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Northshore Magazine

Arts On The Move

Salem Arts Association Has a New Home.

by Dinah Cardin (April 2020)

When describing his playful multimedia art pieces, artist Paul Nathan says, “There’s a certain...happiness." A dynamic collage features a parade more suited for New Orleans passing in front of the Salem Custom House. “They are light and joyous, but not simple,” says Nathan. This could be a good description for Salem itself at times.

A story full of serendipity has been unfolding on Derby Street in Salem. It started when Nathan retired from his work as a lawyer a couple years ago and turned his law office (an 18th-century yellow clapboard building near the water) into the Paul Nathan Gallery and Museum, where he could sell his original artworks and greeting cards stamped with his work. But he wasn’t seeing enough foot traffic. Then one day, when Salem Arts Association president Jim Bostick wandered in. a friendly conversation sparked a historic moment for the arts in Salem. Fast-forward to April of this year and the SAA has a new 2,600-square-foot home across the street from the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and near landmarks like the House of the Seven Gables and Mercy Tavern.

In contrast with the Rockport Art Association, which began in 1921, Salem’s is the youngest on the North Shore, formed in 2007 by a group on Artists’ Row. The Salem Film Fest and Salem Jazz and Soul Festival were starting up at the same time. The SAA now has a membership of more than 300, representing artists living all over the North Shore.

The organization has been housed in several locations, the most recent being a former Universalist church on Bridge Street. “Our openings were incredibly well attended. It was a really good feeling. But after the opening, nothing” says the organization’s vice president and exhibition curator. Heather Stewart, who lives in Lynn and focuses on Realist paintings.

Stewart is thrilled to have a more permanent home with 11 galleries, space for classes and workshops, and even an artist-in- residence program.

“I consider this a story of growth,” says Bostick, who works as a photographer and designer. One common goal is to bring back the community “clubhouse" feel that existed on Artists’ Row, when musicians would just turn up on a Friday, says Bostick, the new location includes a patio filled with potential on Kosciusko Street. Sunlit galleries are named after a few of the 50 wharves where goods were offloaded from Salem ships traveling all over the world, A first-floor gallery is named in memory of active Salem artist Ellen Hardy, considered the driving force behind the association. Bostick credits Hardy with saying “The word arts has an s for a reason." Keeping this in mind, the association is looking into expanding their offerings, even turning their basement into a black box theatre. “Ellen is smiling down on us.” says Bostick of his friend, who died in 2017. “None of this would have happened without her.”

The SAA has gained traction with a busy calendar of events, like their annual show inspired by a chosen exhibition at PEM. In Oc­tober, there is a fitting Dark Arts exhibit And in the spring is the playful Salon des Refuses, a tradition that started last year, featuring works turned down by the Salem Arts Festival. Now, when an artist’s work is rejected, the city hands them a flyer for the Salem Arts show, says Bos­tick, adding that this opportunity is a tradition going back to the French Academy.

On April 3, the public can attend the first member showcase in the new location. “I feel really strongly about letting people show their work," says Stewart, who has acted as juror, curator, and critic for exhibitions at prominent galleries in the region.

Bostick is coming to the end of his three- year term as president and is happy to hand off the SAA stronger than he found it. Some of that is due to hard work and some to the magic of Salem. In the meantime, the building also houses a small gallery just for Paul Nathan's work. “I think it s a win-win all around," says Nathan. "I see this as an adventure. The more people you have, the more energy."

May 2023 - Vibrant Art Scene Blooms in Salem - Northshore Magazine

September 2021 - Destination Salem Podcast Featuring Salem Arts Association and Artoberfest - Northshore Radio 104.9

March 2021 - Salem Arts Association Welcomes New Director and Artist in Residence - Creative Northshore

September 2020 - Salem Arts Announces Two New Exhibits - Northshore Magazine

July 2020 - Salem Arts Grand Opening Member Showcase Salem Access Television (SATV)

May 2020 - Salem Arts Association Launches Virtual ExhibitNorthshore Magazine

May 2020 - Gallery, Never Opened Due to COVID, Launches Online - Salem News

April 2020 - Arts On The Move - Salem Arts Association Has a New Home - Northshore Magazine (download PDF)

February 2020 - Salem Arts Association Moves to Derby Street Neighborhood - Salem Gazette

November 2019 - Autumn Member Showcase - Salem Access Television (SATV)

October 2019 - Dark Arts Exhibit - Salem Access TV (SATV)

September 2019 - Picturing America and Dark Arts Exhibitions - Salem Access Television (SATV)

August 6 2019: Dan Breslin Solo Show - Salem Gazette

June 2019 - Salon Des Refuses Salem Access Television (SATV)

May 2019 - Roots Exhibit at Salem Old Town HallSalem Access Television (SATV)

April 2019 - Member Showcase Exhibition at Salem Old Town HallSalem Access Television (SATV)

March 2019 -  Young at Art, Ellen Hardy, Paula Beaulieu, and Scholarship Fundraiser ExhibitSalem Access Television (SATV)

December 2018 - Fall Member Showcase 2018 - Salem Access Television (SATV)

October, 2018 - Two Exhibits: Untold Stories and Dark Arts 10-5-18 - Salem Access Television (SATV)

August, 2018 - Land & Sea, Raymond Gilbert Solo Exhibit - Salem Access Television (SATV)

July, 2018 - Go Away Exhibit - Salem Access Television (SATV)

March 2018 - Inspiring The Arts - Salem Magazine (Download PDF)

January, 2018 - Salem Cultural Council 2018 Grant Recipients - Salem Cultural Council

December 28, 2017 - Reflecting on 2017 Events in SalemSalem Gazette

November 2017 - Salem Arts Association Member Showcase - Salem Access Television (SATV)

July 17, 2017 - Salem Arts Association: ReVision Opening Reception - Salem Access Television (SATV)

May 5, 2017 - ReVISION Exhibit Opening and Awards - Salem Gazette Video

March 9, 2017 - Salem Arts cuts ribbon on new digs - Wicked Local Salem

March 5, 2017 - Grand Opening Festivities on Salem Access Television - Salem Access Television (SATV)

February 22, 2017 - Salem Arts Announces New Move - Salem Gazette 

February 18, 2017 - "The Bridge at 211" Welcomes Salem Arts Association - Creative Salem



Have news! Members, email your news to: Publicity@SalemArts.org with the subject line "NEWS BLOG POST" if you want your event, show, or news posted in our "News" section. Additionally all posts also go to our Twitter page.

We encourage members to share posts from this news feed on Facebook and all your social networks. 


  • Tuesday, April 02, 2013 12:19 PM | Deleted user

    Applications should be completed and submitted by April 8. Applications can be found and submitted via the Salem Arts Festival website, www.salemartsfestival.com. While the festival prefers electronic applications, applicants are welcome to pick up and drop off hard copies of the form at Salem Arts Festival/Salem Main Streets, 265 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970 by the March 31st deadline.


    The Salem Arts Festival has announced an invitation to local artists to submit their work for festival exhibition consideration. Now in its fifth year, the Festival will take place from June 7-9, 2013. Thousands are expected to attend this annual event which lights up Salem’s downtown corridor with an art show, street fair and live performances.

    "We welcome visual artists, musicians, poets, dancers and more to submit" said Festival Committee Chair Laura Potter. "Salem is a fantastic venue to showcase local talents, and both emerging artists and established artist are encouraged to apply." The deadline for submission is set for March 31st

    This free family-friendly festival celebrates all the arts: painting, installation, digital art, photography, sculpture, dance, music, writing, film, new media, performance, theatre, poetry, culinary, etc. All events take place in downtown Salem, within walking distance of public transportation.

    The 2013 festival will consist of:

    • a gallery of juried artists’ work in Old Town Hall
    • an outdoor stage venue for performance and dance at the East India Fountain
    • an indoor performance space in Old Town Hall
    • a juried street fair on Essex Street Pedestrian Mall and Derby Square
    • a community arts space for open exhibition and participation (screening process required)
    • film screenings

     

    Selected artists will have an opportunity to sell their work at the Old Town Hall gallery (with 10% of proceeds going to Salem Arts Festival) and at the juried street fair (all proceeds go to the artists.) The community arts space welcomes all artists – children to adults - and encourages public participation.

    Applications should be completed and submitted by April 8. Applications can be found and submitted via the Salem Arts Festival website, www.salemartsfestival.com. While the festival prefers electronic applications, applicants are welcome to pick up and drop off hard copies of the form at Salem Arts Festival/Salem Main Streets, 265 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970 by the March 31st deadline.

    The Salem Arts Festival is organized by Salem Main Streets and a collaboration of Salem organizations which provide support and jurors for the festival, including the Salem Arts Association, Salem State University’s Center for Creative and Performing Arts, the Peabody Essex Museum and Salem Collective of Artists and Musicians. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Salem Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

    For more information, please see www.salemartsfestival.com or contact Laura Potter at salemartsfestival@gmail.com or (978)744-0004 (x15).

    Matt Caruso (Office Hours 10-3pm Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri)

    Acting Main Streets Manager

    Salem Main Streets

    265 Essex Street

    Salem, MA 01970

    Phone: (978)744-0004 x15

    Fax: (978)745-3855

    www.salemmainstreets.org

    www.salemfirstfriday.com

    www.salemfarmersmarket.org

    www.salemartsfestival.com

    The Salem Main Street Initiative is a preservation-based, volunteer driven strategy for commercial district revitalization.  The Initiative is modeled on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Program.  Main Streets works because it involves all interested stakeholders in the downtown and provides a comprehensive strategy of work, tailored to local needs and opportunities of the community.

  • Wednesday, March 20, 2013 10:15 AM | Deleted user
    ARTISTS at the 7 Gables
    Salem, Ma. House Of Seven Gables

    Date: 18 Apr 2013 9:00 AM EDT

    ARTISTS at the 7 Gables:

    The Salem Arts Association is pleased to announce a collaborative effort, with the House of the Seven Gables, April 18th-25th.  It is an en plein air or outdoor art event. 

    Reception: Friday, April 26th, 5-8 PM

    We hope to see you there!

    April 18-25, 9:00 am -5:00pm  Salem Arts En Plein Air at The Gables

      April 25, Overnight storage of artwork, easels or display ( not paints and mediums) In Gables AV room

       April 26, 5:00pm-8:00pm Artists Reception

      • All sales split 50/50 with Gables
      • All set up and take down done by Salem Arts


      Non-Members Register Online

      Participation is free to Salem Arts and Gables members.  $20 fee for non-members to cover the cost of advertising and event fees. Please register by Friday, April 12th.  Non-members, either register online or send your admission fee in the mail, payable to


      Members Registration

      If your a member and wish to register please send your info to Laura Dandaneau, photography.laura@gmail.com.


      Salem Arts Association, P.O. BOX 226, Salem, MA. 01970 Attn: Artists at the Gables

      Register Online!

    • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 8:24 PM | Deleted user
      SAA member, Sheila Farren Billings is taking part in an Art Show at Salem Old Town Hall March 22-24, 2013. A reception with silent art auction, live music and refreshments will be held on March 22, 7-9 p.m. All proceeds benefit iSanctuary, a non-profit that helps restore the lives of girls and women who have been victimized by human trafficking. Sheila's donation is an original painting "Seasons", a tree through the four seasons on a metallic background. Acrylic, 16"x20", framed.
    • Wednesday, March 13, 2013 7:44 PM | Ellen Garvey
      Open to non-members!
      Take-in continues tomorrow, Thurs 3/14 2-4PM

      The "Fine Art of Craft" group exhibit at Marblehead Arts Association will run from March 16 to April 21 with the opening reception this Sunday, March 17 
       
      Description of Exhibit:

      To see craft is to enter a world of wonderful things which can be challenging, beautiful, sometimes useful, tactile, artistic and extraordinary - and to understand and enjoy the care which has gone into their making. Contemporary craft is about making hand crafted objects of art and ensures the highest standard of workmanship exhibiting a working knowledge of tools and materials.

      The Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) is presenting “Fine Art of Craft”, an exhibit from March 16-April 21. This juried exhibit invites both MAA and non-MAA artisans in the general categories of ceramics/pottery; fiber/textile; metalwork/silversmith; woodwork/furniture and glass and the creative overlap or blending of these mediums. Jurying is based on creativity of design, quality of materials and attention to detail in overall workmanship and presentation.

      Please see the MAA website for more details.

    • Friday, March 08, 2013 2:02 PM | Deleted user



      Winners to Receive Significant Visibility & $500

      Utility to Beauty
      The City of Salem calls all artists to submit proposals to paint one out of six downtown utility boxes as part of ArtBox 2013. Winning artists will have their work in front of one million people annually and will receive $500.

      With the recent announcement of the Peabody Essex Museum’s pending expansion and last year’s successful Rob Lorenson sculpture series, the city is on the rise as a regional, national and international arts destination.

      In the hopes of promoting individual artists as well as the community’s burgeoning arts scene, ArtBox asks all interested to propose a piece of art that presents his or her visual interpretation of Salem’s cityscape, culture, community pride or art itself.

      Project Background
      Salem’s first art box, located on Essex Street in front of its sponsor’s popular café, has been received very positively. Inspired by its success and the city’s increased artistic momentum, a group of local art appreciators and community leaders came together at the end of 2011 to spearhead ArtBox, a program to transform these utilitarian eyesores into original works of art.

      Beyond adding to Salem’s spirit of creativity, sense of place and cultural identify, these boxes are meant to beautify and inspire. If successful, ArtBox will be a perennial project. These first boxes will set the bar, generating the buzz and spurring future boxes in the coming yearsundefinedjust as painter Greg Orfanos’ vanguard box on Essex Street has done by adding a splash of creative genius to the street.

      Nuts & Bolts
      Open to all skilled and talented artists, the deadline for submission is before 4:00 PM Monday, April 8th. The work will be judged by an independent group of creative professionals, including Steven Zevitas, President and Publisher New American Painting and owner of the Boston-based Steven Zevitas Gallery. One box will be painted weekly starting in June.

      A special thanks to local sponsors Waters & Brown Paint & Decorating for providing paint supplies and Gorilla Printing for providing a tent. Winners will be publically announced at the Salem Arts Festival on June 1.

    • Wednesday, March 06, 2013 2:12 PM | Deleted user

      Call For Work
      *All mediums/subjects accepted*

      The Friends of Danvers Dog Park is planning a fundraiser art auction showcasing the talent of local artists, but we need your help! For our fundraiser to be a success we are asking local artists to donate work of any size, any subject matter, and any medium. However, if your work is HUGE contact use first to make sure we have room to store it.

      About the initiative: The Friends of Danvers Dog Park is a group of dog-loving Danvers residents who joined together in 2009 to start the process of establishing an official dog park. In 2010, the Town of Danvers granted the group the approvals needed, and in 2011, the site at Endicott Park was chosen. The main goal of the Friends is to create a fenced-in, off-leash dog park where well-behaved canines can exercise in a clean, safe environment under the watchful eye of their owners.

      About the show: The Artful Dogger fundraiser will be held at the Danvers Art Association (DAA), whose vision is “to inspire, educate and enhance the quality of life for the community of Danvers, through the fine arts.”  The DAA is located in the former Williams School, a beautifully restored building originally constructed in 1916 and located on Route 62 at 105 Elliot St.  The event will be held in the association’s two-room gallery.

      Donated work will be available to preview in a dedicated photo album on The Friends of Danvers Dog Park’s Facebook page.  A reception with silent auction will take place on April 11th beginning at 7pm.  Any donated work that is not auctioned off may be picked up at the end of the night.

      The submission deadline is: April 1st. Work may be mailed or delivered during business hours (beginning March 18th) to New England Dog Biscuit Company, 11 Maple St, Danvers, MA 01923.  Neither New England Dog Biscuit Company nor the Friends of Danvers Dog Park is responsible for work that is left outside unattended.

      Please complete the form on the second page and return it with your work.

      Thanks!

      The Friends of Danvers Dog Park
      Pam Crum, Fundraising Events Committee Chair
      (978)774-1440
      pccrum92@gmail.com

      A link to the complete call for submission: http://www.friendsofdanversdogpark.com/uploads/2/2/2/1/2221001/theartfuldoggercallforwork.pdf


      The Danvers Dog Park Art Auction Art Submission Form
      (please complete in full)

      Artist Information:

      Full Name:__________________________________________________
      Full Address: ________________________________________________
      Phone: _____________________ E-mail: _________________________
      Website: ____________________________________________________

      Artist’s Bio/Statement: Please attach a brief history of yourself and your work.

      How may we promote your work? (website/blog/gallery, etc.)


      About the Work:

      Title: _______________________________________________
      Year: _______________________________________________
      Medium: ____________________________________________
      Dimensions: _________________________________________

      Please note submitted work should be gallery ready. Works on paper and wall mounted works should be ready to hang. Please include any display instructions, such as orientation, when submitting your work.

      By signing below you acknowledge that New England Dog Biscuit Company, The Friends of Danvers Dog Park and the Danvers Art Association take no responsibility for work left unattended upon delivery or work not picked up in a timely manner after the fundraiser. You also acknowledge that you will receive no payment for any work sold/displayed.

      Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________________

      Printed Name: ___________________________________________________________

       

    • Tuesday, March 05, 2013 4:04 PM | Deleted user

      Salem Arts festival 2013

      The Salem Arts Festival is fast approaching, SAF promotes the arts in downtown Salem through a collaborative festival for residents and visitors providing opportunities to highlight the existing artist community and encourage general community participation in the arts. The festival regularly draws over 4,000 visitors. The festival is looking for art and performance for the sophisticated art patron as well as for the art novice including interactive events for children. It will engage participants of diverse backgrounds and ages by reaching out to current art patrons, local students, and the community at large.

      The 2013 Salem Arts Festival, running from Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9 will celebrate the arts in all its forms: painting, photography, sculpture, installation, dance, music, writing, film, new media, performance, theater, poetry, culinary, visual art and more. The 2013 festival will consist of a gallery of juried artists’ work in Old Town Hall, performance in an outdoor stage venue, indoor performances, a street fair, and a space open to the community to show and sell their work as well as actively participate in the arts.  Individuals are welcome to contribute at multiple venues and events.

      The Salem Arts Festival is organized and planned by Salem Main Streets and many members of the community volunteering their time.

      If you wish to participate in the weekend event please visit the Salem Arts Festival website to apply online or to find out more visit the "Call To Art" page.

      June 7th - 9th

      Salem Arts Festival Website

      View the call here


    • Tuesday, February 26, 2013 7:02 PM | Deleted user
      The upcoming third annual Artists & Authors Winter Exhibition presented by the Salem Arts Association and the Hawthorne Hotel on Thursday, February 28 2013, at the Hawthorne Hotel will be accompanied by a demonstration by award-winning and nationally recognized artist Frank Costantino. PEM Atrium wing architect Moshe Safdie has been a client of Costantino's for 25 years.



      About the painting demonstration and Frank Costantino:

      During his painting demonstration, Frank Costantino will engage the audience and explain his artistic process. Last summer, Costantino was invited by Mayor Menino's office to present a similar painting demonstration for a fundraiser at Boston's Kelleher Garden. He is currently featured in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. Another article currently appears in the February/March issue of Plein Air Magazine. Both magazines are national publications.

      In transitioning from a highly successful career as an award-winning architectural illustrator to fine art watercolor, Frank has developed an increasingly diverse and accomplished body of work. He paints primarily en plein air his own vision of urban scenes, New England locales, seascapes, birds, animals, and portraits, among other interests.

      With signature member status in the New England Watercolor Society , Boston, and the North East Watercolor Society in New York, and elected member of New York’s Salmagundi Club, Frank is also a long-standing member and supporter of other art associations in the Boston area. He has been annually selected for many Plein Air events, including Plein Air Easton, MD; Cranford Plein Air, NJ; St. Simons Island Plein Air Affair, GA; and Plein Air Vermont, of which he is also a co-founder.

      His watercolor work is exhibited throughout the Northeast, as well as West Coast venues in juried, group or solo shows, and is represented in various galleries and retail locations, with limited edition prints and card series. His work has also been featured in national magazines. Frank also conducts watercolor workshops at all levels of skill in numerous venues.

      He enjoys the fluid challenge of the watercolor medium, and its vibrant, luminous qualities. His preference for the plein-air method of painting affords him ever new discoveries and directions from vistas that become exciting subjects for his paintings. By developing his style, looking for power in composition and color, Frank captures the unusual view in a fleeting moment.

      Artists & Authors Winter Exhibition:
      Main event is free and open to the public
      • Presented by the Salem Arts Association and the Hawthorne Hotel
      • In the Ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Square West, Salem, MA
      • Thursday, February 28 2013, 6–9 p.m.

      Special painting demonstration by Frank Costantino:
      • 5–6 p.m.
      • $7 in advance, $10 at the door
    • Monday, February 25, 2013 8:24 PM | Deleted user
      Katherine Howe, author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The House of Velvet and Glass will participate as an author at this year's Artists & Authors Winter Exhibition.

      Katherine Howe was born in Houston, Texas, and holds degrees in Art History and Philosophy from Columbia and in American and New England Studies from Boston University. She is the author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, a novel of the Salem witch trials which debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, and which has been translated into twenty-five languages. This past year she hosted the Expedition Week special “Salem: Unmasking the Devil” on the National Geographic Channel, and taught a seminar on historical fiction at Cornell University. Her bestselling new novel, a historical thriller set in Boston in the aftermath of the Titanic sinking, is entitled The House of Velvet and Glass. She lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and upstate New York, where she is at work on her next novel.



      The FREE main event is from 6 to 9 p.m. in the ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA, 18 Washington Square West.

      A special demonstration by Frank Costantino will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Entrance will be $7 online and $10 at the door.
    • Friday, February 22, 2013 3:31 PM | Deleted user
      On Thursday, February 28, the third annual Artists & Authors Winter Exhibition will bring together in one ballroom for the pleasure of the public the following talented authors, artists, and creatives:

      Amanda Bright
      Dan Browne
      Jan Condon
      Chris Cuddy
      Laura Dandaneau
      Nelson Dionne
      Matthew Fraser
      Peter Grimshaw
      Ellen Hardy
      Karen Hosking
      Katherine Howe
      Aziz Isaak
      Morgan Leshinsky
      North Shore Writers
      Terri O'Brien
      Jeannine Pelkey
      Salem Theatre Co
      Salem Film Fest 
      Scarlet Letter Press
      Elizabeth Sheehan
      Salem Collective Artists & Musicians 
      Jack Walsh 
      Margaret Young 

      The FREE main event is 6–9 p.m. in the ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA, 18 Washington Square West.

      A special demonstration by Frank Costantino will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Entrance to the special demonstration is $7 online and $10 at the door.


    #SalemArts

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    159 Derby Street, Salem MA 01970