North of Boston

Gloucester Stage Company presents DALLOWAY: FIRST LOVE by Lindsay Joelle
2026-08-29 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-08-29 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Gloucester Stage Company, East Main Street 267, Gloucester, M, 01930, United States
From the playwright behind last season’s The Garbologists comes an unlikely world premiere of feminine proportions. Clarissa Perry is a tree climbing, combat boot wearing goth with no interest in entertaining the slew of suitors found by her money-strapped father. The pressure is on Clarissa to find a husband and save her family’s estate when she receives a visit from an unapologetic, care-free suffragette who could convince Clarissa that she might want to forge a new path for herself. Experience a modern, coming-of-age story in this stand-alone prequel to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway.
Written by Lindsay Joelle and directed by Rebecca Bradshawº, this world premiere production runs August 13 to August 29. All performances are at the Natti-Willsky Performance Center – 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Showtimes are Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, with matinees Saturdays & Sunday at 2:00pm.

Rocky Neck Art Colony presents Making an Impression: Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Vision
2026-09-03 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-10 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-17 12:00 - 17:00 | MA
Gloucester, MA — Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is pleased to present Making an Impression: Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Vision, an exhibition featuring the work of 19 artists from Cape Ann and beyond exploring the rich and varied language of printmaking. Through both traditional and contemporary approaches, the exhibition showcases a diverse range of techniques, offering a thoughtfully curated selection that reflects the vitality and creative possibilities of the medium today.
For centuries, artists have developed innovative methods for creating multiple original impressions from a single matrix. In Making an Impression, participating artists employ a variety of printmaking processes, often combining techniques or incorporating additional materials to expand the expressive potential of their work. Together, these prints highlight the versatility, craftsmanship, and enduring relevance of printmaking as a contemporary art form.
The exhibition invites visitors to discover the many ways artists continue to push the boundaries of this historic medium while honoring its rich traditions.
The public is warmly invited to attend the Artists’ Reception on Sunday, August 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, meet the participating artists, and enjoy light refreshments in the gallery.
Exhibiting Artists: Lisa Barthelson (Boston area), Christine Beneman (Portland, ME), CoCo Berkman (Gloucester), David Brown (Rockport), Sandra Cardillo (Boston area), David Covert (Gloucester), David Curcio (Salem), Leslie Ann Eliet (Gloucester), Deborah Epstein (Cape Ann/Boston), Nina Fletcher (Cape Ann), Don Gorvett (Cape Ann), Barbara Grad (Boston area), Jane Keddy (Cape Ann), Catherine Kernan (Boston area), Denise Manseau (New Hampshire), Mary Rhinelander (Cape Ann), Julia Talcott (Cape Ann), Dorothea Van Camp (Boston area), Constance Vallis (Cape Ann).
About the Rocky Neck Art Colony
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, nurtures excellence in the arts through exhibitions, workshops, residencies and vibrant cultural events for its members and the public. On picturesque Rocky Neck in Gloucester, Massachusetts, RNAC operates three exhibition spaces, open to the public for free: The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck (6 Wonson Street); The Salted Cod Arthouse (53 Rocky Neck Ave.), a partnership gallery and café; and Cove Gallery (37 Rocky Neck Ave.), open seasonally in the former gallery of local artists Gordon and Judith Goetemann. Check the website www.rockyneckartcolony.org for hours, openings and special events. For more information, see the website or call 978-515-7004.

En Plein Air Sketch Classes with Sue Wheeler
2026-09-05 09:30 - 11:30, 2026-09-10 13:00 - 15:00 | Hammond Castle Museum, 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
From stick figure doodlers to first-rate talents, join us for a seaside, En Plein Air sketch class with Sue Wheeler of Arts Abound in Magnolia. All skill levels are welcome! This two-hour session includes a 30-minute beginner sketch lesson. All you need to bring is a sketchbook, pencils, a ruler, and an eraser. Please note: watercolors, pastels, oils, or acrylics are not permitted on the Museum grounds.
Attendees who wish to tour the Hammond Castle Museum after this class are entitled to a 20% discount on a self-guided tour. Tour tickets may be purchased in the Museum Shop before 2:30 pm on the day of this class.
Class Schedule:
Thursday Plein Air Sketch classes: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
May:14
June: 11
July 23: (6 – 8 pm)
August: 6
September: 10
October: 8
Saturday En Plein Air Sketch classes: 9:30 am- 11:30 am.
May: 9
June: 20
July:18
August: 1
September: 5
October: 3
All classes are $25 each. Museum Member savings apply.
Weather-dependent; classes may be canceled, and reservations will be refunded if necessary.
About Sue Wheeler:
Sue has a lifetime of making art through various mediums from delectable pastries to abstracts in pastels, watercolor, and acrylics. She enjoys using her creative flair in quilting and interior design as well.
Sue graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor’s in business with a focus on hospitality management and earned an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America. Following her tenure as a pastry chef in New Hampshire, Sue returned to school for a certificate in graphic design and put her talents to use as a designer in the book publishing and art publishing industries in Vermont. In early 2019, Sue opened her own gallery and studio, Arts Abound in Magnolia Village, MA, as an artistic haven for local artists. Through the gallery, over 30 artists featured their creative works, ranging from paintings, hand-painted silk scarves, silver jewelry, and more. Sue also ran many workshops and classes featuring many of the artists. Often, Sue would work late into the night, painting in her Arts Abound studio. After closing the gallery in 2022, Sue continued to offer the often sold-out painting classes, taught by some of the Arts Abound artists.
Sue has studied under numerous artists to learn watercolor, acrylic painting, cold wax & oil, and collage. Her goals for the Hammond Castle Museum sketch classes are to engage those who are new to the world of art and reinvigorate those who haven’t picked up a blank canvas or sketch pad in a long time. Sue’s philosophy on the creative process encourages you to be less concerned about the final product and instead to enjoy the journey of creativity and get lost in the moment. Once you find yourself in your work, you may just be surprised!

Free First Wednesday: Grandparents Day Festival
2026-09-09 16:00 - 18:00 | Wenham Museum, 132 Main St., Route 1A, Wenham, MA, 01984, United States
Celebrate Grandparents’ Day at Wenham Museum! 🎉
Make memories together on Wednesday, September 9! Enjoy FREE museum admission and spend the day exploring the galleries, creating together, and celebrating the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
What’s happening:
🖼️ Explore the Museum’s galleries together
🎨 Get creative with hands-on crafts
🖼️ Decorate your own picture frame to take home
☕ Special Grandparents’ Day Tea Party at 4:30 PM!
Bring that special grandparent, grandchild, or both and make some wonderful memories together!
Wednesday, September 9
FREE Museum Admission
Tea Party at 4:30 PM
All Ages
Please note: This month’s Free First Wednesday will take place on the SECOND Wednesday of the month.
This event is generously sponsored by @cfce_grantee and @cherryfarmcreamery We are so grateful for your support and for helping us create this meaningful experience for families in our community!

Artist Talk: Fiona Sinéad Brehony
2026-09-10 18:00 - 20:00 | The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, M, 01930, United States
Join Manchester-based artist, Fiona Sinéad Brehony at her Artist Talk to learn about her process and technique in her residency in collaboration with Ocean Alliance, made possible through the Goetemann Artist Residency program.
The residency offers Brehony an opportunity to explore Gloucester Harbor through Richard White’s concept of the organic machine, simultaneously a natural system and human infrastructure, yet also something so vast and distributed it exceeds our ability to fully grasp it.
She will engage in acts of listening, watching and writing to see what emerges, inviting participants in for gatherings where ideas can transform collectively. Working with Ocean Alliance’s whale song archives, she hopes to develop poetic work that explores ocean presence, waters shared with whales, where freshwater meets salt and interaction shifts from intimate to incomprehensible.

Gloucester Stage Company presents MOON MAN WALK by James Ijames
2026-09-10 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-09-13 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-09-19 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-09-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Gloucester Stage Company, East Main Street 267, Gloucester, M, 01930, United States
Travel to the moon and back as Spencer revisits his childhood home in Philadelphia following his mother’s passing. With the help of the unfettered Petrushka, along with the haunting memory of his mother, Spencer dives into the mystery of his youth and uncovers the true identity behind his estranged father. Journey through time and space as we discover how our pasts shape, protect, and connect us all in this time-bending, regional premiere drama.
Written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames and directed by Dawn M. Simmonsº, Moon Man Walk runs September 13 to 29. All performances are at the Natti-Willsky Performance Center – 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Showtimes are Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, with matinees Saturdays & Sunday at 2:00pm.

Pastel Workshop: The Nature of Color with Kimberly Jermain
2026-09-12 10:30 - 12:30 | Cape Ann Museum Green, 13 Poplar Street, Gloucester, MA, 01930, United States
Discover the power of color in the natural world during this two-hour outdoor workshop led by artist and author Kimberly Collins Jermain. Set on the CAM Green, this hands-on session introduces participants to working with pastel through an exercise from Jermain’s newly published book The Nature of Color, which presents her innovative, nature-based approach to understanding and using color in art.
Note: Materials included. Class time is primarily outdoors; please dress appropriately for the weather.
Kimberly Collins Jermain is a landscape painter, teacher, and architectural color designer whose work uses the power of color to change how we experience the world. Since 1989, Kimberly has collaborated with over 800 clients, including homeowners, architects, interior designers, developers, and commercial property owners on color design projects.

CAM Talk: Cape Ann Museum – Then, Now, and Tomorrow
2026-09-13 14:00 - 15:30 | Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, 01930, United States
Join the Bayliss Society at the Cape Ann Museum on September 13 for the closing program of this year’s Jonathan Bayliss Society annual conference, “Gloucester’s Acropolis: Defining the City Then and Now.” This final session features a series of short talks exploring the role and influence of Cape Ann Museum in the community life of Gloucester throughout its existence, with a glimpse toward an exciting future as well.
Speakers are CAM’s Director Oliver Barker, Chief Curator Martha Oaks, and former Museum volunteer Deanie Hancock French. Deanie’s father, the major American sculptor Walker Hancock, was involved for many years in the development of what was then called the Cape Ann Historical Association.
About the Conference
Novelist Jonathan Bayliss (1926–2009) coined the term Acropolis to describe the cluster of civic institutions rising above Gloucester Harbor—City Hall, Sawyer Free Library, the Museum, and neighboring landmarks. This year’s conference brings that idea to life through talks, walks, and readings from September 11–13, exploring how this hillside cultural district has shaped Gloucester from the 19th century to today.
The conference is organized by the Jonathan Bayliss Society in collaboration with Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester Writers Center, and Sawyer Free Library, with support from the Gloucester Cultural Council, Mass Cultural Council, and the Bruce Cove Foundation.
More information is available at www.jonathanbayliss.org/acropolis.

COME FROM AWAY!
2026-09-16 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-16 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-09-17 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-09-18 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-09-19 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-19 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-09-20 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-22 19:30 - 20:30 and 4 more dates | North Shore Music Theatre, Dunham Road 54, Beverly, MA, 01915, United States
COME FROM AWAY is a moving and uplifting musical based on the true story of what happened in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001. When 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 passengers were unexpectedly diverted there, the residents of this isolated community opened their hearts and homes to the stranded travelers. What began as a day of global tragedy transformed into a powerful tale of compassion, connection, and humanity. With a vibrant, folk-inspired score and a fast-paced, ensemble-driven narrative, COME FROM AWAY captures the tensions, culture clashes, and eventual camaraderie that unfolded over several unforgettable days. This Tony® Award-winning musical celebrates the best of the human spirit and the extraordinary capacity for good in the face of crisis.

Artful Conversations: Sierra ‘Autumn’ Henries with her Father, Hawk Henries, 2024, by Matika Wilbur
2026-09-17 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-09-24 12:30 - 13:30 | Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, 01930, United States
Join Us Mid-Day for Artful Conversations
Take a midday pause and experience one work of art in depth.
Artful Conversations are informal, docent-led gallery experiences that invite visitors to slow down, look closely, and engage in thoughtful conversation. Each session features a work of art or object that is new to view—whether a recent acquisition or a work newly installed in the galleries.
The program begins in the Education Room at our Downtown Campus with a brief introduction and visual context before moving into the galleries for an extended exploration of the featured work. Guided by observation, curiosity, and conversation, participants are encouraged to share ideas, consider different perspectives, and discover new connections together.
This week for Artful Conversations
In 2025, CAM acquired two 2023 photographs by Matika Wilbur as part of the Museum’s Native Initiatives, a project that culminated in a landmark exhibition of Wilbur’s work at the CAM Green. Wilbur’s work reshapes how Indigenous Peoples are represented across the United States, centering contemporary Native identity and celebrating the vibrancy of Indigenous culture today.
Please join CAM docent Maggie Rosa for an engaging conversation as she reflects on what these photographs reveal—about the photographer, about the individuals portrayed, and about the evolving stories they invite us to understand more deeply.
Born and raised in England, Maggie Rosa moved to the Chicago in 1968 to work as a research technician at the University of Chicago. During her eight years in Chicago, she married Joe and obtained her PhD. The two of them did post-doctoral research at Yale and then moved to Cambridge to join the nascent biotech world. They eventually built a weekend home in Gloucester. In 2001 they “saw the light” and moved here permanently to participate in this great community. Maggie is an active volunteer in local organizations, most recently the City Hall Restoration Commission, Gloucester Education Foundation, Cape Ann Museum, and Generous Gardeners. As a Cape Ann Museum docent, she serves as an ambassador for Gloucester by introducing visitors, especially cruise ship visitors, to Cape Ann’s history and culture. CAM’s Fresnel lighthouse lens is her favorite piece in the Museum because it exemplifies how science, technology and art were combined to address an urgent need in maritime safety.

Isamu Noguchi-Inspired Cross-Cultural Storytelling Workshop
2026-09-19 11:00 - 23:45 | Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Bring the whole family to listen to a storyteller share tales about nature, form and creativity, followed by a hands‑on segment where everyone is invited to create together. This all-ages workshop is designed to highlight ideas of storytelling through paper, visual narrative, handmade objects — concepts central to Noguchi’s work. Be sure to check out Isamu Noguchi: “I am not a designer” after the session!
