10-11:30 Saturday December 3, 2022 – Free family fun!
A reading and book signing of The Tree In Dock Square at Sawyer Free Library **location on Main Street**
with special guests author Jean Woodbury and artist Bonnie L. Sylvester
SFL@21Main photo tour
The bright library is in the space memorably outfitted by Rob Newton’s Cape Ann Community Cinema (now in Rockport). His investments into upgrades and renovations –concession stand, lobby, viewing room (staff and Wellspring meeting uses), handicap accessible bathrooms, and more– are well suited for the retrofitted library zones. Stairs/elevator to 2nd floor. Ground Floor is Mystery Train. Note: The elevator is to the right when you walk in the entry. (65 Rogers/21 Main –the only entrance is on Main)
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Recap and scenes from the Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library 2022 Annual meeting, including views of the most recent revised concept proposal for the renovation and addition intended for the library as they appeared in the feature presentation (Oudens & Ello Architects with Dore + Whittier Architects) Sawyer Free 2025
Mern Sibley, Pres. of the Library Board, greeted the crowd and emceed. Jill Cahill thanked everyone and announced that she was there on behalf of the Mayor who was unable to attend as he was at the SFL Medal Awards. (And Jenny Benedict, Library Director, was here at the SFL Annual Meeting, unable to attend the SFL Medal Awards at GHS. Ditto some corporators, perhaps.) The City and Gloucester School District are working closely together, and thrilled to be partnering. In speaking with the Mayor about what message he hoped to convey, Cahill said their moving conversation spilled over among the City Hall Administration staff and easily turned to reminiscences about how the library impacted their lives. A musician himself and music fan, Mayor Verga told them as a boy he loved checking out the CDs and CD player. Cahill shared how first public outings for her mom, wheelchair bound after a health spell, were easy at the library precisely because everyone there was so friendly, and the library was so accessible.
Benedict stressed how instrumental the library was in bringing the community back together after Covid closures and how that was reflected in the robust attendance and programs. Attendance numbers included school visits, too. She concluded with a big note of gratitude for the 16 staff “library champions” which received the biggest clap of the night.
With a nod to prior remarks, Matt Oudens began by saying thanks and that he “was happy to be reminded of going from libraries of things to libraries that DO.”
Thankfully Gloucester’s library can boast both/and since its inception.
He began by showing the library as it stands now.
“We’ve always noticed how difficult it is to enter the building — the renovation of Saunders is its own project– and the difficult wayfinding problem.”
Since the last time he presented, a construction manager was engaged who recommended modifying the plans (along the side of the Monell building parallel to Middle Street). The “sliver” on that side would be too expensive to build. Instead a “glass “gasket” between the Monell shell and the new addition is planned that will be more economical and a clear signal of where to circulate in & up” the library building(s).
Old concept plan Left | Revised concept plan as of 11/16/2022 Right (note angled “gasket”)
LOWER LEVEL
A lower lobby on the Lower Level was expanded. More bathrooms were added. This wing will be available off hours and can be open on its own, separate from the main building. The meeting space on the lower level will open to the outside, to use the outdoor space that runs along the length between the library and Central Grammar (as the children’s library had). *maybe longer then now
DALE AVENUE LEVEL
All adult collection here. The newspaper periodical reading lobby will be open (high ceiling by soaring windows overlooking Rando Memorial gardens and amphitheater). The 1913 pass through stacks (between the Monell and Saunders) is now the Gallery and Cafe area. A gently sloped sidewalk will allow for greater accessibility at this entrance.
TOP FLOOR
Children’s services spaces. Teen spaces.
DESIGN
“Overall, much more light will transform the library into a nice place to be.”
Much of the exterior is being preserved. Oudens was excited that they’ll be removing the HVAC down to floor and increasing glazing by 25%. All the energy upgrades are important to him*. The light colored brick selected for the new addition will match the painted brick of the Monell. (The community pressed for green consideration all along. As of Feb. 2019 the design team emphasized that scope.)
photo block below: Before / After pairings followed by more views of current built environment and questions
TEMPORARY LOCATION ON MAIN STREET IS OPEN
“You can do any and all library things that you do here (at the Dale Ave. location) at the temporary location on Main Street. Go! Please check it out!”
Now thru 2025. The temporary library address is 21 Main Street–above Mystery Train; next to Virgilio’s; across from Tonno, Short & Main, and Caffe Sicilia; down the street from The Bookstore of Gloucester, Pop Gallery, and the Isabel Babson library. Look for “SFL@21Main” for events off site, too!
Questions Asked FROM THE FLOOR
Questions and comments from the audience– followed the budget and architectural plan agenda items:
Question. What is the (financial) arrangement with the city? How does the money/financing work with the city?Joe Grella, Board member, explained first that the Annual Meeting budget report is for the year prior to the year the meeting is taking place. Then he presented the budget. The endowment is below 5 mil and will deplete more. These reserves will need to be built back up at a future date. The questions about the financial arrangement followed his budget report. He explained the debt. (One million had been appropriated for the fundraising/fee.)
Q. What about the fundraising? What happens if it’s not raised? A. Mern Sibley said that’s a perfect segue to introducing John Brennan for the fundraising report. “The City voting to fund the loan for the new building was a game changer,” and they’ve raised 52% of the goal. He appealed for a benefactor like philanthropists over a century ago: “Seeking the Next Samuel Sawyer. The Next Addison…We need to still find donors that will propel the project…(Since ca. 2018) it was a small group of me, Fred, Deb (Lib. Dir. summer 2015-summer 2020), others and NOW with the city’s momentum, we’re picking up speed (fundraising). [Hence another Sawyer Library Foundation and Sawyer Free 2025 Capital campaign.] A postcard was sent to every household in Gloucester…” He credited an audience member with the phrase, “We’re just jazzed.” And thanked the donors: Inst. Savings, Bank Glou, Sudbay, Gorton’s, etc.
Q. This has been mentioned before, but how will children’s services work for programs on the top floor with one elevator?A. Oudens said it has worked at other buildings he’s completed. The elevator will be bigger than the one that’s there now.
Q. Have there been more thought to swapping (floors) / amending designs? A. The distribution hasn’t changed.
Q. Is the atrium height filled in? Yes. The ceiling will be the floor of the top level. (On this floor, height will be opened up above the new Newspapers and Periodical Reading area which is overlooking Rando Memorial )
Q. What is the cafe? A. Oudens repeated the potential location (former stacks connector) and how they’ve worked at other libraries. He replied that that’s undecided.
Q. The new “stacks” space is windows. Where will the art hang (auction and exhibits)? Where are the walls? (several audience members) Oudens suggested free standing display panels, etc., and to check out the space following the meeting to see the general idea of the footprint there and confirm window count.
Q. Has there been consideration of repurposing and/or revising as much as possible of the extant building existing elements? A. Oudens said there’s not a lot to save, mostly because of code compliance reasons. There will be many upgrades. “The plans (now) maintain the exterior. Hopefully the inside will have enough of a refreshed feeling of Monell.”
Q. Where are the bathrooms? A. The plans show more bathrooms than what’s here now, and on each and every level. Oudens mentioned 4 or 5 bathrooms on the School Street | back of the building level, dictated/guided by the size of the meeting room, which is capacity 100. (I believe there were 2 restrooms for women, 1 men, and one all. Maybe they can all be all gender bathrooms, like planes.) *Not sure if they are all accessible
More questions.
I also wonder about the Matz gallery space, and how to add more gallery space. Also, where are the designated special built sites for major works in the collection (removed–on loan to Cape Ann Museum and storage/Trust). I was asked if the bathrooms can be reconfigured or the stairwell so that there are more elevators if the traffic flow isn’t flipped? Is there ample space for archives and research? Do the plans emphasize or miss a strategy and monies spent for digitization of the enviable archives, accessibility for all? Are there too many meeting spaces especially with other options close by (City Hall, Temple, UU Church, CAM, sites on Main Street, and more)? A cafe option split audience reaction, and prompted great chatter of “I’d love that!” and “No way!” One board member repeated how much he loved the Wenham Library more than this building. In the rendering showing a viewshed from Dale Avenue/City Hall to SFL, is the new addition blocking the view of the UU Church? Feedback over the years asked about the corridor between Central Grammar and the library and views showcasing City Hall.
The history of SFL’s extant buildings and archives (of historical and cultural, local and national significance) are the envy of libraries along the North Shore and –with the City’s, CAM’s –such assets are up there with Boston’s Public Library and major university repositories.
I believe that the custodian services are borne by the City. When the library is open for special events beyond operating hours a custodian is responsible for closing, if not the event breakdown itself. How will this impact the budget for the library and the city?
July 2022- Friends of SFL Bonanza Book Sale – 50 % off all books!!!
Mid -August: Our Friends Book Shop will be closing temporarily for the renovation of the SFL Monell Building and Annex, and will reopen again in 2025.Please stop by the Book Shop to stock up on your summer reading while we still have an abundant supply of “gently used books”. We appreciate your many years of support and look forward to seeing you in our new library location in 2025. If you have questions, please email us at friendsofsawyer@gmail.com.
Colleen Hogan-Lopez w/Friends of SFL
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We want to thank all our wonderful “friends” who donated, sorted or purchased books over these past 10 years since we opened for business. Our Friends Book Shop will be closing temporarily for the renovation of the SFL Monell Building and Annex, which is tentatively slated to begin in early 2023 and reopen again in 2025.
Here are a few key dates to keep in mind.
June 15 Book donations will no longer be accepted.
July 1-31 Bonanza book sale will be held – 50 % off all books!!!
Mid -August Book Shop will cease operations until the SFL reconstruction is completed in 2025.
Please stop by the Book Shop to stock up on your summer reading while we still have an abundant supply of “gently used books”. We appreciate your many years of support and look forward to seeing you in our new library location in 2025. If you have questions, please email us at friendsofsawyer@gmail.com.
ARTIST RENDERING – FUTURE BUILD
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Glo Con 22′ – The Sawyer Free Library’s first-ever Comic-Con will be on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. It is an all-ages event celebrating comics and graphic novels, as art, as literature, and as a part of pop culture – bringing together fans, young and old, and creators for a jam-packed day of special guests, workshops with comic book authors and artists, live programs, fandom games, crafts and activities, photo ops with characters, exciting surprises, and much more. Attendees are also encouraged to wear costumes. For more information visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
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Sawyer Free Library Tails and Tales 2021 Summer Reading Program special events continues the snake theme on Monday with Curbside Crafts. Stop by to pick up the creative craft kit!
and big kids!
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Sawyer Free Library Tails and Tales 2021 Summer Reading Program special events continues the snake theme on Monday with Curbside Crafts. Stop by to pick up the creative craft kit!
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Mary Frederica Rhinelander McCarl died of heart failure on Monday, June 7, in Gloucester, Mass., at age 81. Born on May 3, 1940, in Abington, Pa., to Constance Templeton Rhinelander and Frederic William Rhinelander, M.D., she came of age in Boston. A proud graduate of the Winsor School for girls in 1957, she finished her bachelor’s degree in history magna cum laude at Radcliffe College in 1961. Over the next three decades, she earned three master’s degrees, in history (Harvard), library sciences (Simmons College), and archival sciences (UMass/Boston). She also completed the coursework for two history doctorates: the first in medieval studies in the 1960s at Harvard, and the second in the 1980s and 1990s in the History of the Book program at Boston University.
She was a gifted cook and artist specializing in watercolors, acrylics, fiber art, and collage. She was also a published scholar. In her 1997 book The Plowman’s Tale, she proved that published versions of Geoffrey Chaucer’s fourteenth-century Canterbury Tales contained a forgery written by radical Protestants centuries later during England’s religious wars. Her articles on colonial New England include histories of Salem’s witchcraft crisis (1692) and medical knowledge. Her historical activism includes her leadership in funding restoration of Gloucester’s 1876 city hall building. In 2015, she won a Citizenship Award from the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
Her first marriage, to John S. C. (Jack) Morgan, ended in divorce. Preceding her in death are her parents; her brother, John B. Rhinelander; and her stepdaughter, Kathy Maisel. She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Henry Newton McCarl; her daughter, Francesca Morgan (Charles Steinwedel) of Evanston, Ill.; two stepchildren, Patricia McCarl (Sussi Shavers) of Atlanta and Fred McCarl (April) of Oneonta, Ala.; two brothers, Frederic W. T. Rhinelander (Patricia) and David H. Rhinelander (Ann W.), and sister-in-law Jeanne C. Rhinelander, all of Gloucester; ten grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews including Edward L. Widmer.
Her family will announce a memorial service in Gloucester at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Constance T. Rhinelander Performance Fund, Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930, 978-325-5500. Please specify the Rhinelander Performance Fund on all checks. Arrangements by the Campbell Funeral Home, 61 Middle Street, Gloucester.
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Colleen shares a nice note of thanks to GMG and the community, and forwards a thank you with an important update & message from the Friends of Sawyer Free:
Thank you (Catherine / GMG) again for all you do for us at the Friends of the SFL we greatly appreciate the work that you do to help us connect with the community.
Colleen Hogan-Lopez, January 2021
Dear Members,
As we begin the New Year, with the development of COVID-19 vaccines, we are all hopeful that soon we will be able to gradually return to safer, less restricted lives. As with any major disruptions, we often look back to see what we can learn from it and what changes we can make that will not only improve our own lives, but also the lives of others. We reflect on the good things, the things that are truly important, that perhaps in the past we have taken for granted. We adapted as a community, making an effort to help others in whatever way we are able. Neighbors helping neighbors and supporting service and charitable organizations, that continue to help those in crisis.
The Sawyer Free Library also adapted to maintain a connection with the people of our community by finding ways to continue services. The staff and administration developed virtual, on-going programs for adults and children and offers curbside service, so patrons can safely pick up books and materials. The Friends of the Library resumed gently used book sales in a new location on the main floor of the library, we now call The Book Nook.
Members like you continued to support our efforts by making a donation during our recent membership drive. Our 2020-2021 membership drive was our only avenue this year to raise the funds needed to support programs, purchase technology and fulfill other requests from the library. Your generosity made this year’s drive one of our most successful drives. We are thankful for our faithful current members and also for all of our new members. We want to thank you again for making it possible for us to continue fulfilling our mission; to enhance the patrons’ experience at the Sawyer Free Library. Without your generosity, our goals would not be attainable.
-Rebecca Aliberte, President Friends of Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library
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Sawyer Free upcoming January 2021 events are highlighted in a wonderful newsletter:
Prudence Fish lecture on January 9th
Learn more about Gloucester homes from your home!
Author and authority on antique houses, Prudence Fish, is a 2021 invited speaker at Sawyer Free Library. Her lecture about the oldest houses in Gloucester, showing Saturday, January 9th, from 2-4pm, is sure to be informative and entertaining. Because of Covid-19, the library has specially pre-recorded the event in order to bring a fresh, new talk directly to you. More about Pru Fish here
Cook a Book – January 12, 1pm
Matz Gallery Exhibitions- January 2021 Carol Dirga
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Touring the Sawyer Free Library grounds with Linda Bosselman on the occasion of her last day at work*, we receive a garden pep talk peppered with small gestures and comforting words. We almost forget that it’s her last day. Isn’t that typical of time spent with Linda? Her professional and unassuming smarts earned the trust of her colleagues, and make it a joy to learn from her experiences. An avid local history buff, photographer and community volunteer, she’ll be busy as ever. Still, it’s a big change with her having worked at Sawyer Free for the past three decades.
*Like other milestones during the pandemic, retirement (early) celebrations are altered.
happy retirement MESSAGES FOR LINDA –
Christy Rosso, Sawyer Free Library Director of Children’s Services, writes:
We have so many happy memories together, laughing over a huge display we had to do in a hurry — you frantically ironing hundreds of yards of blue fabric, me looping and winding it around City Hall for what seemed like days. It emerged as a beautiful and thoughtful addition to the event. Mischief managed. We designed many more wonderful displays and programs together, gardened, crafted, photographed, and grew a wonderful library and book collection together for our city’s children and families. Thank you so much for all of that. You have been a wonderful part of this library for 29 years. We are warmly appreciative for everything. We wish you happiness and more adventures ahead as you retire. Always,
Through her 29 years of service to the library, Linda has provided support in so many different areas; managing and circulating the collections, organizing and photographing programs, creating beautiful displays and brochures and answering every possible question about all things Gloucester. The list is endless. We love her and will miss her dearly but she has promised to fill in at the library every once in a while and that’s a comfort to us.
September 3, 1991- how lucky were we that day to have Linda Bosselman start working at Sawyer Free Library? She’s worked upstairs and downstairs, with adult’s and children’s services, with different co-workers and directors, for three decades. Helping generations of patrons. I mean it when I’m saying congratulations and thanks. Also all I really want to say is, “No, don’t leave!”
Justine Vitale, Librarian, Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library
“These are beach tree saplings, not weeds. People can nurture descendants from this great gorgeous tree!”
“Volunteers could weed a little in between the landscaping crews; just toss under the hedge until they come through. And share their expertise helping point out weeds from the special native plants.”
“In the winter, I love to photograph the library from Middle Street with City Hall in the background. I climb up on the (YMCA) wall across the street, right there.”
“The tomatoes need to be picked soon or they’ll split.”
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Sharing message from Colleen Hogan-Lopez on behalf of the Friends of the Sawyer Free Library
Dear members of the Gloucester community,
As we, the Friends of the Sawyer Free Library, open our 2020-2021 Membership Drive, we must acknowledge the profound changes that Covid-19 has made in our lives here in Gloucester and across the nation. Our lifestyle and the way that we are able to connect with others in our families and community, has changed in ways that we could never have imagined.
The Covid-19 virus has impacted the library significantly, including the Friends’ ability to raise money on which the library depends for programs, equipment and services that are beyond the library’s annual budget.
Our major sources of income, our Book Shop and our annual Art Auction, are suspended. With the library closed, patrons have not been able to access the books for sale in our Book Shop.
Also in light of public safety concerns and Covid-19 restrictions, we thought it wise to postpone our annual Art Auction until Spring 2021*.
Our mission is to enhance the patrons’ experience at the library. Now, this year, with the shortfall in revenue, our Membership Drive becomes even more crucial to the ability of the library to continue to serve patrons at the same level as in the past. The Friends of the Sawyer Free Library are reaching out to ask that you please consider becoming a member of the Friends at whatever level of membership you are able. Your donation will allow us to continue our support of the library, and, in turn, allow the library to continue serving all patrons to the fullest extent possible during this unprecedented time. Here is the link to render payment via PayPal for Oct. 2020- Sept. 2021 annual membership, or print out the membership form here (see below) and mail a check to the address at the bottom of the form. We thank you for your consideration.
“…Coughlin said the building, which was built in 1969, needs to be updated but is in good shape structurally and will not be demolished. “It’s too good of a building (to demolish),” he said.”– John Coughlin Gateway Realty Trust quoted in Gloucester Daily Times, Paul Leighton article 1/7/2020
What a beautiful spot! The building was designed by architect Donald F. Monell for the Beverly Newspaper Offices and Factory in 1968 (built 1969) and consolidated with the Salem News in 1995. Monell worked and resided in Gloucester Massachusetts and designed residential, public and busieness projects including the Gloucester Daily Times (1956), Newburyport Daily News buildings, Sawyer Free Library addition, and the Cape Ann Museum.
photos – winter views January 2020
photos: Spring views
Will Build to Suit (978) 768-4511
About the architect
Excerpt from a prior post I wrote about Donald F. Monell back in May 2019 with photos of extant designs both residential and commercial:
“Donald F. Monell ( 1917-2002) earned multiple degrees: Bowdoin (BS, 1937) , Royal College of Edinburgh (1938), Tekniska Hogskolan in Stockholm (KTH Royal Institute of Technology), and M.I.T. (MS in city planning,1941 and MS in architecture, 1950). He was a research assistant in City Planning at M.I.T. (1940-41), and a Research Associate in solar energy at M.I.T. from 1949 to 1951. During World War II he served as a Captain with the 333 Engrs. S.S. Regiment in the US Army Corp of Engineers from 1942-46. Prior to setting up his own firm in 1952, he worked as a community planner in Tennessee and for various architectural establishments. His son Alex Monell said that his father declined positions with larger international firms. “He preferred working on a smaller one to one relationship with clients.” Monell’s tenure at M.I.T. coincided with I.M. Pei and Buckminster Fuller; Monell set up his eponymous business two years prior to I.M. Pei. I asked Alex if his father worked with architect Eleanor Raymond. She built her home in Gloucester and had similar interest in sustainable design. She is credited with designing one of the first solar heated houses in 1948 “I know he worked with Maria Telkes (who invented a means to store heat in melted crystals that stored more than water could) on one of their solar homes and now that I looked her up I see the home was designed by Eleanor Raymond! So they knew each other.”
Monell was licensed to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York and was NCARB certified. He was a member of AiA and Boston Society of Architects. He served on Gloucester’s Civic Art Committee beginning in the 1960s. He was a trustee of the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra, an incorporator of AGH and Cape Ann Savings Bank, and a Vice President of the Cape Ann Museum (then Cape Ann Historical Assoc.). Monell’s office was located in the Brown Building, 11 Pleasant Street. His son remembers visiting his dad on jobs and admiring the hand made scale models. Local residents may recognize the names of Monell hires: Kirk Noyes who preserved Central Grammar and other award winning developments, was a draftsman, and Craig Toftey helped Monell
Don Monell and Lila Swift should rightly be included on any Massachusetts #MassModernism trail. courtesy image: portrait of Lila and Don Monell ca.1951 at Sarah Fraser Robbins (photographer unknown)
Don Monell and Lila Swift, co-founders and collaborators of their own wrought steel furniture design firm in 1950, Swift & Monell, husband and wife, architect and artist, were the Charles and Ray Eames* of Gloucester for a time. Original examples of their woven leather, metal and enamel stools, tables, and bins are rare and placed in collections. The furniture was exhibited at Current Design (now ICA) and Furniture Forum. They operated the business in upstate New York when Monell worked for Sargent Webster Crenshaw & Folley. They built a studio for their business in their home when they moved back to Gloucester in 1952. Initial prototypes and editions were inspired by touring Lawrence Mills with Monell’s brother in law, who worked in the textile industry. Alex clarifies: “I do not know what mill my father’s brother in law was involved in or to what capacity, I just remember my parents toured it and found the source of leather. A Cambridge firm sold them for awhile. And later my parents gifted them as wedding presents to close friends and relatives. Ray Parsons a blacksmith from Rockport often made the frames and later I made some at Modern Heat.”
*footnote- Ray Eames in Gloucester: Before Hans Hofmann (1880 – 1966) settled into teaching in Provincetown, he was invited to teach summer classes at the Thurn School of Art in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1933 and 1934. Thurn was a former Hofmann student. Ray Eames studied painting with Hofmann in Gloucester and was a student of his for years. Decades later (during an interview with Ruth Bowman, who I knew, was wonderful, and friends with Rita Fraad who had a great Hopper) Eames mentioned 1940, a later date, for when she first learned about Hofmann. On an architecture timeline- Charles and Ray Eames were born in 1907 and 1912 respectively, and Monell in 1917. They were married about a decade before Monell & Swift and west coast rather than east. Yet they were contemporaries. Art & Architecture case study homes began in 1945 (Eames house, 1949) Eames lounge chairs were manufactured in 1956 (after years of prototypes). Gropius House in Lincoln , Mass., landmark Bauhaus residence now museum was built in 1938, same year as MoMa Bauhaus exhibition. The Graduate school at Harvard designed by Gropius was a TAC (The Architects Collaborative) build in 1950. TAC was founded in 1945 with the clout addition of Gropius who continued with the firm until his death in 1969. Original 7 founders were Norman Fletcher, Louis McMillen, Robert McMillan, Ben Thompson, Jean Fletcher, Sarah Harkness and John Harkness. Twenty years later, Monell’s Plum Cove elementary school design in 1967 was leveraged by partnering with The Architects Collaborative. Gloucester’s Plum Cove school is a TAC build. Wikipedia lists several commissions. The school could be added…”
Read my full piece here and see more examples of his buildings. “Many of his commissions are heavenly sites where buildings serve the surroundings, whether built or natural.”
February 26, 2018 Gloucester Daily Times
Writing for the Gloucester Daily Times, Paul Leighton wrote that Salem News was looking for a new space because the operations no longer required such a big building. Various production and departments had already been relocated by this time. You can read the full February 2018 story here. The article mentions that it’s a 60,000 square foot property. Recent descriptions indicate that it’s 37,000+. I’m not sure why; perhaps, the greater figure encapsulated the grounds.
2019 Commercial listing description
“32 Dunham is a 37,502 square foot building on 6 acres of land. Zoned for industrial, research and office, with high visibility on route 128. Less than 30 minutes from downtown Boston and Logan airport.”
January 7, 2020 Gloucester Daily Times
Salem News moving to Danvers article by Paul Leighton Staff Writer about the status of the building now
excerpts:
“The Salem News is moving out of its longtime home in Beverly and heading to a new location in Danvers. The newspaper will move into its new office suite at 300 Rosewood Drive in Danvers on Sunday, according to Karen Andreas, regional publisher of North of Boston Media Group, which includes the Gloucester Daily Times.
“The Salem News has been located at 32 Dunham Road in Beverly since merging with the former Beverly Times in 1995. The company moved its press and printing operations out of Beverly years ago and consolidated several other business functions, such as the finance and customer service departments, in the North Andover offices of its sister paper, The Eagle-Tribune. Therefore, Andreas said, the Salem News no longer needs a building of that size.
“This building is 37,500 square feet, and way too big for us,” Andreas said. “It doesn’t make sense for us operationally.”
“Gateway Realty Trust of Essex has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy 32 Dunham Road. John Coughlin, a project manager for Gateway Realty, said the company plans to preserve the building and lease it.
“Coughlin said Gateway does not have a tenant lined up yet but said the building, which has a mix of office and warehouse space and more than 100 parking spots, would be good for many types of businesses.
“Ideally it would be one tenant that would want to take the whole building, or we can sub-divide it,” he said. “It lends itself to a lot of potential users.”
“…Coughlin said his company, which owns several buildings on the North Shore, was attracted to the building due to its location next to Route 128. Dunham Road has been the site of several new office complexes built by Cummings Properties as well as a new manufacturing headquarters built by tech company Harmonic Drive. The road is also home to North Shore Music Theatre.
“…The Salem News building, which includes six acres of land, was listed for sale at $3.5 million.
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Middle Street Walk Gloucester, Ma. – Friends of Sawyer Free and Gloucester High School National Honor Society students helped with bustling stations of Harry Potter themed crafts and treats from creative librarians.
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just a few photos of many beautiful libraries in Massachusetts (Boston, Gloucester, Quincy, Beverly, Middleton)
As do towns! The proposed new building (Dore & Whittier/Matt Oudens) related to the Sawyer Free Library is landing at the tail end of the visioning trend called out in this Atlantic article by Alia Wong:
“College Students Just Want Normal Libraries: Schools have been on a mission to reinvent campus libraries—even though students just want the basics.”
“Yet much of the glitz may be just that—glitz. Survey data and experts suggest that students generally appreciate libraries most for their simple, traditional offerings: a quiet place to study or collaborate on a group project, the ability to print research papers, and access to books.”
“So-called digital natives still crave opportunities to use libraries as libraries, and many actively seek out physical texts—92 percent of the college students surveyed in a 2015 study, for example, said they preferred paper books to electronic versions. (Plus, a growing body of evidence shows that physical books and papers are more conducive to learning than digital formats are.) The dean of learning and technology resources at one of the six campuses of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) recently told me about a student he had met: Upon learning that her campus library had only the e-book version of a text she needed to read, the woman opted to make the trek to another campus a nearly half-hour commute away that had the hard copy. A 2016 survey of students at Webster University in Washington, D.C., also illustrates limited use of digital resources, finding that just 18 percent of students accessed e-books “frequently” or “very frequently,” compared with 42 percent who never used them.
“Duke University’s 2016 survey of its students drew similar conclusions, finding that book delivery was one of the most important services to students; fancy library services such as instant messaging or data-visualization help fell much lower on students’ priority lists. A separate, years-long project on community-college students by the NOVA dean and a team of researchers found that respondents “most often view the library as the service provider they would likely go to” for an array of bread-and-butter needs, such as help gathering research for a paper, registering for classes, or applying for financial aid. Demand for access to devices such as 3-D printers and virtual-reality headsets was relatively low; respondents tended to highlight the need for reliable Wi-Fi instead.
“Many college libraries are reinventing themselves, but perhaps they’re trying to fix an institution that isn’t, in fact, broken…”
Please join us for the September artists and writers Cape Ann Reads reception 6-8pm September 19th, 2019 on the main floor at Sawyer Free Library. The event will feature Claire Wyzenbeek, the Invited Artist for the Gloucester venue. Wyzenbeek will kick off the opening with a brief overview of her work, especially the beautiful and enigmatic Water and Lunar series on view for this exhibition.
Installation
CLAIRE WYZENBEEK
Cape Ann Reads Invited Artist
Selections from Lunar and Water series
New paintings 2018-19
“Water is the wellspring of life. Living near the sea in Gloucester, where the moon calls the tides to rise and fall, where my garden is parched or flooded by the rain, I feel the water is everywhere around and within me.
Our bodies and feelings are fluid. The elation of floating in a calm bay, the release of tears flowing in grief, the vaporous clouds pregnant with rain all appear in my work as symbols of multiple experiences. Rising Tides and Beneath are about climate change, but also about emotions and relationships. The Rain paintings were responses to the sorrows of loss. My figures and landscapes reflect life’s juxtapositions of love and suffering, awe and anguish, that flow through our internal and external worlds.”- Claire Wyzenbeek
Claire Wyzenbeek is the invited artist for the Gloucester venue of the “Once Upon a Contest” travel exhibition presented by the four libraries of Cape Ann. Wyzenbeek wrote and illustrated an original children’s picture book, Henrietta’s Moon Egg, a distinguished Cape Ann Reads Gulliver book. Wyzenbeek works in a variety of media with a current focus on building up layers of acrylic wash. She maintains two studios; one at her residence in Gloucester and a second in Beverly where she teaches art classes.
Story time
Next week at the library, Wyznebeek will bring her award-winning children’s book Henrietta’s Moon Egg to a special Story time with Christy, Director of Children’s Services, September 25, 2019.
Last Chance! These must see 2019 shows are closing soon: Don’t miss ICA Watershed Purple (installation view above) closing September 2; DeCordova New England Biennial and the Provincetown Art Association & Museum’s 1945 Chaim Gross exhibition close September 15; and catch Renoir at the Clark before it’s gone September 22nd.
A few of the listed upcoming exhibitions to note: the NEW building and exhibits at PEM are opening September 2019; Homer at the Beach is on display at Cape Ann Museum thru December 1 (and catch a Richard Ormond lecture on John Singer Sargent’s Charcoals Sept.28 at Cape Ann Museum (ahead of the Morgan exhibition opening October); three new shows opening at MFA; Gordon Parks at Addison; and Alma Thomas at Smith. A Seuss-focused experience was pronounced destined for Boston, ahead of its TBD venue, by the LA entertainment company co-founders. Some shows I’ve already visited and may write about, mostly from a dealer’s perspective as that is my background. Exhibition trends continue to evolve and reveal new directions. A few patterns I see in the exhibition titles: what’s annointed for display and how it’s contextualized (corrective labels); immersive exhibits; revisiting colonial methodologies and themes; major solo surveys; women artists (and this upcoming season boost underscoring womens’ suffrage and 100th anniversary of the ratification of women’s right to vote); illustration; environment; and issues of humanity and migration. The list is illustrated with images of the sites. All photographs mine unless otherwise noted. Right click or hover to see info; click to enlarge. – Catherine Ryan
The guide – Massachusetts Museum Guide, Fall 2019
Note from author: The list below is alphabetized by town, and details upcoming exhibitions at each venue as well as some that are closing soon. Click the word “website” (color gray on most monitors) for hyperlinks that redirect to venues. For a list alphabetically sorted by venue, see my Google Map (with a Candy Trail overlay) “Art Museums in Massachusetts” hereand embedded at the end of this post. I pulled the map together several years ago. No apps to download or website jumping. Easy scroll down so you don’t miss an exhibit that’s closer than you think to one that you may already be exploring.A few are open seasonally (summer) or weekends only–call first to check before visiting. Major new architectural building projects are underway at BU (closed) and MIT. The 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common will undergo restoration. Get ready for close observation of conservation in process. – Catherine
AMESBURY
1. John Greenleaf Whittier historic Home and Museumwebsite
18. Boston Harbor Islands National and State Parkwebsite
(photos show info gateway on the Greenway near the ferry access to Boston Harbor Islands)
Summer 2019 public art: Boston Harbor [Re]creation The Project: Artists Marsha Parrilla; Robin MacDonald-Foley; Brian Sonia-Wallace more(Jury: Luis Cotto MCC; Lucas Cowan, The Greenway; Celena illuzzi, National Parks; Caroly Lewenberg; Denise Sarno-Bucca DCR; Courtney Shape, City of Boston; Rebecca Smerling Boston Harbor Now; Kera Washingon; Cynthia Woo, Pao Arts Center)
Unveiled 2019 – Super A (Stefan Thelen) Resonance, 2019, latex and spray paint
Note to Greenway (see photo notes below): food trucks by the stop should be relocated to other food truck areas (and maybe one tree) to optimize and welcome sight line to the Greenway and public spaces from streets, sidewalk, and South Station. There are pauses elsewhere along the lattice park links, and a generous approach past the wine bar. The temporary commissioned mural could extend verso (or invite a second artist) so that the approach from Zakim Bridge/RT1/93North is as exciting as the approach from Cape Cod.
Skip the app AI download– swamped my phone battery despite free WiFi on the Greenway.
See complete list of 2019 public art currently on view at The Greenway here
The Greenway packs a lot of punch in a compressed area; its lattice of dynamic public spaces and quiet passages are an easy stroll into the North End or along the HarborWalk to the ICA, roughly similar in size and feel as walking Battery Park and Hudson River Park in New York City.
Through September 15, 2019 BIG PLANS: Picturing Social Reformmore
Through October 20, 2019 Contemporary Art Joan Jonas: i know why they left more
Through January 14, 2020 Anne H. Fitzpatrick Facade Laura Owens: Untitled
October 17, 2019 – January 20, 2020 In the Company of Artists featuring Sophie Calle, Bharti Kher, Luisa Lambri, Laura Owens, Rachel Perry, Dayanita Singh, and Su-Mei Tse
Through September 28, 2019 Annual Regional Juried Exhibition 2019 Winners announced September 21, 2019. The 2018 gold winner, Leon Doucette of Gloucester, exhibiting again, and Melissa Cooper. more
Through September 2, 2019 at The Water Shed, ICA Boston John Akomfrah: Purplemore
What’s coming in 2020 to The Water Shed? Still TBA
Through September 22, 2019 ICA Less Is a Bore: Maximilist Art & Designmore
Nice installation with a few surprises and thoughtful connection to other exhibtions on view. (The LeWit and Johns selections triggered what about that work or artist? I wish May Stevens and Harmony Hammond were included and my list grew from there. That’s part of the fun of the exhibit.)
September 24 – February 7, 2021 ICA Yayoi Kusama: Love is Callingmore
September 24 – February 7, 2021 ICA Beyond Infinity: Contemporary Art after Kusamamore
October 23, 2019 – January 26, 2020 ICA When Home Won’t Let You Stay: Migration through Contemporary Artmore
Through December 31, 2019 ICA 2019 James and Audrey Foster Prize Boston area artists: Rashin Fahandej; Josephine Halvorson; Lavaughan Jenkins; Helga Roht Poznanskimore
41. Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon website
Through September 15, 2019 Under Pressure– Birds in the Printed Landscape: Linocuts by Sherrie Yorkmore
Through September 29, 2019 The Shorebird Decoys of Gardner & Dextermore
CAMBRIDGE
Harvard –
42. Harvard Art Museums (Fogg; Busch-Reisinger; and Arthur M. Sackler) website
Why do any of the Harvard museums charge an entrance fee?
Through January 5, 2020 Winslow Homer: Eyewitness (in conjunction with Cape Ann Museum Homer exhibition) University Research Gallery
Through January 5, 2020 Early Christian Africa: Arts of Transformation
Through January 5, 2020 Critical Printing
Through January 5, 2020 Crossing Lines, Constructing Home: Displacement and Belonging in Contemporary Art
Through November 14, 2021 On Site Clay — Modeling African Design
43. Harvard – Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts website
Through September 29, 2019 Anna Oppermann: Drawings
The Carpenter Center was closed for an event on the day I scheduled to see the Oppermann exhibition – good reminder to call first for the must see shows on your list.
Jonathan Berger: An Introduction to Nameless Love
Harvard Film Archive weekly film series
44. Harvard – ‘The Cooper Gallery’ / The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art website
September 16 – December 13, 2019 The Sound of My Soul: Frank Stewart’s Life in Jazz photography, curated by Ruth Fine
the Gordon Park exhibition that recently closed was on my list of top shows for 2019
Through October 20, 2019 Wrestling With Angels Icons from the Prosopon School of Iconology and Iconographymore
November 15, 2019 – March 8, 2020 Emil Hoppe: Photographs from the Ballet Russesmore
CONCORD
64. Louisa May Alcott Orchard House 399 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States (978) 369-4118 guided tours year round plus special events
Through October 20, 2019 Ship of State…Paintings by Robert Henry
Through December 21, 2019 Interpreting Their World: Varujan Boghosian, Carmen Cicero, Elspeth Halvorsen and Pual Resika
DUXBURY
71. The Art Complex Museum (Weyerhaeuser collection) website
August 18 – November 10, 2019 Steve Novick: Approximation
September 15 -January 12, 2020 Draw the Line
September 15 – January 12, 2020 Rotations: Highlights From the Permanent Collection Nocturne including Lowell Birge Harrison (American, 1854–1929), Suzanne Hodes (American, b. 1939), Kawase Hasui (Japanese, 1883–1957), George Inness (American, 1825–1894), Johan Barthold Jongkind (Dutch, 1819–1891) Martin Lewis (American, 1881–1962), and Henri Eugene Le Sidaner (French, 1862-1939)
November 17 – February 16, 2020 George Herman Found Paintings
EAST SANDWICH
72. Thornton W. Burgess Society Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen website *may join Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster to combine and become the Cape Cod Museums of Natural History
Through September 1, 2019 84th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft
Through September 1, 2019 Broad Strokes: American Painting of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries from the FAM collection
September 7, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Sage Sohier/David Hilliard: Our Parents, Ourselvesmore
September 21, 2019 – November 10, 2019 Adria Arch: Reframing Eleanormore
September 21, 2019 Daniela Rivera: Labored Landscapes (Where Hand Meets Ground)more
September 21, 2019 – January 12, 2020 David Katz: Earth Waresmore
Ongoing Evoking Eleanor; Discover Ancient Egypt; Thurston sculpture by Douglas Kornfeld
FRAMINGHAM
76. Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham State Univ. website
September 7 – October 13, 2019 Populux Steven Duede | Sean Sullivan on display in the works on paper gallery
September 7 – December 30, 2019 Dressed! Exhibiting artists include Catherine Bertulli, Jodi Colella, Merill Comeau, Mia Cross, Nancy Grace Horton, and Marky Kauffmann
September 7 – May 2020 Highlights from the Permanent Collection
Sawyer Free Library Children’s Services shares the flyer for this fun family program with special guest, Mary Rhinelander. A surprise friend may make an appearance 🙂🐾🐶
Mark your calendars for this Wonderful storytime September 11 2019 10AM
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