'Thank You For Smiling' — Chalk Artists Spread Happy Messages in North Salem

During that brief period before the week's drenching rains, two North Salem girls tagged their neighborhood sidewalks and streets with messages of hope.

As urban dwellers, we're used to graffiti. When it's done with spray paint and involves gang signs, that's one thing. But when it's young girls armed with brightly-colored chalk and optimism, it's a different story. At least that's how I felt early this week when I saw two neighbor girls chalking positive messages on the sidewalks and road surfaces along Buffum Street. I've got to say I was happier seeing these than the aggressive chalk messages one neighbor was forced to leave because of un-neighborly dog walkers. Here's a gallery of the girls' messages, all of which have since been washed away by the soaking rains.

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A 'Hideous Future' Coming to Griffen Theatre

Cyberpunk musical comedy "2010:Our Hideous Future" in town on July 21.

  Are you a fan of dystopian tales? Perhaps you're more into synthpop, musicals or queer-friendly love stories. Whichever genre strikes a chord with you, 2010: Our Hideous Future — a cyberpunk musical comedy — touches on a variety of themes, and Carl Danielson and Andy Hicks say their show has already resonated with a variety of people. "People have sworn up and down they don't like musicals or scifi, they've seen this and loved it," said Hicks. "It's really touching to see that." The show, which follows main character, Kate Brick, as she navigates a world of artificial life forms that control humans (with the help of social media, believe it or not), is slated to show on July 21 at 8 p.m. at the Griffen Theatre. Danielson and Hicks said …

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Poetry Festival Starts Friday

Two-day event to feature workshops, readings, family-friendly events.

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival rolls into town on Friday, April 20. The two-day event will feature workshops, readings and panels. Events specifically for families will be available as well. "The purpose of MassPoetry.org (which puts on the festival), is to create resources to aid and support the Massachusetts poetry community, to reconnect poetry to more mainstream culture, to create new audiences for poetry and to organize the poetry community throughout the state," according to MassPoetry website. Some events in this weekend's lineup require pre-registration. Local sponsers include Destination Salem, Salem State University, the Trolley Depot, the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables. For more on the festival, …

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Creative Salem Now Open

New initiative aims to promote Salem, foster innovation.

The following is courtesy of Creative Salem. March 29 marked the official launch of Creative Salem, a local initiative with a mission to promote Salem as a hub of creativity, and to facilitate networking, growth, and innovation among the businesses and individuals that form the creative economy. Businessman Darek Barcikowski and local entrepreneur and entertainment producer Kevin Letourneau are behind the Creative Salem project. “Salem truly is a hub of creativity that is perfectly positioned for growth due to the abundance of affordable office space, proximity to a major city and most importantly, access to a huge pool of local talent,” said Barcikowski.   Creative Salem's mission involves the launch of a new web page, industry events and…

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Maggi Smith-Dalton

10:29 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Huzzah!   more ›

PHOTOS: Salem Ota Club Hosts Japanese Visitors

Tradition with Salem's sister city goes back 20 years.

The Salem Ota Club hosted some annual visitors from Ota, Japan over the weekend. The Ota Club has conducted visitor exchanges with our Japanese friends since 1991. Ota, Japan is Salem's sister city. These scenes are from the farewell luncheon at Rockafellas on Sunday.

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You Ask...Patch Answers

What is Steampunk?

Our trusty detective learns about Steampunk and why it's so popular in Salem.

It's time for another addition of You Ask...Patch Answers with Contributor Tyler Twombly. You may have seen people dressed in clothes out of a Jules Verne novel around the City. You may have also heard the term "Steampunk" thrown around. Who are these people? Why do they dress the way they do? What is Steampunk? Here is a report from our trusty detective: Whether you know what “Steampunk” is or not, it is here in Salem and thriving. Steampunk can be described as a style of dress, a way of life, a genre of science-fiction or all of the above. So-called “Steampunks” enjoy dressing in a way which harkens back to the Victorian era. Also, the vision or imagination of an alternate world history as it pertains to the evolution of technology  is …

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Liz

11:06 am on Thursday, April 28, 2011

At the risk of incurring the wrath of many of my friends, I agree in part with Thomas. Though to be fair, it's not just middle-class teenagers - plenty of adults participate in the Steampunk aesthetic (I wouldn't go as far as to call it a movement - like Thomas said, it does nothing to [attempt to] change society, ergo why the "Punk" monkier?). In the name of objectivity, I'll refrain from …   more ›

Artist Brian Gordon — Chaos Put Into Perspective

Stand-up comic turned collage artist, Brian Gordon, talks about his show and his art on display this month at CinemaSalem.

The entire month of December, CinemaSalem is displaying work by artist Brian Gordon. Gordon is a Salem resident and former stand-up comedian. In his career as a comedian, he performed all over the country and also appeared in an episode of "Last Comic Standing." Gordon's current medium is hand-cut collage. "It sprang from the burnout I was experiencing making other art," he said in his artist's statement. "I thought collage would be a great way to free my mind and let my instincts take over with no fear of there being a right or wrong to what I was doing." The materials used in his expansive, detailed and playful pieces are entirely vintage. Using an X-acto knife and a pair of scissors, Gordon cuts out shapes and characters from 1920s …

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