– began to work together to encourage and highlight community creativity, regional collaboration, and family literacy through a focus on children’s picture books. “A passion for writing literature and the arts is one thing that ties all four communities together making Cape Ann Reads a meaningful collaboration between our four libraries and the Cape Ann Museum,” explained Cindy Grove, Director, Rockport Public Library.

During the first year of implementation, the collaborating public libraries and Cape Ann Museum offered innovative monthly programming and free picture book themed workshops for families and adults as a vehicle for family literacy, a work of art and literature, and a form of engagement and recreation. The vibrant endeavor culminated in a public art call, Cape Ann Creates for Cape Ann Reads. “What an opportunity for a talented individual or individuals to produce a lasting piece of literature with such special meaning,” exclaimed Deborah French, Director, T.O.H.P. Burnham Library, Essex.

Scores of Cape Ann creatives responded to this open call for a chance to win a first edition printing. In fact, so much interest occurred that a writer’s group led by Gloucester Writers Center was established, and volunteer artists and writers stepped up to help people without a partner. Two jury panels selected Gulliver, Honor and Medal books in the spring of 2017.

The jury panel included librarians, acclaimed children’s book author-illustrators and a rare books dealer: Carol Bender, Pat Lowery Collins, Ann Cowman, Kate Strong Stadt, Giles Laroche, Bob Ritchie, Justine Vitale, Anna Vojtech, and April Wanner. Five children served on the kids panel. A reception and book fair was held in Gloucester’s City Hall in January 2018 thanks to Mayor Sefatia Romeo-Theken. Original sculpture trophies of the bespectacled Cape Ann Reads mascot, “Gulliver”, by fine artist Jason Burroughs, were presented to the Honor and Medal book recipients. Cape Ann Reads continues to foster connections among the children’s picture book network, and generate business. Six books have been self-published, reviewed, and sold in local stores. Reflecting on this boon, Sara Collins, Director of the Manchester by the Sea Public Library said “Cape Ann Reads has been an innovative incubator for authors and illustrators, with the offspring as marvelous and varied as you can imagine in this creative community.”

“The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to launch this important Cape Ann Reads exhibition just as it was to kick off the first Cape Ann Reads program with the Eric Carle Museum back in January 2016, ” said Ronda Faloon, Director Cape Ann Museum. The Museum scheduled the exhibition to coincide with the major Virginia Lee Burton retrospective, The Little House: Her Story, and the month of January when the Museum is free to area residents. The legacy of Burton is an inspiration for many Cape Ann Reads participants.

Once Upon a Contest opens in December 2018 and continues until February 24, 2019. Following its launch at the Cape Ann Museum, the exhibition will tour the four communities of Cape Ann throughout 2019 as follows: Manchester in April, Essex in May-June, Gloucester in August-September, and Rockport in October-November.

 

 

Cape Ann Reads group exhibition.jpg

In addition to the opening reception on Saturday, January 5, 2019

The Cape Ann Museum will offer weekly story time with Museum staff and guest readers on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. through March 31, 2019. On Saturday, January 12 from 10:00 a.m.  – 12:00 p.m. children and their families are invited to enjoy the special exhibition and participate in hands on art making and writing activities. This program is free and open to the public.  

During February school vacation week, the Museum will host children’s book creation workshops for school age students from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19 through Friday, February 22, featuring Leslie Galacar, Betty Allenbrook Wiberg, Claire Wyzenbeek, and Alexia Parker. These workshops are $15 for CAM Members or $25 nonmembers. To register contact Sarah Flanagan at 978-283-0455 x16 or email sarahflanagan@capeannmuseum.org.

 

Cape Ann Museum Once Upon a Contest montage.jpg Image credits: A Community Effort

  • The four Library Directors of Cape Ann announcing “Gulliver,” the public’s name choice for the Cape Ann Reads mascot (left to right: Deb French, TOHP Burnham; Cindy Grove, Rockport; Deborah Kelsey, Gloucester; Sara Collins, Manchester), July 2016.
  • Cape Ann Reads kids jury selection panel (left to right: Josie, Alycia, Eli, Lucas, John). Deliberations were held at Cape Ann Museum, March 2017.
  • Bonnie L. Sylvester, illustrator (left) and Jean Woodbury, author (right) of The Tree in Dock Square, the first Cape Ann Reads Medal book, June 2017.
  • Claire Wyzenbeek (author and illustrator Henrietta’s Moon Egg) at her booth for Cape Ann Reads children’s picture book reception and book fair, January 27, 2018, City Hall Gloucester MA. ©Linda Bosselman.

The lovely, clever header and flyer were designed by Meredith Anderson at Cape Museum. A printable version is available below the break – please print, post and share!

And here is a link to a printable Once Upon a Contest press release

cape ann reads-web

Continue reading “Cape Ann Museum launches travel exhibit: Once Upon a Contest – Selections from Cape Ann Reads children’s picture books!” →

NEW on Ladies Night – Pop Up Gift Card Shop making it easy on Main Street

Posted on by Catherine

Thursday, December 6, 2018 – NEW for Ladies Night Gloucester, MA.

Gloucester shops are coming to the easiest address on Main – 123 Main Street home of the YMCA fundraising offices on the corner of Main and Hancock Street. (Kids Unlimited final location.) “Save time and do all your local Gift Card Shopping in ONE location on ONE night!”  

Cape Ann Lanes, Common Crow, George’s Restaurant, Maplewood Car Wash, Ryan & Wood, Schooner Thomas E. Lannon, YMCA…

Pop Up Gift Card Shop Ladies Night Gloucester MA 2018

Nicole Dahlmer pre-holiday pop up

Posted on by Catherine

nicole dahlmer.jpg

Nicole Dahlmer, a Gloucester based photographer, announces a pre holiday pop-up:

Please join me for a pre-holiday pop-up hosted at The Dahlmer Household on Sunday, Nov 18th, 5:30-7:30pm. Guests will have a chance to stock up on my greeting cards before the holidays & before any other fall/winter events I am participating in. There will be light refreshments available. 

Nicole.jpg

Celebrating the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage restoration and resiting at the Lanesville Community Center, #GloucesterMa

Posted on by Catherine
ROSS BURTON _Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage opens_Lanesville Community Center_Gloucester MA_20181021_© c ryan
Congratulations to Ross “Sandy” Burton, Chris Wagner, Russell Hobbs, Cheryl Mazer, Juidth Oleson, Christine Drohan, Carol Kelly, and many many other volunteers who rescued and repurposed Virginia Lee Burton artist studio into a most fitting new chapter

Come on inside the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage which was once the acclaimed artist’s former studio of her own. Virginia Lee Burton’s personal studio was rescued and nestled into the Lanesville Community Center property. The center’s clubhouse and grounds, established in 1954, seem to be the ideal spot for a summer rec program, even more so now. As one enters the cottage through the custom built door, there’s a brand new window straight ahead where the stove and chimney – and asbestos– had been. Virginia Lee Burton needed a wood stove. Today’s visitors won’t. New materials and insulation make the cottage cozy and warm.

Folly Cove Designers.jpg
vs “The Barn” (1948) Folly Cove Designers large public space 

 

Chris Wagner president of community center and project manager_ ROSS Burton_ Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage opens_Lanesville Community Center_Gloucester MA_20181021_© c ryan
Chris Wagner & Ross Burton (with microphone)

At the celebration presentation on October 21, 2018, Chris Wagner, President of the Lanesville Community Center and project manager,  recounted some history. Virginia Lee Burton purchased her studio from the Building Center in 1963. It was a pre fab home that she repurposed for her needs. He explained that the volunteers leveraged outreach. The Building Center responded with “anything you need,” and was so supportive of the cottage regeneration that they offered the volunteers a $5000 credit towards building materials. It takes an inspiring and talented village. Other area businesses stepped up: Timberline donated shingles; Argentino handled plastering; Closed Cell Structures out of Reading handled the spray foam so the cottage was winterized; Carpenter & MacNeille designed and commissioned door and windows custom built by Chris Roe from Bayview; architectural drawings from Dore and Whittier; KML Electric; plants and flowers from Generous Gardeners; and cut sunflowers for the reception from Shaws. How inspiring to learn that Camilla MacFadyen, artist and textile extraordinaire, had a hand in this studio-raising. Character, warmth, and charm were added to the new exterior wood work. Volunteers salvaged what they could of the studio and rebuilt a gem. Work is still underway. When Burton exited her sanctuary studio, she faced the ocean. Now it’s an ocean of love. Plans for future community programs and events (see below) are underway and volunteers welcome.

 

 

Support for the cottage renewal came from residents of Gloucester via CPA funding and donations, various city staff departments (e.g. conservation and community development), and a slew of committed volunteers. Like Russell Hobbs! Here’s the modest presentation listing some key volunteers:

 

The poignant celebration was held inside the Lanesville Community Center and concluded with an apt recitation from a Little House passage read by Christine Drohan.

Judith Oleson (L) Cheryl Mazer (R)
Cheryl Mazer
Christine Drohan

Continue reading “Celebrating the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage restoration and resiting at the Lanesville Community Center, #GloucesterMa” →

Big news for little house: Celebrate and tour Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage at Lanesville Community Center #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Don’t you love happy news! Virginia Lee Burton’s actual studio was saved and painstakingly and faithfully rebuilt and relocated to its new permanent home at Lanesville Community Center, Gloucester, Ma, with the help of many. “The rebuilding process of the Virginia Lee Burton (VLB) writing cottage has started with the much-needed help of volunteers, a Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant from the City of Gloucester, private donations and corporate donations from Dore and Whittier of Newburyport, MA, DMS Machine and Fabrication of Barre, VT and the Gloucester Building Center.”

Mark your calendars for upcoming events beginning this weekend!

The Lanesville Community Center Board of Directors invites you to

“A Celebration and Preview of the Restoration of the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage: An  opportunity to thank funders, donors and many community volunteers, Sunday, October 21, 1pm

Family Event: “First Reading” of Virginia Lee Burton’s books with Avis Burton Demetrios and Eleanor Demetrios, Saturday, October 27, 1pm

Children’s Drawing on October 27, 1-3pm to be displayed at the Cape Ann Museum children’s room

The Virginia Lee Burton Cottage was designated a historic building by the Gloucester Historical Society. Reconstruction was funded by a grant from the Gloucester Community Preservation Act.”

Virigina Lee Burton little house actual writing cottage restored and celebrated at Lanesville Community Center Gloucester Mass_Oct 2018 ©c ryan

 

 

Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage at Lanesville Community Center opening reception celebration flyer

Learn more and enjoy before and after photographs by visiting the VLB writing cottage website. Don’t miss the 2018 interview with Lee Natti

https://vlbwritingcottage.com/

Continue reading “Big news for little house: Celebrate and tour Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage at Lanesville Community Center #GloucesterMA” →

Organist Peter Krasinski returns for silent horror movie “Waxworks” at the Gloucester Meetinghouse October 21st

Posted on by Catherine

from Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation press release: 
waxworks150.jpg
Sunday matinee, Silent Horror Movie with Organ Accompaniment – Sunday, October 21st, 2018, 3:30pm in the historic 1806 Gloucester Meetinghouse

MAESTRO OF THE PIPE-ORGAN RETURNS

As Halloween approaches, maestro of the pipe-organ and sonic artist Peter Krasinski returns to the Meetinghouse to accompany the scary silent movie ‘Waxworks.’ As in past years, Peter will perform on the sonorous 1893 Hutchings-Fisk organ to the delight of the audience, young and old. A short film, featuring Douglas Fairbanks, called the ‘Electric House’ will open the show.

HIGHLIGHTS

‘Waxworks’ is a 1924 German horror-fantasy film (Das Wachsfigurenkabinett) directed by Paul Leni. The plot is about a poet hired by the owner of a wax museum in a circus to write tales about Harun al Raschid, Ivan the Terrible and Jack the Ripper. While writing, the poet and the daughter of the owner, Eva, fantasize the fantastic stories and fall in love for each other.  Its a thrilling horror movie for the whole family to enjoy.

TICKETS

General Admission $20; Students with ID $10, Under 12 Free (no one turned away for lack of funds; limited free tickets)  Tickets at the door (cash, check or credit card) and online with more information at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

LOCATION

The Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, is located on the green at the corner of Middle & Church Street.  Accessible side entrance is at 10 Church Street with an elevator to the Sanctuary level.  Parking on the green is allowed.

Preview now! LIVE art auction October 3, 2018: local artists annual fundraiser for Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library

Posted on by Catherine

Annual Art Auction 2018 Sept preview for Oct 3 auction_ local artists fundraiser for Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library _By Friends of SFL ©Catherine Ryan (1).jpg

 

Wall facing entrance numbers 1-16

wall facing entrance no’s 1-16
#1,2,3,4
# 5,6,7,8
#9,10,11,12
#13,14,15,16

 

and continued with numbers 17-22

 

Wall on the right as one enters- numbers 23 – 42

Annual Art Auction 2018 Sept preview for Oct 3 auction_ local artists fundraiser for Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library _By Friends of SFL ©Catherine Rya (14)

same wall photographed groups of 4

23, 24,25,26
27,28,29,30
31,32,33,34
35,36,37,38
39,40,41,42

 

Walls to the left upon entering: 43 – 54 and 55 – 63

 

Organized by the Friends of the Library committee including Mary Weissblum Smith and the Art Advisory Committee, the (21st) Annual Art Auction on October 3, 2018, will feature 63 participating artists:

Jerry Ackerman, Deborah Aldrich, Melissa Aliberte, Nancy Alimansky, Anita Beloff, Coco Berkman, Linda Lea Bertrand, Sheila Farren Billings, Carol A. Bistrong, Lois Showalter Blankenship, Roy Blankenship, Isabel Brown, Katherine Coakley, Ray Crane, Mary L Crowningshield, David Curtis, Susan W. Daly, Michael DeCosimo, Patricia Doran, Cynthia Dunaway, Phyllis Feld, Susie Field, James Formichella, Grace Frost, N. Hale, Marion Hall, Joy Halsted, Jeanne Havran, Olga Hayes, Sandra Herdman, Deanie Johnson, Pia Juhl, Phyllis J. Kaplan, Susan Kelley, Fred L. Kepler, Barbara Kremer, Mary Jane Lane, Margaret Laurie, Carol Loiacono, Lauren Maher, Mary McCarl, Patricia McCarthy, Roy McCauley, Perry McIntosh, Danny Mears, David Millar, Kate Nordstrom, Christine Pitman, Mary Rhinelander, Richard Roche, Jess Semerano, Emily Strangman, Peter Tysver, Juni Van Dyke, James Watson, Lea Watson, Jeff Weaver, Alyce Wherren, Curtis Wilcox, Jane Wolf, Heidi Caswell Zander, Ann Mechen Ziergiebel

Checklist Numbers 1 to 63: Continue reading “Preview now! LIVE art auction October 3, 2018: local artists annual fundraiser for Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library” →

Who’s the handsome opera singer that electrified the West End Gloucester Block Party? Giovanni Formisano!

Posted on by Catherine

Mystery musicians and tenor soared through melodies on the West End by Caffe Sicilila and Short and Main, Gloucester, Massachusetts, for the downtown block party.  I hope to add their names so I can credit the beautiful impromptu arias! Snippets of  and ‘O sole mio

*post updated September 4th thanks to Good Morning Gloucester readers! Giovanni Formisano is the mystery tenor — remember that name!- and an excerpt from New England Tenors Weekly:

“A native of Torre del Greco (Naples) Italy, Tenor Giovanni Formisano, began his vocal studies in the United States. After joining the Opera Workshop at the Longy School of music in Cambridge Massachusetts, Mr. Formisano participated in various Opera programs such as the “Key West Summer Opera program” under the direction of Soprano Donna Role, the “Richard Crittenden Opera workshop” and the “New York Summer Opera Scenes” under the direction of Metropolitan Opera Conductor Joshua Greene. Mr. Formisano quickly gained recognition for his Italianate, legato and full lyric sound and was featured in roles such as Rodolfo in G.Puccini’s “La Boheme”, Alfredo in G. Verdi’s “la Traviata” , Ruggero in G.Puccini’s “La Rondine” and Cavaradossi in G. Puccini’s “Tosca”. 
Because of his upbringing in the Naples area of Italy, Mr. Formisano also specializes in the Neapolitan song style and has participated in various concerts highliting this very quality…” as highlighted in the New England Tenors Weekly

 

street ‘o sole mio

 

 

 

 

Poster annotated TBD (quite the smokescreen)

gloucester ma block party events_20180831_TBD.jpg

 

 

Mass Cultural Council 2nd annual Traditional Arts Showcase at Shalin Liu, Sept. 8

Posted on by Catherine

Mayor Romeo Theken shares Mass Cultural Council’s invitation to upcoming arts showcase in Rockport: The Mass Cultural Council presents Saturday, September 8, 7:30 PM 

MCC event at Rockport Music.org- Crossing Customs: Immigrant Masters of Music & Dance

“The Mass Cultural Council is sponsoring our second annual Traditional Arts Showcase at the Shalin Liu on September 8. We would love for you to join us! Please share this invitation with your networks (via your newsletters, social media, online calendars, etc.) See details below regarding performers and ticket info. $20 general admission”

Event will celebrate music and dance: Gund Kwok Asian Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe; recent immigrants from Nepal will perform music of the Gandharvas; indigenous music of Greece led by Vasilis Kostas; salsa lesson from Eli Lady Pabon; and music from Latin Logic (photo above).

I wonder if Carlos Menenzes (Cape Ann Big Band;Jambalaya horns, O’Maley), Zach Gorrell, Docksiders, and other area artists and musicians know these groups and vice versa?

Continue below to see more information about the upcoming event and videos of the performers from MCC Press release:

Continue reading “Mass Cultural Council 2nd annual Traditional Arts Showcase at Shalin Liu, Sept. 8” →

After the battle – Fife and drum parade retreat downtown

Posted on by Catherine

Weather held off for the big Reenactment of the 1775 Gloucester Falcon Battle, but the incoming tide kept things moving ahead of schedule. If you missed it – not to worry: 1623 Studios (Cape Ann TV) filmed the battle from Beauport Hotel, and there were drones in the air. Fantastic coverage of the event here on GMG: see Bridgette Matthews photos from event here on GMG  and Manny Simoes photos on GMG.

So as not to let the parade pass by, here’s a snippet of fife and drum retreat swinging through downtown after the battle. The officers gave them protection and compliments and timing of Cape Pond Ice truck was kismet.

 

fife and drum parade downtown After Battle of Gloucester reenactment_20180811_ Gloucester MA

Footloose tomorrow! HarborWalk Summer Cinema 2018 #GloucesterMA 🎥🕺🏽💃

Posted on by Catherine

Footloose

FINAL SUMMER CINEMA POSTER

Woman-Owned Businesses along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway to welcome Austin-Healey auto tour

Posted on by Catherine

It has been just over 6 months since the first airing of the “ Woman Owned Businesses on the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway” on Chronicle WCVB Ch.5.

Pauline Bresnahan writes, “We have seen a tremendous amount of visitors to our trail since because of that show. We have also mailed about one hundred copies of our trail map when we get a request either on our Facebook page or when they call a shop.

“We can’t begin to thank the Chronicle crew from the show. We have seen visitors from Needham, Pembroke, Roslindale, Methuen, Holliston, Quincy, Tewksbury, Chelmsford, Gardner, Andover, Gloucester, Rockport, Cambridge, Boston, Arlington, just to name a few. (courtesy photos – find more on the Facebook page)

 

Woman Byway visitors Wakefield_9493.JPG

“We were thrilled to have visitors arrive on a small bus from the Council on Aging in Topsfield MA. We encourage small tours when organizations contact us, including this exciting news:

VINTAGE CAR ENTHUSIASTS INSPIRED TO BOOK A ROAD TRIP for our tour

“Recently we were contacted by an Austin-Healey Auto owners group. They will be holding a weekend summit in Beverly and have asked to do part of our trail on an early morning in August. They have a three hour window and have asked for information. We are very excited to host this group of about 60 owners and their spouses. Some of us will offer refreshments and small gift pack on information about our own towns. “We have connected four communities along a beautiful road by working together. It has been awesome!”-

photo challenge: can you name the stars with an Austin-Healey? Look forward to seeing photographs of Austin Healeys August 2018 in Gloucester and along the Byway.