Downtown Salem – Page 33 – Salem Main Streets

Boston Woodturning Gallery: Wood is Good, in Artists’ Row Neighborhood

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Oct 112015

Can you better appreciate the creation of a piece of art when you understand the process, the time invested, the devotion behind it, as well as the artist’s vision? That is the goal for Tommy Gagnon of Salem-based Boston Woodturning Gallery, located on Artists’ Row.

“What sets my gallery’s content apart from others is the medium itself, ‘woodturning’ was rarely shown as an art form until the recent exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum called Audacious. The PEM did a fantastic job of showcasing woodturning as an art form, opening the public’s eyes to the possibilities,”states Gagnon.

Woodturning is conceived using a lathe and varies from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving. The lathe is stationary to give support to the piece wood that’s turning at a high rotation per minute (RPM); wood turners then use various chisels to carve out the designs in the wood, somewhat like sculpting but faster. This in turn leads to diverse shapes & designs.

Gagnon continues, “One of my goals is to further these efforts showcasing the art of woodturning by uniquely offering the public a woodturning gallery and working studio that the public can watch a practical commissioned piece being made or an artistic creation.”

The piece in left is the other half of the log on right made from maple

Piece on left is other half of log on right, made from maple

Additionally, he adds “wood is the main theme in the Boston Woodturning Gallery so that there is room for many other wood-themed creations, keeping the gallery fresh with new woodturning weekly as well as incorporating other local artisans work in the gallery in a complimentary way.”

Speaking of other artisans, why is Gagnon among the current crop staking a claim to physical space on Artists’ Row?

He explains, “The rich history and sense of community are unique to this venue. There is an unwavering support for the arts on the Row. It is one of those ‘grassroots’ historical Salem community spaces that has always supported the growing of artists. I selected this place because of my familiarity of the area, my connection to Salem as an artist and the opportunity to show my artwork/medium to the public.”

It’s quite possible that his is one of the few woodturning galleries & open studios on the North Shore that has presented the craft in such a way to the public.

And not just to adults.

Every Thursday, Boston Woodturning offers activities for families and kids to enjoy during the weekly Farmers’ Market. These include games that educate kids about wood, uses of wood, recycling/ up cycling, guessing the type of wood, guessing what shavings the wood is from, as well as introducing information by sight, smell, and touch. Gagnon also offers demonstrations during that 3-6pm time frame.

“There is something about wood in its finished form that whispers softly its artistic natural beauty,” reflects Gagnon.

You can visit his store website to explore the extensive photo collection of woodturning as well as general woodworking, paintings and sculptures. Or just carve time in your day to go to the Boston Woodturning Gallery which is located at 24 New Derby St., Salem MA. Hours are Tuesday – Sunday 11-6pm and on Thursday 11-7pm.

Get Drawn Into “The Big Draw” Mash-Up

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Oct 082015

How often can you be drawn into an international good-will event by merely stepping into your downtown area? At least once a year if you live in Salem MA; this year, The Big Draw takes place Oct. 10 from 10am to 4pm at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).

What is The Big Draw?

The Big Draw, billed as the world’s biggest drawing festival, is for anyone who loves to draw— as well as for those who think they can’t. It began in 2000; this is PEM’s third year producing the festival in Salem. In 2014, The Big Draw involved 26 countries, with 414,000 people attending more than 1,800 events by more than 1,000 organizers.

In other words, a lot of fun and creativity!

According to the international organizers at TheBigDraw.org, “Our key message has always been that everybody can draw given the opportunity, and that drawing can bring excitement and fresh thinking to any context. Our aim is to encourage people of all ages to explore ideas and express their creativity.”

Almost as if taking a cue or challenge from that statement, PEM has gone one step further. The Peabody Essex Museum will be combining (the mash-up) this annual Big Draw Festival with— the opening of the museum’s newest exhibition, Sizing It Up: Scale in Nature and Art, for a very lively day of art and investigation.

Joel Robison, Little Wonders, 2014. Photo courtesy of the artist

If you aren’t aware of the new exhibition, Sizing It Up: Scale in Nature and Art features 35 works by contemporary artists, who are either investigating scale in nature, or manipulating scale as a deliberate device to prompt new ways of looking.

Through out the day you will enjoy interactive events designed to showcase the importance of magnitude, visual scale and perspective in unique ways that will inspire a new outlook on the world. Guests can doodle in 3-D, tinker with special tools to make drawings big and small and explore the unseen world of marine microbes. Artist demonstrations and screenings of the film Mysteries of the Unseen World are also among the activities planned.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10 AM-4 PM | Collaborative Art Making | Mega Heart Meets Mini Heartbeats | Atrium
Explore a giant abstract heart created by sculptor Marilu Swett, a featured artist in Sizing It Up. Then add your own drawing of a heartbeat to the inside of the sculpture, where it will join drawings by people from around the world who have participated in Swett’s “Heartbeats Project.” The artist’s global initiative to collect 1.5 billion drawings is her attempt to come to grips with the astounding number of times a mammal’s heart beats over its lifetime, regardless of size.

10 AM-4 PM | Studio Discovery | Tiny Giants: Marine Microbes at a Grand Scale | Create Space
Discover why marine microbes are called tiny giants as you investigate live organisms and create your own scale-warping art. A scientist from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and artists from the ART + BIO Collaborative are on hand to share ideas, answer questions and help with your artistic creation.

10 AM-12:30 PM and 1-3:15 PM | Artist Demonstration | Nail Scale Art | Atrium
Pick a nail for master nail artist Nina Park to use as the canvas for one of her mini-scenes. Or just watch her in action. Animal face nail stickers are available for younger guests.

10 AM-2 PM | Outdoor Art Making | Temporary Canvas | Axelrod Walkway
Create a larger-than-life hummingbird with artist Emily Larsen. Experiment with CelloGraff, a new type of temporary street art that combines stretched cellophane and paint. Weather permitting.

10 AM-4 PM | Drop-in Making | Tinkering with Scale | Maker Lounge
Doodle in 3-D, make a pattern with a pantograph and tinker with tools and techniques for making drawings big and small!

11 AM-4 PM, runs hourly | Film| Mysteries of the Unseen World | Morse Auditorium
Discover events in nature that are not visible to the human eye. From microscopic creatures to actions that occur in only a millisecond, this film gives us a peek into the unseen. 39 minutes, 2013.

Whether you ever thought you had any artistic skill or not, the Peabody Essex Museum is offering you an opportunity to connect and feel connected with people across the world and across the room through the expression of art. Take advantage of this free event. PEM is located at 161 Essex Street, Salem MA.

Haunted Happenings Is Going to the Dogs!

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Oct 062015

Salem is going to the dogs, and we couldn’t be happier about it! Salem Main Streets is excited to be working with Salem Pet Photo, the New England Dog Biscuit Company, Creative Salem, It’s Reigning Cats-n-Dogs, and a number of other community partners to introduce the first annual Howl-o-ween Parade, to be held on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 pm on Artists’ Row.

People in pet costumes? That’s not unusual, at least for this city. No, this event will feature pets as participants/stars in a parade and costume contest with prizes! Howl-o-ween will also include a pet photo booth, some games, and an area with information about local rescues and pet-focused downtown businesses.

“There have been many wonderful October pet events in the past,” says Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director of Salem Main Streets, “but I didn’t see anything planned for this year. I really wanted to do something special that would engage our residents, appeal to our visitors, and celebrate our local businesses.”

She adds, “Salem is such a pet-friendly community; it seemed like a no-brainer that we needed a pet parade during Haunted Happenings.”

Pets of all species are welcome, but should be well-behaved and comfortable at a busy event where there are likely to be many dogs.

“I think the City of Salem’s Artists’ Row is the perfect venue for Howl-o-ween, and not just because it’s a safe space for the attendees,” explains Sullivan. “From the pet-inspired works at Diane Hoffman DINO Textiles to the very dog-friendly Lobster Shanty, there are such great partners on the Row to play with for an event like this.”

Costume ideas at Penelope’s (now inside Coon’s)

This is a free event, though attendees wishing to participate in the parade will be asked to register at the event to make note of their pet’s name for judging and verify that all required vaccinations are up-to-date.

In addition, Salem Main Streets is working with Creative Salem & It’s Reigning Cats-n-Dogs on a special social media contest for the “Black Cat of Salem.” Details to come!

What’s Halloween Without A Haunted Bazaar?

Salem Event, Salem Festivals 1 Response »

Oct 012015

Looking for that special gift that you just can’t find in a department store? Perhaps even hand-crafted? With a touch of the weird? Then, let us tell you about the Haunted Biz Baz, Saturday, Oct. 3rd & Sunday, Oct. 4th (weather permitting).

Seriously, if Salem MA didn’t have a spooky-themed street fair, how else would we kick off the first weekend of our month-long Haunted Happenings celebration of the season of Halloween? And what better way than to provide an additional enticement for visitors to just walk around town than to see the street-side vendors along with the brick and mortar stores.

Presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce, this annual event, known as the Haunted Biz Baz has attracted tens of thousands of visitors over the last decade. What you’ll discover is a diverse mix of jewelry, crafts, handmade items, and just outright strange stuff, plus the Chamber adds a few street musicians along the way to liven the event even more so.

Past years have averaged 90 vendors, giving the shopping public a really great chance to ‘magically’ uncover some good bargains.

The Haunted Biz Baz can be found all along the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall and adjacent streets Saturday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Most vendors take credit cards, but it is advisable to bring cash for the odd item. And we expect there to be a few that might catch your eye.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce at 978-744-0004 or e-mail at info@salem-chamber.org.

‘World Peace’ Theme for This Year’s Grand Parade

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Sep 292015

As the temperatures and leaves begin to drop, the anticipation begins to rise. October is almost here! And with it comes the 20th Annual Grand Parade to kick off the month-long Haunted Happenings celebration of all things Halloween.

Set for Oct. 1 at 6:30pm, this annual Salem Chamber of Commerce event gives children (of all ages) their chance to launch Haunted Happenings with a great kick off parade. The theme this year is World Peace, which will be reflected in costume and float designs.

When we say children of all ages, we mean exactly that. From kindergarten to high school to college age, once a parade-walker, always a parade walker. We have many Salem residents that have grown up in the annual Parade— who might even have their children now stepping off Thursday night.

According to the Chamber “This time honored kick off of the Halloween season is full of color, pageantry, music and the enthusiasm of thousands of Salem’s students … their participation is what makes this a highly successful, cherished event for our community.”

The actual route snakes through enough streets that watchers have ample choices to observe: from Shetland Properties on Congress Street, the Parade procession will intersect Derby Street & turn left, then right onto Central Street, then left onto Front Street, right onto Washington Street, right onto the Essex Street Pedestrian walkway, and finally head for the conclusion at the Salem Common.

Of course, none of this would be possible without many helping hands, and the Chamber is still looking for a few more volunteers to help run this one-of-a-kind event. Be part of the parade and part of our community! Email info@salem-chamber.org or call 978-744-0004 if you’re interested in joining us (oh, we do mean join us, we’ll be there helping out).

Weather for the evening is expected to be a cool 47 degrees under partly cloudy (spooky?) skies. Good conditions for parade walking & watching!

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