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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, October 14, 2014 9:22 AM | Deleted user

    One-Woman Show                              Oct. '14 thru Jan. '15 

    The Mass. Gen. Hospital Cancer Center, Danvers, invited Sheila Farren Billings to do a 1-woman show as part of their Illuminations Program, a rotating art exhibit designed to enhance their environment of care. The show will run Oct. - Jan. featuring "feel-good" paintings. Reception: MGH Yawkey Ctr., 55 Fruit St. Boston, Tues. 10/28 5:50-7pm.

  • Monday, October 13, 2014 9:00 AM | Deleted user


    Salem resident Jim Bostick, a local photographer, began creating his own tarot card deck, shooting locals in his Salem home’s photography studio, in 2009. Here he hangs his photographs in In a Pigs Eye on Derby Street in preparation for his show on Sunday, Oct. 12.

    WICKED LOCAL PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD

    Wicked Local Article
    Jim Bostick’s grandmother gave him his first tarot card deck as a Christmas stocking stuffer when he was about 6 years old. The deck’s cards depicted characters of the James Bond 007 movie franchise.
    "I started playing the cards, and I still have the deck. I love it," said Bostick, standing on Saturday morning inside In a Pig’s Eye, the Derby Street pub where he curates a monthly revolving door of art exhibitions for owners Jenny and Jon Reardon.
    His grandmother’s gift not only sparked a lifelong fascination with tarot cards as a craft of fortune telling and divination but also as individual and collective pieces of artworks that tell stories.
    "To me, they are creative things. I look at them as storytelling devices, too, and I think that is how people who read them interpret them," Bostick said. "When they are laying out the cards, they are telling as story."
    Bostick, a talented local photographer and Lancaster, Pa. native, began creating his own tarot card deck, shooting locals in his Salem home’s photography studio, in 2009. The ambitious project now years in the making is over two thirds done, with 66 of 78 cards completed.
    Recently, Bostick finished all 16 court cards and is displaying blown-up, matted and framed images of them on the walls of In a Pig’s Eye through October.
    "I’ve been working the project for a solid five years now, I’ve been jumping around," said Bostick as he set up the show Saturday morning. "I’ve been buying armor for like four years, because I couldn’t afford to buy it all at once."
    All of the cards, which one could also consider as group and individual portraits, contain theatrical and old film-stills qualities, brought about through Bostick’s impressive manipulation of light on his subjects.
    "I like to refer to them as a little piece of theatre, because each one is center stage, props, costume and actors, and took some effort to put everything together," Bostick said.
    Bostick completely photographed in white-and-black, believing color to be frivolous, unnecessary and a hindrance to the art-goer’s interaction with the art pieces.
    "I don’t want them not to look like photographs," Bostick says. "You see a lot photographs people try to make look like paintings or illustrations."
    He continued, "I love the rawness of photography, and I want to celebrate that."
    And this month-long exhibition is as much about the rawness of photography - the art of showing rather than telling - as it is a celebration of people, Bostick said, who he has met since he and his husband, Liam, moved to Salem.
    "Jim is a receptive person, well liked open and includes anybody and everybody," said Judy Rudd, who is the subject of Bostick’s darling-of-the-show "Queen of Swords" on display. "He cares about the subject and his artwork."
  • Thursday, October 09, 2014 5:00 PM | Deleted user

    Every Thursday 5pm-7pm Sketch, Doodle, or stop in and say hello!


  • Thursday, October 02, 2014 9:19 AM | Deleted user

    Newest Public Mural Complete!

    Sheila Farren Billings' set of graphic murals on the five doors of the Danvers Art Association are complete! The murals are designed to give the historic building a splash of color and make it apparent to those passing by that the antique brick school house is now a lively, vibrant art gallery. The murals depict painter's palettes and brushes done in a bold style in all the colors of the rainbow. The DAA is located at 105 Elliot St., Route 62, Danvers, MA 01915.

  • Tuesday, September 23, 2014 8:32 AM | Deleted user

    October 3 - November 2, 2014

    Artists Reception October 11th,   4-6 pm

     

    A Call for Art!  The theme for this year’s Salem Arts Association October exhibit is “Spirits of the Season”.  Does the title make you think of specters, angels, or ancient ancestors?  All Hallows Eve? Fall in New England?  Traditions in Salem?  The link between life and death?  Body and Soul?  The cycle of life and the seasons?  Think about this time of year and what the word “spirits” means to you.  We look forward to your interpretations…be adventurous and share your work with the community! 

    _____________________________________________________________

    Exhibit Dates:October 3 – November 1, 2014.  Accepted work must remain on view until the exhibit closes.

    Exhibition Reception:October 11th, 4-6 pm

    Exhibit Location:Artists’ Row, Building #2, New Derby Street in Salem

    If your work is accepted into the exhibition, a two-hour volunteer gallery-sitting shift is required.  To sign up for your slot or any sitting time, visit our “Retail Sign Up” page at http://salemartsassociation.org/Retail-Sitting-Sign-Up Thank you!  

     

     


     

     

  • Sunday, September 21, 2014 4:00 PM | Deleted user


     
     Taste of The Gables

     On Sunday, September 21, 2014 from 4-10 p.m., local chefs and vintners/brewers will compete under the big white tent on The Gables’ oceanfront lawn for Best of The Gables Awards. Attendees will enjoy an elegant evening of fun, food, and camaraderie.  Proceeds will benefit the preservation of our eight historic houses and allow us to provide more educational programs to undeserved children from immigrant families.  We thank you for your support!                                    Please circle your choice of ad size below:


    • Back Color Cover*                   $1,500                             Inside Back Color Cover*       $1,000                              Inside Front Color Cover*      $1,000                                                                      
    • Full Page (B & W)               $500                          Half Page (B & W)              $250                   Quarter Page (B & W)       $125                                              

    *Covers are reserved on first serve basis as there is only one of each available. When sold, full page is alternative.    

    Download the .PDF submission form here!

  • Sunday, September 21, 2014 2:00 PM | Deleted user

    Join us for the 4th annual Gimme Shelter Birdhouse Auction event by Salem Collective of Artists and Musicians next door to Salem Arts Association located on Artists Row 24 New Derby St. Salem, Ma.

    This event is always fun and will benefit the animals of Northeast Animal Shelter. We hope to see you there. 



  • Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00 AM | Deleted user


    Kate Luchini, Executive Director

    director@lynnmuseum.org

    Lynn Museum

    590 Washington Street

    Lynn, MA 01901

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    The Lynn Museum holds Artists at the Atlantic exhibit and programs

     

    LYNN, Mass. (August 18, 2014) undefined This September, the Lynn Museum and LynnArts come together to present a two-month celebration of Artists at the Atlantic. Inspired by the enduring legacy of the Lynn Beach Painters, whose impressionistic style celebrated the beauty of the Lynn Shore and by the caliber of local North Shore artists working today, the Lynn Museum and LynnArts have created a series of opportunities to engage with living as well as historical artists who have captured the beauty of this stretch of coast.  The series includes a number of free programs, an exhibition, and an auction to benefit the Lynn Museum and LynnArts.

    Artists at the Atlantic, Saturday, September 20, 2014 from 10-4 pm (Free) There is no rain date for this event.

    In conjunction with Essex Heritage Trails & Sails weekend, the Artists at the Atlantic series kicks off with a day of artists creating original works “en plein air” or “in the open air” at three locations along the coast: Lynn’s Red Rock Park, Swampscott’s Fisherman’s Beach and Marblehead’s Chandler Hovey Lighthouse Park on the Neck.  Stop by between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to observe and interact with artists working in a variety of mediaundefinedpainting, photography, sculpture and more. The work created on location will then be featured in the Lynn Museum’s Artists at the Atlantic exhibition opening Wednesday, October 8. 

    Free Artists at the Atlantic Family Day at the Lynn Museum, Saturday, September 27, 10-2 pm

    Enjoy a nautical afternoon at the Museum during our next free family day! As part of Essex Heritage’s Trails & Sails weekend the Lynn Museum invites you to check out our exhibits and then stay for the fun while you paint your own seashells, try your hand at sketching or watercoloring your own Lynn Beach Painters scene, or make an edible mini lighthouse. There will also be a special performance by You and Me Puppets and showing of the film Finding Nemo. This day has something for everyone!

    This program is generously sponsored by Gayle Richardson and Steve Babbitt.

     

    MESA: Museum Enrichment Series for Adults, Wednesday, October 8, 2014, Noon (Free)                                 

    On the opening day of the Artists at the Atlantic exhibit, join D. Roger Howlett, author of The Lynn Beach Painters: Art Along the North Shore 1880-1920, as he takes a look at the influence of the sea and Lynn’s great history of seaside painters.  Bring your brown bag lunch and join us at MESA, the Lynn Museum’s signature lunchtime series.                                                             

    Sketching at the Museum, every first Thursday, 4-7pm starting October 2-December 4, 2014 ($5.00 Admission/Free for Members)

    Experiment with different drawing approaches as you sketch from original works of art in the Artists at the Atlantic exhibition galleries. These monthly drop-in sessions are a great way to look at the artwork up close and start to understand the artful way of thinking. Drop in for all or any part of a session. Materials are provided.

    Artists at the Atlantic Exhibit Opening Reception, Thursday, October 9, 4-6 pm (Free)    

    Celebrate the opening of the Artists at the Atlantic exhibit with a toast to the great Lynn Beach Painters, past and present.  The exhibit features the artwork created on location during the Trails & Sails event, along with works by the Lynn Beach Painters from the Museum’s collection as well as a selection from private collections never before on public view.  Light refreshments will be served.                                                                                                                                                

    Artists at the Atlantic ExploraTour, Wednesday, October 15, Noon; Thursday, November 13, Noon; Friday, December 12, Noon (Free)                                                                                                             

    Enjoy a lunchtime tour of the Artists at the Atlantic exhibit led by Lynn Museum Assistant Director Abby Battis.  Learn about the art, culture and history of this magnificent collection of works.  These hour-long ExploraTours will focus solely on the special exhibition and are free with Museum admission.  Please note: ExploraTours are geared toward an adult audience.                       

    Artists at the Atlantic Auction, Saturday, November 15, 7 pm. $35.00 per person.     

    Save the date for this exciting live and silent auction to benefit the Lynn Museum and LynnArts!  Auction items will include contemporary art from the exhibit as well as other non-art items such as show tickets, sports tickets, and gift baskets. Enjoy light refreshments, a cash bar and live music while you bid on your own piece of Lynn Beach history!  

                                                                                  ####

    Lynn Museum & Historical Society, 590 Washington Street, Lynn MA, 01901, 781-581-6200, W&F 12-4pm, Th 12-7pm, Sat. 10-3pm.

     


    Call for Work

    Artists at the Atlantic

    The Lynn Museum and LynnArts invite all plein air artists to participate in our fall Artists at the Atlantic exhibit, auction and programs.  Inspired by the natural beauty of the North Shore, our series begins with a day of plein air art-making on Saturday, September 20, 2014 from 10-4 pm.  The three locations for this event are Red Rock Park, Lynn; Fisherman’s Beach, Swampscott and Chandler Hovey Park, Marblehead.  Subject matter is not limited to traditional maritime scenes and artists are invited to work in all media. 

    Plein air work created on September 20th, along with other juried artwork and a selection of historical Lynn Beach Painters scenes, will be included in the Artists at the Atlantic exhibit opening at the Lynn Museum on Wednesday, October 8.  The jury will consider including multiple artworks by individual artists in the exhibit if space is available.  There is no entry fee to submit work for this exhibit. There will be a special opening reception on Thursday, October 9 from 4-6 pm.  Finally, on Saturday, November 15, art from the exhibit will be included in an auction to benefit the Lynn Museum and LynnArts.  The auction is an important fundraiser for both organizations to support our educational programs.  Artists are given the option to make a tax-deductible donation of 100% of proceeds from the sale of their work, or to share a percentage of the profits (see below for details). 

    Important Information

    • ·         To participate in Artists at the Atlantic, please complete and return registration form by Friday, Sept. 12th to the LynnMuseum: 590 Washington St., Lynn, MA 01901 or scan and email to: director@lynnmuseum.org.
    • ·         All artwork must be submitted for the exhibit framed or otherwise professionally presented. 
    • ·         All work MUST BE WIRED AND READY TO HANG.  If you are submitting a 3-D piece, we will assist with providing an appropriate base.
    • ·         Drop-off for artwork is Thursday, October 2 from noon-4 pm at the Lynn Museum, 590 Washington St., Lynn, MA 01901.
    • ·         Opening reception is Thursday, October 9 from 4-6 pm.  The reception is free and open to the public and all artists.  Drinks and light refreshments will be served.
    • ·         For a full list of Artists at the Atlantic programs and events, please visit lynnmuseum.org/programs and check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
    • ·         For additional information, please contact Kate Luchini, Executive Director of the Lynn Museum, at director@lynnmuseum.org or 781-581-6200781-581-6200

    Download the full call here!


  • Saturday, September 06, 2014 8:11 AM | Deleted user
    8th Peabody Essex Museum Inspirational Show

    Totems: What Guides Us?

    Inspired by the PEM’s exhibit, Raven’s Many Gifts:
    Native Art of the Northwest Coast Judged by Karen Kramer, Curator of Native American Art and Culture at the Peabody Essex Museum. Ribbons will be awarded to Best of Show, Excellence, and Honorable Mention.
    September 6-28, 2014 181 Essex St., Salem, MA Opening Reception September 6 from 5-9pm



    Totem poles may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. Some poles celebrate cultural beliefs while others are mostly artistic. The Native American art of the Northwest Coast is rich with patterns depicted include natural forms such as bears, ravens, eagles, orcas, and humans; legendary creatures such as thunder-birds and sisiutls; and abstract forms made up of the characteristic Northwest Coast shapes. Totem poles are the most well-known artifacts produced using this style. "Raven, an iconic trickster and culture hero who appears in countless Northwest Coast origin stories, is credited with carrying light into the world in his beak," says Karen Kramer, PEM's curator of Native American art and culture. "Despite profound cultural changes over the past 200 years, oral histories such as the story of Raven continue to inspire a rich and diverse array of creative expression in tribal communities along the Northwest Coast."
    Call For Art hat cultural, environmental or social elements define you?
    Take-in date are August 31st 11-2pm and September 2nd 5-8pm, IN-PERSON, at 181 Essex Street. 1-2 pieces can be submitted; all pieces need to be framed and WIRED appropriately undefined saw-toothed hangers will be rejected. A 4 foot height limit is applied. Artist will be notified via email if work is accepted. Work not accepted can be picked up on September 6 from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Exhibit closing Pick-up Sunday September 28, 2pm-5pm IN-PERSON. $5 entry for SAA members per piece
    $10 entry fee for non SAA members per piece



    ALL accepted exhibiting artists are required to gallery sit at 181 Essex Street during open hours of the exhibit. A sign-in sheet will be provided at take-in. A minimum of four hours sitting is required for the month; more hours encouraged. The SAA takes a 25% commission on any sales. NFS pieces will be accepted.
    For more info contact heatherreid.studios@gmail.com or cheryl.frary@gmail.com.
    Works of fine art and craft with a value under $1,000 are insured for catastrophic loss only. Works with a value over $1,000 are not insured by the SAA. Artist’ must provide their own insurance if they wish.
    Salem Arts Association is a non-profit organization.

    If you wish to download the call to art please visit our "calls" page.

#SalemArts

978-745-4850

           

© 2007 - 2024,  Salem Arts Association is a 501(c)(3 )non-profit organization

159 Derby Street, Salem MA 01970