Creative Makers Series in January at Sawyer Free

~ Sawyer Free Library

Looking for a mid-week creative spark? Join us at the Sawyer Free Library this January for Studio SFL, a visual arts series presented in collaboration with the Gloucester Center for the Arts. This partnership brings together local artistic expertise and our beautiful new library space to help you explore your creative side. Guided by professional artists, you’ll dive into a different medium each week. 

January Schedule:

Blockprinting: January 7, we’ll be exploring the basics of blockprinting using materials you can find in your own kitchen: styrofoam! Design your own basic image, “carve” it into styrofoam, and make your very own print in this two-hour workshop. Register here: sawyerfreelibrary.org

Found object collages: January 15, play with found objects to design new, original collages. Bring items with you that you want to include –magazines, small tchotchkes, fabric scraps, and other small mostly flat items– or dig through the materials provided.  Register here: sawyerfreelibrary.org

Quilting: January 21, dive into the world of fabric by making your own experimental quilt squares. Using hand-sewing and found fabric, each participant will be invited to lay out and sew their own individual squares. Try your hand at a more traditional geometric pattern or go free-form with abstract shapes and lines.  Register here: sawyerfreelibrary.org

Stained Glass: January 28, create an original faux stained glass artwork using plexiglass. Design your work by drawing on paper and then bring it to life with transparent paints and markers. Hold it up to the sun to see the light shine through your new masterpiece. Register here: sawyerfreelibrary.org

Gloucester Center for the Arts (GloArts) is a new vision for a multidisciplinary arts center based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Our mission is to celebrate and strengthen the creative community of Gloucester by supporting professional artists, providing multidisciplinary arts education and programs, and investing in affordable creative spaces. Learn more at http://www.gloarts.org.

For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Matz Gallery at Sawyer Free Library Winter Exhibition: Just Add Color

~ Sawyer Free Library

A Community Exhibition of 30 Local Artists

Kick off 2026 with a vibrant celebration of creativity at the Sawyer Free Library. 

The Library’s Matz Gallery‘s Winter Exhibition Just Add Color brings brilliant hues and fresh energy to the gray winter months with an inspiring exhibition of original artwork by 30 talented local artists.

On view from January 4 through February 27, 2026, this joyful winter exhibition features nearly 50 unique works of art, all available for purchase. A portion of every sale directly supports education programs at the Sawyer Free Library, making this show a celebration of both art and community.

All are welcome at the Artist Reception on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Meet the artists behind the work, explore the exhibition, and enjoy a vibrant evening of creativity and conversation.

Curated by Pat Alto and Jan Charles, Just Add Color participating artists include:

Pat Alto, Jackie Bennett, Coco Berkman, Linda Lea Bertrand, Ted Bidwell, Charles Browne, Beth Buckingham, Michele Champion, Janice Carragher Charles, Traci Thayne Corbett, Elli Crocker, Denise Delaney, Robert Dwelley, Barbe Ennis, Laurie Flemming, Maya Kline, Mary Lee, Bonita LeFlore, Kelle Louaillier, Lynn Maguire, Allison Moir-Smith, Claudia Morris, Jennifer Pinck, Holly Popeo, Jan Roy, Jim Seavey, Mike Shea, James Sheradin, Mike Storella, Rosemary Sullivan

For additional information, please contact matzgallery@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

“Just Add Color” brings bold expression, creative joy, and a much-needed splash of brightness to the heart of winter.

Author Talk with Peter Swanson at the Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Please join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday evening, January 8, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm for a conversation with Peter Swanson, acclaimed local author of Kill Your Darlings, The Kind Worth Killing, Eight Perfect Murders, and more. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity for book signings. Copies of Peter’s books will be available for purchase at the event courtesy of The Bookstore of Gloucester.

The event will take place in the Sawyer Free Library’s Community Room, located on the ground floor at 2 Dale Avenue. To register visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Peter Swanson is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award and a finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and Her Every Fear, an NPR Book of the Year. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine.

In his latest novel, The Kind Worth Saving, Swanson revisits characters from The Kind Worth Killing, as a private investigator follows a possibly adulterous husband—only to discover that the twisted trail leads back to the woman who hired him.

A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Emerson College, Swanson lives in Gloucester with his wife.

Only One More Opportunity to Visit the Hammond Castle Museum for FREE This Season!

~ Hammond Castle Museum

Tuesday, December 30th is the last of our Gloucester Gratis Days this season, offering the chance for all our Gloucester neighbors to visit the Hammond Castle Museum for FREE, with your proof of residency!

You may have visited the Hammond Castle Museum in the past, but you haven’t seen it like this! Join us as we present our annual, museum-wide holiday installation: Deck the Halls. This season is more festive and lush than before as we partnered with local interior designer, Elaine Quinn.

Learn more about Gloucester Gratis Days here and then reserve your complimentary admission at: https://bit.ly/DTHGratisDays.

Family Bingo at the Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Family Bingo
Tuesday, December 30 | 3:30–4:30 PM
Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester

Bring the whole family to the Library for an afternoon of bingo, laughter, and prizes!

Whether you’re a seasoned bingo pro or trying it for the first time, you’re invited to join the Sawyer Free Library for friendly competition, fun bingo calls, and the chance to win some great prizes. It’s a perfect way to spend time together during the holiday break.

  • Families with children of all ages are welcome
  • This program is best enjoyed by children 5 and up
  • All children must be accompanied by a caregiver

Space is limited — please register to save your spot at SawyerFreeLibrary.org.

Questions? Email tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Traveling Mystery Room at Sawyer Free Library!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Traveling Mystery Room with Big Ryan
Saturday, December 27 | 1:00–2:30 PM
Children’s Program Room | Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester

The Sawyer Free Library is calling all young detectives and adventure-seekers! Kids ages 7–16 are invited to join Big Ryan for an exciting Traveling Mystery Room experience — an interactive adventure filled with teamwork, creativity, and fast-paced problem-solving.

The challenge:
You’ve been abducted by aliens along with a group of your peers. Your only hope of escape is to work together, follow the clues, and complete each step needed to charge the escape pod. But act quickly — you have just one hour before the aliens discover you’ve broken free!

Important details:

  • Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org, and space is limited — please register each child individually.
  • Designed for kids ages 7–16.
  • Parents of children ages 7–9 are strongly encouraged to stay and lend a hand with the mystery.

Questions? Email tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure!

GPS Alumni Shining Bright, in Support of GEF!

~ gloucestereducationfoundation

Check out this compilation of video messages from GPS alumni, created by Marty Del Vecchio for the Gloucester Education Foundation’s recent 20th Anniversary Gala.

Please consider a donation to GEF’s year-end appeal before 12/31 to help support thousands of more kids like Rebecca, Trinity, Olivia, AJ, Thea and Nate. The programs that sparked their love for music, engineering, science, dance, theater and community – and led them to labs at Harvard and Northeastern; stages at Emerson, Suffolk, and Berklee; and tall ships sailing to St.Croix! – were make possible by the generosity of the Gloucester community. Over 20 years, YOU have helped raise over $11M for GEF! Thank you!

Our Library. Our Community. Our Future Together.

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library: A Community Reimagined

The doors to the newly reimagined Sawyer Free Library are open, and the excitement across Gloucester is undeniable. This extraordinary community space is far more than a beautiful building — it is a reflection of who we are: rooted in tradition, fueled by creativity, and committed to an inclusive and vibrant future.

Inside, visitors will find welcoming areas for children, teens, and adults; expanded digital resources; and a sustainable, accessible design that ensures everyone in our community has a place to learn, gather, and grow. The Library has once again become our civic anchor — a place where curiosity is sparked, connections are made, and democracy is strengthened.

But while the ribbon has been cut, our work is not done.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have reached 65% of our $28 million goal. To fully realize this once-in-a-century project, we must raise the final $8 million. One hundred percent of this year’s Annual Appeal supports the Sawyer Free 2025 Capital Campaign, helping us finish what we started and ensuring this remarkable community investment endures for generations.

This is Gloucester’s library. It belongs to all of us.

As we approach the end of the year, we hope the greater Cape Ann community will thoughtfully consider supporting the Annual Appeal. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit www.sawyerfreelibrary.org or mail a contribution to:

Sawyer Free Library, Annual Appeal, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930

Thank you for your generosity — and for believing in the power of libraries.

Author Talk: Robert Booth on Genesis of Gloucester Harbor: 1690-1715

~ Sawyer Free Library

Genesis of Gloucester Harbor: 1690–1715
Saturday, December 20 | 2:00–3:00 PM
Community Room | Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester

Before Gloucester rose to fame as a world-renowned fishing port in the 1800s, the Inner Harbor was already a bustling center of overseas trade. But this transformation didn’t happen overnight. In the 1600s, Riverdale and Annisquam were the centers of activity, while the Harbor remained a quiet, lightly settled corner of town. So how — and why — did the Harbor evolve into Gloucester’s commercial heart?

Join the Sawyer Free Library for an illustrated talk with author and historian Robert Booth, who will explore the people, businesses, and turning points that sparked the Harbor’s development between 1690 and 1715. Booth will also discuss the methods and historical clues that help us understand this pivotal era.

This presentation draws from research for Booth’s upcoming book. A respected local historian educated at Harvard and Boston University, Booth is curator emeritus of the Pickering House in Salem, former director/curator of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum, and a consultant on historic restoration and interpretation. He is the author of several acclaimed works, including:

  • Boston’s Freedom Trail (1982)
  • Salem: Place, Myth, Memory (2004)
  • Death of an Empire (2012), a Boston Globe best-seller and “Best Book of New England History in 2012”
  • Mad For Glory (2015)
  • The Women of Marblehead (2016)

Please register at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating look into Gloucester’s early maritime beginnings.

Silent Movie Classic ‘Peter Pan’ narrated by Lindsay Crouse, organ accompaniment by Peter Krasinski, Sunday, December 21st at 3:30pm

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is proud to present the original silent movie ‘Peter Pan,’ a 1925 American fantasy-adventure film as part of its Tenth Anniversary Series. It will be narrated by acclaimed actress Lindsay Crouse and accompanied on the pipe organ by maestro Peter Krasinski. This is great entertainment for the whole family during the holidays!
Tickets are available at the door and online (strongly recommended) with more information at: http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org. General admission is $30, students $10, under age 12 free.
The historic 1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, is located on the green at the corner of Middle and Church Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). Parking is available on the green and around the historic district. The side entrance at 10 Church Street has an elevator to the main level, if needed.


For decades the silent movie ‘Peter Pan’ was thought to be lost but in the 1950’s a well preserved copy was discovered in a vault in Rochester, New York. The film is based on a play written by Sir James Barrie and was directed by Herbert Brenon in 1924 and was filmed on Santa Cruz island. The plot explores fantasy, adventure and is a playful film armed with technical ingenuity and classic source material.


The presentation will be narrated by Lindsay Crouse, American actress who made her debut in the 1972 revival of Much Ado About Nothing. She has played many roles in numerous films and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. Lindsay is a resident of Annisquam and a well-known celebrity on Cape Ann.


The film will also be accompanied by Peter Krasinski, a master of improvised silent movie accompaniment, whose exciting performances delight kids and adults alike. Krasinski will display the diverse power of the 1893 Hutchings/Fisk organ, creating music that adds mystery, intrigue and excitement to this memorable and nostalgic film.


‘Peter Pan’ is presented in collaboration with the Cape Ann Community Cinema.