Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Spring Forward with the Arts!

An Orchard in Spring, Monet

Spring is here! No, really! Don't let that lingering snow get you down. Here are three ways to kick those winter blues and spring forward with the Arts! 

1. Take an art class. Many local arts organizations offer workshops and classes that will make your creativity bloom this season. These are but a few of many local organizations that are offering spring art classes this year.
Essex Arts Center hosts an open house on April 15. Stop by to learn about their wide variety of arts offerings for adults and children.
Newburyport Art Association still has space available in the March 28th Acrylic Innovations Workshop. All materials are provided! Visit their website to register.
Shoetown Art Center in Haverhill offers visual arts classes for adults and children and paint nights. Check out their website and Facebook page to see the great work they are doing. 

Theatre in the Open in Newburyport offers fun and creative performance workshops for youth this spring and summer. Find more details on their website. 


2. Go to an art exhibition. We are surrounded by local talent guaranteed to make your inspiration blossom! Don't miss the amazing photography of local Pentucket artists and students Brenna Logan, Kelsi McNamara, and Krystal Knight on exhibition next month at Rhythm Cafe in Merrimac. The exhibit runs from April 13 through May 3, with an opening reception hosted by the Pentucket Arts Foundation on April 13, 5:30-7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to support Pentucket students, a local business and your Arts Foundation!

3. Experience a live performance. The energy of a theatre, dance, music, or spoken word show is sure to rejuvenate your spirit! And this season, you don't have to travel far to enjoy a high-quality performance. NYC's Mayhem Poets are coming to Pentucket on April 9, at 7 p.m. for an incredible evening of spoken word poetry. Here is a preview of what the Poets can do:

Have an art-full spring!


Thursday, February 12, 2015

3 Reasons Why We heART

It’s the season of love! Here are 3 reasons why We heART!



1. Art takes us on unexpected journeys. Listen to Janet Echelman as she shares how a supply mishap led her to explore large-scale sculpture and public art. 



2. Art invigorates public spaces. Imagine taking a ride down this luminescent bike path in the Dutch town of Eindhoven, conceived and created by artist Daan Roosegaarde and inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night.  

3. Art transcends cultural, economic and physical boundaries. A great example of this is the work that Playing for Change produces—recording songs with many voices from many different locations around the world. 




Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.—Pablo Picasso

What do YOU love about the Arts? 

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Happy New Year!

It’s a new year—a time for reflection, goal setting, and resolutions. 2014 was a great year for the Pentucket Arts Foundation, and before we look forward to 2015, let’s look back at some of the best Pentucket Arts moments of the year.

In 2014, the Pentucket Arts Foundation: 

  • Celebrated our 10th anniversary season with the Arts Connecting Community Public Art project.  With help from local artist Sean Bixby and 50 community groups, we created an incredible mixed media sculpture --now on display at the high school-- that represents the interconnectedness of our Tri-Town District




  • Hosted Senior Citizen Matinees for the PRHS musicals "Grease" and "The Music Man
  • Brought NYC’s Mayhem Poets to our elementary schools for energizing and inspiring spoken word performances

  • Awarded thousands of dollars in educational grants for Pentucket teachers to enhance or integrate the Arts into their curricular units 
  • Enthusiastically offered our financial support for Pentucket Superintendent Jeff Mulqueen's new Visual Thinking Strategies Initiative 
  • Hosted a community reception to highlight a wonderful student art exhibit at Rhythm Cafe 

  • Celebrated our chairman, Jennifer Leonard-Solis, as she accepted the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Music Advocacy Award in Boston, thanks to a nomination from Pentucket Arts Department Chair Marcia Nadeau and Music Director Anthony Beatrice
  • Hosted a monumentally successful Minumental Art sale at the 2014 Pentucket Arts Festival, with all proceeds to support the Ellen Burke Hart Annual Scholarship
  • Awarded our annual scholarships to 3 deserving young artists from Pentucket Class of 2014
  • Welcomed home over 40 alumni to exhibit and perform in AlumNight -- an annual talent showcase and arts benefit for the community
  • Hosted two well-attended community Paint Nights led by Marica Nadeau & her students
  • Held another successful A cappella Night featuring Berklee College of Music’s Pitch Slapped and several area high school singing groups


  • Developed & funded the Arts Connecting Community Artist Grant to infuse our community with even more creative experiences through public art projects in the upcoming year
A big thanks to you for the role you've played in making these events so special; and our sincere gratitude to our 2014 sponsors: Institution for Savings, Provident Bank, Newburyport Five Cent Savings, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Haverhill Bank, the Jaquelyn Ann Kastrinelis Memorial Fund & the Cultural Councils of Groveland, Merrimac, and West Newbury.