Tish Has Closed

I always hate to post sad news, but it happens.

It seems that Tish has closed her salon doors. I don't even know how many years she has been in town. I do know that the most recent location was her second. My understanding is that she has not been well. We wish her the best and thank her for years of being part of the fabric of Maynard.

So What's Happening With the Fine Arts Theatre's Theater Three?

I've recently had to explain to my six-year-old daughter what chomping at the bit means. "Well, you see, when you really want something and can't seem to wait for it, and start trying to get that thing before it's ready, you're chomping at the bit." She gets it.

Everyone seems to want to know when the Fine Arts Theatre will have theater three completed. I recently asked Steve Trumble (owner of the theater) that very question.


The answer is, it's not that simple.

Steve is a business person and he prides himself on being a smart investor. That said, he did allow himself go ridiculously over his budget—more than double!—on repairs and improvements to the theater, though his friends and lawyers were advising him against it. Maybe that wasn't smart, but I am so glad he did.

So now he finds himself in the situation where he really needs to listen to his advisors. "They've made it quite clear that it would be financially foolish of me to try to finish up theater three before I can afford to, and I'm not sure when exactly that will be, especially since I have to begin planning for a digital conversion."

So it seems that, though he's in love with the theater, he's going to have to resist the urge to just get it all done. As for the rest of us, like Steve, we'll be chomping at the bit for the completion of theater three.

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In other theater news, the Fine Arts Theatre will not be showing any movies on the evening of Wednesday, March 4th, so that OARS can hold their annual film festival.  The event will host a selection of 2015 award-winning films from the nations largest environmental film festival. The event begins at 7 pm (doors open at 6 pm).

This organization's mission statement is to protect, preserve and enhance the natural and recreational features of the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord rivers, their tributaries and watersheds. Please consider attending this very cool event and supporting an organization that helps protect the river that runs through our beloved town.

Clock Tower Place Was Sold

Back at the end of last year, I heard from Joe Mullin (on the Board of CTP) that the bank that held the mortgage on Clock Tower Place was going to be selling that mortgage. It was unclear whether Wellesley Management would remain a partner.

As of Thursday, a new company called Saracen took over the Mill. This new group should have more capital and resources to put into it.

I got this message from Joe yesterday: "Thanks to one and all for the wonderful congrats on my latest "Friday the 13th" Birthday—just two snowy blizzard days ago! As it turns out my B'Day was also my last day at the Maynard Mill, a/k/a Clock Tower Place—in my hometown of Maynard, MA—after 18 terrific years. On to the next horizon—"management consulting", with my new sole proprietorship company, Commonwealth Consulting Service, Inc". "CCSI!"

Joe is a good guy, and we wish him well. Let's hope that this new change at CTP is a win-win, both for the new management company, and the town/citizens of Maynard.

For the Love of Art—February 14th is Second Saturday

Grab your Valentine and check out some art at Second Saturday in Maynard! Be part of the art scene as a new show opens in the ArtSpace Studio gallery (63 Summer St.).

This month the gallery features An Abstract Language, with works by Anthony Falcetta, Barbara Grad, Jo-ann Boback, Jennifer Moses, Lisa Reindorf (curator), Richard Kattman, Sean Mullins, Sebastian Harrington-Labarca, and Taylor Trew.

The event runs from 5-7 pm, but you can arrive earlier at 4 pm for "Mini" Open Studios. Many of artists will have their studios open for you to see their studio space and their work.

Also check out: "Local Martial Arts Master Becomes Digital Andy Bloch." 
Andy is the co-owner of Warrior's Way in Maynard. His martial arts movements have been digitized in the ArtSpace gallery. Andy's movements were captured using an innovative digital motion capture system developed by Noitom Limited based in Beijing, China. Curvin Huber, an artist at ArtSpace sharing a studio with Trina Baker, another artist here, was responsible for the "capture session" as it is referred to in the film and video games industry. The system is inertial which means the actor's movements are recorded by technology similar to what is found in smart phones that tells the phone which end is being held up or down. Most motion capture systems use optical capture technology which requires specialized lighting, making them less adaptable. The Noitom system called Perception Legacy can be used in any lighting environment and takes just minutes to set up. Curvin is planning on utilizing the system within his artwork as a method for interpreting human movement into procedurally-generated 3D imagery. Curvin will be demonstrating how this works during our "Mini" Open Studios. Come check it out!

And, at 3 pm, before all that gets underway at the studio building, head down to the ArtSpace Downtown store, where Leslie Zelamsky will be giving a talk about her powerful work in sculpture and painting.