Mayor Romeo Theken always shares art news immediately! Please share. Dealers, tell your artists! Family and friends, encourage someone you know should try.
Here’s the announcement and deadline from the Massachusetts Cultural Council:
The Massachusetts Cultural Council 2018 Artist Fellowship program opportunities have been announced!
“Mass Cultural Council will accept applications in Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Painting beginning December 15, 2017. Application deadline: January 29, 2018…Visit the MCC redesigned ArtSake blog, our online resource to support new art and Massachusetts artists. Every week, we round up a list of opportunities for artists – a way to find your next contest, artist residency, call to artists, publication, and more.”
Gloucester artist, Erica Daborn, was awarded an MCC fellowship grant in 2016.
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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:
Gloucester 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.
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
Talk about timing! The topics for the fascinating Massachusetts Production Coalition (MPC) event held at WGBH were planned in advance of any Academy Awards results. After a season of many accolades including the prior evening’s Oscars news, boy did that generate buzz. Conversations sparked with local names, industry folks, businesses and locales such as: Willow Rest, Pratty’s, local film folks, Gloucester Stage, Kenneth Lonergan, local police, Rt 128, and the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce.
The two featured presentations were Legendary Entertainment’s Matt Marolda on analytics in film, followed by a Meg Montagnino-Jarrett led panel discussion on the making of Manchester by the Sea.
Manchester by the Sea behind the scenes panel discussion led by Meg Montagnino Jarrett, MPC winter event 2017 at WGBH. Projected photograph illustrates jobs on the movie such as the Unit Stills photographer on Manchester by the Sea, Claire FolgerMassachusetts Production Coalition reception at WGBHwardrobe Manchester by the Sea – requests for Pratty’s t-shirts
L-R: Meg Montagnino-Jarrett (Film Liaison Cape Ann) facilitated panel: Carolyn Pickman (casting director), Alex Berard (Location Manager) and Kai Quinlan (not pictured/ also Location manager), Ryan Johnson(Lead Man), Joanna Murphy (Asst Costume Designer), Joe Boreland (not pictured)Matthew Marolda, Legendary Entertainment, presentation at MPC winter 2017 event WGBH BostonMatthew Marolda from Legendary Entertainment, featured presentation on film and analytics at 2017 MPC winter event held at WGBHChris O’Donnell MPC update (slide shows Massachusetts Film Set Day at the State House in the Hall of Flags (brought the local movies production jobs to the statehouse)
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 CompanyTo 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 ColonyTo 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
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Reminder Gloucester’s Harbortown Cultural District
The 2nd Annual Meeting and celebration
Wednesday, November 5th, 2014
At the HIVE 5-7pm
Meet the new partners. Surprises, special performance, and…
2014 Windows Gallery at the HIVE
Featuring Harbortown Cultural District Partner group exhibit
On exhibit November 5, 2014
David Cox, Harbortown Cultural District *Founding Partner, photograph
Fred Bodin, Harbortown Cultural District *Founding Partner, photograph
Joey Ciaramitaro, Harbortown Cultural District *Founding Partner, photograph
Loren Doucette, Harbortown Cultural District *Founding Partner, painting
John Sarkin, represented by Ken Riaf’s Law and Water Gallery, Harbortown Cultural District Partner, drawing
Juni Van Dyke, Harbortown Cultural District Partner, painting
Ken Riaf, Harbortown Cultural District Partner, box constructions, mixed media assemblage sculpture
Beth Williams, Harbortown Cultural District new Partner, artist & downtown proprietor, handmade glass beads and jewelry
goodlinens, Harbortown Cultural District new Partner, artist and entrepreneur JoAnne
Chirico downtown textile business
Belle + Me, Harbortown Cultural District new Partner, designers Anne Malvaux and Lisa LeVasseur, French inspired custom scarves with jewelry
Ten Pound Studio, Harbortown Cultural District Partner, artist and a Ten Pound founder, Susan Quateman, silk painting; artist Muriel Lee Steele, silk painting scarf
BEYOND THE WINDOW! Art Haven is a Harbortown *Founding Partner
Check out HIVE, TAG, and other artists including Jason Burroughs currently on exhibit within all Art Haven’s amazing artistic community spaces. Sign up for classes! Use TAG services: printing and design, graphics, digital printing, screen printing, and more!
Founding Partner Art Haven has generously offered the HIVE for Harbortown Cultural District’s 2nd Annual Meeting and partner celebration which will be the perfect setting! Join us in celebrating a spectacular year filled with museum openings, special events, national press, and other landmark programming and happenings. Plus…meet the new Harbortown Cultural District Partners! Here’s a link to the current partners list (http://www.gloucesterharbortown.org/partner-profiles) Thanks to founding partners: GMG for helping us connect and spread the word, and to Fred Bodin, Maritime Gloucester and the Cape Ann Museum for hosting our 3 previous Harbortown Partner Events.
RSVP
Carol Thistle, Gloucester Community Development Director
People who know us have seen how much Vickie and I support non-profits. We volunteer our time. We produce concerts & festivals that raise money for them. And we donate money when we can. Gloucester is blessed to have several excellent non-profits with dedicated staff, supporters and volunteers who serve our community well. You know who they are.
Lately, it feels like some organizations with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status are gaining an unfair advantage in the marketplace. And last week, several events conspired to drive this point home to us.
It began last Wednesday when an MCC delegation came to Beverly for a proposed Cultural District site visit. The proposed Beverly Arts District (BAD for short) includes The Larcom Theatre, where we present concerts, so we arranged for the MCC delegation to tour the theatre and I participated in a round table dialogue afterwards. The Larcom Theatre is clearly the largest arts organization in the district in terms of the number of people we connect with annually (over 30K people come to shows at the Larcom from over 320 towns in 30+ states).
But The Larcom is not eligible for an MCC Cultural Facilities Fund Grant because it’s not a 501(c)(3). Neither is gimmeLIVE. Currently, the Larcom has no air conditioning, so we don’t have concerts in the summer; and no sound system, so we rent one (an excellent one, BTW) for the season. If we were a 501(c)(3) we could apply for a grant and use the money for those and other improvements. But we can’t. Nor can we hang posters in lots of locations (including Market Basket) that only allow posters for non-profits.
However, the group that hopes to purchase the Cabot Theatre (just up the street from the Larcom) is rumored to be a non-profit. They won’t pay taxes. They could get a Cultural Facilities Grant. They could hang posters where we can’t. So… our tax dollars are funding our competition, whose 501(c)(3) status gives them lots of other advantages over us too.
Does this seem fair to you?
When I mention this disparity to various people, their answer is usually, “Well, why don’t you become a non-profit? It’s really not that hard.” In fact, that’s what Biotech investor Greg Verdine is doing for his new Gloucester venture according to this Boston Business Journal article that I read on Thursday.
Is this really what we want? Smart business people starting non-profits to gain an advantage in the marketplace?
We’re not talking about poor starving aid workers here. People who run non-profits in the Northeast make over $148K on average and as much as $3.7 million a year in salary according to this report.
Recently we applied for a Mission Main Streets Grant from Chase Bank. Getting this grant would allow us to hire people, buy sound equipment, take bigger risks on more expensive artists and maybe even help get air conditioning in the Larcom Theatre (it’s not enough for that, but it could help). Refreshingly, these grants are only available to for-profit small businesses. That’s us — a small, family business trying to make a living for ourselves, our crew and our artists by bringing the best live music to your backyard at reasonable prices. Non-profits have a huge advantage. Please help level the playing field by voting for us. It’s easy and free. Just go here.
Thanks.
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The website for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) is www.massvacation.com
So far, these 14 Gloucester businesses and organizations have added their listings– with pictures!
ALMOST THERE–And these need a picture!
Also check out EAT IMAGINE DISCOVER and send in press releases for their subcategories. You might be featured.
send to: Lisa Simmons, Communications Director, MA Office of Travel and Tourism lisa.simmons@state.ma.us
MOTT recently added the link for the Massachusetts Cultural Districts map. Click on EXPLORE from the home page and then select “ARTS”, and then “CULTURAL DISTRICTS”.
I see that they’ve added the new “Art App Boston” – hopefully they’ll add links for the new Cape Ann Cultural District app and the ArtsApp Cape Cod soon.
See what they’ve written about within each district.
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Here’s some exciting data that ArtsBoston released in a new 2014 report on the economic impact of the arts in MA. See the link for the complete report and a couple surprising and intriguing slides. www.artsboston.org/artsfactor
For 40 years, ArtsBoston aims to connect everyone to MA arts. They have an active membership of 170-plus performing and visual arts organizations throughout Greater Boston. They weigh in with serious analysis and collective data and are a resource for best practices and collaboration. Last fall, GMG announced a podcast webinar from the Massachusetts Cultural Council on how to build audiences using ArtsBoston Audience Initiative which you can find on the MCC site.
If you’re traveling in MA–or anywhere across the US that has cultural district designations–they’re a good place to investigate ahead of time for planning.
The summer Butterflies exhibit at the Berkshire Museum that includes Kim Smith’s work is nearby 5 western ma cultural districts and ideally situated for visiting Tanglewood or whatever Berkshire art and trail you envision.
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Here’s a few photos from Fred Bodin’s coverage of Tuesday’s May 28 kick off Celebration for the Harbortown Cultural District. The party was held in the Gorton’s gallery of Maritime Gloucester and it was packed! Check out the special cake –it very nearly covered a 4 x 6 table.
Gloucester from its water’s edge and beyond: the center for all! Like the “Harbortown” name, the cake was a mash up of two flavors, too. Lise Breen and Judith Hoglander worked with Jim’s Bagel and Bake Shoppe for this classic riff of Saul Steinberg’s famous 1976 New Yorker cover, a favorite motif for him.
Music filled the rooms and welcomed everyone. One of the Harbortown event’s surprises was the talent of musicians Zach Bridges & Steve Lacy from Henry Allen & The New Swingset. Here’s Henry Allen (on the steering committee for Harbortown) visiting with Mayor Carolyn Kirk and Karen Ristuben (Rocky Neck Cultural District) Gloucester ’s Rocky Neck Cultural District is a partner. Mayor Kirk spoke twice.
Leadership here and at the state level are advocating for the arts in a big way. The Harbortown Cultural District would not have happened without the support and commitment from Mayor Carolyn Kirk, Harbor Planning Director Sarah Garcia, Chief Administrative Officer James Duggan, all the Gloucester City Councilors, Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council representatives. The party filled up quickly. There was bountiful conversation and energy buoyed by appetizers and drinks thanks to so many wonderful partners and stakeholders. Here’s one of Fred’s crowd photos peeking through Maritime Gloucester’s display–what an apt framing for the themes of connection.
One of the first surprises on the evening’s program was a presentation from Harbortown partner, the Gloucester Public Schools. Teachers Kurt Lichtenwald’s and John Barry’s S.T.E.A.M. (science technology engineering, Arts and mathematics) classes feature students’ and made, engineered musical instruments. David Puglisi came to the event and showcased his handmade plywood electric guitar see his youtube video!
Co-chair for Harbortown Cultural District, Judith Hoglander looks on.
Anita Walker, executive director for the Massachusetts Cultural Council gave a wonderful speech about Gloucester , this district, the arts and maritime connections. She spoke to the legacy of the continuous involvement of youth and fostering stewardship through generations. She took a moment to recognize a contribution completed for the application.
Fred captures the authentic spirit of Anita Walker in this one and sheer fun. The MCC is passionate about Gloucester and the arts across Massachusetts . Sarah Garcia surprised Walker with an iconic Gloucester southwester. They visited Nelsons on Main Street on the day of the site visit, and the classic yellow slicker hats and ancillary businesses of the fishing industry were obvious topics. To the left of Walker, Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library Director, Carol Gray enjoys the moment.
More photos to come; David Cox, local media, and co-Chair Bob Whitmarsh were all snapping away at different points. By the way, one of the best Facebook pages in town, Fred Bodin may have some posted https://www.facebook.com/BodinHistoricPhoto
I got there towards the end of the meeting last Thursday, but I got a few photos…
The meeting looked like a “who’s who of downtown Gloucester”!
Anita Walker sounded very optimistic about the establishment of the cultural district.
State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante spoke for a few minutes while I was there too.
Joey obviously thought the whole thing was wicked awesome!
Kudos to Joey and all those who have been involved in publicizing and promoting, organizing, recruiting support, writing proposals, etc., to make this happen! And thanks to Fred for being a great host and a fine gentleman, as always!
The Mass Cultural Council came to G-Town to listen to and observe what makes Gloucester so special. There are no other towns that have more than one Cultural District. Gloucester already has Rocky Neck. If approved for Downtown Gloucester, Gloucester would stand as the only City with more than one Massachusetts Cultural District.
When sitting in the room and listening to the distinguished assembly of community people that showed up it was obvious about 10 minutes in that honestly Gloucester deserves this in spades. There is no where anywhere that is as culturally diverse, enriched and vibrant as our community.
All the people had to do was speak the truth. It wasn’t about selling Downtown Gloucester. Downtown Gloucester, it’s merchants, it’s artists, its community and artistic organizations sell itself.
You’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not see it and I can assure you the representatives of the Mass Cultural Council that visited, Anita Walker, Meri Jenkins, Kylie Sullivan and Maren Brown are anything but deaf dumb and blind.
Huge thanks to the Downtown GloucesterCultural District Steering Committee Catherine Ryan, Lise Breen, Judith Hoglander, Robert Whitmarsh, Anne Robinson, Ronda Faloon, Maggie Rosa and David Rhinelander for laying so much of the groundwork to make this meeting possible and also to Fred Bodin for hosting this momentous event at his Bodin Historic Photo Gallery.
Melissa I love my new scarf. You rock!
STEP AWAY FROM THE CANNOLI – PUT YOUR ARMS UP AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CANOLLI!
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There’s just one more week until the Massachusetts Cultural Council visits downtown Gloucester for their big 4 hour site visit on Thursday, FEBRUARY 21, 2013
We’re hoping your readers will help us reach out to all DOWNTOWN GLOUCESTER residents, businesses, organizations.
Help us Decorate by printing and displaying Art Haven’s custom welcome poster!
Please print out and share this wonderful poster, a unique and custom welcome for MCC, designed by Art Haven, a founding cultural partner. We’re hoping residents, businesses, and organizations throughout the district at street level or above will put it in their window or door for that day. Founding partner, the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will disperse it to its members. Thank you GMG for posting. Fred Bodin is also reaching out to his network to encourage printing/posting!
The proposed DGCD footprint very roughly spans from St.Peter’s/the Chamber side over to Gortons, and from City Hall to Maritime Gloucester . This means it includes the Civic jewels, all of Middle, all of Main, all of Harbor Loop, our waterfront, and Rogers until Rose Baker. It’s the same footprint used for decades and that we all know. We’ll be included in a select group that receive designation and will be marketed with 5 others on the North Shore . We will be the first town in the state with two cultural districts! It mirrors the HarborWalk’s, the Chamber of Commerce’s, Discover Gloucester , and Maritime Trail mapsl, etc–everyone’s efforts to maintain the integrity of downtown and historic harbor area. It will likely increase what is already great and working. Our downtown works hard to offer residents, visitors and employees fantastic experiences!
Bob hand delivered the Downtown Gloucester Cultural District required support material (two complete sets) to the Boston offices for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), the last step in the application process. We hope Gloucester will be the first town in MA with 2 cultural districts and that the DGCD will soon join the other excellent cultural districts on the North Shore !
Please check out the photos of the binders being presented by Bob to Meri Jenkins and Kylie Sullivan of the MCC.
Next steps: The MCC will arrange a site visit and will go over our application in detail before a recommendation can be made to go forward with establishing the DGCD.
Mayor of Gloucester Carolyn Kirk, Jay Paget, Mass Cultural Council Director and Susan Silberberg-Robinson, MIT Lecturer on Urban Planning and Design speak at the SeArts Annual Meeting to a large audience.
Susan Silberberg-Robinson
Jay Paget
Mayor Carolyn Kirk
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OF HISTORICAL CHARACTERS FROM GLOUCESTER 1600 – 1900
Friday
June 4th 8pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
10 Church Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
Admission only $5.00
The research and scriptwriting process was funded in part through a grant fromThe Gloucester School Connection.
The production was funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council administered through the Gloucester Cultural Council.
Special thanks also to Stephanie Buck and Courtney Richardson of the Cape Ann Museum for their assistance in research and dialogue.
The Beauport Anthology features nine local professional and community actors performing dramatic monologues of 16 characters from Gloucester’s history .
Cast of characters in order of appearance followed by (actor’s names) is as follows:
Special thanks to Linda Stockman for costume design and construction!
BEAUPORT CAST BIOS (in order of appearance)
Gordon Baird (Babson/Captain Eldridge) was the co-founder and 25 year publisher of Billboard’s Musician Magazine. He founded the West End Theater of Gloucester, the Gloucester Kids’ Theater Club and the cable TV comedy show Gloucester Chicken Shack. He is an Equity actor, singer and currently plays in the rock band, The Tide. A native New Yorker and an everyday sailor, Gordon writes a humor column for the Gloucester Times and lives on a seaside farm with three kids, a patient wife, an old tractor, 3 goats, 17 chickens and a very personable pig.
James Buhrendorf (Masconomet) grew up in a 1950s rural trailer park and a Levittown-style Cape Cod tract house, in a green Connecticut Valley town where he was allowed to drive tractors as a young farmhand. After 30 years in corporate public relations and publicity, he is now discovering he can sing, play and perform — everything from heartfelt alternative roots songs, Sufi-inspired instrumental compositions, and compelling stories drawn from personal and collective history.
Duncan Nelson (Captain Smith/Howard Blackburn) is an English Professor at UMass/Boston. Theater-wise this guy’s been tossed in a range of roles, from Malvolio to Poo-Bah, Carnes in O-klahoma, and Doc West Side Story. Having reached his eightieth year he’s praying his crowning glory will be – to have learned, and been turned into, King Lear!
David Adams (Lord Sheffield/Sam Sawyer/Mason Walton) is a self employed arborist of Cape Ann. He has been acting and dancing for more than 25 years. His last role was as Antonio in Merchant of Venice
Nora Messier (Abigail Sommes/Judith Sargent Murray) has worked both on and off stage in various theatres including Gloucester Stage Company, the Boston Actors Theatre, The Firehouse in Newburyport, The West End Theatre, History Alive!, and the Boston Playwrights Theatre. Some of her favorite roles she has enjoyed delving into are Jo March (Little Women), Lizzie Morden (Our Country’s Good), and Antonio (Twelfth Night). Outside of the theatre she sings in a choir, dabbles on the piano, listens to her husband’s band practices, and is the residence director of a group home for adults with developmental disabilities.
Tina Greel (Thomasine Younger/Peg Wesson) grew up on the head of the harbor. She has been an actress, a visual artist and follower of the muse for many years in Gloucester. She has had minor roles in several area films and is the lead actress in the current Gorton’s commercial.
Talia Brown (Easter Carter/Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward) is a performing artist in the Boston area. Most recently she has enjoyed storytelling for children’s shows at Symphony Hall, Boston Children’s Museum and many of New England’s public schools. Talia currently teaches Theatre at O’Maley Middle School in Gloucester, MA.
Jay DiPrima (Rev. John Murray/Fitz Henry Lane) playwright and life long educator, Jay currently teaches performing arts and directs shows at O’Maley Middle School. Dr. DiPrima also teaches graduate courses in drama and education for Fitchburg State and Endicott College. One of his passions is to bring “history to life” through dramatization. Other historical dramas and monodramas that he has written include: Henry David Thoreau: Lyceum Lecturer,Mohandas Gandhi: His Majesty’s Hotel and Paul, the Aged (Apostle Paul). As an actor, he toured with the Guild Players for many years bringing historical figures and literary adaptations to school children throughout New England. Jay is most grateful to the Gloucester School Connection, the Gloucester Cultural Council and this remarkable cast for bringing these characters to life.
Bradley Royds (BenjaminF. Butler/musician) is a composer, performer, producer, sound designer and recording artist. Currently, his songs and sounds can be heard in television shows, commercials, theater, video games, and on the radio, Cd’s and the internet. He has a lifetime of accomplishment and professional experience in both the art and business of entertainment. Bradley has appeared as a guitarist in Stoneham Theater’s production of Tommy, and The New Rep’s Scapin. As General Benjamin Butler he draws on his Southern roots and Northern sensibilities. Bradley would like to thank Jay DiPrima and the entire cast!
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This program is supported in part by a grant from the Rockport Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded and managed by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation
Manship Artist and Residence Studios (MARS)Gloucester
Good Morning Gloucester 