Last hidden column for tag filter | |
---|---|
![]() Amesbury Local Artist
Sep. 21, 2022
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." |
|
Amesbury Fire Department Update
Sep. 28, 2022
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.” |
|
Sep. 28, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Oct. 05, 2022 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Grab your favorite flannel, a warm beverage and some guests. Next Wednesday (10/5) we will have a sunset meeting at Lake Attitash in Amesbury to hear from Derek with the Lake Attitash Association. Lake Attitash is a great part of Amesbury that not everyone knows a lot about. We will hear about the lake, lake treatment and some other things we don’t think about such as wildlife, watershed and the protection of trees.
(We won’t have Zoom access. It’s well social distanced. In case of bad weather, we will be at Gametime, a decision to be made that day.)
1 Lakeshore Drive, Amesbury, MA 01913
From 110: Old County Road, an immediate right on 1st street or a 2nd right onto 2nd street, a right at the bottom of the hill until you see H2O, a right and then straight into the open gate. Text Eric Palen at 978-697-5146 if you have any difficulties.
|
|
Oct. 12, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Collaborative Innovation Works
Oct. 19, 2022
OUR MISSION: CI Works creates energetic work environments built on collaboration and open interaction to improve how we work and how we do business. OUR CAMPUS: Our campus is an adaptive reuse building, leasing for manufacturing, office and co-working space that’s actually affordable. Address is 11 Chestnut Street, Amesbury, MA 01913 OUR TEAM: Our team is built of business experts, economic advisors, entrepreneurs, artists and craftsman, regional leaders, and an incredible array of networks of expertise to help your company find the path to even greater success.
​ |
|
|
|
Oct. 26, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Amesbury Cultural Council
Nov. 02, 2022
WHO WE AREWe 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. |
|
Nov. 09, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Nov. 09, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Nov. 16, 2022 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Nov. 22, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
This year our annual pre-Thanksgiving Day lunch with both the Amesbury and Newburyport high school teams will be hosted by Newburyport on Tueaday, November 22, at the Newburyport Elks Lodge, 25 Low Street.
If there will be Zoom capabiities available, a link will be sent out in the AMSB co-presidents weekly email.
|
|
Nov. 30, 2022 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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.
|
|
Dec. 07, 2022 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Dec. 14, 2022 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Dec. 21, 2022 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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. |
|
Dec. 26, 2022 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Dec. 28, 2022
|
|
|
|
Jan. 04, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Jan. 11, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
Merrimack River Watershed Council
Jan. 11, 2023 12:15 p.m.
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. |
|
Holly B's Woodworking
Jan. 18, 2023 5:00 p.m.
|
|
Jan. 18, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Jan. 25, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Jan. 25, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
Feb. 01, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
Feb. 01, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Feb. 08, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
Feb. 15, 2023 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
|
|
Feb. 15, 2023 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Our Neighbor's Table service project- 3:30-6:30PM serving boxed meals from the Main Street Congregational Church ( where we used to serve the sit-down meals pre-Covid). Members can help for the full time or sign up for shifts of an hour, hour and a half, or two hours- only 3-5 Rotarians are needed at any one time. NO EVENING MEETING AT GAMETIME, AND NO ZOOM HYBRID CAPABILITY FOR THIS MEETING.
|
|
|
|
Feb. 22, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
Feb. 28, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
|
|
Mar. 01, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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. |
|
CNA Stores ; Medical & Recreational Marajuana
Mar. 08, 2023 12:00 p.m.
|
|
Mar. 08, 2023 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
|
|
Mar. 15, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
|
|
Mar. 15, 2023 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
|