Northshore Magazine

Northshore April 2019

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 34 APRIL 2019 FAC E S + P L AC E S classes and events. People from all over the North Shore seek out these evenings. "Dancing, particularly partner dancing, is based on communication, language, shared meaning, and context," says Coles. "Dancers are creating social art together when they partner dance. It's a creative, physical expression of culture." On a recent evening in his loft studio, dancers lounged in the twinkly light-filled space, catching up over a glass of wine while women changed into their strappy dance shoes. en it was time to get down to business, and Coles took us through the 16 turns in salsa as we rotated partners. I concentrated on stepping back on the five and forward on the one, and on trying to let the leaders lead. With a playful attitude, Coles informed me that "It's related to iambic pentameter." On Sundays in the summer, you can discover your own poetic moves at Mary Jane Lee Park and Peabody Street Park, and you'll find dance partners at Rockafella's on Wednesdays during Latin Night. e arts have never been narrowly defined in Salem. For example, the personal creative expression of costuming presents itself at various creative events throughout the year, and every day in the theatre of the street. From cocktail and conversation clubs to packed-house concerts, there has always been an underground arts scene. Cult film legend John Waters will pop into town this October for the Salem Horror Fest, which explores themes of fear, trauma, and empathy. en there's the music and bar scene, from authentic Irish sessions at O'Neills to Sonorium, an experimental music series usually held at the Gallows Hill eatre. e Tuesday evening Drink and Draw at Gulu-Gulu Cafe brings together those who like to draw and models who emulate everything from Freddy Mercury to winged mythical creatures. Over the winter, Alex Alexander, a Salem resident who is active in the regional theatre scene, found herself drawn to this weekly ritual. Participants turn up for their own kind of experience that is both relaxing and inclusive, she says. After spending much of her adult life in San Francisco, Alexander appreciates being able to return to the North Shore, finding an openness in Salem that cultivates creativity. "I have friends here who are writers, photographers, musicians, artists, dancers, actors. ere is space for art, play, community, and freedom. ere's always something going on, thanks to an amazing group of passionate people who feel free to express themselves." You hear it all the time: Salem is bursting with potential, and on the cusp of something truly exciting. At the Peabody Essex Museum, arguably the hub of Salem's creativity, beyond the world-class special exhibitions, globally celebrated artists lead provocative talks and community workshops. For those seeking even more performances, music, and visual art in Salem, PEM's newly expanded space, set to open in September, is poised to take the arts scene to the next level. When PEM expanded in 2003, Salem benefited from a total real estate and restaurant renaissance. Now an added 15,000 square feet of new galleries, a new light-filled atrium, and expanded outdoor space are just a few things to look forward to, including a remix of the museum's entire collection. By reinstalling all of its galleries by 2021 with the guidance of an on-staff neuroscientist, PEM hopes to create new experiences of its collections. A very humanistic approach aims to link visitors to other people, cultures, and times through impactful and meaningful encounters with art. This is an opportunity to shed new light on favorite objects and introduce new audiences to works that span more than 12,000 years of human creativity. Having such a massive and diverse collection means an older object can be displayed through a contemporary lens, giving the object its moment, says Dan Finamore, PEM's Russell W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History. The first-floor gallery starts, fittingly, with the museum's maritime collection, honoring the maritime history of both Salem and PEM. "Humans have always gone to sea," says Finamore. "It's part of the human experience. It was a concept for the Mayans, more than [just] a real place." Gallery experiences will help visitors grasp that concept at a gut level, he says, without necessarily needing a background in maritime painting. When the new wing opens, Salem will be home to one of the nation's largest art museums located outside of a major urban center. With PEM leading the way, Salem can celebrate its roots while taking the necessary creative risks to spring forward. pem.org Sonorium is an experimental music series. Below, Studio Foli Friday night: Special performance from Cali Columbia by Cojuelos Productions A FEW OF SALEM'S MANY FESTIVAL PEM EXPANSION + IM|MIGRATION, May 11-19 + Salem Arts Festival, June 7-9 + El Punto Block Party, September 21 + Salem Horror Fest, October 3-13 + Salem Film Fest, March 2020 PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN MALAGODI (TOP), BY CARRIE FRANCIS CABOT (BOTTOM)

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