2018 Cape Ann Arts Alive! Music & More Finale!

After four fun-filled mornings the Camper performed on the fifth day at the Shalin Lui Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts before parents, friends and the public. They had learned over fifteen pieces of music plus movements to accompany of those pieces several and created puppets used in the performance.

And that was not all!

Monday the campers went to the Gloucester City Hall, Tuesday to the Cape Ann Museum and Wednesday on a field-trip near-by to visit serveral sculptues.

2018 - 3rd Annual Cape Ann Arts Alive - Music and More Day Camp

2018 is the 3rd Annual Cape Ann Arts Alive - Music and More Day Camp

Our initial collaboration came about when Choir Directors Kristina Martin (First Congregational Church, Rockport), Kathleen Adams (Annisquam Village Church), and Mark Nelson (St. John’s Episcopal Church) brought their children’s choirs together for the Middle Street Walk. A vision for the camp was born when North Shore Mission Hub urged us to pilot a program further engaging the community, offering support for the first three years. With  a goal to foster pride in the rich cultural heritage of Cape Ann through music, dance, literature, we launched our 2016 CAAA-Music and More camp, celebrating Dogtown and ‘the environs.’ Our staff included Pastor Anne Deneen and Eva DiLascio from St. Paul Lutheran, Rose Sheehan from Gloucester UUC and Jay DiPrima from St. John’s.  The following year, camp featured the story (and a mini-musical) of Joan of Arc…inspired by Anna Hyatt Huntington’s iconic statue in Gloucester.

Building a repertoire to make ready for our Quadricentennial celebrations in 2023, our staff this year included Kristina Martin, Kathleen Adams, Eva DiLascio and Mark Nelson. Though each of us shared many roles in shaping today's event, it is Kristina’s choral mastery that led to the innovative musical programming, while  Eva shepherded our campers with bell ringing and musical literacy. Kathleen connected us with cultural landmarks (City Hall's bell tower, New Deal Murals, and a visit with our Mayor;  Cape Ann Museum’s maritime diorama, paintings, and fisheries exhibits; and a tour of Gloucester's public sculptures with Morgan Faulds Pike, creator of the Fishermen's Wives memorial), and Mark provided behind-the-scenes support and materials while supervising the creation of an entire school of fish!  We were ably assisted by Toni Rose Babson, student aide, and Suzanne Brown, our webmaster and photographer.

Most importantly, the delightful, thoughtful, young artists/musicians made our week a success:

Thanks to:
    •    The Shalin Liu Performance Center for the opportunity to sing in this fabulous hall today
    •    Mayor Safatia Theken-Romeo and the staff of the Gloucester City Hall along with bell tower keeper Maggie Rosa and WPA murals specialist Susan Erony
    •    Cape Ann folksinger, Daisy Nell who taught us her Cape Ann song, “A Heartbeat from the Ocean"
    •    Education specialist Sarah Flanagan & the Cape Ann Museum
    •    Morgan Faulds Pike, Sculptor
    •    St. John's Rector the Rev. Bret Hays and the Music Guild for providing space and funding; St. John's parishioners for providing snacks.
    •    Candy Connelly, Liaison to the North Shore Mission Hub
    •    The North Shore Mission Hub of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

This is the final year of support from the North Shore Mission Hub. Our hope and dream are to continue (at least) through the 400th anniversary of the founding of Cape Ann in 2023. You can help us continue this program by sending a tax deductible check to "St. John's Church," 48 Middle Street, Gloucester with "CAAA-Music Guild" in the memo line.

Thank you to all from the 2018 Cape Ann Arts Alive Program!

Thank you to all the generous people and organizations who added so much to the CAAA program this year.

Her Honor, Sefatia Romeo Theken, Mayor wears a stole from the Mayor of Gloucester, England as she greets us in her office at City Hall! We were fortunate to visit when such a special dignitary was in town, and she invited us to visit "the other Gloucester." As always, Sefatia was a wonderful host.

Morgan Faulds Pike, Sculptor, gave us not only the history of her own Fishermen’s Wives Monument and the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association but also the stories of Anna Hyatt Huntington’s “Joan of Arc,” Leonard Craske’s “Man at the Wheel” and Walker Hancock’s “Triton.”



Maggie Rosa, whose civic passion helped us to save City Hall and its iconic tower, took us up to see the bell which rings the hours in the city. The sight of Gloucester from this vantage is breathtaking. On the way up, Maggie introduced us to the citizen portraits of A. Piatt Andrew, Charles Olson, John Hayes Hammond, and Clarence Birdseye.

Artist and Art Historian, Susan Erony, showed us the beautiful Charles Allen Winter murals at City Hall and gave us the background of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and the Works Project Administration (WPA) which supported the artists during the post-Depression era.

Daisy Nell, folk singer/sailor extraordinaire, taught us the song she wrote for all Cape Ann children to know: “A Heartbeat from the Ocean.” Daisy will accompany and sing with us in our performance at the Shalin Liu on Friday, August 24 at 11:15.

Sarah Flanagan, Education Coordinator at the Cape Ann Museum, was our guide to the Museum’s holdings regarding maritime Gloucester, with special attention to the late 19th c. diorama, the Fresnel lens, and the Native American artifacts.


The public is warmly invited to a brief performance/review of the camp’s activities at Rockport's Shalin Liu Performance Center Friday, August 24 at 11:15.

2018 - 3rd Annual Cape Ann Arts Alive - Music and More Day Camp - Wednesday

Day 3 - Wednesday of CAAA started with campers diving into the paint to turn the newsprint of their papier mache fish into bright colors.









Then to the chimes! Eva rehearsed our chiming pieces ('Bells of Gloucester' and ‘Hamburg') and Kristina directed our songs and dances from the previous day.

Our guest of the day was sculptor Morgan Faulds Pike.  Morgan described the process by which she built the famous Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial while we looked at photographs that document her work. Then we donned our rain gear and walked in the mist past the Joan of Arc statue on Washington Street and down to the Boulevard. Morgan told us the story of each monument as we wrote and sketched.

We saw Leonard Craske's Fisherman at the Wheel,

the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial (with our own sculptor),

and Walker Hancock’s Triton (son of Poseidon) in the Betty Smith Garden at the north end of Stage Fort Park.

The foggy day was perfect for our stroll along the waterfront. On the return hike to St. John’s, we split into three groups to learn different parts of Daisy Nell’s song. We were 'just a heartbeat from the ocean’!

The public is warmly invited to a brief performance/review of the camp’s activities at Rockport's Shalin Liu Performance Center Friday, August 24 at 11:15.

2018 - 3rd Annual Cape Ann Arts Alive - Music and More Day Camp - Tuesday

Day 2 Tuesday

The day started with more work on a papier mache project creating props for the grand finale to be held at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport.

Singing, dancing, ...

and chiming practice, then ...

off to the Cape Ann Museum for a tour focusing on the sea and fishing on Cape Ann, sketchbooks in hand.    

After returning to St. John’s there was more practice on the music for the Friday performance! More fun and exploration tomorrow! 

The public is invited to a review of the camp’s activities at Rockport’s Shalin Liu Performance Center Friday, August 24 at 11:15

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2018 - 3rd Annual Cape Ann Arts Alive - Music and More Day Camp - - Monday

CAPE ANN ARTS ALIVE - MUSIC AND MORE CAMP at St. John’s, Gloucester

2018 - Day 1

The day began with each camper decorating a pennant as well as papier mache fish to be used in the finale at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. 

Daisy Nell lead campers in learning “Heartbeat from the Sea" written by Daisy for the school children of Gloucester where she has taught the children her song.

Campers learned a dance, more songs before they took off for City Hall.

At City Hall they meet Her Honor, Sefatia Romeo-Theken and the visiting Mayor of Gloucester, England! An animated conversation ensued.







Maggie Rosa lead them up the steep steps to the bell tower for a panoramic view of the city.

Art historian Susan Erony gave them the background of the famous WPA murals followed by a lively discussion with the campers about the Great Desprssion and all works of art in City Hall created under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and the Works Progress  Administration.

The campers returned to St. John’s for more music:  singing, dancing and chiming

The public is invited to a review of the camp’s activities at Rockport's Shalin Liu Performance Center Friday, August 24 at 11:15. Free and open to the public. What a fabulous opportunity for the campers and their families!

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CAPE ANN ARTS ALIVE - MUSIC AND MORE 2018

Registration is now open and ongoing for CAPE ANN ARTS ALIVE - MUSIC AND MORE, a week-long day camp for children aged 5 - 13.  Fostering knowledge and pride in the unique character of Cape Ann, the camp runs from August 20 - 24 (M - F), 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Based at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 48 Middle Street in Gloucester, the camp is now in its third year and is open to children from all traditions (religious or otherwise).  It is sponsored by the North Shore Mission Hub and supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Daily visits to nearby local points of interest provide campers with experience and performance opportunities. Each year’s campers have built a foundation of singing, bell ringing, art, drama, and movement to create a repertoire in anticipation of Gloucester’s 400th Anniversary celebrations.  Works related to Cape Ann’s rich cultural heritage (songs of Stephen Scotti and Leonard Bernstein, dances like “The Lobster Quadrille” from Alice in Wonderland, and artworks such as nautical pennants and papier mâché fish) provide a wide range of artistic endeavor and productive, joyful activity. This action-packed week ends at the renowned Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Friday, August 24 with a brief, free concert at 11:15 AM.  All are welcome! 

The camp is staffed by local musicians known for their successful work with children’s programs:  Kathleen Adams (Annisquam Village Church), Eva DiLascio (St. Paul Lutheran), Kristina Martin (1st Congregational, Rockport),  and Mark Nelson (St. John's Episcopal). Registration is $50. More details are available at stjohnsgloucester.org/musicandmore or by contacting Mark Nelson mark@stjohnsgloucester.org or 978-283-1708.

CAAA - A Look Back to 2017

For more images and videos of the 2017 camp: facebook.com/CapeAnnArtsAlive/