The Rockport Division of the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will hold the 32nd annual Rockport Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 30 at 2 PM. The event is for the children of the town – preschoolers through grade one – and will take place at Millbrook Meadow, Beach Street, Rockport.
Pre-schoolers will be grouped in one section and kindergarteners and first graders in another. In addition to assorted candies, chocolates, and small prizes, the hunt will feature four golden eggs to be redeemed for larger prizes. The Easter Bunny is also expected to make an appearance. Children should bring a basket and arrive early – the hunt will begin promptly at 2.
This year’s event is being organized by the Chamber’s Rockport Division with key support from Institution for Savings and donations from Rockport Inn & Suites and The Seafarer Inn.
Stop by Burnham’s Field Community Garden (on the side closest to the basketball courts) for our second free vegetable seed giveaway of the year. We’ll have plenty of seeds available for people to sow directly into their gardens this spring, including peas, lettuces, spinach, beans, beets, radishes, and more. All are welcome.
Plus, meet Susan Wood, Backyard Growers’ new Community Programs Manager, who will be getting her hands dirty in community gardens, backyards, and container gardens all over Gloucester this growing season.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14 from 5:30—7:00 PM at Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street
In honor of Women’s History Month, this Thursday, March 14 at 5:30 pm the Sawyer Free Librarywill present a film screening of Madan Sara, a film by Etant Dupain, followed by a virtual conversation with Dupain.
The film is in Haitian Creole with English subtitles. The women known as Madan Sara are battling for a more robust and inclusive economy in Haiti. This film tells the story of these women who work at the margins to make Haiti’s economy run. Despite facing hardship and social stigma, their work puts their children through school, houses their families, and helps ensure a better life. This film amplifies the Madan Sara as they share their dreams for a more just Haiti.
From left: Appraisers Colleene Fesko, Bryan McMullin, and James Callahan.
Tickets are available NOW for a special event this April at Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door!
Second Glance is holding a “What’s it Worth” night this April featuring acclaimed appraisers who will assess the value of items brought in by attendees.
WHEN: Thursday, April 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: SG Home at Second Glance, 2 Pond Road, Gloucester MA 01930
Each ticket holder may bring one item to be appraised. Second Glance will also be open for shopping during the event.
WHAT: Anyone curious to learn the value of an antique or vintage good can purchase a ticket to Second Glance’s What’s it Worth night. Proceeds will support hunger-relief programs of The Open Door.
Appraisers for the event will include:
James Callahan, Asian Art and General Antique Appraiser of Antiques Roadshow
Colleene Fesko, Art (Painting, Watercolor, Sculpture, and Print) Appraiser of Antiques Roadshow
Bryan McMullin, local Gemologist & Jewelry Appraiser
“This is a rare opportunity for antiques lovers and novices alike to come together, bring in their special items, and revel in the historic and cultural stories of their objects,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “It’s a collision of history and art, all in the name of raising funds to connect local people to good food. We’re so very thankful to our appraisers for donating their time for this special event!”
“Gloucester never disappoints — and has always been full of interesting people, places and things,” Fesko said. “My colleagues and I are so happy to be supporting the mission of The Open Door and their hunger-relief programs. You never know what you’ll see (or hear!) at an appraisal event, and I encourage the community and beyond to support this event.”
“Second Glance has created such a unique opportunity with this event to revel in the unique histories of local antiques all while raising funds for The Open Door. It’s a community-centric event, and we’re looking forward to seeing what folks bring in for appraisal!” Callahan said.
Light refreshments will also be available, and the main store at Second Glance will also be open for shopping for ticket-holders only during the event.
Join us this April as we will present “Gertrude Cawein at Hammond Castle Museum,” a new exhibit of nearly 60 works of art by Eric Pape, (1870 – 1938) the distinguished artist and former Cape Ann resident. This exhibit offers a unique insight into the multifaceted talents of Pape. Renowned as a painter, designer of the iconic “Tablet Rock Memorial” in Stage Fort Park, and a society portraitist, Pape’s brilliance shines through various mediums, including pencil, pen, watercolors, and oils. At the heart of this celebration is the full-length portrait of Gertrude Cawein, painted by Pape and loaned from the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, KY. For the first time outside the Filson, visitors can witness this rare example of Pape’s work as a society portraitist.
The connection between the Cawein family, Eric Pape, and Gloucester runs deep. Poet Madison Cawein, known as the Keats of Kentucky and Gertrude’s husband, wrote a poignant Ode to the founding of Gloucester for the 1907 Gloucester Day celebrations, during which time Pape presented his iconic Tablet Rock Memorial. The exhibition will also feature an elaborate pen and ink drawing by Pape, representing Madison’s moving elegy upon the death of Pape’s first wife, Alice Monroe Pape, in 1911.
The next event in the 2023-24 Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation Series is the annual Bach Birthday Concert on Thursday, March 21st at 7:30pm.
It will feature the The Bach Project at Ashmont Hill Chamber Music, under the direction of Andrew Sheranian, performing the Brandenburg Concerto #5, the great Prelude & Fugue in B-minor for organ solo, and the delightfully humorous Coffee Cantata.
March 21st is the actual birthday in 1685 of Johann Sebastian Bach, generally regarded the greatest composer of all time. The pieces being performed represent the pinnacle of Bach’s achievement in secular music of three genres: a dramatic concerto for strings with harpsichord solo; a monumental piece for the pipe organ; and a comical operetta. This piece depicts the story of a stern father concerned about his daughter’s addiction to coffee, a new sensation in Leipzig at the time, his forbidding her marriage unless she stops, and her strategy to get his permission.
The historic 1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, is located on the green at 50 Middle Street where event parking is available. A side entrance at 10 Church Street offers a lift for persons with disabilities. For those unable to attend in person the concert will be simulcast and available afterwards on the GMF YouTube channel.
The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to host local author Aime Alley Card on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. She will be discussing her book The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State. Joining her in the conversation will be fellow author, Jean Duffy, author of Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World.
The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State chronicles the 1960 Tennessee State University all-Black women’s track team, which found Olympic glory at the 1960 games in Rome. It is an epic story of desire, success, and failure—of beating the odds—against the backdrop of a changing America.
Published this month to coincide with Women’s History Month in March, the author, who lives in Wenham, will speak as part of the Sawyer Free Library’s author event series from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at the library, 21 Main Street (upstairs) in Gloucester. There will be books available for to sign. No registration required.
Tigerbelles is a multi-layered inspirational tale of triumph over adversity. The elite group of talent includes Wilma Rudolph, Barbara Jones, Lucinda Williams, Martha Hudson, Willye B. White, and Shirley Crowder. These are women who once were and should still be known worldwide. Ultimately, the team’s drive is for more than medals. Their coach, Edward Temple, and the Tigerbelles offer a challenge to the world’s perception of what a group of young Black women in the Jim Crow South are capable of.
For the past several years, Aime Alley Card has been researching, interviewing, and writing about the Tennessee State Tigerbelles and those who supported them along their path. She conducted and reviewed hundreds of hours of interviews and read just as many books and articles, ranging from concurrent to retrospective. She is a nonfiction editor for Pangyrus literary magazine and a board member for the Women’s National Book Association, Boston Chapter, and serves on her town’s cultural council supporting educational programs.
Please join us for this special event. For more information visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
Curious about Gloucester Biotechnology Academy? Stop by Wednesday, February 28th from 3p to 5p and learn more about this innovative, hands-on program!
Tour our state-of-the-art laboratories, speak with Academy instructors, learn about the 2-semester curriculum, and hear about the application process. Interested community members, prospective students, and curious family members…all are welcome!
Where: 55 Blackburn Center, Gloucester When: 2/28 from 3p to 5p
The Academy is a 10-month certificate program that trains high school graduates for careers in biotech and the life sciences. And even better…applications are currently being accepted for the Class of 2025!
As part of a 2024 nationwide promotion, the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has joined the ranks of over 200 communities representing Chambers in 43 of 50 states to use the “extra” day of Leap Year to do something kind for someone else.
Originally conceived by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, the first Leap of Kindness Day saw hundreds of local organizations helping thousands of local people on February 29, 2016. Four years later in 2020, Leap of Kindness Day was even bigger and better as chambers throughout the US, Canada, and Ireland joined in for the spread of a lot of kindness.
For our part of #LeapofKindnessDay this year, the Chamber is promoting non-monetary donation requests from our non-profit members. As of this posting, 19 non-profit members have sent in their requests, which are posted on the Chamber website at https://bit.ly/LeapofKindnessDay. Requests were also sent out individually on our Facebook and Instagram feeds over the past few weeks.
If you have a minute, please check out the list of requests, which are summarized below. They range from small item donations to volunteer time to more substantial needs (but it never hurts to ask!). Full request details and contact information for each non-profit participating are available at https://bit.ly/LeapofKindnessDay. If you are able to help fulfill one request, remember to let us know
Leap of Kindness Day Donation Requests from Member Non-Profits
Action Inc.: Personal care items/toiletries for guests at their Emergency Shelter.
Backyard Growers: Gift cards to Timberline Enterprises to buy lumber.
Cape Ann Community 