Tag: mars

Gloucester Manship Artists Residency + Studios nominated for a Commonwealth Award

Posted on by Catherine

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The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) announced 13 finalists vying for the Massachusetts 2019 Commonwealth Awards including Manship Artists Residency + Studios in Gloucester, Mass!

press release from MARS:

The Manship Artists Residency + Studios aka MARS is a finalist for the 2019 Commonwealth Awards. Announcing the thirteen 2019 finalists, Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker said “​The Commonwealth Award is the highest honor in the arts and culture in Massachusetts. It is a celebration of the best of the best and a demonstration of the Power of Culture to enrich us all. This extraordinary group of awardees exemplifies our state’s unique cultural fabric. Their collective and individual achievements have made us a better Commonwealth.”
​ The Manship Artists Residency + Studios is recognized as an exemplary grassroots effort that brought together the skills, talents, and resources to save a local treasure with national importance as an innovative cultural resource for today and for future generations.

Established as a national and international, interdisciplinary artists residency and cultural hub, MARS has been developing partnerships and alliances with local, regional and international organizations in order to enrich and enhance existing public offerings, as well as to introduce new and exciting creative opportunities. For example, the first cohort of artists that worked at the Manship site were selected by a curator of the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy in Andover and were included in an exhibition there on sculptor Paul Manship’s legacy this past fall and winter. ​Local artists also will benefit in many ways – indeed, the first “visiting” artist in January 2017 was Gloucester resident Diane KW. And, among the first “resident’ artists who will begin to stay at the Manship home as soon as renovations are completed on the residence this Spring is Lara Lepionka, a Gloucester artist and social justice activist, who has achieved wide acclaim for her award-winning nonprofit, Backyard Growers.

In addition to visiting and resident artists, MARS welcomes other innovators and cultural leaders. Thus far MARS has hosted a Smithsonian museum conservator, a Metropolitan Museum curator, an independent Maine filmmaker, as well as a dance troupe from New York City. In July 2018, MARS’ hosted its first public event: Quarry Dance VII, a collaboration with Windhover Performing Arts Center attracted over 1000 guests to four free public showings of the site-specific performance. MARS will offer similar signature public events each summer, including exhibitions, installations and performances. The first exhibition at MARS will open the house to the public with artwork by Willie “Loco” Alexander. While Willie is known internationally as a musical pioneer, few have had the pleasure of experiencing his paintings and collages first-hand. MARS is also engaged in educational outreach. Thanks to a generous donor, MARS purchased an original Folly Cove Designer Acorn Press and has loaned this cultural treasure to the O’Maley Innovation Middle School for the use of local students and artists. This loan compliments the Folly Cove Designer (FCD) curriculum that was established in the schools by the Cape Ann Museum several years ago.
MARS Advisor Catherine Amidon commented that “​It is always exciting and inspiring when a young organization such as MARS receives recognition for their achievement along with a prominent list of seasoned and accomplished cultural colleagues. MARS’ success is a tribute to the support and guidance of the Mass Cultural Council, and to the generosity of local artists and collaborators, of donors who have invested wisely and who wanted to support the hard work of MARS’ board members, their advisors, and the incredible volunteers who have brought MARS this far in such a short time. Were it not for this collective effort, MARS would not be here today.​ ”

● For more information on the MCC Commonwealth Awards contact ​Carmen Plazas​, Communications Manager, 617-858-2738.

● For the Manship Project, contact Rebecca Reynolds, Founder and Board President, (978) 290-8438. MARS’ web site is ​www.manshipartists.org Follow @manshipartists on facebook, twitter and instagram

GMG Paul Manship historic artist home and studio purchase Sept 2017 

Manships exhibition and fundraiser for MARS

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY KAY TAYLOR AND LOWELL’S BOAT SHOP!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Rebecca Reynolds (MARS board president), Annie Harris (CEO Essex National Heritage Area) and Mary Kay Taylor (Lowell’s Boat Shop education/grants director)

Today I attended the Essex National Heritage Area annual spring meeting as a recently appointed heritage commissioner. The meeting was held at the Saugus Town Hall, a magnificently maintained, predominately Gothic Revival style building, constructed in 1874-1877 and designed by architects Lord and Fuller. The East Lake inspired interior details and decoration were a treat to see and have been beautifully preserved.

It was a joy to see my friend Sarah Boucher, director of sales and marketing at Willowdale Estate and Briar Barn Inn, to meet Rebecca Reynolds, president of the Manship Artists Residency and Studios (MARS), and to see the always wonderful Mary Kay from Schooner Ardelle-Adventure-Lowell’s Boat Shop.

Today Mary Kay was wearing her Lowell’s Boat Shop and Museum hat, accepting the matching Essex National Heritage Area partnership grant. The grant will go towards the restoration of the Boat Shop. To learn more about Lowell’s Boat Shop and Museum, the oldest continuously operating boat shop in America, visit their website here.


Saugus Town Hall image courtesy wiki commons media

BREAKING #GloucesterMA: Passing the legacy– an historic Folly Cove Acorn printing press for the outstanding art department at O’Maley Middle School

Posted on by Catherine

Thanks to Mayor Romeo Theken, teacher Brett Dunton, Principal Lucey, and the extreme generosity of Manship Artists Residency & Studios (MARS) under the direction of Rebecca Reynolds, the O’Maley Innovation Middle School ramped up in a powerful fashion with an amazing and enviable addition to the art department:

a rare loan of a Folly Cove Acorn fine art printing press for the art room!

Acorn printing presses were used by Gloucester’s legendary Folly Cove guild of artisans, most notably Virginia Lee Burton, an internationally renowned artist, children’s picture book author-illustrator, dancer, teacher and Folly Cove co-founder. O’Maley students study Gloucester, printmaking, and the history of Folly Cove artists through a myriad of units in each grade and subject, often in partnership with Cape Ann Museum, local artists and other community partners. And now, to have this pedigree press, … Wow! Enjoy some photographs from Brett Dunton from the exciting installation day.

 

teachers Brett Dunton and Ashley Doke with 8th grade students admiring the newly installed famous Acorn press O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Gloucester MA

teachers Brett Dunton and Ashley Doke with 8th grade students admiring the newly installed famous Acorn press O'Maley Innovation Middle School, Gloucester MA

The O’Maley press is one of the last actual Folly Cove presses remaining on Cape Ann. It was owned and used by Elizabeth (Libby) Holoran and Isabel Natti, eventually taking up Holloran’s floor space in the Sarah Elizabeth Store which she opened in 1974. Superstar sculptor, Paul Manship, was Isabel Natti’s grandfather. Aino Natti, Natti’s uncle, was one of the Folly Cove co-founders and the original owner of this particular press. Acorn printing presses were fabricated and distributed by companies like the Adams Brothers in Boston circa 1830-1870. The name “Acorn” comes from the cut away which resembles the shape of an acorn; the presses are RARE and beautiful. One is on view at the Cape Ann Museum.

Mayor Romeo Theken was hopeful that MARS would consider the schools and Gloucester’s students when determing a most suitable location. Teacher Brett Dunton knows Natti and all about this famed press. He was thrilled to build a print room around it and get going. Natti had already given him some of her drying racks. This opportunity would not have happened without MARS working with donors to rescue the press and Mr. Dunton’s expertise and enthusiasm for taking it on. This has to be one of the nicest feel good full circle art stories coming home ever! I look forward to sharing some of the results from the inaugural student printmaking classes, original print editions from this stellar art room addition.

 

 

Gloucester portion of Massachusetts 2017 $9,000,000 arts funding celebrates Paul Manship and…

Posted on by Catherine
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Sculpture Garden outside Paul Manship residence/studio Lanesville village of Gloucester, MA  (photo taken after 1943 when he bought 14 acres abandoned quarry)

How did Gloucester stack up? $375,500

From the release (May 18, 2017 – New Bedford, MA) – 

“The Baker-Polito Administration and Massachusetts Cultural Council today announced $9.3 million in new awards from Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), celebrating over $100 million in total cultural sector investments since the fund was established ten years ago. An additional $10 million in funding was included in the Baker-Polito Administration’s Fiscal Year 2018 Capital Budget Plan released last week…Over $100 million in CFF awards since 2007 have supported 772 building projects in the nonprofit arts, sciences and humanities, with total development costs of $2.6 billion, driving cultural tourism, job growth, and community vitality in cities and towns across Massachusetts. Over ten years CFF-funded projects have supported 8,512 full time jobs and $492 million in wages, employed 23,778 architects, engineers, contractors, and construction workers, and created 2,092 new permanent jobs…The new round of awards today includes 61 capital grants totaling about $8.9 million and another 18 planning grants totaling nearly $400,000. Grants range from $7,000 to $300,000, and must be matched one-to-one from private and/or other public sources. Learn more about the CFF.”

Scroll on to see the state’s Cultural Facilities Funding (CFF) totaling $367,000 plus Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) totaling $8500 breakdown for Gloucester.  Along with the categories below and others, make sure and think about next year’s application categories including the new festival grant category OPEN NOW.

MCC ARTIST FELLOWSHIP -$0

MCC BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS  – $400

O’Maley and Veterans $200 each for an educational field trip

CULTURAL FACILITIES FUND (CFF) – $367,000

Driven by the Boston Foundation, MA Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities (MAASH), the MCC and others after many years, this big pot that funds so many projects was part of legislation passed back in July of 2006. Complete list of the winners announced May 18, 2017. Gloucester received 3 awards:

UU is MA cultural facilities fundGloucester Meetinghouse Foundation, Gloucester
Project: Fire Safety and Detection Systems
Grant: $130,000
About the Facility: The Federal Style edifice, completed in 1806, is the largest, oldest and last remaining historic Meetinghouse in Gloucester. It serves as a welcoming civic center, distinguished concert hall and hub for community events. About this Project: The Cultural Facilities Fund awarded the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation $130,000 for the installation of a comprehensive fire-sprinkler system, fire-proof insulation and new detection systems.

SAAM-J0085221SAAM-J0085220 (1)Manship Artist and Residence Studios (MARS)Gloucester
Project: Acquisition and Establishment of New Artist Residency
Grant: $207,000
About the Facility: Manship Artist and Residence Studios will preserve a local treasure with national significance and continue the legacy of Cape Ann’s historic community of artists by establishing an artist residency program at the renovated 15+ acre property of sculptor Paul Manship. About the Project: The Cultural Facilities Fund awarded Manship Artist and Residence Studios $207,000 to purchase the Manship property in Gloucester, which will be transformed into an artist educational facility and gallery place. In 2016, MARS received $30,000 to conduct a feasibility study for the renovation of the Manship property as an arts and culture center with an artist residency program.

Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester
Grant: $30,000 Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants
About this Project: The Cultural Facilities Fund awarded the Cape Ann Museum $30,000 for architectural studies and strategic planning assistance to explore expansion and facility improvements, informed by programmatic need and a 2016 Systems Replacement Plan.

MCC CULTURAL INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO- $0

MCC JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS ART PROGRAM – $0

FESTIVALS PROGRAM– $500

St Peter’s Fiesta

–NEW GRANT OPEN–Festivals Taking Place September 1, 2017 – February 28, 2018
Online application available: June 2017
Preliminary funding decisions begin: September 1, 2017
Application deadline: September 15, 2017 at 5 PM (ET)
Grants announced: October 2017

MCC LOCAL CULTURAL COUNCIL (LCC)-  $7600

Allocation Gloucester $7,600 Thanks LCC volunteers on the committee for processing the applications every year

Alicia Quintano, Lucille LePage and

2017 / 2016

$911 / $450
Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe $295 / $348
Cape Ann Symphony $200
Community Band, Cape Ann $500
DiPrima, Jay $300 / $250
East Gloucester Elementary School PTO $500 / $300
Ethnic Arts Center $400 / $400
Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library $500 (1 grant) / $964 (2 grants)
Gloucester Writers Center $300
Mark Chester Diversity Project and MIRA Coalition, a 501(c)3 $300
Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary $200
Northeast MA Youth Orchestras, Inc. $500
Rockport Music $250 / $400
Sarah Slifer Swift $400 / $400
Sheehan, Rose $960 / $500
Sheehan, Rose $800 / $450
Sheehan, Rose $800
Summer Concert Series, Antonio Gentile Bandstand $500
Wendy Manninen, Vicki Marsh & $400 / $300
Windhover Foundation $500 / $700

LAST YEAR’S GMG POST: 2016 THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE! NEARLY $310,000 GLOUCESTER PIECE OF MA’S ART FUNDING PIE *some of the grants announced in 2016 span more than one year (if they were listed last year I did not repeat them into this year)

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Paul Manship Gloucester property

GMG Post- Gloucester at the MET Paul Manship Three Bears, Anna Hyatt Huntington…

The envelope, please! Nearly $310,000 Gloucester piece of MA’s 2016 art funding pie

Posted on by Catherine
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Ralston Crawford photograph

How did Gloucester stack up?

Read on to see the state’s Cultural Facilities Funding (CFF) totaling $221,000 plus Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) totaling $88,200 in Gloucester for 2016. It’s a safe bet that each resident in the City benefits from at least one of these 2016 projects.  Along with the categories below and others, make sure and think about next year’s application categories including the new festival grant category that will be due September 2016 for 2017 programming. Congratulations to all the recipients!

MCC ARTIST FELLOWSHIP -$12,000

Artist Erica Daborn, for artistic professional development. $12,000

MCC BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS  – $600

Beeman School, O’Maley and Veterans $200 each for an educational field trip

CULTURAL FACILITIES FUND (CFF) – $221,000

Driven by the Boston Foundation, MA Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities (MAASH), the MCC and others after many years, this big pot that funds so many projects was part of legislation passed back in July of 2006. Maybe it will be increased by it’s 10th year anniversary summer 2017? Across the state over the past 9 years, “CFF has awarded grants of $91.9 million to nearly 700 projects across the Commonwealth. Demand for CFF grants continues to outpace supply…The new round includes 68 capital grants totaling $8.9 million and another 23 planning grants totaling just over $400,000. Grants range from $7,000 to $300,000, and must be matched one-to-one from private and/or other public sources.”  

Maritime Gloucester To construct a Student/Visitor educational Center on Harbor Loop. $116,000

Gloucester Stage Company To replace aging and limited lighting system with a state-of-the-art lighting grid, equipment and controls, and supporting electrical rewiring. $50,000

Manship Artist Residence and Studios (MARS) To conduct a feasibility study for the renovation of the Manship property as an arts and culture center with an artist residency program. $30,000

Rocky Neck Art Colony To install an acoustic ceiling treatment, a second AC unit, lighting upgrades, and integrated A/V projection and sound equipment to its Main Hall. $25,000

MCC CULTURAL INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO- $23,000

Cape Ann Museum to celebrate the art, history and culture of the region and to keep it relevant by offering quality exhibitions and programs for our communities, and beyond. $11,500

Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra, Inc.to establish, maintain, and operate a non-profit civic symphony orchestra in the Cape Ann area to foster, promote, and increase the musical knowledge and appreciation of the public through the performance of music at concerts and other functions; to provide an opportunity for Cape Ann area musicians to play as an orchestra; and to assist and encourage the musical development of Cape Ann students. $3,800

Maritime Gloucester to promote Gloucester’s maritime heritage as a platform for teaching maritime skills and marine sciences, and for encouraging environmental stewardship. $8,700

MCC JOHN AND ABIGAIL ADAMS ART PROGRAM – $21,000

Rocky Neck Art Colony establish an Office of Cultural Development in the City of Gloucester to champion innovation in arts and culture, provide support for private and public cultural development, and invigorate the City’s cultural tourism agenda; to develop an inclusive, collaborative cultural plan for Gloucester to strengthen historic links between the city’s maritime culture, community and the arts. $21,000

MCC LOCAL CULTURAL COUNCIL (LCC)-  $7600

Allocation Gloucester $7,600 Thanks Rose Sheehan and the LCC volunteers on the committee for processing all the applications every year! This year’s 21 winners

Annisquam Historical Society Preserving Gloucester History $450
Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe Season 2015-2016 $348
DiPrima, Jay Henry David Thoreau Lecture $250
East Gloucester Elementary School Rob Surette and His Amazing Hero Art $300
Harcovitz, Ruth Songs of World War II $250
LePage, Lucille Stories, Songs & More $571
Lundberg, Christine The Art & Craft of Folly Cove Designers Film $500
Manninen, Wendy Singing and Signing $300
Maritime Gloucester Association Off to the Races! Exhibit $700
Music at Eden’s Edge Connecting Kids to Classical Music $500
Northeast Mass. Youth Orchestras Youth Orchestra Honors Concert $350
Phyllis A Marine Association History Sharing Program $500
Rockport Music Jasper Quartet $400
Sawyer Free Library Printerbot Learning $464
Sawyer Free Library Cape Ann Reads $500
Sheehan, Rose Welcome Yule – Midwinter Celebration $500
Sheehan, Rose Cape Ann Contra Dance $450
Swift, Sarah Slifer Trident Live Art Series $400
Van Dyke, Juni The Note Card Project $350
Waller, Susan The Fiesta People’s Mural $250
Windhover Foundation Quarry Dance 5 $700

MCC CULTURAL DISTRICTS City of Gloucester – $9000

Gloucester’s downtown Cultural District. $4,000

Gloucester’s Rocky Neck Cultural District. $5,000

MCC YOUTHREACH- $15,000

Maritime Gloucester and Action to provide hands-on marine and physical science instruction to at-risk 16-20 year-olds in collaboration with Action, Inc. $15,000

Astronomy Orgasm: Threesome Tonight!

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Holy cow, New England weather is going to give us clear skies tonight as an impressive threesome happens after sunset.

Here’s the deal. There was a supermoon last night but it’s a new moon so no one saw it. It means tonight it is one humongous thin fingernail. But wait, there’s more. Venus will be blazing away just to the left of the fingernail. But here is the cherry on top. Whip out some binoculars and check out Mars just above Venus! You might be able to get all three in wide field birding binocs. But even without binocs it will look pretty cool.

Look to the right of where the sun set and Venus will be blazing. Mars up and sliver of moon to the right.
Look to the right of where the sun set and Venus will be blazing. Mars up and sliver of moon to the right.

 

Photographers Ephemeris shows where you need to be to catch the three setting over City Hall. Is that Joey’s dock?

moonset
Did I really type “sunset hear”? Well to all the grammarians who just started grinding their teeth I say, “lighten up Francis, I’m not going back to change it.”

 

Credits: First shot I made in “StarSafari” astronomy program. Gloucester Area Astronomy Club Approved. The second photo I made using “The Photographers Ephemeris“. Probably GAAC approved too. Both programs worth knowing how to use.