Apr 212016
 

Nexus: the central and most important point or place. That would be The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem this Thursday night from 6-9pm as the monthly open late party known as PEM/PM invites you to “Immerse yourself in the world of extravagance and trade as we explore Asia in Amsterdam: The Culture of Luxury in the Golden Age.” That is the current major exhibition at PEM.

PEM PM "Nexus"So, what do you do at a PEM/PM event? What don’t you do!

  • Dance to the latest house mixes by Boston’s DJ Melee
  • Create your own Delftware-inspired tile coasters
  • Play games that explore trade, luxury and global domination with Beverly’s board game cafe The Castle
  • Trade business cards and networking tips with Boston’s Society of Grownups

But that’s not all. There will also be an incredible Balinese Gamelan performance by Gamelan Galak Tika. Plus you will have the special opportunity to sample fair-trade Dutch chocolates from Tony’s Chocolonely and tea-infused cocktails with Jolie Tea Company.

PEM/PM events are always inclusive of the Salem community. You are invited to be entertained, educated and excited by what the Museum has to offer. Members and Salem residents (with ID) free, nonmembers $10 at the door.

As always, if you need a preview visual menu of the delights from which to sample, go no further – and we mean that, go no further – than Creative Salem website. John Andrews catches the spirit of the event through words and pictures for your consumption. Enjoy!

The Peabody Essex Museum is located at 161 Essex St, Salem. For more info call (978) 745-9500.

 

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Apr 072016
 

Talk of the town this past week has been about fashion. Salem, the Witch city, a hot spot for fashion? Yes, it is. An evening of fashion, fun, dancing, and more takes place Friday, April 8 at 7pm in Old Town Hall, as a fundraiser for the upcoming Salem Arts Festival.

The popularity of the SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser is not just in the fashion but in the community input. The fabulous fashions come from local boutiques, including: Avalanche Company Store, The Boutique, Lifebridge’s Second Chance Thrift Shop, Modern Millie Vintage & Consignments, Ocean Chic Boutique & Waterbar, Peabody Essex Museum Shop, RJ Coins and Jewelry, and TBT Post.

Fashion ShowAnd even the make-up is contributed locally by awesome artists from Laura Lanes Skin Care, Rouge Cosmetics, and Radiance Lifestyle Salon.

But the local input doesn’t stop there.

If you’d like, you can actually start the evening earlier at 5 pm with art and a glass of prosecco at the opening of Ellen Hardy’s “French Toast” show at The Ugly Mug Diner.

Next at 6 pm, head over to The House of the Seven Gables for the opening of the Caroline Emmerton exhibit – AND if you bring your Fashion Show Fundraiser ticket with you, you can get a free drink!

Then, just before 7pm, head back back for the SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser at Old Town Hall.

It will be hosted by local comedian and Salem Comedy and Spirits Festival founder Mark Scalia.

You can dance the night away with DJ Noel Snow, with additional performers to be announced. Food, drink, and  raffle will make the evening complete.

In fact,  Bambolina, Ferreira Foods, Opus, and Jodi Bee Bakes will provide bite-size treats to sweeten up the night!

SAF Fashion Show Fundraiser has been generously sponsored by People’s United Bank. Special thanks to Salem Food Tours, Creative Salem, and the City of Salem in coordinating this event.

Old Town Hall is located at 32 Derby Square in Salem. For tickets order on-line, or call 978-744-0004, ask for Kylie Sullivan at Salem Main Streets.

Your support will help to keep the Salem Arts Festival growing and free for all!

 

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Mar 162016
 

While the every 3rd Thursday of the month PEM/PM late night party is a festive & educational stroll through the Peabody Essex Museum, this week’s may well prove to be the most creative. The theme in fact is “creation.”

Artopia asks “what’s your creative story” and from 6-9pm on March 17th, the community as individuals, groups and organizations respond.

For example…

Observe or take part in the creation of a pinwheel. But not just any pinwheel. Participants will connect to distant cultures by taking time to draw out cultural patterns from across the world, directly onto a sailcloth. This will in turn be included in Move With Me, which is a collaborative public art project scheduled to be featured during June’s Salem Arts Festival.

artopia1Or consider decorating vintage-style postcards using collage elements, along with members of the Salem Arts Association. Let those creative juices flow as you build a story with words and pictures from vintage books, papers, glue and scissors. And best of all, you can share the creativity by email with a friend.

Looking for something a bit more “techie?” How about a session where you can create your own GIF! It will be presented courtesy of Figsburry Creative Group and Retonica.

Plus, you can’t talk about creativity in Salem without referencing the Salem Film Fest; enjoy a compilation of short documentary tangos around the town, from the perspective of local and visiting filmmakers featured in this year’s Salem Film Fest.

What about liquid creations? You will find creative samples from Far From the Tree Cider, Notch Brewing Co., Rumson’s Rumb and Deacon Giles Distillery in a Taste of Salem in the Atrium.

Listen to beats built by participants in a workshop led by Salem-based producer Qwill. Get a look at how they built their own drum racks, breaks and percussion samples. I

And much more. For a full line-up check out this info page at Creative Salem .

There will be a cash bar and small plates menu available from the Hawthorne Hotel. The Peabody Essex Museum is located at 161 Essex Street, Salem MA.

Create: to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.

You will not only see creativity, you will get the chance to express it yourself!

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Feb 282016
 

Define a Film Festival? Pictures, performers, people and passion. Now in its 9th year, the Salem Film Fest presents all that and more, running March 3-10. The “and more?” As in previous years, filmmakers are expected to be present for more than half of the screenings, providing audiences with a unique opportunity to learn more about the documentary filmmaking process.

 

Here is a full list of the films along with trailers.

What more could founders filmmaker Joe Cultrera (Hand of God), local businessman Paul Van Ness (CinemaSalem, Van Ness Creative), Executive Director of the Salem Chamber of Commerce Rinus Oosthoek and others from the community ask for? How about a growth rate of 15-25% each year?

SFFLogo_2016BIGRun and operated entirely by volunteers, the week-long festival has become not only a community-wide event, but also one of New England’s largest documentary film festivals, with screenings at CinemaSalem, the Peabody Essex Museum and the National Park Service Salem Visitor Center. Plus, there are filmmaker parties and music events held at venues throughout downtown.

Well-told stories with strong technical elements and interesting visual approaches are what you will find at the 2016 Salem Film Fest. Yes, you could say it is a big deal. We think so. Check out the entire schedule, then mark your calendars. And definitely come to Salem, see the world.

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Feb 172016
 

PEMPM Activate

Explore Native cultures through sight and sound at the next PEM/PM this Thursday, February 18, from 6 to 9 pm. You are especially invited to celebrate the Peabody Essex Museum exhibition Native Fashion Now through many vehicles of creative expression, from fashion to music, art making and more.

To that end, the global musical sensation A Tribe Called Red will headline the monthly PEM/PM after-hours party with its electronic powwow and Native-inspired mash-ups. Explore cutting-edge Native street style with PEM staff strolling the runway in the latest Native designs. And try your hand at Native art making by creating your own perler bead coaster or screen print with Native artist Jared Yazzie.

Native Fashion Show

From vibrant street clothing to exquisite haute couture, this exhibition celebrates the visual range, creative expression and political nuance of Native American fashion. Nearly 100 works spanning the last 60 years explore the vitality of Native fashion designers and artists from pioneering Native style-makers to today’s maverick designers making their mark in today’s world of fashion.

Also examined is how non-Native designers adopt and translate traditional Native American design motifs in their own work, including Isaac Mizrahi’s now iconic Totem Pole dress.

Featuring contemporary garments, accessories and footwear spanning a variety of genres and materials, these designers traverse cross-cultural boundaries between creative expressions and cultural borrowing. From one of Patricia Michaels’ (Taos Pueblo) recent ensembles from the reality television series Project Runway to Jamie Okuma’s (Luiseño/Shoshone-Bannock) dramatically beaded Christian Louboutin boots and innovative works made from mylar, vinyl and stainless steel, Native Fashion Now underscores Native concepts of dress and beauty, which are inextricably bound to identity and tradition in a rapidly changing world.

A Tribe Called Red

The Canadian band was named 2014 breakthrough artist of the year at the Canadian Juno awards. It has performed in clubs from Paris to Berlin and has become a cultural touchstone for Native communities with its drumbeats, chants and full-throated singing.

PEM PM

ATCR’s music has been described as “the soundtrack to a contemporary evolution of the pow wow: their Electric Pow Wow events in Ottawa showcase native talent and aboriginal culture, alongside an open, wild party. Within a couple of years they’ve become the face of an urban Native youth renaissance, championing their heritage and speaking out on aboriginal issues, while being on top of popular music, fashion and art.”

Events of the Evening

  • Art Making from 6-9 pm, Studio 1, Create Space
    Create your own coaster with perler beads and chevron patterns, inspired by The Soft Museum.
  • Native Fashion Then from 6-7:30 pm , Atrium
    Curious to know how Native fashion has evolved over the years? Staff from the Phillips Library share photographs and patterns from the PEM collection.
  • Highlights Tour at 6:45 and 7:15 pm, Native Fashion Now Exhibition, Level 3
    Get an in-depth look at some of the favorites in the show from Assistant Curator Shoshanna Resnikoff.
  • Native Streetwear Fashion Show from 7-7:30 pm, Atrium
    Check out and admire the latest designs in streetwear by Native artist Jared Yazzie.
  • Screen Printing Demo from 7-8 pm, Studio 2, Create Space
    Join Native Fashion Now artist Jared Yazzie to make your own print of his custom artwork.
  • Live Music from 7:45-9 pm, Atrium
    Immerse yourself in the electronic beats and mashups of Native music by Producer/DJ Crew
    A Tribe Called Red

Attend and you will see why PEM’s Native American and Oceanic Art and Culture Curator Karen Kramer says that we are, “smack dab in the middle of a Native fashion renaissance.”

Admission is free for PEM members & Salem residents, and $10 for nonmembers. There will be a cash bar, as well as a small plates menu from the Hawthorne Hotel. For more information call 978-745-9500.

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