Mike's Museum Set to Open

If you find yourself walking past 1 Lafeyette St. between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m. and you see a beating heart and fireworks emanating from a seemingly abandoned building, you need not fear.  

It wasn’t the libations or bad shellfish you may have consumed; it's just an art film screened by the owner of Salem’s newest art gallery. Each night until Mike's Musuem opens, artist and gallery owner Mike Lash will be enticing curious onlookers and potential customers alike with an eerie art film from one of his many featured artists. And just like the movies he shows in the twilight each summer night, Lash is looking to bring something different to the Witch City.

“We're looking to showcase not just local and regional artists, but an international palette of painters, sculptors and performers,” Lash explained.

Previously a lifelong resident of Chicago, Lash moved outside Boston with his wife a little over a year ago. Despite the couple’s close proximity to museums like the MFA and the ICA, the couple kept finding their way back to Salem to take in the city’s rich maritime history and eclectic arts scene.

“We like the vibe here,” Lash said of Salem. “It’s a community with traditional values but with open minds.”

Mike’s Museum will exhibit contemporary art from all different mediums, showcasing paintings, sculptures, tapestries, murals and even art films from an extensive pool of artists.

The front portion of the museum will serve as a gallery where selected artists can sell and show their work. Lash is looking to open that space on June 15 featuring a Latin American painter, Luz Gonzales Caballero. 

The larger back portion of the museum will serve as an exhibition space, where up to 200 people can come to enjoy movie screenings, art exhibits and musical performances. Lash is still working to make sure the building is up to code and meets city standards before opening.

Beyond showcasing work from a diverse pool of artists, Lash also plans to show a variety of ethnographic work in his museum, such as Aboriginal art from New Zealand and New Guinea, and his “personal passion,” Pre-Columbian art from the Anicent Americas.

 “We want Mike’s Museum to be both user-friendly and educational,” Lash said. “Salem’s strong cultural roots make it the perfect place to do that and we’re excited to see the results.”

For more information and upcoming shows, check out Mike's Museum online.