arts – Page 18 – Salem Main Streets

Night at the Museum— For Real at Salem’s PEM

Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Workshops No Responses »

Mar 222015

Over 600 people decided that what Artopia had to offer was something they wanted to experience. Thursday’s PEM/PM monthly late night party at the Peabody Essex Museum was a grand old time and if we may say, an artistic success for all the community groups that came together to create the schedule of events.

Attendees were invited to…

… contribute to a fiber arts project by knitting spring flowers with the folks from the Salem Arts Festival (a Salem Main Streets project)… sit and sketch with local group Sketch Collective… drum along with Express Yourself… catch Salem Sketches — short films created right here in Salem — which screened at recent Salem Film Fest… create your own instrument with Salem Jazz & Soul… and enjoy a 15-minute gallery experience highlighting some “ordinary” gems in the museum’s Japanese art collection.

And there was much more. Music that excited and moved the crowd from Ross Livermore Band. Front Yard Street Art, a collaborative fiber arts project open to community members and groups of all ages and abilities certainly attracted a lot of attention.

Hats off to Creative Salem, the Salem Arts Festival and, of course, the Peabody Essex Museum. Producing an event to attract over 600 people on a weeknight certainly indicates that art is not only alive & well in Salem— it also delivers an exciting environment.

(Video produced by JoeyPhoenixPhotography.com by way of CreativeSalem.com)

The Arts Are Alive, Well & Thriving in Salem – at Artopia

Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Workshops 1 Response »

Mar 182015

Vibrant and creative are words to define the arts & culture scene of Salem — and those words will take physical shape this Thursday from 6-9 pm as Artopia takes over the monthly PEM/PM event, hosted by the Peabody Essex Museum.

Now, this blog may shake a little as you read it because we at Salem Main Streets are very excited about Artopia as so many local groups and festivals are involved! It is a real coming together of the community.

“The theme of this event is ‘Art in the Everyday,’ which is part of why we’re playing a lot with the creation of art and elevating ‘ordinary’ objects or activities,” reveals Kylie Sullivan, Main Streets Manager.

For example… contribute to a fiber arts project by knitting spring flowers with the folks from the Salem Arts Festival… sit and sketch with local group Sketch Collective… drum along with Express Yourself… catch Salem Sketches — short films created right here in Salem — which screened at recent Salem Film Fest… create your own instrument with Salem Jazz & Soul… and enjoy a 15-minute gallery experience highlighting some “ordinary” gems in the museum’s Japanese art collection.

For Artopia, PEM is partnering with the Salem Arts Festival and Creative Salem to super-charge this celebration. PEM/PMs are held on the 3rd Thursday of every month as a way to introduce and invite the community to utilize the resource that PEM is to the community.

Adds John Andrews of Creative Salem, “There will be roaming performance artists including members of ARTiculate this. Featured live artists will be Denny Tentindo, Ben Stebbings and Jamie O’Neil. Also at our Creative Salem table, we’ll have Allison White doing a needlepoint demo.”

The evening, as with all PEM/PM events, includes music, cocktails and conversation with separate stations for creativity. But Artopia doesn’t stop there.

Local author and meatball aficionado Adeline Myers, will discuss her recently published cookbook Global Meatballs and even prepare a couple of her favorite recipes. A well-crafted meatball can be a work of art!

Beer lovers can glean creative brewing insights from Newburyport Brewing Company and sample its locally brewed and appropriately named beers: Newburyport Pale Ale, Plum Island Belgian White and Green Head IPA.

And as they say, “that’s not all folks” as the evening will also feature North Shore-based Ross Livermore Band. A local favorite, the band has toured throughout New England and beyond and was recently nominated for Best in State in the New England Music Awards.

One other item to note, and of personal interest to those of us at Salem Main Streets and the Salem Arts Festival, is the Front Yard Street Art project.

Front Yard Street Art is a collaborative fiber arts project open to community members and groups of all ages and abilities. Create your own “green space” (field, garden plot, jungle, etc.) made of yarn, felt, fabric, and whatever else inspires you! Each piece will become part of a large-scale temporary art installation transforming Front Street during the Salem Arts Festival weekend.

Examples created by the students at the Phoenix School in Salem, will be on display Thursday evening as well.

And what is the cost of admission for this extravaganza? For PEM members and Salem residents (with ID) it is free of charge. For nonmembers, it is only $10 at the door. PEM is located at 161 Essex St., Salem Ma. For more info go to www.pem.org or call 978-745-9500.

Artopia is a most creative reason to venture out into the evening.

(Phoenix School photo courtesy Joey Phoenix)

Behind the Scenes: Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne

History, Salem Event, Workshops No Responses »

Mar 092015

Local historian and lecturer Jim McAllister (who recently was designated as the “Official Historian of the City of Salem Ma”) will present the latest installment of his “52 Lectures, 52 Weeks” series Tuesday, March 10 at the Salem Witch Museum. The subject is Nathaniel Hawthorne, Salem native and well known author of The House of Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. But, McAllister has a twist on the normal Hawthorne/book discussion. He will focus on Hawthorne as a partner in one 19th century America’s greatest romances as it unfolded in the shadow of Washington Square. (The Salem Witch Museum is coincidentally at 19½ Washington Square North.)

Apparently it was “bizarre” and involved compacted romantic entanglements with Mary Silsbee and Elizabeth Peabody in the year that preceded his involvement with his future wife, Sophia Peabody, sister of Elizabeth.

Sophia, also born in Salem Ma, was an accomplished painter, illustrator, and an author of articles.

McAllister’s talk will chronicle important moments in Nathaniel and Sophia’s courtship. He will escort you on a journey through the couple’s good days and bad ones over the course of their two-decade long marriage.

With the weather showing no snow in the forecast, if you’re looking to venture out of your “cabins,” this discussion offers a warm invitation. It will run from 7:30 – 9 pm. But, due to space limitations, most of McAllister’s lectures require reservations. For more information please write to culturecorner@gmail.com or call 978-979-5907.

Salem Film Fest 2015 — Documentaries and Interaction

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Workshops No Responses »

Mar 032015

Interaction. There are many factors contributing to Salem Film Fest’s continued growth and worldwide recognition, with interaction between moviegoers and filmmakers being a key element. You can be part of that process March 5-12 when Salem Film Fest is presented in Salem Ma.

This year, 38 films will be showcased by filmmakers representing 10 different countries telling stories from around the world. Of these films, 29 will be making their North American, US, East Coast, New England or Massachusetts premiere.

As self-described on their web page “Salem Film Fest focuses on well-told stories with strong technical elements and interesting visual approaches, each film screened over the week-long schedule represents an immersive aesthetic experience, an opportunity to glimpse the world with fresh eyes, and leave changed as a result.”

It is also an open opportunity for you, the viewer, to speak directly with many of the driving forces of the films to be screened, as more than half of these films will feature Q&As with the filmmakers.

For example, consider this forum topic: Filmmakers often encounter people experiencing difficult life situations while making a film. How does a filmmaker balance respect and empathy for their subjects, while crafting the narrative of their film?

Screenings will take place at the Peabody Essex Museum and CinemaSalem.

PEM will also host the opening night film and the closing awards ceremony, live music, talks and art making.

For films shown at PEM, tickets may be purchased at the admissions desk, by calling 978-542-1511 or by visiting salemfilmfest.com. Ticket sales at PEM will conclude each day by 4:30 pm. Tickets are also available through CinemaSalem (in-person box office or at cinemasalem.com).

(Photo from Shoulder the Lion, a film focusing on “three artists, three tragedies. The usual story told in a very unusual way.”)

And the Nominees for the Best Salem Film Fest Windows Are…

Contests, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News No Responses »

Feb 242015

With the Oscars out of the way, you can now focus up close and personal on the Salem Film Fest (March 5-12). Entering its eighth year, Salem Film Fest is one of New England’s largest documentary film festivals; it attracts submissions and attendees from all over the world.

We’ll have more on the SFF in an upcoming blog, but if you want a sampling of SFF, Creative Salem produced an Oscar worthy profile page. But there is a visual problem with being the home of SFF, and we’ve come up with a solution that requires your assistance.

“The only drawback of a festival like Salem Film Fest,” explains Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Manager, “is that, by necessity, the vast majority of the action happens behind closed doors. The Film Fest gets bigger and better every year, but sometimes it’s hard to see that if you’re just walking down the street.”

She continues, “Therefore, we started the Film Fest window decorations last year because we wanted people to walk into town and KNOW that there was a film festival in town! In addition, we have many filmmakers and guests from out of town who are exploring the city for the first time during the festival. The Salem community gets so excited for this festival, and we wanted to have a visual representation of that excitement to welcome our visitors.”

Merchants, if you’ve got a downtown storefront window, we want to see your best film-inspired window! While the festival focuses on documentaries, your window does not have to be documentary-specific (windows inspired by Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, or The Avengers are absolutely encouraged).

This year, we will have a jury select a winning window. The winner of the competition will become the underwriter of a single film for the 2016 Salem Film Fest ($300 value)!

As a sign that this is indeed a group effort, if you need some inspiration or materials, Paul Van Ness of CinemaSalem will again be donating old celluloid film and film reels (and popcorn!) to anyone who wants to decorate a window. Stop by the Main Streets / Chamber offices at 265 Essex any time after 12:30 pm for film, popcorn, and Salem Film Fest posters (while they last)!

Participating businesses must notify Salem Main Streets of their interest and have window decorations completed by Friday, Feb. 27. So don’t delay. Any questions should be sent to kylie@salemmainstreets.org or go old school and call 978-744-0004.

(Photo courtesy of Social Palates)

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