Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1104799
98 down a one-way street, inside the historic King Hooper Mansion, you'll find one of Marblehead's finest gems—the Marblehead Arts Association (MAA). Founded in 1922 by a handful of artists to foster Marblehead's arts community, the Association now has 400-plus members, most of whom are artists juried in twice a year. For visitors, MAA has six galleries, refreshed every six weeks; seasonal events, like the upcoming Kentucky Derby Party (May 4); and arts education and programming, including a Sunday morning drop-in live- model drawing session that has run weekly for the past 40 years. "My goal is to expand our footprint and have a bigger presence in the community," says longtime member Patti DiCarlo Baker, who became MAA's executive director in 2016 and has taught Nantucket basket weaving at the Association for nearly ten years. In addition to building membership, Baker has expanded programming to include more different arts offerings, such as jazz performances and literature. "We have jewelry classes, paint- your-own pottery classes, and we're working to get more children's classes up and running," she adds. Because MAA has a beautiful garden out back and a catering kitchen, it can also be rented out for weddings and events. Or artists can simply rent gallery space to hold a class. e Association even has a gift shop selling affordable art from approximately eight different artists, changing every three months. MAA's current exhibit (March 16-April 28) features solo shows from six artists, including Eleanor Ruth Fisher and Amy Hourihan, who are profiled below along with two other artist members. Not only is the Association a great place to showcase work, but it's a warm and supportive space for artists and art aficionados alike to gather, gain inspiration, and get creative. "We want everyone to feel included, whether you're an artist or not," says Baker. "We're free and open to the public and aim to bring arts and culture to the entire community." Glassblower Swampscott native Ellen Garvey got into glassblowing on a whim. "I was in high-tech for my career and it was consuming my entire life, and I had to do something," she says. "So I signed up for a glassblowing class about ten years ago at Salem State Continuing Education [now Salem State University]." As Garvey tells it, she got completely hooked and kept taking the same class over and over to thoroughly learn the craft. Eventually she became good enough to work on her own, and she now rents time at Diablo Glass School in Boston, where she also teaches. "ere are two kinds of glassblowing," explains Garvey. "One is using torches and sitting at a bench. I do [the other type], using a five-foot-long hollow stainless-steel blowpipe and a furnace set at 2,200 degrees, with 300 pounds of molten glass in the furnace. ere's a limit to how big my pieces can be from a strength point of view, but I've come to terms with that and am working more precisely, accurately, and faster." is is Longtime member Patti DiCarlo Baker became MAA's executive director in 2016.