For those who may not know, The Sound of Music is a musical based on the memoirs of Maria von Trapp. It tells the story of a young woman living in 1938 Austria who is sent to fill the role of governess to the seven children of the Captain von Trapp. Along with educating and nurturing the children, Maria begins to fall in love with the authoritative Captain. All of this occurring just as Austria is uniting with Germany’s Third Reich. The North Shore Music Theatre’s production of this award winning musical has been Directed and Choreographed by James Brennan, who has assembled a tremendous cast and crew to bring the North Shore a fantastic evening of musical theatre fit for audience members of all ages.

With the voice of a sparrow, Miss O’Hare’s ‘Maria’ sings her way into the hearts of the von Trapp children and meanwhile takes the audience’s breath away. A big congratulations must go to the talented young actors playing the von Trapp children. Their dedication to their performances is most enjoyable to watch. Another wonderful performance of the night was the patriarch of the von Trapp family, Captain von Trapp, played by David Andrew MacDonald.

The North Shore Music Theatre Orchestra, Directed and Conducted by Dale Rieling, beautifully transitions the story from scene to scene and provides the actors with expert accompaniment. The set changes swiftly move us from the Abbey, to the mountains of Austria, to the von Trapp family estate, painting a vivid picture of the characters’ atmosphere. The choreography of all the action on and off the stage brings the audience a seemingly flawless production.

For those who enjoy musical theatre, this is definitely one to catch before it closes. However, even if you are not one for musicals, this is a beautiful production with lots to offer for audiences of all tastes.

The Sound of Music will be playing at The North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly until June 23. For ticket information call, (978) 232-7200, visit their website www.nsmt.org or visit the box office at, 62 Dunham Rd. in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Featured Image: DO-RE-MI: Lisa O’Hare as Maria with the von Trapp children in North Shore Music Theatre’s production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC running June 11 – 23, 2013. Photo©Paul Lyden

Emma Cavaliere is an actress, writer, director and photographer living on the North Shore. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY and has worked in theatre and film in both the US and Canada. Since moving to the North Shore in 2010, she has been thrilled to observe and participate in all that the area has to offer in art, nature and community. 

Shawn Fitzgerald grew up on Cape Cod but has called the Boston and North Shore areas his home for the better part of his life. Shawn has written theater reviews and interviews for The Cape Cod Times and has written film reviews and feature articles for TheHDRoom.com since 2005. Recently, Shawn studied photography and graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications. He has photographed events for WGBH television and Christianity Today magazine. His favorite films are Schindler’s List, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws and Almost Famous. His favorite bands/musicians include The Beatles, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Shawn currently resides in Melrose but is planning on calling Salem his home in the near future.

Courtesy of Jesse Danger

After working for a jewelry repair shop for five years, Jesse saw firsthand how rings, especially wedding bands and engagement rings, fell apart and degraded. “A wedding ring is extremely personal, and perhaps the only element of the wedding you’ll carry daily after the special day” and you want it to last. Some people strive to make their rings unique by adding more and more elements, not understanding that they are guaranteeing a visit to a repair shop every year. “I’ve seen many people replace rings or have them rebuilt after a few years because they just weren’t practical for daily wear,” he says and in most cases the rings that broke were those with intricate details and rows of gems. So in the case of a ring, less is actually more.

Jesse builds off of the “less is more” phrase and is inspired by his architectural and engineering background. He has fondness for modern design and simple structures which is reflected in his work. “My design process revolves around subtraction, removing elements until the very minimum details remain.” This doesn’t mean that his designs lack fine detail or ornamentation.

Jesse refers to himself as a “one man operation.” There are no orders sent to a factory where uncaring hands throw the final product into a box at the end of the assembly line. He works directly with the customer who will be building their ring, making sure that it reflects their personality and interests.

Having something custom made by hand is about as unique as you can get. Jesse makes each ring from raw metals, which allows him to custom tailor every ring.  The fit, finish, dimensions and metals can all be adjusted to the wearer’s preference.  Some pieces of jewelry are truly timeless and the pieces that are passed down through generations are those that are made by tireless, meticulous hands that check every surface for perfection. Those hands also create something that is more than metal and jewels, it is symbol of love.

See the evolution of a ring, from raw materials to final product:

You can view more of Jesse Danger’s work on his website , Facebook, or in person at Open Studios at Porter Mill in Beverly on Saturday, June 15th.

Kathleen Casey is the Web Managing Editor at North Shore Art Throb.

“I’m a lover, a dancer, a musician, a poet . . .and the best thing is I do it all at the same time.”

That’s how Vincent Ferrini introduced himself to artist Jo-Ann Castano when he was applying for a job with the Salem, Massachusetts CETA arts program in the 1970s. Ferrini’s application to a public works project must have seemed like déjà vu to a writer, who, thirty years before, had worked as a teacher and archivist for the New Deal’s famed WPA program in that same city. But the way he described himself was vintage Ferrini. Vincent was out there long before Gestalt psychologist Fritz Perls counseled patients in his therapy groups to “let it all hang out.” A legendary community activist in his adopted city of Gloucester, Ferrini believed that participatory democracy could not be confined to politics alone. Poetry, especially, was not the domain of the few, but the legacy of the many. To this end, Ferrini, born and educated in the Italian American working class, addressed his poetry not only to the elite magazines in which verse was traditionally published but to newspapers, mayors and city councilors; to friends and neighbors; even to those who had never met him or read much poetry. At one point Ferrini even resorted to graffiti, spray-painting his “Theory of Poetry” on a Gloucester wall—“The air is an organic farm/for the practitioners of Paradise”—as documented in his nephew Henry Ferrini’s riveting film about his uncle’s life and art, Poem in Action.

Vincent Ferrini

Ferrini began reading his poetry publicly almost as soon as he relocated to Gloucester in 1948 from Lynn, Massachusetts, where he had lived and worked since 1913, his last job as a bench hand at General Electric, while also involved in union organizing. Though there were earlier private readings—Ferrini taught poetry and theater classes at the Samuel Adams summer school at Gloucester’s Camp Annisquam a year before moving to the city—the first public record of such an event appears in the Gloucester Daily Times of August 17, 1951. It announces that Ferrini will read his poetry and Modernist painter William Meyerowitz will sing at an evening cultural event sponsored by the Cape Ann Society of Modern Artists at the Hawthorne Inn, in East Gloucester. By that time Ferrini had published six books of verse, including the volume that many consider his masterwork, No Smoke, a classic of the great depression that earned Ferrini the tile of “last surviving proletarian poet,” given him by critic and anthologist Walter Lowenfels.
But as many books as he published—31 volumes of verse, four volumes of plays, and an autobiography—Ferrini’s most significant output may well be the poetry that he wrote about events like births, deaths, weddings, anniversaries and civic occasions, or simply in dialogue with friends and intimates, a substantial selection of which has been collected in this centennial volume and edited by Greg Gibson.

Poring over dozens of boxes and hundreds of files of material in Ferrini’s extensive archive at the Cape Ann Museum, one is astounded at his output, considering that for most of his life he worked with his hands. Even more so when he left the General Electric plant, to which he’d been commuting after he moved his wife and three children to Gloucester to start his own picture framing business in a tiny shop and former artist’s studio at 126 E. Main Street. It is this frame shop, where he worked and ultimately lived for the remainder of his life, that is now the Gloucester Writers Center.

How, one asks, after an arduous eight hour day—and Ferrini, ever the worker, was disciplined: his picture frames often more beautiful

Charles Olson and Vincent Ferrini Mural

than the art they contained—could he write so much poetry, so many plays and literally thousands of letters? It is an achievement that is nearly impossible today, considering the interruptions incurred in our over-mediated culture. Ferrini had no iPhone or iPad, not even a cellphone to divert him from the rush of words in his head and onto the page. When a well-meaning friend gave him a personal computer and attempted to educate him in the ways of email, he gave up and returned to the typewriter, from which a stream of poems and letters to the editor continued to flow, especially after Ferrini was elected Gloucester’s first Poet Laureate and addressed himself with ever more fervor to those forces he believed were creating “the wildfire greed that will destroy the spirit and originality of [our] city.”

Underlying everything that Ferrini wrote, said and did was his belief that every human creation, whether of the hand or the mind, should be shared with all regardless of age, background or education. To that end Ferrini engaged the entire community, talking politics with workers at the Building Center, where he bought the stock for his picture frames; reminding city councilors of their responsibilities to the people who elected them, not the developers who wished to profit from our precious resources of land and water; and writing, ever writing—sharing, counseling, consoling, badgering, critiquing friends and intimates in a never-ending dialogue about our mutual responsibilities as citizens of a city Ferrini came to love with a native’s sense of possession.

Here then is the voice of the living poet, speaking to us all across the years, still alive though silenced by death; still as vital, whether he is “upsettin’ da setuppa,” as he wrote in his Gloucester epic No Fish, expressing the deep attachment he felt for his adopted city, or the love he offered to so many of us who were drawn to his courage and vitality.

The big Vincent Ferrini 100th birthday event will be held on Saturday, June 22, beginning with a panel discussion at 1 p.m. at the Cape Ann Museum on Vincent’s life and work and moving to Maritime Gloucester for a party and performance.

Peter Anastas, a Gloucester native and writer, first met Vincent Ferrini in 1952, when Anastas was fifteen years old. They remained friends until Ferrini’s death in 2007.

For a beach in New England, it has some of the clearest waters – perfect for those young, curious snorkelers. While it is considered a small beach, it is extremely family friendly and the perfect spot to swim, tan, and picnic. If you rather stay away from the usual peanut butter sandwiches, bring some hot dogs and hamburgers instead and grab a grill up on the pavilion.

Kathleen Casey is the Web Managing Editor of North Shore Art*Throb

Shawn Fitzgerald grew up on Cape Cod but has called the Boston and North Shore areas his home for the better part of his life. Shawn has written theater reviews and interviews for The Cape Cod Times and has written film reviews and feature articles for TheHDRoom.com since 2005. Recently, Shawn studied photography and graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications. He has photographed events for WGBH television and Christianity Today magazine. His favorite films are Schindler’s List, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws and Almost Famous. His favorite bands/musicians include The Beatles, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Shawn currently resides in Melrose but is planning on calling Salem his home in the near future.

“Our Working Waterfront” is a rich cross-section of artistic styles and forms, presented largely by locals, which beautifully depicts the deep influence that the city’s shoreline has on its residents. The pieces on display range from photography and sculpture to watercolor and woodcut. While the tone in each work varies, the gallery as a whole resonates with the tireless history that has made Gloucester what it is today. This becomes clear due to the combination of themes which the selected pieces address. Guests viewing the noisy, action-filled images of workers, their hats pulled low with rolled-up sleeves provided by Gloucester-based Paul Ciaramitaro will be taken aback by the timeless docks they seem to illustrate. However, the poignancy of these scenes is made stronger when they’re compared with the neighboring works, like the real-world, modern day depiction of the Gloucester fishing industry complete with rust, grime, struggle, and triumph which came from local artist Jeff Weaver.

The exhibition guides its visitors through time better than most I have ever seen, a trait made all the more interesting by the stable place which each piece unveils. Gloucester itself is the star of this exhibition and whether it’s shown in a mythical, flowing and ageless way as in Ciaramitaro’s paintings and Jay McLauclan’s sculptures, or in a state of slow, quiet hibernation marked by memory of vitality as in the photographs of Paul Cary Goldberg and the sweeping cityscapes of Don Gorvett what “Our Working Waterfront” constantly provides is an image of the city as it was and as it still definitely is.

I overheard a great deal of conversation about the artwork, much of it coming from people I expect to be Gloucester natives. But one bit of talk struck me as odd amongst all the others. It came when a patron of the Flatrocks sighed to her friends that the paintings showed an “ending world.” I didn’t say anything to the comment but as I was leaving the city and I saw the sun setting over the ocean, just as it had in several of the pieces I had just explored, I didn’t see any sign that the spirit of Gloucester which “Our Working Waterfront” so expertly defines was ending in the slightest.

“Our Working Waterfront” will be on display at the Flatrocks Gallery at 77 Langsford Street, Gloucester MA through July 7^th.

Dave Kostos is a Salem based writer and poet. His work can be found in Crack the Spine and North Shore Art*Throb magazines as well as a thousand old notebooks.

Peter Anastas - Photo Courtesy of Mike Dean/Gloucester Daily Times

Peter Anastas is the conjurer of the evening, reading from his new collection of editorials, A Walker in the City: Elegy for Gloucester. This elegy does, indeed, mourn a lost age, but it also reawakens the spirit of the past, or the imagined past, that each listener so proudly and intensely possesses. As I watch Anastas, the poised storyteller with a voice and gesture that bespeak the familiarity of his audience, I also can’t help but survey the audience itself, all feeders, made strong with memory. They wade through his words, waiting for resonance, and when they find it, they rise in their chairs, they laugh, they eye each other, probing for shared satisfaction. Is this our Gloucester? It is our Gloucester! Isn’t it?

Having written of the city over decades of change (the articles were published in Gloucester Daily Times and North Shore North from 1978 to 1990, and range back in subject to life in the 1950s), Anastas’ Gloucester is consistently colorful, lively, and fragrant. His childhood memories, which are the focus of many articles, confirm the popular imagination of post-WWII America, a place of storybook color and definition:

The noise of carnivals, wafted across to us from Stage Fort Park on the freshening night breezes—those snatches of merry-go-round music, the sharp voices of the barkers urging you to bet on the wheel or take a shot at a doll for your girl…” Anastas indulges the fondest visions of the past, a time of cohesion, community, and innocence.

But even these brightest glimpses live in the shadow of Anastas’ most prevalent theme: loss. After descriptive reveries about working
with Papouli (Greek for grandfather) at his shoe repair shop, Anastas dials us back to current realities in jarring fashion: “Then Papouli retired and after that he walked with a cane and there were to be no more Saturdays at the shop, which remained empty before they tore it down.” At times, Anastas steps out of his largely narrative role to elucidate on the bigger picture of loss. One of his most eloquent reflections on the subject can be found in “Mourning Long Ago Landscapes”: “Robbed of things we remembered, we are also robbed of our histories; and we are, therefore, faced with a double mourning, as painful to undertake as it is puzzling to comprehend.”

Gloucester readers feel this “double mourning,” often relating it to the recent urban development that has reshaped the city and threatened a long-standing way of life. Anastas has also been a voice for this anger. A Walker in the City is divided into four sections, three of them largely picturesque and elegiac, one of them titled “Facing the Issues,” in which Anastas took on local government when education, environment, and local culture were threatened by outside forces and budget limitations. In these sections, the emphasis is always the same: preserve what has worked well, be careful moving forward, honor the city that we love. Despite his strong affinity for the past, Anastas pursues a “functional nostalgia rather than a regressive one.” In “Facing the Issues,” we see an active, present member of a community always in transition (but even his social action editorials are permeated by the romance of Gloucester past).

A Walker in the City reminds us how much we hunger for the articulation of our environment. Language shapes a city just as much as the landscape or architecture, and we want that spoken shape to be true, epic, and unique. What a tall and often contradictory order for the local writer. Give us a legacy! Make it great! Make it real! But Anastas is glad for such a demanding audience. This work has flowed from him without coercion or resentment. Perhaps this is because the demand from within Anastas is equally, if not more fiercely, demanding as that of the readership. His words are the only consolation, the only treasure store that remains after the wreckage of time has taken its irrevocable toll.

Brian James is an English teacher, a songwriter, and a church musician at HRNS. He grew up in Salem, lives in Salem, and writes about Salem, which is the setting of his novel-in-progress. Brian also collaborates with musician Jon Green, writing some lyrics and music. He is pursuing graduate studies at Salem State University.

When you are done swimming, digging your toes in the sand, or reading a book on the lawn you can head over to Salem Willows.  If your in the mood, take a walk over to the arcade and play some vintage pinball.  If your hungry, why not try ”the best popcorn in New England” or, if you have a sweet tooth, grab some saltwater taffy. But what is a day at the beach without ice cream? Salem Willows is the home of America’s first ice cream cone, so take a bite out of Salem’s sweet history! Photography by Shawn Fitzgerald.

Kathleen Casey is the Web Managing Editor of North Shore Art*Throb

Shawn Fitzgerald grew up on Cape Cod but has called the Boston and North Shore areas his home for the better part of his life. Shawn has written theater reviews and interviews for The Cape Cod Times and has written film reviews and feature articles for TheHDRoom.com since 2005. Recently, Shawn studied photography and graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications. He has photographed events for WGBH television and Christianity Today magazine. His favorite films are Schindler’s List, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws and Almost Famous. His favorite bands/musicians include The Beatles, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Shawn currently resides in Melrose but is planning on calling Salem his home in the near future.

(From Left to Right) Andrew Houle, John Cardinal (A.K.A. MONSTA), and Michael Crockett

Unlike many magazines that are graced with features on the cover to give the reader a hint as to what they want you to read, Chroma’s cover simply says Chroma. No flashy lead article, no hint as to what is inside, just the name. On the back, there are twelve untitled images representing each separate artist that is inside without any sort of name or hint as to what they’ve done or who they are. The mystery adds a dimension to this that, over time, the name Chroma will become synonymous with the prospect of viewing twelve new artists in an unfiltered and equally-spaced environment. You’ll know what you’re going to get even if you can’t see it.

The creative minds behind Tryptic Press and Chroma magazine are a soft-spoken trio that beautifully described their roles in a simple, yet eloquent sentence: “Andrew puts it together, Michael makes it pretty, and John brings it to life.” Despite the modest profile, the significance of these gentlemen extends outward from Chroma and trickles into various artistic facets across the North Shore area.

Michael Crockett, Andrew Houle, and John Cardinal (A.K.A. MONSTA) have been friends for quite some time, and all went to Montserrat College of Art in Beverly at different times. Despite the gap in time, all three of them faced similar problems in the local art scene. “I’ve grown up in Massachusetts and if there’s one thing I’ve noticed over the years is the huge focus on oceanic paintings” says Michael. “Everywhere you go, you see lighthouse paintings, the shore, clipper ships, its pretty cliché.” Though common and almost stereotypical, it proved to be problematic, particularly for budding artists. “That’s all people who visit this area see and, sadly, it’s what they expect when they think of the shore” continues Michael. “No disrespect to the lighthouses, but there’s a huge art scene that does an even better job representing the North Shore art scene that deserves the limelight as well.”

The 12 Artists Featured in Chroma

John, Michael, and Andrew all found solace in reading art books which served as constant reminders that there was a vast diversity in the art world no matter how many lighthouse paintings there were. All three men longed to be featured in one of these publications, but there was a slight problem. “For one thing, some of the more popular ones were owned by big publishing houses” said Andrew, “and no matter how you slice it, they’re just so selective and are trying to make a buck in the end.” After a few years, a solution was clear; they should do it themselves. “We talked about it for a while, and really wanted to do it, but we didn’t have the means for a while” said Michael, “however, thanks to John’s experience in the publishing world, it turned out to be a lot easier and, before we knew it, the idea was off the ground.”

Beverly Comic-Con (Photo: Michael Crockett)

The idea was to make an art magazine that not only featured the North Shore exclusively, but also objectively. As Michael put it, “the first two questions we ask really sum up the magazine as a whole: Where are you from, and did that place influence your artwork?” The answers they collected formed the groundwork for Chroma, which features artists in varying mediums as well as popularity. There’s pop art, sculpture work, digital art, and many more things that are sure to please anyone’s artistic pallet, and this adds to Chroma’s brilliance. “We didn’t want one thing to outweigh the other, and we wanted to ultimately show how diverse the North Shore art scene is” said Andrew, “and, honestly, I think we succeeded.” Even though the flagship issue features artwork from the three creators, they want future issues to be comprised of new blood, and they all agree that providing the platform and the presentation for these artists is as fulfilling as creating artwork itself. “This magazine is something we wanted to be in when we were in school,” said Michael, “and the fact that we can do this for the North Shore is a gift for us as much as it is to the people around here.”

After much preparation and creation, it was time for Michael, Andrew, and MONSTA to present the first issue of Chroma at the premier comic-book event in Massachusetts: Boston Comic-Con. However, tragedy struck at the Boston Marathon, which caused the event to be postponed with little-to-no notice. “At first we were a bit bummed, but we completely understood” said Michael, “but after a little while, we thought about it and really wanted to do something about this.” Many of those who booked time to come to Boston for the event were stuck with nothing to do, and the members of Tryptic Press were three of them. They didn’t want the fear of terrorists to hold them back, and wanted to do something to really focus on the resilient nature behind the strength of Boston.

So, with very short notice, the three men, in collaboration with Porter Mills in Beverly, set up Beverly Comic-Con on the same weekend as the Boston Con’s original date. They spread the word via social media and through other comic stores, and didn’t know what to expect. However, as the event started, it was clear that they started something quite remarkable. “The event was overwhelming right from the get-go, and continued throughout the day” said Michael.

The Crowd At Beverly Comic-Con (Photo: Michael K. Photography)

Hundreds of people passed through Beverly adorned in costumes, and the Porter Mill gallery in Beverly had the biggest crowd they’ve ever seen. It was a wild success not only for the men geared to show off their work, but also to the comic book faithful who were happy to show their resilience by showing up and enjoying the event. “We wouldn’t mind doing something like that again,” said Andrew, “it was great for us and comic-book enthusiasts. However, if nothing else, this made us even more excited for the Boston Con this August!”

Michael, Andrew, and MONSTA are already busy working on the second issue of Chroma, and have a lot of work to do before they can get that one off the ground. “The response to issue one, so far, has been overwhelming” says Michael, “and so-far we have about 50 plus artists asking to be featured in future issues.” This is more than welcome for the trio as, if nothing else, it reassures them that there isn’t just a market for more personal artwork that reflects the North Shore  as a whole, but also a myriad of artists eager to show their work in a remarkable publication that, in due time, will become a household artistic name and idea in the North Shore.

For more information on Chroma and Tryptic Press, check out their website here and their Facebook page here.

Chris Ricci is the Editorial Assistant at North Shore Art*Throb.

One of our readers wrote to us about Buttermilk Baking Company, saying we had to get ourselves to Newburyport to try their pastries (thanks, Laura!). We went a little crazy in the shop and ended up with two tarts, two hand pies, and a mini-cake. We are extremely picky about baked goods and find most look better than they taste. That’s definitely not the case here.

The lemon-curd cake was not only adorable, it was also moist and flavorful ($9.25). The buttercream icing was unbelievably light, tempting us to eat more cake than we really should have. We’re told that the raspberry preserves between each layer are made in the shop to be less sweet than commercial brands.

Both of the hand pies featured toothsome, flaky pastry ($4.65). Although the blueberry was delicious, the sour cherry filling was outstanding and a clear favorite with our tasters. The high-quality ingredients being used make these relatively simple pastries really shine.

Everyone in the group enjoyed the key lime tart, which had a creamy filling and a generous amount of buttery graham crust. But the chocolate caramel tart was the hit of the dessert round-up. Salty caramel and the best chocolate ganache we’ve ever tried are offset by a sugar-cookie crust for an incredible combination ($5.65 for individual sized tarts).

We’ll be back to try the muffins and cookies as soon as we work off some of the last indulgence. In the meantime, if you’re in the area, stop by Buttermilk and let us know what delectables you’ve discovered.

Buttermilk Baking Company
3 Liberty St, Newburyport
(978) 499-8278
www.buttermilkbaking.com

*Feature Image Courtesy of Dillion Photography and Design

Kristen Nyberg and Jill Rose are the creators of North Shore Dish. At North Shore Dish, they post about all their experiences; the good, the bad, and the who-knew. Whether it’s gourmet dining or a hole-in-the-wall, if they’ve tasted it, they’ll dish up the inside scoop.

Shelscapes, located in the downstairs space of the Grace Ministries church in Saugus, offers classes in decoupage, collage art, expressive painting, glass painting, and book making. Michelle Lewis, after graduating from Endicott college with a Master’s Degree of Education in Arts and Learning opened Shelscapes. Being a student for most her life, teaching art classes was the perfect fit to give back to her community. She remarks that “I love to teach because I in turn love to learn.” She sees the artistic process similar to pruning a plant and believes to grow artistically, one “must be willing to trim back the things that limit growth.” She is often reminded of Van Gogh’s words: “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

Her vision is to share this process on a greater scale, within her community with her project titled “Paint For Peace”. She is looking for participants to paint for peace, not the kind of peace that brings an end to war, disasters, and famines but an inner peace.

Every event and class that she hosts, included in the cost is the handing out of a canvas panel. On the back of each canvas will be a photo of a dove carrying an olive branch. When you have completed your painting, on your own time, Shelscapes will inform you of a drop off date and location for the panels to be collected. These pieces will be fit together within the silhouette of a dove to be displayed in the town of Saugus as a large community mural.

Michelle proposes to bring together a community through the hope of the many, using art as an outlet. Will you join her?

Paint for Peace comes to The Walnut Street Cafe on Tuesday, June 4th. Tickets are available for purchase online at EventBrite.

Kathleen Casey is the Web Managing Editor of North Shore Art Throb

Kathleen Casey is the Web Managing Editor of North Shore Art*Throb

Shawn Fitzgerald grew up on Cape Cod but has called the Boston and North Shore areas his home for the better part of his life. Shawn has written theater reviews and interviews for The Cape Cod Times and has written film reviews and feature articles for TheHDRoom.com since 2005. Recently, Shawn studied photography and graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications. He has photographed events for WGBH television and Christianity Today magazine. His favorite films are Schindler’s List, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws and Almost Famous. His favorite bands/musicians include The Beatles, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Shawn currently resides in Melrose but is planning on calling Salem his home in the near future.

That metamorphosis was on display Saturday night as PEM’s atrium filled with musicians and supporters for the first of several programs created by composer-in-residence Matthew Aucoin and supported in part by a new fund for innovation.

Courtesy of Social Palates

Aucoin is a kid. Twenty some odd years old, he graduated from Harvard last year and then went right on to become the youngest Assistant Director in the history of New York’s Metropolitan Opera.  In addition to his PEM appointment, the American Repertory Theatre has commissioned his third opera.  I guess he’s not a kid anymore.  Maybe a genius?

Saturday’s program followed a melodic line from Johann Rudolph Ahle’s Es ist genug (i.g “It is enough!”), through a Bach cantata, an early twentieth century concerto, and culminated in Aucoin’s original composition,This Same Light.  Interspersed with poetry, the Program Note suggested that the program itself was a composition, “bringing performers and listeners together in an active aesthetic communion.”

Those dozens of performers, Aucoin pulled together for this Encounters ensemble were pretty remarkable in themselves.  For one, they’re mostly kids like Aucoin and represent an astonishing diversity of hairstyles: the organist had a mohawk and platform boots, a cellist wore dreadlocks, a female violinist was bald.  Also like Aucoin, they’re extraordinarily  talented.

The performance was staged in the round, and by that you should understand it to mean all-around.  Fanning out from the center of the atrium, musicians filled the aisles and walked about the balconies, creating an immersive, sometimes disorienting, but always electrifying experience.

Seated on an aisle, I found my personal space in conflict with a string bassist’s range of bowing motion.  Not since I sat in the pit myself have I felt such a communion in music making.

Also, not since I was a performer have I felt that intimacy that exists between director and musician.  As Aucoin’s expressive fingers shaped each note of each phrase, I found myself syncing my breathing and waiting for my cue, which alas never came.

Courtesy of Social Palates

There’s no doubt of the beauty and genius of the line Aucoin brought forth from his ensemble. Nevertheless, I struggled to understand the intellectual line that formed the backbone of this program.  Apparently, it doesn’t stray outside the Western Canon?

Bach and Ahle were paired with the poetry of Donne and Herbert.  Alban Berg and Samuel Beckett shared a set.  Aucoin and Wallace Stevens wrapped things up.  In content, it seemed to resemble more a college survey course than the boundary-breaking efforts that have been at the heart of PEM’s cross-cultural mission.

In September, we’ll have another chance to be in Aucoin’s presence and listen to his creations.  He’ll be a little older then, a few months for a young genius can be transformative,  and I can’t wait for that expanding experience.