WBZ-TV, Music, & Photography at Chulamama this week!

WBZ-TV is coming to Chulamama to film a pilot of their new show,"What's in Store" this Thursday starting at 10am. It's great exposure for all of Salem, and your opportunity to be famous! Stop by Chulamama for a chance to be on the show and 10% off apparel.

And then, on Saturday (November 15) head back to Chulamama with the kids for a day of music and photography. Photographer Linda LoPiccolo will be offering free sittings for your little ones in plenty of time to use as holiday cards and gifts.

Music Together will also be visiting Chulamama on November 15th. Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and the adults who love them. Free music class Starts at 1pm.

After your photo shoot or music class, stick around and enjoy the free treats and refreshments Chulamama will be serving all day.

To to set up your sitting with Linda LoPiccolo please contact Chulamama. Walk-ins are also welcome and will be taken on a first come first serve basis. LoPiccolo will be available from 10am – 2pm November 15th. For information: Phone: 978-741-4600

Arts & Antiques Month Events

Here's what is happening in Salem for Arts & Antiques Month this week. Take it all in... and visit Salem.org/art for more info!

Arts & Antiques Month brochures are available all over town - the Visitor Center, Peabody Essex Museum, Kensington Stobart Gallery, and others.

Thursday, November 13

Kensington Stobart Gallery From Paris to Provence: A Cultural Odyssey 7:30 pm; Kensington-Stobart Gallery, Hawthorne Hotel. The second in a three-part series of art lec- tures by Salem historian Jim McAllister. For descriptions, visit website. $10.00 (or $25 for all three lectures), 978.825.0022 KensingtonStobartGallery.com.

Friday, November 14

Peabody Essex Museum Adult Workshop - The Art of Batiking, with Mary Edna Fraser 9:30 am-4 pm; Phillips Library Auditorium. Reservations by Nov. 7. Members $95, non- members $115. Experience the process of working with fiber dyes on silk with internationally ac- claimed batik artist Mary Edna Fraser, whose work is on view in PEM’s exhibition Polar Attractions. 866.745.1876 • pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Film and Dance Performance - An Evening of Kutiyattam (Sanskrit Theater) 7 pm; Morse Auditorium. Excerpts from the film Kutiyattam - Kailasodharanam. 8 pm Live performance. Reserva- tions by Nov. 12. Members $25, nonmembers $30. Experience riv- eting 2,000-year-old Sanskrit dance theater. Kutiyattam is a bold mix of color, expression, drama, dance, music and recitation of verses. 866.745.1876 •pem.org.

Saturday, November 15

Peabody Essex Museum Atrium Alive: Extreme North and South All programs in- cluded with museum admission. Experience the Arctic with special events inspired by the exhibitions To The Ends of the Earth and Polar Attractions. Events include work- shops & art activities, family gallery explorations, performance art, artist presentations, concerts & more! Plus, hear harrowing tales from Arctic explorer Conrad Dick- inson! 866.745.1876 • pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Family Gallery Exploration 3:15-3:45 pm Families with children 5 and up. Polar Explorations with Peter C. Stone. 866.745.1876 • pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Multimedia Performance Art - Southern Ice with Brooks de Wetter-Smith 1-2 pm; Morse Auditorium. All ages. Reservations by Nov. 13. Musician/ adventurer Brooks de Wetter-Smith takes you on a photographic journey round- ing Cape Horn, a vast, pristine landscape of ice and stone. 866.745.1876 • pem.org

Peabody Essex Museum Presentation - The Hardest Expedition in the World, with Explorer Conrad Dickinson 2:30-3:45 pm; Morse Auditorium. For adults and teens. Reservations by Nov. 13. Hear Dickinson’s har- rowing tales of his treacherous journey across the frozen Arctic Ocean. A lender to PEM’s exhibi- tion To the Ends of the Earth, Dick- inson will also share his passion for art. 866.745.1876 pem.org

Urban Elements • Feng Shui Basics 6 – 7 pm; 230 Essex Street. Is your bed under the window? Do you know why a bed under the window is considered bad feng shui? Learn more and see the beautiful collection of vintage Asian & Indian home accents. Complimentary Wine & Cheese 978.666.4408, UrbanElementsHome.com.

Sunday, November 16

Peabody Essex Museum Atrium Alive: Extreme North and South All programs in- cluded with museum admission. Experience the Arctic with special events inspired by the exhibitions To The Ends of the Earth and Polar Attractions. Events include work- shops & art activities, family gallery explorations, performance art, artist presentations, concerts & more! Plus, hear harrowing tales from Arctic explorer Conrad Dick- inson! 866.745.1876 • pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Presentation - Xavier Cortada at the Poles 1-2 pm; Morse Auditorium. For adults and teens. Reservations by Nov. 13. See Miami-based artist Xavier Cortada’s installation art and paintings and hear about his experiences at the ends of the earth. The artist leads a painting workshop at 3 pm. 866.745.1876 pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Multimedia Performance Art - Southern Ice with Brooks de Wetter-Smith 3-4 pm; Morse Auditorium. All ages. Reservations by Nov. 13. Musician/ adventurer Brooks de Wetter-Smith takes you on a photographic journey round- ing Cape Horn, a vast, pristine landscape of ice and stone. 866.745.1876 • pem.org.

Peabody Essex Museum Workshop - Mixed-Media Paint- ing with Xavier Cortada 3-4:30 pm; Art Studios. For adults and teens. Reservations by Nov. 13. Using natural materials gath- ered in Salem by artist Xavier Cortada, create mixed- media paintings in response to his ice paintings on view in Polar Attrac- tions. 866.745.1876 •pem.org.

Wednesday, November 19

The House of Seven Gables Hawthorne’s Haunts in New England by John Hardy Wright 7 pm; 115 Derby Street. Free to members, $5 for general public. A lecture, book signing and ex- hibit of the author’s Hawthorne artifacts. 978.744.0991 x104 7gables.org

Polar Landscapes at PEM

The Peabody Essex Museum opens a new exhibit this weekend!

To the Ends of the Earth, Painting the Polar Landscape

NOVEMBER 8, 2008 THROUGH MARCH 1, 2009

Capturing the high drama and stark beauty of historic polar expeditions, To the Ends of the Earth, Painting the Polar Landscape presents more than 50 works by prominent artist-explorers, from monumental romantic canvases to early modernist works in pastel — all rarely shown in a single exhibition. The exhibition offers a range of artistic responses to the unique landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic — from the documentary to the sublime and existential, by renowned painters such as Frederic Edwin Church, Rockwell Kent and Lawren Harris.

If Polar Landscapes aren't your thing, click on the PEM logo for a complete list of their current exhibits. The museum is a perfect retreat from a rainy day.

Image credit: May, North Greenland, 1935-37, Rockwell Kent, oil on canvas, 44 x 55 inches, Collection of Deborah and Ed Shein, by permission of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, Plattsburgh College Foundation, Rockwell Kent Collection, bequest of Sally Kent Gorton.

The weather outside looks gloomy...

...so go to the movies - here's what CinemaSalem has scheduled for this weekend:

Although it's the blockbusters and family fare that pays the bills, it's awesome to be able to bring in quality cinema of the more artistic kind, including three great flicks in the last three weeks: The Duchess, Appaloosa, and this week's title, Oliver Stone's W. With more great films rolling out this fall, we hope to keep the streak going for a while longer.

W (PG13-129 minutes) impressed the New York Daily News: "W. is not the hatchet job some may have expected (or hoped for). It is instead a measured and thoughtful meditation on a leader who, this terrific movie believes, inadvertently made the world as roiling as his soul."
With the national holiday falling in Tuesday, we've got a hefty schedule of screenings for all our films. W will play on Friday at (4:50) and 7:30; Saturday and Sunday at (11:40 AM), (2:15), (4:50) and 7:30; Monday at (4:50) and 7:30; Tuesday at (11:40 AM), (2:15), (4:50) and 7:30; and Wednesday and Thursday at (4:50) and 7:30.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG- 99 minutes) a great new family animated feature from Dreamworks. Variety Magazine loves it, calling it "a notable improvement on its predecessor in every department."
Madagascar 2 will play Friday (5:00), 7:00 and 9:00; Saturday at (11:00 AM), (1:00), (3:00), (5:00), 7:00 and 9:00; Sunday at (11:00 AM), (1:00), (3:00), (5:00) and 7:00; Monday at (5:00) and 7:00; Tuesday at (11:00 AM), (1:00), (3:00), (5:00) and 7:00; Wednesday and Thursday at 5:00 and 7:00.

That's right, you read it correctly: six screenings of Madagascar 2 in one day, a new CinemaSalem record. If anyone buys tickets to all six shows of the film on Saturday, we'll offer them unlimited FREE delicious coffee drinks, smoothies, desserts, and alternative concessions in the new Cinema Café!

Even if you can't devote a day of your life to watching MAD 2 six times in one day, you can use your CinemaSalem ticket stub to any movie in order to get a steep discount at the Café, either $1.00 off the Daily Special (such as a Mint Mocha or Hot Caramel Cider) or a large beverage for the price of a small!) Or if you don't want to come to the movies to earn a discount, you can always clip the attached coupon.

Still drawing big crowds at CinemaSalem is the finale of the film series that defined a generation, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and it's not because of Dick Cheney's cameo (since there isn't one). The Washington Post wonders why you (yes, you) haven't taken it in: "Despite its own over- processed production values, "High School Musical 3" exudes genuine appeal, thanks to director Kenny Ortega's brilliant choreography and a gifted cast.
HSM 3 will play Friday at (4:30), 7:15 and 9:35; Saturday at (11:30 AM), (2:00), (4:30), 7:15 and 9:35; Sunday at (11:30 AM), (2:00), (4:30) and 7:15; Monday at (4:30) and 7:15; Tuesday at (11:30 AM), (2:00), (4:30) and 7:15; and Wednesday and Thursday at (4:30) and 7:15.

For those of you who are sorry that Halloween is over, -- surprise! -- SAW V (R - 85 minutes) stays for one more week with Friday and Saturday night shows at 10 pm.

Toy & Wine Night at Crunchy Granola Baby

Looking to get a head start on holiday shopping?
Or looking for a bargain on quality toys and other great items?

Then join Crunchy Granola Baby on Thursday, November 6 from 4:30 to 8pm for their Friends of Forest River Park Toy & Wine Night!

The night will include a wine tasting, light hors d'oeuvres and a silent auction of HABA toys, as well as other donated gifts and services. Some auction items are listed below, but more amazing items are being donated everyday! Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Crunchy Granola Baby. Proceeds benefit the rebuilding of the playground at Forest River Park in Salem. For more details, or to purchase your ticket, call CGB at 978.741.0800.
But hurry, tickets are going fast!

Event: 4:30 to 8pm

Silent Auction: 4:30 to 7pm

Wine Tasting: 5 to 7pm

Winners will be announced at 8pm

This event is sponsored by Crunchy Granola Baby and Pamplemousse.

Silent auction items will include...

1 ½ Hour Massage with Nancy Gebhardt of The Tranquil Garden

1 Hour Massage with Catie of Body & Soul Massage and Wellness Center

$50 Ice Skating Lessons with Colette Loux

HABA Ball Track Trullala

HABA Walker Wagon

HABA Swing Seat Ikarus

Gem & I Necklace

Sailboat Painting from Jill Pabich at The Enchanted Fauxrest

Pastel Kite Painting from Jill Pabich at The Enchanted Fauxrest

Chinese Fan Painting from Jill Pabich at The Enchanted Fauxrest

New Menu at Sixty2 on Wharf

Sixty2 on Wharf now features live music for Sunday Brunch! Local impresario Qwill will be impressing diners with his contemporary mix of jazz, soul and funk. Tony and Valerie tell me there is no better way to spend a lazy Sunday morning than groovin' with Qwill while enjoying their Italian-inspired brunch specialties (and I believe them). Cozy up for a plate of piping hot brioche doughnuts or indulge in an amazing champagne cocktails- shaken not stirred of course, by resident mixologist Justin.

(I have to add that the bar staff at Sixty2 is becoming a bit of a legend in Salem. Whether it's dinner time or Sunday brunch, stop by for a cocktail and conversation. Be careful, though, you may find yourself there until last call...)

In addition to adding music to brunch, Sixty2 has also launched a new menu for fall that is rich with items that celebrate the season. Tony's signature antipasti, homemade pastas and rustic entrees feature all the flavors you love at this time of year...sweet butternut squash, earthy sage, glazed chestnuts and roasted apples. Our Fall classics will take the chill out of even the most blustery fall evening.

I'm hungry just from writing the post!

One last post about Haunted Happenings 2008

Boston.com posted some great images by photographer Esdrass Suarez on their web site over the weekend.

It was a wonderful, successful weekend. More than 100,000 revelers came to Salem on Friday night to celebrate All Hallow's Eve, and they capped off a month during which more than 102,000 people visited Salem to celebrate fall, Haunted Happenings, and all things Salem.
Haunted Happenings 2008 was blessed with great weather, lots of visitors, and an ongoing enthusiasm for the magic of Salem.