We’ve highlighted a number of PEM/PM events here at Salem Main Streets, but tonight’s event is going to be extra-special. The third Thursday of every month, the Peabody Essex Museum keeps their doors open late for a specifically-themed event – Steampunk, French culture, manga, you name it. But for this month’s “Artopia“, the museum is letting the local arts community take over!
Why is this so important to Salem Main Streets? Well, for a few reasons. First off, we love any chance to see our local arts community shine. We also feel that this type of partnership between a large institution, smaller creative initiatives, and artistic individuals is one of the many things that makes the Peabody Essex Museum so unique. But mostly because you’ll get a preview of this year’s Salem Arts Festival!
The Salem Arts Festival is a free, three-day festival located in downtown Salem, running from June 6 through June 8. A project of Salem Main Streets, the festival also represents a collaboration of local arts groups and invested individuals. For the first time, the festival will have a central theme – and this year’s theme will be SPICE! Also for the first time this year, the festival will feature a collaborative community-built public art installation, lovingly named “HulaArt“.
Tonight’s Artopia event allows the collaborators behind the Salem Arts Festival to give you a little taste of what you’ll see in June, including:
- HulaArt making with the Salem Public Space Project and The Phoenix School
- A “photo safari” tour exploring the museum’s Spice Trade collection with Salem Food Tours and Social Palates
- A spice painting demo by Heather Reid-Barratt of the Salem Arts Association
- Hoop dancers on the dance floor (always a festival favorite!), including Siren of the Circle, Eternal Lotus Collective, Family Fuego, and Spiral Glyphics
What better way to celebrate the first day of spring than to get a glimpse of summer? See you on the dance floor!
