Events

AMESBURY — Ron Quinn has dedicated most of his life to art and his most ambitious project — 365 oil paintings, which he painted one per day for the past year — has just reached its conclusion.

"My girlfriend (Sandy) says it looks like a lunatic lives here," Quinn said. "I told her 'one does.'"

An impressionist working mostly in oil, Quinn, 63, was a married electronic technician in his 20s when he was asked to paint a simple sign for his parents' wedding anniversary and he never turned back.

"As soon as I made the first mark, I said, 'I love this,'" Quinn said. "It just struck a chord. So I quit my job and came home and told my wife that I was going to be an artist."

Having retired after a 21-year career as an art director for AT&T, the Amesbury native often draws inspiration from the work of Vincent van Gogh. Quinn recently became known for live painting at such events as the Fireball Run, the Amesbury Days Art Show & Sale and the Amesbury Pines Music Festival.

"I don't call myself an artist," Quinn said. "Too many people use that title. I call myself a painter. That's what I do. I was trying to find my style and I fell in love with (van Gogh) instantly. It was the color and the texture that spoke to me in volumes."

Working primarily in oil, Quinn has tried to paint something substantial each July 29 to honor van Gogh's death on that date in 1890.

"I feel like I am keeping his legacy going if I paint on that day," Quinn said.

Quinn was too busy to paint a larger piece last July 29, but that's when inspiration struck.

"I only had the time to do one of these little cubes, which was of a red lily in my friend's garden," he said. "So I painted it and then the next day, I didn't feel like I had done enough. So I told my girlfriend I was going to paint one every day for a week. That way I would have seven of them."

Quinn immediately set about his first week of painting cubes but once the week was over, it still wasn't enough.

"I found out, during the last 70 days of Van Gogh's life, he painted 70 paintings," Quinn said. "So my seven seemed pretty weak right then. I looked at Sandy and asked, 'Do you think I can do it for a year?' She said, 'You are out of your mind.' and I am like, 'maybe?'"

Crazy or not, Quinn has spent the past year painting one 4-inch by 4-inch cube each day and was scheduled to finish the project with a replication of van Gogh's "Wheatfield with Crows" Friday night.

"I was probably a month in when I realized I was hooked," Quinn said. "That's when it became a mission."

Nothing deterred him in his mission either, not even a near-fatal heart attack his mother suffered in October.

"She was rushed to the hospital, the whole nine yards," Quinn said. "I came home that night, totally drained but I was like, 'Where's my paints?'"

With his mother on the mend, Quinn has spent the spring and summer finishing up his work, painting Rockport, Gloucester, Newburyport, Salisbury and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, along the way.

"I want to get people involved in the process so I went to Facebook and told them to send me a photo, any photo at all," Quinn said. "I got a string of pets, not one landscape. So I painted a bunch of pets and I had a ball doing them. I really did."

Most of his paintings are local landscapes. Each cube is numbered, dated and signed on the back. Having covered every wall in his Fruit Place kitchen, now that his project is finished, Quinn is ready to find a suitable home for it.

"Ideally I'd like to get this to a museum," he said. "That would be my number one option. That way they are going to be seen as a group and will stay all together. A lot of museums buy collections and put them in their permanent collection. That is a possibility. Obviously, it is a long shot."

 Mayor Gove said that “I want to thank Interim Chief Nolan and Bill Shute for stepping up at this critical time,” Gove said in a statement. “Chief Nolan has demonstrated an incredible commitment to our city and Bill has tremendous experience to offer. Together, I am confident they will provide solid leadership for our staff, and I look forward to working with them.’

Shute will oversee day-to-day operations, including but not limited to budgeting, personnel and general administration, according to the city.

Nolan started with the Fire Department in 1995 as a part-time, call-in firefighter. He became a full-time firefighter/EMT in 1997, then held the role of acting lieutenant from 2012-13. In June 2014, he was promoted to lieutenant, and in July 2015 was promoted again to acting deputy chief. In 2019, Nolan was promoted to deputy fire chief and fire prevention officer.

In a written statement, Nolan said his goal was to continue providing a “high level of service excellence that the members of the Amesbury Fire Department provide to the citizens and visitors of Amesbury every day. “

“These are very difficult times in the post-COVID world that we live in, and together with Bill, the members of the Fire Department and I will continue to face these challenges head on,” Nolan said in the statement. “ I will work with the mayor and the City Council to keep the Fire Department in a forward motion during this transition. I would also like to thank Chief Berkenbush for his service to the Amesbury Fire Department.”

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To honor World Polio Day (10/24)

WHO WE ARE

We are a Local Cultural Council (LCC), one of 329 LCCs throughout the state of Massachusetts. This program, established in 1982, empowers towns and municipalities to provide financial support to artists, creators, educators, and cultural influencers in their own communities. The Massachusetts' LCC program is the largest of its kind in the country. The Amesbury Cultural Council is a group of local volunteers, appointed by the Mayor, who come from all walks of life to help promote and facilitate cultural activities and the arts in Amesbury.

This is our annual celebration of Veteran's Day and our way of saying thanks for their service. Please invite one or more veterans, and let Donna Collin and/or Todd Schell know who, and how many no later than the close of business, November 7.

We'll be tasting and learning about gourmet chocolates (including some gluten-free ones)and chocolate making.The suite is on the second floor and there is no elevator; they'll have a few chairs available for anyone who wants to sit but this will mostly be a mixing and mingling event, with info shared by Sharon Maxell, Mike Nichols, and Chef Delphin.  The backstory is very interesting and the chocolates are great!    I WILL want a head count for this one - please let me (Donna) know by close of business, November 28. Mere words don't do justice to this small business, so pleae visit their great web site at www.mcacao.com to see what a treat you're in for.

Our annual Holiday Party will be held at Game Time, Wednesday, December 21, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Please let either of our co-presidents; Donna Collins or Eric Palen know if you will be attending and if you are bringing a guest no later than close of business on Monday, December 19.

There will not be Zoom connection for this meeting.

They'll talk about activities the group does to promote education and awareness about the health of the river, as well as give us stats on that- I asked that they focus on the former... I (Donna) have gone on several hikes/walks with the group and they are very interesting, combining history and environmental issues pertinent to the specific area being visited.

Aumnii Emporium/Aumnii Studio sells “boutique” home decorating items and teaches classes as well. They do some furniture “refinishing” as well as selling smaller items. They’re leaving their current space ( where we’ll be visiting them) and going to on- line mode for sales; not sure what the plans are for the classes but I know they’ve used the Hamilton Gateway Building for some.

This is an off site evening meeting. There is no meeting at Game Time this week. Since this is off site meeting, there is no hybrid meeting capability or Zoom link.

Scott Winters has been a cannabis advocate for most of his adult life. In 2016, Amesbury’s mayor appointed Scott to the city’s cannabis committee, along with members representing law enforcement.

President Elect Steve will be singing an Irish karaoke to honor St. Patrick's Day