Salem MA – Page 27 – Salem Main Streets

Salem— Filled with History, Overflows for Celebration on the 4th of July

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Jun 282015

Salem Ma is as patriotic as any other community, with many extras as a backdrop to the history that helped make America the free nation it is today.

“There’s no better place to celebrate Independence Day than in historic Salem,” points out Mayor Kimberly Driscoll. “Start off bright and early at Salem Common for the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence, spend the day visiting the City’s numerous historic sites and attractions, dine at one of dozens of remarkable restaurants, and end your day at historic Derby Wharf for all of the festivities.”

If you’re not locked into spending Independence Day in Boston, Washington DC or Philadelphia, then why not Salem Ma? We’ve tried to make it very convenient. The Salem Maritime National Historic Site, from which you can see the fireworks, is just a 10-15 minute walk through downtown Salem from the Salem MBTA station, or any of the parking facilities.

Did you know that the Salem Maritime National Historic Site was designated as the first National Historic Site in the National Park System? It consists of nine acres of waterfront land and houses a dozen historic structures. These include the Custom House, where famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne worked, and Derby Wharf, which was used by America’s first millionaire, Salem merchant Elias Hasket Derby.
Did you know that when the United States was young, ships from Salem, MA helped to build the new nation’s economy by carrying cargo back and forth from the West to Asia? With historic Salem Harbor, including hundreds of boats moored and the replica of a 1700’s sailing vessel, the “Friendship,” as a backdrop, Independence Day in Salem is overflowing with historical references.

“This year we are very excited to have a flyover by the 104th Fighter Wing from Barnes Air National Guard Unit,” states Mayor Driscoll. The 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, located in Westfield, MA, proudly claims the honor of being one of the oldest flying units within the Commonwealth.

“As the birthplace of the National Guard, it is especially meaningful for Salem to have a flyover by the 104^th,” adds Mayor Driscoll. Salem Common was the site of the first muster in 1637 and continues to host the annual National Guard muster to this day.

(Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation designating the city of Salem as the birthplace of the National Guard during a ceremony held in city hall here, Aug. 19, 2010. Then on Jan. 10, 2013, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that designated Salem, Mass., as the birthplace of the National Guard.)

Convinced of our historical credentials? Then you are cordially invited to join Mayor Driscoll on Salem Common at 9 am for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The special program begins with the Star Spangled Banner, sung by members of the YMCA of the North Shore Glee Club. The Declaration of Independence will be read by Dann Anthony Maurno, a Salem resident, actor and author. Musical selections will be performed by Robert Kendall on keyboard. and Salem resident John Howard will lead the audience in singing America the Beautiful. (And, coffee will be provided by the Salem Common Neighborhood Association through the generosity of Starbucks.)

Free children’s activities begin at 4 pm with the opening of the Kids’ Space, where kids can play games and get their faces painted, all thanks to the generosity of the REMIX Church in Salem and the Salem YMCA. Food tents on site also open at 4 pm with (what else?!!) hot dogs, French fries, fried dough, kettle corn, and other fair favorites.

Live entertainment on the Main Stage begins at 5 pm with LUX, a band capable of seamlessly going between genres from an all-out up-tempo funky number to a traditional jazz band tune. Band members include Todd Clancy on his 8-string guitar, PJ Holaday on drums, Jared Holaday on saxophone, and singer Blair Leavitt.

Opening Ceremonies begin at 7:15 pm when Mayor Driscoll and other local dignitaries will lead a parade down the wharf accompanied by the Salem Veterans Honor Guard and Salem Boy Scout troops. The National Anthem will be sung by the YMCA of the North Shore Glee Club Select, which includes Marena Anderson, Sam Bigus, Emma Lipinski, Chloe Panico, and Jacob Pini, directed by YMCA Music Director Samantha Gambaccini.

Immediately following opening ceremonies, Maestro Dirk Hillyer and his orchestra will be offering another top-notch Pops experience. “We don’t want to give the whole program away,” states Hillyer, “but you can be assured that we have another year of great music selections from Carousel to The Prayer with special guest soloists Erin Smith, soprano, and Ben DiScipio, tenor. They will blow your socks off! Set your blanket down early to get a good spot!”

At 9:15 pm Salem ends its Independence Day celebration with a fireworks extravaganza, accompanied live by the Hillyer Festival Orchestra playing the 1812 Overture and other patriotic music throughout the entire fireworks display.

And then it’s time to go home. But what a time we hope you had!

As with every year, we wish to extend a big thank you, in advance, to City employees and volunteers who worked on this project.

Adds Mayor Driscoll “I’d like to express a special thank you to our Skyrocket Sponsors: Footprint Power – Salem Harbor Station, Salem Five, and Walmart, along with our Star Spangled Sponsors: Aggregate Industries, Tache Real Estate, Market Basket, Eastern Bank, and KV Associates, and our new sponsor this year, Tropical Products Inc. Salem is fortunate to have such a generous business community that continues to support this celebration.”

(Cover photo is a moment in time from video scenes photographed and produced by the National Park Service as part of the July 4th, 2013 “Celebrate the 4th” event held by the City of Salem)

Just Another Jam-Packed Salem Ma Weekend

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Jun 262015

For those who might think the weekend before the 4th of July would be a quiet one in Salem, think again! Normally the Salem Main Streets blog focuses on single events to give you extra insights. But every so often we dip into the calendars of Creative Salem and Destination Salem to give you a flat out “Column A” of events to pick from when you visit. Here are just SOME of the options for Saturday:

8am-6pm Peabody Essex Museum has commissioned its first major outdoor installation, a Stickwork by internationally acclaimed artist Patrick Dougherty. This temporary site-specific installation is made entirely of saplings and constructed on the lawn of PEM’s historic Crowninshield-Bentley House, at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Essex Street in downtown Salem

10am-4pm Join Salem 1630: Pioneer Village for the first Shakespeare Festival at Pioneer Village. Performances scheduled throughout the day. Performers include Rebel Shakespeare Company, Upstart Crows, Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe and more!

10am-5pm The Witch House is hosting its exhibit, “An Anatomy of Puck: Fairy Beliefs among Shakespeare and his Contemporaries”. Exhibit is included in cost of museum admission.

10am-5pm The House of the Seven Gables presents A Gracious Host: Visiting the Gables through the Years, an engaging exhibition showcasing the vibrant history of visitation at The House of the Seven Gables. Journey through the past, and experience the history of one of America’s most famous homes as it transformed from a residence into a cultural icon.

Noon-2pm The Derby Square Summer Series hosted by Creative Salem and Front Street Coffeehouse, continues this Saturday with local singer-songwriter Aspen Ridge. Come on down to Derby Square from 12-2 for some lunch and great music.

4-7pm, The Acoustic Series at Village Tavern presents DITTO which features the mainstream classic music of James Taylor, Neil Young, Harry Chapin, Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Beatles, and many others, showcases by the perfect blend of acoustic instruments and voices. Upright bass, cello, and acoustic guitar lend appealing visual interest while creating a big sound, often compared to that of a full band.

7:30-10pm Salem Theatre presents Larry Kramer’s award-winning social drama, The Normal Heart. The narrative follows one man’s fight to awaken the world to the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s in New York City.

9-11pm The Merj at Broadie’s Seaport, Eclectic, awesome club cover band on the North Shore of Boston!

What will you do? What will you do? Come to Salem Ma and have a good time no matter which you select. (And remember, this is only a partial list. Go to Creative Salem or Destination Salem for complete listings.)

Proud of Our Pride Events & Participants

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Jun 212015

Dreary as today may be, Saturday was a day of sunshine and colors and an outpouring of support for the LGBT community with the 4th Annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival. Accompanying photos are all courtesy of John Andrews at Social Palates Photography; go to Creative Salem Flickr to see more.

By all accounts the Parade and Festival were successful.

“As I sit here watching the torrential rain here on the North Shore I am very grateful that our 4th Annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival yesterday was a celebration of Unity for our Community in glorious sunshine and splendor. A huge thank you to North Shore Pride’s AMAZING volunteers who never stopped working yesterday and kept asking for MORE work. We could never do it without you. Extreme gratitude to our sponsors, without their support North Shore Pride would have remained just a dream. —– Hope Watt-Bucci, Honored President, North Shore Pride

Full text of message at https://www.facebook.com/northshorepride

Expansive Murals and Intimate Portraits – Thomas Hart Benton at PEM

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Jun 142015

Expansive murals, vertical spirals, size changes that make you feel like you are looking up & down into a scene, these are the calling cards of a man once called America’s best-known contemporary painter, Thomas Hart Benton— and the subject of a special Peabody Essex Museum exhibit.

In fact, this is the first major exhibition on Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) in more than 25 years and the first ever to explore important connections between Benton’s art and the movies. American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood was organized by the PEM in collaboration with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, Missouri) and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (Fort Worth). It will be at PEM through September 7th in the Special Exhibition Galleries.

Benton’s art & style will also be the theme for “Epic Adventures,” this month’s PEM/PM late night evening party.

But first some background on Mr. Benton. According to PEM, Benton became acutely aware of storytelling’s shift toward motion pictures after working briefly in the silent film industry, and “developed a cinematic style of painting that melded European art historical traditions and modern movie production techniques.”

In paintings, murals, drawings, prints and illustrated books, Benton reinvented national narratives for 20th-century America and captivated the public with his visual storytelling.

Benton’s story is fascinating, the ups / the downs (an informal survey of museum-goers at all the participating institutions revealed that only 25% had even heard of Benton), how he perfected his technique and how he was received are all part of this PEM podcast.

And, if you have the time, this WBUR (90.9 FM, Boston’s National Public radio news station) feature story provides extra insights.

For example, besides the paintings to see in this exhibit, there is something you can actually touch. In the WBUR report, it is mentioned that “the artist fashioned clay models of characters and scenery that he would light up like tiny Hollywood film sets, then painting them. There’s a replica of a surviving Benton clay model (or maquettes) in the PEM show. The original was too delicate and valuable to ship, so in a first for the museum, curators actually created a 3-D print.”

This is interesting in itself as Benton once said, ‘I feel my paintings in my hands.”

The WBUR story also mentioned that Benton constantly traveled; his road trips sought out authentic stories, scenes and characters to populate his works.

As the great American road trip, from Easy Rider to National Lampoon’s Vacation, still inspires a sense of freedom and exploration, PEM/PM for June 18 from 6-9 pm invites you to follow artist Benton’s travels across America with map and postcard art, real-life road stories, a travel-themed beer tasting and gallery talks.

Also featured at this month’s PEM/PM evening are folk music sessions by Dan Blakeslee and Jennifer Evans, a visit from the Mobile Museum of American Artifacts and an author talk / signing with Andre Dubus III.

As always, a cash bar and refreshments available; members and Salem residents (with ID) free, nonmembers $10 at the door for PEM/PM.

The American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood exhibition was made possible in part by Bank of America and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence. The National Endowment for the Arts and Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation provided generous support. Christie’s provided in-kind support. The East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum also provided support.

For more info, go to PEM website or call 978-745-9500. The Peabody Essex Museum is located at East India Square (161 Essex St) Salem, Massachusetts.

(Cover photo “Bootleggers” Art © T.H. Benton and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts/UMB Bank Trustee/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY)

Berklee Summer Series to Present Rising Star to Salem

Salem Event, Salem Festivals No Responses »

Jun 122015

Walking through Salem this Saturday around 5-7pm you may hear some interesting sounds emanating from Derby Square. We suggest you let your ears guide you to a very special performance by a rising star, jazz bassist Marika Galea, and her quartet as part of The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 2015 SJSF/Berklee Summer Series.

The festival is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that produces free concerts and raises money for music education causes on the North Shore. And the Summer series showcases some very talented people of whom you may or may not be aware.

Rising star and bandleader, Marika Galea, is a good example. She is a respected young jazz bassist and composer who has studied with and opened for a number of highly acclaimed artists including Bucky Pizzarelli, Branford Marsalis, Al Jarreau, and Teri Lyne Carrington. Originally from Canada, Marika is carving out a reputation on this side of the border as a jazz bassist, journalist, and educator with longevity.

She is a full scholarship student at Berklee College of Music, working toward a Bachelor of Music in performance and classical composition.

To hear samples of her work …

Her compositions range from swinging hard bop tunes for quintet and lyrical songs for bands to ‘classical’ works for small ensemble.

According to her bio page on Youth Jazz Canada website, she eventually plans to have a “career in international relations as a musical ambassador for both Canada and the United States.”

She has a good start with her international quartet:

From Israel, Yoav Eshed (guitar) who has been studying music since childhood; he won the third place prize in the 2104 Montreux Jazz Festival International Guitar Festival in Switzerland.
From Japan, Tomoaki Baba (saxophones) who began playing in a big band at age seven; the band went on to play at the Sydney Opera House during a cultural exchange.
From South Korea, Johgkuk Kim (drums) who released his first solo album when studying at the Seoul Institute of the Arts at age 16.

All members of the quartet are current Berklee College of Music students.

This Saturday’s performance, sponsored by Creative Salem, will also feature an educational interview about music and the Berklee experience.

Two more SJSF/Berklee Summer Series concerts will take place this year: Beneil Miller on July 11; and Chuks Okpu on Aug. 8. The ninth-annual Salem Jazz and Soul Festival will be held during the weekend of Aug. 15-16, featuring 10 bands, a kids’ tent, music-education tent, artisan fair and 21-plus beer pavilion. The two-day concert is also free.

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