Peabody Essex Museum Celebrates Sensational India!

This is an incredible line-up of events at the Peabody Essex Museum celebrating Indian culture - check it out...


SENSATIONAL INDIA!
Saturday, April 4 - Sunday, April 5 2009

The Peabody Essex Museum celebrates the art and culture of India in its many splendid forms with a weekend-long festival ─ Sensational India! Join us for this two-day event in our galleries and performance spaces where we’ll present India’s remarkable visual and performing arts. Expect remarkable dance, music, film, food, hands-on art activities and more. Find a moment of respite in our new exhibition ReVisions, Indian Artists Engaging Traditions – featuring works of painting and sculpture contemporary Indian artists and the masters who influenced them. Families, hear tales from India read by storytellers, learn your fortune from a parrot and make your own finger puppets!

All events included with museum admission. Program reservations by calling: 978-745-9500 x3011.

Sensational India! is made possible by Samir and Nilima Desai; The Desai Family Foundation.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Gallery Talks: ReVisions, Indian Artists Engaging Traditions
10-11 am, ReVisions Gallery
Reservations by April 2
Led by exhibition co-curators Susan Bean and Kimberly Masteller

Adult Cooking Demonstration
A Taste of India
11 am–noon, Bartlett Gallery
Reservations by April 2
Chef Shruti Mehta creates traditional Indian dishes and shares the secrets of this aromatic cuisine. Her demonstration and stories link the art of cooking with everyday life in India.

Film
The Jungle Book
1967, 78 minutes
11 am–12:30 pm, Morse Auditorium
Reservations by April 2
For all ages
Set in an Indian jungle, this song-filled adventure follows a boy named Mowgli on his way to the man-village with a variety of animal friends, including the lovable bear Baloo. Afterward, make your own finger puppets.

Musical Performances
Carnatic Ensemble
Noon–12:30 pm, Atrium
Durga Krishnan, a renowned veena player and director of the New England School of Carnatic Music, performs with her accomplished students. The ensemble includes flute, mridangam, veena and violin players, and vocalists.

Indo-American Fusion
12:30–1 pm, Atrium
The Bangalore Ensemble shares the sounds of Indo-American fusion, based on Hindustani (North Indian classical) music.
You couldn’t believe what you were seeing — dancing so rich, so deep diving! –The New Yorker

Dance Performance
Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
1:30–2:30 pm, Atrium
Nrityagram of India transports viewers to enchanted worlds of magic and spirituality with the sensuous flow of Odissi, one of the oldest of India’s classical dance forms.

Presentation
Indian Classical Dance and the Arts of India — A Conversation
3–4 pm, Morse Auditorium
For adults
Reservations by April 2
Susan Bean, curator of South Asian and Korean art, and Surupa Sen, artistic director of the renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, discuss the interconnections between dance and other art forms in India, from music to poetry, architecture and painting.

Musical Performances
Hindustani
4–4:30 pm, Atrium
Shuchita Rao and students from the New England School of Carnatic Music present Hindustani music with vocalists, harmonium and tabla players.

Fusion of Jazz and Carnatic
4:30–5 pm, Atrium
The KrishnaRasi group presents of Indo-American fusion, based on Carnatic music, with jazz keyboard, veena, mridangam and tabla.


SUNDAY, APRIL 5

Gallery Talks: ReVisions, Indian Artists Engaging Traditions
10-11 am, ReVisions Gallery
Reservations by April 2

Film
Brick Lane
2008, 101 minutes, directed by Sarah Gavron
11 am–1:30 pm, Morse Auditorium
For adults
Reservations by April 2
A young South Asian woman arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved home for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped in a small apartment and loveless marriage, she struggles to accept her lifestyle and maintain her traditional ways.

Dance Workshop
Odissi
1:30–3 pm, East India Marine Hall
For teens and adults
Reservations by April 2
Learn the technique and nuances of movement in Odissi from Nrityagram dancers. Dance training is not required.

Dance Demonstrations and Performances
Traditional Indian Folk Dance
1–2 and 4–5 pm, Atrium
Dressed in lavish, traditional costumes, young members of Boston Bhangra perform lively agricultural folk dances from the Punjab region of India.

LECTURE
2:30 pm, Morse Auditorium
Award-Winning Author and Actress Madhur Jaffrey R
eservations by April 3
Regarded by many as the world authority on Indian food, Madhur Jaffrey is an award-winning actress and best-selling cookbook author. At PEM she discusses her newest work, Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India, an appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory. The book includes recipes for more than 30 delicious dishes that are recovered from Jaffrey’s childhood. A book signing follows the lecture. This program made possible in part by the George Swinnerton Parker Memorial Lecture Fund.

About the Peabody Essex Museum
The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The museum's collections are among the finest of their kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture (including four National Historic Landmark buildings) and outstanding Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime and Photography collections. In addition to its vast collections, the museum offers a vibrant schedule of changing exhibitions and a hands-on education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 24 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States.

HOURS: Open Tuesday-Sunday and holiday Mondays, 10 am-5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

ADMISSION: Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $5. Members, youth 16 and under and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang.

INFO: Call 866-745-1876 or visit our Web site at http://www.pem.org/.

Salem Arts Festival Call for Proposals

This just in from Salem Main Streets...

Salem Arts Festival Extends a Call for Proposals due April 15, 2009

Salem Main Streets along with representatives of many of the city’s cultural institutions are in the final planning stages for the first Salem Arts Festival. The festival is to take place from June 5-7, 2009.

A Call for Proposals has been released. The Salem Arts Festival is looking for participation from artists and performers in a diverse range of media for this three day event. The Festival will celebrate painting, photography, sculpture, dance, music, writing, film, new media, performance, theatre, poetry, culinary, etc. The event will support local artists by providing them a free venue to interact with the community. Many of the activities are planned to take place in downtown Salem.

The Call for Proposals is available by calling Jennifer Bell at the offices of Salem Main Streets at (978) 744-0004, ext. 15. The proposal is also available for download on the Arts Festival website at www.salemartsfestival.com. The deadline for all entries has been extended to April 15, 2009. Artists and performers – in all genres – and especially those from Salem, are encouraged to apply. The festival also wants to encourage applications from artists interested in guiding children’s activities. Acceptance of proposals will be dictated by time and space requirements, as well as appropriateness to the festival’s goals. Art will be juried by a representative of the Peabody Essex Museum.

The Festival organizers are thrilled to have received a most generous $1,500.00 grant from the Salem Cultural Council to help organize and publicize this inaugural event.

About the Salem Arts Festival

The Salem Arts Festival will promote the arts in downtown Salem through a collaborative festival for residents and visitors providing opportunities to highlight the existing artist community and encourage general community participation in the arts. The Festival will run Jun 5-7, 2009 in Salem at a variety of venues throughout the downtown including a juried art exhibit street fair, gallery shows and live performances. The Festival will include elements for the sophisticated art patron as well as for the art novice including interactive events for children. It will engage participants of diverse backgrounds and ages by reaching out to current art patrons, local students, and the community at large.

The Salem Arts Festival is being organized by Salem Main Streets, the Salem Arts Association, Salem State College, Gordon College, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Film Fest, American History and Music Festival™ and Salem Sounds along with input from Salem High School Arts Department and the Salem Common Neighborhood Association.

About Salem Main Streets

Salem Main Streets' goal is the revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant, year-round, retail, dining and cultural destination through business recruitment, retention and the promotion of downtown Salem.

For more information:
Jennifer Bell, Salem Main Streets, (978) 744-0004, ext. 15 jennifer@salemmainstreets.org
www.salemartsfestival.com

Boston City Guide Examiner: Sixty2 on Wharf hits the spot in Salem

This is a very nice review about Sixty2 on Wharf, which is one of many fantastic restaurants in Salem.

Boston City Guide Examiner: Sixty2 on Wharf hits the spot in Salem

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Salem LitFest this Weekend!

The Salem Literary Festival opens its doors this weekend, March 27-29, with a terrific line-up of events all weekend. This is a great opportunity to interact with authors, play games, be inspired, and take in some great local theater!

SCHEDULE

Friday, March 27

6:30 pm - Festival Kick-Off Event! Thursday's Theater of Words and Music with special guest Hannah Tinti at The Hawthorne Hotel.

6:00 pm - A Soiree in Salem Reception and Special Exhibition Viewing at The Salem Athenaeum.

8:00 pm - A Soiree in Salem Lecture: Rosamond Bowditch Loring - Boston Bookbinder, Decorated Paper Maker & Modern Woman at Hamilton Hall.

8:00 pm - The Salem Theatre Company Presents An Evening of Pinter at The Griffen Theater.

Saturday, March 28

10:00 am - Mark Karlins and Starring Lorenzo, and Einstein Too at Cornerstone Books.

11:00 am - Henry Cushing's Dilemma: Children's Storytime with Peter Van and Beth Blanchard at Cornerstone Books.

11:00 am - SCRABBLE Tournament at The Salem Athenaeum.

12:00 - 5:00 pm - The Marketplace at Old Town Hall. Come and meet authors as well as representatives from small presses and literary magazines.

12:00 pm - Dreamstarters with Jennifer Karin at Cornerstone Books.

12:00 pm - Noon Workshop: Poetry Prompts with Salem Writers Group at Old Town Hall

1:00 - 3:00 pm - Meet Kat Black at Old Town Hall.

1:00 pm - Author Erin Dionne and Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies at Cornerstone Books.

2:00 pm - Writers' Workshop with Brunonia Barry: Creativity and a Sense of Place at Old Town Hall.

2:00 pm - Author Jan Elizabeth Watson and Asta in the Wings at Cornerstone Books.

3:00 pm - Children's Book Illustrator Giles Laroch at The Salem Athenaeum.

4:00 pm - Author Adam Braver (Mr. Lincoln's War) and his new novel November 22, 1963 at Cornerstone Books.

5:00 pm - Quick Fiction's Afternoon Delight at The Front Street Coffeehouse.

7:00 pm - Salem Arts Association Lit Bop at The Art Corner.

7:00 pm - A Tribute to John Updike at The Salem Athenaeum.

8:00 pm - The Salem Theatre Company Presents An Evening of Pinter at The Griffen Theater.

Sunday, March 29

11:00 am - Brooks Sigler and Five Finger Fiction at Old Town Hall.

12:00 pm - Papermaking with Donna Albino at Cornerstone Books.

1:00 pm - The Particulars of Publishing: A Writer's Workshop at Old Town Hall.

1:00 pm - Family Movie: The Princess Bride at Cornerstone Books.

2:00 pm - The Salem Theatre Company Presents An Evening of Pinter at The Griffen Theater.

3:00 pm - Workshop: Writing with the Senses at Cornerstone Books.

3:00 pm - The Best Women's Travel Writing 2009 at Old Town Hall.

Discover the magic of our new "Discounts & Deals" page!

We have an FAQ page on Salem.org, that is fairly well visited, and I hope it is very helpful to everyone. It's missing a question, though. The most frequently asked question we receive here at Destination Salem is: Where can I find coupons, discounts, and value passes?

Travelers are terribly savvy, and you know there are deals to be had.

Well, in the spirit of customer service and making coming to Salem as easy as possible - we have added a new page to Salem.org! Discounts & Deals features current packages and discounts being offered by all types of businesses and activities in Salem. There are accommodation packages, dining deals, shopping discounts, and discounts for upcoming theatre in Salem.

Check it out! And check it out often, because it is changing and being updated almost every day.

And if we are missing your most frequently asked question from the FAQ page, let me know. We can add to that page, too!

Ye Old Pepper Companie

In the spirit of Women's History Month, I have an excerpt from The Salem Women's Heritage Trail for you today. And it's about candy, so you know it's going to be a sweet story. (Couldn't resist - sorry.)

So, here's today's tale about Salem's "Gibraltar Lady" and the first commercially produced candy in America:

One of the most enduring remnants of Salem's great East India trade era is the "Gibraltar," a candy made famous throughout the world by the Spencers of Salem and currently available at Ye Old Pepper Companie, 122 Derby Street. Salem lore has it that Mary Spencer and her son Thomas sailed from England sometime around 1806 and supposedly lost everything they owned in a shipwreck, eventually finding their way to Salem. A kindly citizen was said to have donated a barrel of sugar to the Spencers who began making the tasty-paper-wrapped, lemon confection in a house at 56 Buffum Street in North Salem. Mary Spencer at first sold the candies on the stoop of the First Church in Town House Square (the current site of Rockafellas restaurant), but was soon able to acquire a cart (now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum) and a shaggy grey pony she used as she made her sales calls. Eventually, Gibraltars, originally called "Gibraltar Rocks" because of their hardness found their way to the farthest corners of the globe on Salem vessels. No Salem ship, it has been said, would dare leave port without a supply!

The confection business was sold around 1830 to John Pepper, who continued making Gibraltars on Buffum Street. Today, you can buy lemon and peppermint Gibraltars at Ye Old Pepper Companie on Derby Street. The business is owned by descendants of George Burkinshaw, who worked for John Pepper in 1830.

Credit for this information goes to Bonnie Hurd Smith and Jim McAllister, two historians who did all the work and made it easy for me to share the story with you. Visit Bonnie's web site to order the Salem Women's Heritage Trail.

Salem.org has a new look!

Today's blog post is primarily intended for those of you who subscribe to the blog, receive it in your emailbox, and thus may not have visited Salem.org recently.

It's time to come back over for a visit.

We've done a bit of early-spring cleaning and spruced the place up. We hope it is more user-friendly and that it loads on your computers and phones easily. The calendar is fresh and new, and full of great things to do every day of the week.
We have listings for attractions, museums, shopping, dining, and tours that make it easy for you to sort through all of the options that exist to make a vacation in Salem great. And you can access the 2009 visitor guide as a PDF, or request a printed copy.

So, take a look and enjoy this new virtual visit to Salem. And don't be a stranger - we are always adding new content, fluffing the pillows, and getting Salem ready for your visit. Whether you're coming for a week or an afternoon, we look forward to having you for a visit.

http://www.salem.org/.