Not all of the buildings in the Christmas In Salem tour are homes. This part of the tour took us to the Grace Church.
Grace Church has been at its current location since 1926. Previously, it was a wooden Gothic Revival building in 1869. The original church was demolished as it was deemed inadequate for the needs of the congregation. Philip Horton Smith and Edgar Walker, both architects of Salem, constructed the stone masonry late Gothic Revival structure that exists at the location today. Four of the stained glass windows in the church were transferred from the original 1856 structure, two of which are by Tiffany.
While the church was being built, Grace Church acquired the Burill House as a Parish House. The building has been remodeled and enlarged while adding a cloistered wing to the church.
Susan Gentile’s “Heavenly Light” art project adorns the walls of the church.
If you look closely at this stained glass window, you may see some historical figures (besides the obvious one).
In the second row of the stained glass window, there are images of Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Mother Teresa.
Grace Church is involved in many activities and causes such as the Abundant Life Garden which engages children in scripture and agriculture as well as many other causes.
Summary: Performers entertained visitors with gravity defying acts, fire breathing and other jaw dropping tricks!
Fiery frights awaited all at this year’s Phantoms By Firelight event at Old Sturbridge Village.
An array of performers, dare devils and acrobats entertained countless visitors last month at Old Sturbridge Village.
Perhaps this event should have been titled, “don’t try this at home.”
The family friendly event included card tricks by Magnus The Magnificent.
There were also games like this World Scramble game. Can you guess the phrase hidden in this world scramble?
After all the fun and games, it was off to the Village Common to watch Alexander the Upside Down Man.
The feats of strength by Andrew were very impressive!
Whew! I got sore and tired just watching Alexander!
Next on the list of things I’ll never be able to do was the rope climbing extraordinaire Philomena.
But, before the show got started, the ring master got the crowd pumped up for the event!
After all that climbing, Philomena took a well deserved rest!
After the show, I was able to take a photo of the star of the show!
As the evening wore on and darkness fell upon the village, The performers kept everyone warm and entertained! Ignatius and Anastasia, aka the Masters Of The Flame, kept everyone enthralled with their fiery tricks! I liked the contrast of the agility and graceful of Philomena and the pure rock and roll daredevil action of Ignatius and Anastasia!
After that breath taking display, it was on to the Cyrkus Vampyr Finale Ultimo. As the name would seem to suggest, this was the finale of the evening.
This performance included some awesome acrobatics and more fun with fire!
There were also additional shows at the event. In the spirit of the Halloween season, there were some macabre events like this re-enactment and info session about wakes. This event was both respectful and informative.
There was a lot of differences from wakes during the early 1800s. For instance, during the early 1800s, which is the time frame Old Sturbridge Village is based, people didn’t take visitors for wakes. People’s wakes were very different. People mourned and reflected on their own. A casket with a mannequin represented how the people would mourn.
The lighting and decor added to the atmosphere of the event.
The performers at the event were not the only people who dressed up! Some of the visitors also wore costumes or other decorative items.
In addition to all of the performances, there was a Clues & Candy game where they had to collect stamps to complete a picture. The lucky ones who completed the tasks were rewarded with a treat pick up! There were also demonstrations of casket making, musicians and spooking story telling!
Despite all of the fire and death defying acrobats (or maybe because of it), the Phantoms By Firelight event was a big hit with both old young!
Location: Behind Joane Cornell Jewelry Store (63 Church St, Lenox, MA)
Hours: Art is available for viewing 24 hours
Cost: Free to view (unless you want to buy something)
Parking: Free street parking is available on Church St (although it may have time limits). There is also a parking lot on Franklin St that you may use for short term parking.
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes
Highlights: Variety of unique art and decorative items made by New England artist Tom Fiorini
You interested in a doghouse covered with license plates? (dogs sold separately)
How about a some carved fish? (at least you don’t need to feed them or buy a tank for them)
Perhaps you’re looking for boat? I’m just not sure if she is sea-worthy.
Tucked away behind the Joane Cornell Jewelry store at 63 Church St, Lenox, MA (at least for now), Tom Fiorino’s art, sculptures and other unique items offer an unusual brand of decorative items.
Tom Fiorini is not your orthodox artist. He works mainly with metals and often times his choice of tool is a chainsaw. Much of his art is made of normal, everyday materials reshaped and manufactured into a completely different.
Tom’s signs, with their offbeat slogans and designs, may be the highlight of his collection.
Tom also uses his creativity to make his art and create arrtful designs.
I don’t know about you but sometimes I could really use this really big bottle of wine.
Other miscellaneous works of art are scattered around the lawn.
As you can see by his art, Tom has a great sense of humor.
Also, his prices may be negotiable based on the sign below.
For now, Tom’s work can be viewed at the address listed above on Church St. I am not sure where he stores his sculptures during the winter season. You can contact him at his website listed above for more information. Below is more information about him and his art.
Keeping with today’s theme of outdoor art, today’s New England featured link is the deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum in Lincoln, MA. I’ve yet to go there. But, it is definitely on my list.
New England Nomad 