This was a great year for arts, entertainment and culture on the North Shore.
Here are a dozen highlights:
- Lynn Museum/LynnArts welcomed a new executive director, Doneeca Thurston, a Lynn native and Classical High School grad. Thurston, who was in charge of creative programs at the Peabody Essex Museum, returned to the museum where she was a graduate curatorial intern during her school days. She succeeded Drew Russo, who accepted a position as the city’s personnel director.
- Peabody Essex Museum in Salem opened its new 40,000-square-foot three-story wing and introduced a new director and CEO, Brian Kennedy, who succeeded Dan Munroe, who retired. PEM also hosted a series of winning exhibitions, including “A Passion for American Art” from the collection of Marblehead’s Carolyn and Peter Lynch and the thought-provoking “Nature’s Nation,” which traced environmental awareness in American art over the past three centuries.
- Lynn Auditorium had its most successful year ever, with more than 80 shows and events filling the city’s major venue. Concerts by Bobby Brown, Billy Idol, Cheap Trick, America, Gladys Knight, Bad Company, Kool & the Gang, and the sensational Ultimate Queen Extravaganza featuring Freddie Mercury soundalike Marc Martel, were highlights. Family events and stars of podcasts and YouTube channels also brought folks to the city. There were also movies, including the 50th anniversary screening of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and the local premiere of Midge Costin’s “Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound.”
- The Cabot in Beverly held a successful fundraiser in support of its 100th birthday, which takes place Dec. 8, 2020. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival with a screening of the film and an exhibit of artifacts from the David Bieber Archives, plus a powerhouse concert schedule. And, of course, the historic theater also showed movies, classics and classics-to-be.
- Beyond Walls’ third summer festival, July 22 to Aug. 3, culminated with a block party in Central Square. Some 16 artists from 11 countries came to Lynn and installed 18 installations, bringing the murals collection to 65 pieces.
- Galleries At Lynn Arts (GALA) had an ambitious first year, presenting some dozen shows at its space in Central Square and moving outside to libraries and other spots. Its membership has grown to nearly 100.
- ReachArts, the non-profit group of artists and residents working to create a cultural hub on Burrill Street in Swampscott, continued to expand its mission. In addition to hosting gallery shows and an eclectic bunch of classes for youth and adults, it presented the initial well-received PorchFest music event outside numerous area homes.
- The acoustic me&thee coffeehouse in Marblehead celebrated its 50th anniversary with a stellar lineup of old favorites and up-and-coming folk performers. The good times will continue in February, when the winter schedule begins.
- North Shore Music Theatre, the venerable theater-in-the-round in Beverly, had a particularly strong year, presenting excellent productions of “Oklahoma,” “Jersey Boys,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Bodyguard,” and the beloved “A Christmas Carol,” starring, of course, David Coffee as Scrooge for the 26th year.
- The third annual Festival La Voz moved to a bigger venue (Fraser Field) this year and featured an impressive lineup of international music acts that wowed a larger-than-ever crowd.
- The arts are alive and well in downtown Peabody, which is quickly becoming an arts destination thanks to the Cultural Collaborative, Peabody Art Association, Northeast Arc’s Black Box Theatre, Wiggin Auditorium, the Elizabeth Cassidy Folk Art Museum, the George Peabody House and Leatherworkers Museum, the Peabody Institute Library, and the Peabody Historical Society. The Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) awarded the Collaborative and the city its first Creative Placemaking Grant for CuriousCity, a temporary pop-up children’s museum
- The Downtown Lynn Cultural District was a beehive of activity in 2019, thanks to edgy theater and youth workshops by Arts After Hours, myriad programs by Raw Art Works, the growth of the statewide ArtWeek, and a blending of history and art at a celebration of City Hall’s 70th anniversary.
Also of note:
In Lynn, the World Music Festival at High Rock Tower drew raves, as did the annual Lydia Pinkham Open Studios event and several music performances in Central Square hosted by Street Soul Music and Ironbound.
The Theatre Company of Saugus continued to present quality productions, as did Nahant’s Forty Steps Dance and the local Delvena Theatre Co. The Lynnfield Art Guild continued to build momentum, hosting wonderful art shows in the spring and fall at the Meeting House, supporting the Garden Club’s “Art in Bloom” event and awarding scholarships to high school graduates who intend to study in a full-time college art program.
Top folk acts took the stage at the long-running Saturday Night in Marblehead concerts at the Church of St. Andrew. Year after year, the Marblehead Arts Association and the annual Marblehead Festival of Arts excel, as do Marblehead Little Theatre and the North Shore Children’s Theatre.
In Beverly, the Larcom Theatre offered comedy, music and more, and the newer 9 Wallis space presented ambitious music bookings of local and national acts. Breakaway in Danvers, Opus in Salem, and Capone’s and Stonewood Tavern in Peabody are among the restaurants that continued their longtime commitment to presenting live music by local professional bands and singer-songwriters.
The college scene was active, too, at Salem State University, North Shore Community College, and Montserrat College of Art. It’s rewarding to see area high school theater, music and art programs offering opportunities to students throughout the North Shore.
In addition, all area libraries and historical societies hosted a variety of events, author talks, performances, film screenings and the like. Topsfield Fair is still going strong in its 201st year. And, of course, the Encore casino opened in Everett.
