I was vacationing in Burlington, Vermont, when the Peabody Essex Museum formally opened their new wing. Always game for an opening, I flew across three states just as fall color was starting to ripen. I traveled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation since I was wondering if this mania for expansion, which has taken so many museums by storm, had also bewitched one of my favorite museums — already, in my opinion, in full flight without needing an extra wing. I needn’t have feared. As if a portent of good fortune, I arrived thinking that the opening was over, when to my g reat joy I found that the food hadn’t even been served y et. A s I w as tired and hungry, the rest of the evening sort of disappeared into a frenzy of dipping, sipping, chewing and mumbling as I took a first look of the new facilities. Fortunately, I had made a reservation at the Clipper Ship Inn — one of … [Read more...] about SHIPPING NEWS: PEM EXPANSION MODERNIZES MARITIME AGE
autumn
A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut
As I drove into Putnam, Connecticut in my 1972 Volkswagen Bus, brisk air drifted through my window and crimson gold leaves crunched under the tires. A scenic drive through winding farm roads led me here and Cargill Falls with its cascading river water welcomed me into town. About an hour drive from Boston, shop windows along Main Street were decorated with stacked pumpkins and copper objects and gears in celebration of Putnam’s October 4 Steampunk Festival. Galleries, antique shops and street art give this town an artsy, yet vintage flair, and autumn is the perfect time to explore it. To begin the journey with a coffee, espresso, latte or hot cider from Woodstock Orchards, head to Victoria Station Café located at 91 Main Street. Its draped curtains and spiral staircase give a classic feel to this family-owned establishment and the full skeleton at the bar adds Halloween eeriness. In … [Read more...] about A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut
PAMELA TARBELL: PAINTINGS NOW AND THEN AND “CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL AT THE NESTO GALLERY AT MILTON ACADEMY
An art exhibit opening! What a fun way to cheer up a rainy fall afternoon. The Nesto Gallery at Milton Academy lures its student audience with generous cheese and crackers and the kids are thrilled to meet artists like Pamela R. Tarbell. A retired gallery owner, she is dressed in an exuberant jacket that matches her equally exuberant paintings. An outdoor sculpture exhibit, “All Creatures Great and Small,” adds to the fun and the sculptors are willing to go out in the rain to have their photos taken with some students. Tarbell’s brightly colored paintings fill the small gallery with floral imagery, and memories of pleasant times on beaches and in gardens. “Fernland #1” is a fine example. Closely observed ferns of different species are enlarged and dance across the canvas. Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Flowers” would be the ideal background music. On the left side of the large two-part … [Read more...] about PAMELA TARBELL: PAINTINGS NOW AND THEN AND “CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL AT THE NESTO GALLERY AT MILTON ACADEMY
Provincetown in Autumn
A Cornucopia of Art by Laura Shabott The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is at the very tip of Massachusetts (next stop: Azores) with a cultural impact that is extraordinary. In its 102nd year, the vitality of the museum and school can be measured by the 250 volunteers who support a highly effective staff stewarded by director Chris McCarthy. Under her direction, PAAM is much larger than its physical size and location, reaching around the globe with its membership and quality of shows. September and October are lovely months in Provincetown, with the changing of the light that has inspired artists for over a century. It’s the perfect time to attend the upcoming shows and events... To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Click here to find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here. … [Read more...] about Provincetown in Autumn