Join the Sawyer Free Library for the Relaunch of the Gloucester Lyceum

~ Sawyer Free Library

Placemaking: Our Library In Our Community with Ethan Kent

The Sawyer Free Library will officially relaunch the Gloucester Lyceum with a special event, Placemaking: Our Library In Our Community, featuring internationally renowned placemaking leader Ethan Kent, Executive Director of PlacemakingX.

The program will be held Thursday, October 23, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Sawyer Free Library’s Community Room, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester. Free and open to the public, registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Space is limited.

The program will begin with remarks by Mr. Kent, followed by interactive conversations with fellow attendees throughout the various spaces of the newly renovated, expanded, and modernized Sawyer Free Library. The perspectives shared in these dialogues will inspire closing insights from Mr. Kent, allowing participants to reflect on how Gloucester can continue to build meaningful, inclusive spaces—starting with its newly reimagined Library.

“Placemaking is about strengthening the connection between people and the places they share,” said Ethan Kent. “It’s about making the spaces we live, the places we love.”

The Gloucester Lyceum: A Tradition Renewed

Founded in 1830, the Gloucester Lyceum once brought thought leaders such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau to Cape Ann. Today, the Sawyer Free Library’s relaunch builds on this proud tradition, offering marquee programs that bring contemporary voices into dialogue with the community.

“The relaunch of the Gloucester Lyceum is about renewing a proud tradition of bringing people together for public discourse within a collaborative forum. True to the notion that a lyceum is “where the city comes to think,” we are honored to welcome Ethan Kent as our first speaker in this new chapter. His work around the world embodies the very spirit of community dialogue and imagination that we hope to cultivate right here in Gloucester,” said Laura Ventimiglia, Chair of the Gloucester Lyceum. 

“Welcoming Ethan Kent to Gloucester to help relaunch our historic Lyceum is both timely and inspiring,” added Mern Sibley, President of the Board of Trustees of the Sawyer Free Library. “Our newly reimagined Library is the hub of the community—offering so much to so many. Ethan’s work demonstrates how meaningful public spaces can bring people together, foster belonging, and strengthen communities.”

About the Sawyer Free Library

For nearly 200 years, the Sawyer Free Library has served Gloucester as a hub of culture, learning, and civic life. Its newly renovated and expanded building continues this mission, providing equal access to resources and programs that support the community’s evolving needs.

For more information and to register for this special evening, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org. Space is limited, so register today!

Hammond Castle Museum Presents Two Silent Movies with Live Accompaniment This October!

~ Hammond Castle Museum

Internationally acclaimed accompanist Peter Krasinski returns to the Great Hall this Halloween season for two unique performances featuring live improvised accompaniment to classic black-and-white silent films: Phantom of the Opera and Metropolis. Krasinski will perform on John Hays Hammond Jr.’s original Chickering & Sons piano, filling the soaring acoustics of the Great Hall with an unforgettable blend of history, music, and cinematic magic.

Learn More & Reserve Your Seats Here

GMGI Hosts Annual Byrnes Lecture: Rockfish to Resiliency – Marine Genomic Insights for Oceans & Human Health

~ Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

Please join us on Thursday, October 9,  at the newly renovated Sawyer Free Library for our annual Byrnes Lecture exploring how cutting-edge genomics is transforming our understanding of ocean life and human health.

The ocean is a source of endless mystery, sustaining life on Earth and inspiring generations of discovery. Within its depths, remarkable creatures hold clues not only to the resilience of marine ecosystems but also to the health and longevity of humans. Yet, as pressures from climate change, overfishing, and pollution intensify, understanding how ocean life survives and adapts has never been more critical.

GMGI researchers are harnessing cutting-edge genomic technologies to illuminate the hidden blueprints of marine life, driving forward new strategies for conservation, and building essential connections between ocean science and human well-being.

Admission to this event is free, but registration is required. Click here to reserve your spot.

Doors for this event open at 5:00pm, with the lecture beginning promptly at 5:30pm.

This is GMGI’s Annual Byrnes Lecture, honoring longtime GMGI and community supporter John Byrnes. As a resident of Cape Ann for over 20 years, he was an integral part of the community, providing advice and generous philanthropic support to GMGI and many other organizations.

Gloucester Band Program gets a boost – but needs community to step up!

~ gloucestereducationfoundation

Yesterday, Gloucester’s middle school band lit up the O’Maley stage with a joyful, high-energy performance that showed just how transformative music education can be.

Thanks to a recent $10,000 grant from Music Drives Us, the elementary and middle school band programs continue to grow and thrive, serving over 200 4-8th graders at no cost to families.

But with $60,000 still to raise this school year, GEF and GPS need the community’s support to ensure that the opportunity to learn an instrument remains available to every Gloucester student in grades 4-8. Every donation helps!

Read the story in the Gloucester Daily Times here and here

Donate to GEF to support the elementary and middle school bands (and please put “BAND” in the Special Instructions field so we know where to direct your gift!)

Only a dozen seats remain!

~ Hammond Castle Museum

Join us in the candlelit Great Hall at Hammond Castle Museum for an extraordinary group reading with Kevin V. Coan, a highly regarded evidential medium with over 35 years of experience. Kevin’s empathetic approach and down-to-earth demeanor have brought comfort and healing to countless individuals, offering profound messages of connection from loved ones who have crossed over.

Enjoy light refreshments as Kevin uses his remarkable ability to interpret messages through photographs of the departed. Witness firsthand the power of his gift to bridge the gap between worlds and provide evidence of the enduring bond with loved ones.

A single printed photograph of those who have passed is needed to help facilitate the possibility of a reading. Learn more and reserve your seats before they’re gone! This event is expected to sell out.

Reserve your seats here!

Sawyer Free Library Now Recruiting Adult Participantsfor Free Computer Basics Course

~ Sawyer Free Library

Graduates receive a Chromebook and one year of home Internet service

The Sawyer Free Library is now accepting participants for its new Computer Basics Course, a free, hands-on program designed to help adults build essential digital skills for everyday life, work, and learning. The 15-hour, self-paced course, which runs through December 12, 2025, is delivered in the Library’s new Digital Learning Lab. Upon successful completion, qualified participants will receive a free Chromebook to keep and a hotspot with one year of Internet service. 

“Digital skills open doors—to jobs, to services, to staying connected with family,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict. “The Sawyer Free Library’s Digital Learning Lab team provides welcoming, one-on-one support so adults with little or no experience can learn at their own pace and celebrate every milestone.”

Participants will gain foundational skills that include setting up and using a computer and the Internet, navigating websites and applications, practicing online security and safety, and using communication tools such as email and video conferencing.

The Computer Basics Course will be held in the Digital Learning Lab on the ground floor of Sawyer Free Library, located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. Drop-in training and practice hours are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The course is designed for adults with limited computer access or experience. Priority will be given to applicants who qualify for benefit programs and have a defined learning goal. Eligible programs include, but are not limited to, SNAP, TANF, WIC, TAFDC, EAEDC, MRVP, RAFT, LIHEAP, MassHealth/Medicaid, and SSI/SSDI.

Interested participants can contact the Digital Learning Lab Service Desk by phone at 978-325-5546, by email at computerbasics@sawyerfreelibrary.org or in person at the Library and asking for Roger or Joe.

Participants do not need to own a computer to enroll. A Chromebook will be provided for use during the course and may be taken home upon successful completion. In addition, a hotspot with a one-year Internet service plan will be included for eligible graduates.

“This is about access and confidence,” added Benedict. “With individualized coaching from our Digital Tutors and Librarians, adults can practice real-world tasks—safely setting up devices, applying for jobs, accessing health information, or connecting with loved ones online.”

The Sawyer Free Library’s Digital Learning Lab is a new community resource dedicated to digital inclusion—offering approachable training, devices, and support to help Gloucester residents thrive in an increasingly online world.  The Computer Basics Course is supported through a generous Digital Equity Initiative Partnership Grant from the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF).

Preserving Cape Ann’s Ethnic Cultural Heritage | Branded: Gloucester’s Hidden History of Enemy Aliens

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is proud to host Branded: Gloucester’s Hidden History of Enemy Aliens on Saturday, September 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event will take place in the Library’s (brand new!) Community Room located on the ground floor level.

Join Gloucester native and writer Maria Millefoglie as she uncovers a little-known chapter of local history in her presentation Italian Immigrant: A Story of Allegiance, Loss, and Belonging in World War II.

Drawing on archives, historic newspapers, and community stories, Millefoglie reveals how World War II reshaped Gloucester’s Sicilian and Italian immigrant families. While hundreds of young men proudly enlisted in the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, others in their households were labeled “enemy aliens,” banned from the waterfront, and stripped of their livelihoods. During this time, the U.S. Navy requisitioned some of Gloucester’s finest fishing vessels for minesweeping and patrol duty, even as German U-boats prowled the Atlantic.

Through storytelling, timelines, and photographs, Millefoglie brings to life the sacrifices of fishermen pressed into naval service, the struggles of families torn between loyalty to their new country and ties to their homeland, and the resilience of women who held households together amid fear and loss.

This presentation not only pays tribute to the past but also offers timely reflections on how history echoes in today’s debates about immigration and belonging.

This event is the first project under Preserving Cape Ann’s Ethnic Cultural Heritage, part of the broader Down the Fort: A Documentary and Archive Project, which works to capture and honor the immigrant and ethnic experiences that have long shaped Cape Ann’s cultural fabric.

Register for the presentation on Library’s calendar at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. For details on all the Library’s services and upcoming programming visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org.

GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE 2025-26 SERIES OPENS OCT. 10 WITH NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY’S ‘TRIO GAIA’

~ chasnaz

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is honored to be presenting Trio Gaia, the graduate piano trio-in-residence at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, in concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, October 10, at the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church in Gloucester, MA.


This is the trio’s debut in the Foundation’s 10 years of programming in the 1806 Meetinghouse, a historic landmark on the Gloucester skyline and cited in the National Register of Historic Places.
The award-winning trio’s program, titled “Convergence,” will include works by Nico Muhly, Leoš Janáček and Béla Bartok, concluding with Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E Flat Major. It explores a theme of our times—conflict, both internal and external—and its resolution through music. Grant Houston, Trio Gaia’s violinist and spokesman, said, “This program offers a reflective parallel to today’s world, where divisions and struggles for resolution continue to shape our collective experience, and the search for unity persists despite discord.”


Cellist Yi-Mei Templeton and guest-artist pianist Alexa Stier will be joining Houston. The trio is the Conservatory’s most recent graduate piano trio-in-residence, performing nationally and abroad since 2018, including in Panama and Japan. Trio Gaia won first prize at the WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition in North Carolina and honors at other competitions.


Tickets are available at http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org or at the door. The Meetinghouse is at Middle and Church Streets in Gloucester, The location is most easily found via GPS using the address, 50 Middle Street. Limited parking is available on the Green in front of the church, entered from Middle Street. Access for persons with disabilities is at 10 Church Street.


The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church traces its history to the 1779 founding of the first Universalist church in America, a rebellious congregation that played a timely role in development of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Meetinghouse Foundation is dedicated to the building’s preservation and use for and by the community.

6th ANNUAL CLASSIC CAR SHOW ON MEETINGHOUSE GREEN, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th!

~ chasnaz

Please join us for the sixth annual Cape Ann Classic Cars on the Green on Saturday September 20th, from 10am to 2pm in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, GPS 50 Middle Street, Gloucester.  The rain date for the event is on Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm.

This is a delightful free event for the whole family with beautiful classic vintage and special interest cars on display. The audience votes in nine categories for the trophy winners, including the coveted “Best in Show.”  A 50/50 raffle will be included to add to the excitement of the event as well as tours of the historic Meetinghouse! If you are interested in showing your classic car, register ($20) at the entrance or in advance (recommended as space is limited) by emailing: c.nazarian@gloucestermeetinghouse.org.

Admission to the public is free but donations to the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation for the ongoing building restoration are greatly appreciated! We hope to see you at this fun filled fall event!