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Fresnel Lens

How? Executive Director Erich Archer states it plainly: “The team at Cape Ann TV and this community make that goal possible. There’s something special and local: the characters, stories and the beauty of Cape Ann. People actively participate in this community, which is incredibly important. Plus, there’s high caliber and diverse talent.”

CATV AND COMCAST

Cape Ann TV is located at 38 Blackburn Center in Gloucester, MA, and it’s community television, local, social, and non-commercial. Unlike PBS –which produces shows for a national audience and broadcasts broadly via satellites– community television stations create, produce, and distribute content locally, via a cable provider. There are 350+ active community television stations across the country that operate with a variety of funding sources depending upon how they’re set up. *Since an FCC mandate in 1972, cable providers receive access to rights of way in exchange for funding local cable TV channels by and for the public. The cable television franchise contract fees pay for equipment, training, facilities, studio time and channels (air time). Currently the fiscal model for Cape Ann TV covers operation and capital needs. Comcast is the local Cape Ann TV cable provider. Archer said that Cape Ann TV has spent more than a year working together with local governments, area schools, partners and citizens to outline and identify what the communities wanted to include in renegotiation terms for the next 10 year contract with Comcast. It was a massive document and effort, and is currently under negotiation.

The original purpose of cable access continues to be providing TV studios and support for community members so they can make their own content. Our station, CATV, has much to offer that’s relevant. If you need video, CATV can make it for you whether you are an individual, non-profit, for profit or municipality. Make it a point to visit the station and use this invaluable resource. While you’re at it, why not

START YOUR OWN TV SHOW AT CATV

Here’s your chance. Members can use the cameras, production, and the studio to make their own TV show. You can sign up for film maker and editing classes, lunch workshops, state of the art equipment, cameras, the conference room for community meetings, editing banks, and studio time. Do it. Have fun.

CREATE YOUR OWN PODCAST AT CATV

There have been upgrades to CATV headquarters: new wall color, original art, and re-design including transposing an under-utilized lobby into a beautiful podcast studio. Podcasts are on an uptick everywhere thanks to easy on demand listening. Since the podcast studio was put in at Cape Ann TV there have been hundreds of downloads–beyond clicking and listening. Invested audiences are saving the shows to listen at their convenience. Archer notes, “We have podcasts about high school sports, one from NOAA about fishery-related issues, arts and variety, and more.” CATV encourages people to start one if they’re interested. “We’ll help them every step of the way.”

WHAT’S ON CATV?

Cape Ann TV broadcasts original programs and local coverage: area high school sports, city council and municipal meetings, community meetings, Cape Ann Museum programs, library events, local artists and art groups, Cape Ann scenics, and school productions to name just a few. Award winning programs include: The Portrait Series; Awesome Gloucester; GMG podcasts; Writers Block with John Ronan; All Things Victorian; and the Emmy-winning On the Waterfront, a series about how local seafood gets to your plate.

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN HIRE CATV FOR COMMERCIAL CONTENT?

Does your business or organization need any professional video shot? Cape Ann TV funding sources also include for profit productions for commercial content. So, if you want to make a video for commercial purposes that will not air on Cape Ann TV, you can contract Cape Ann TV to make it. CATV can work at a high quality and any budget. Do you have an exciting event you’d like to capture? Do you need to film a board room meeting? One example- CATV produced film for a permanent display at Cape Ann Museum.

DID YOU KNOW GRANT FUNDERS AND COMMUNITY GET DOUBLE VALUE?

CATV has strategically partnered with organizations seeking grant funding. If an organization is writing a grant proposal that includes a video element, they can write CATV into the grant, and CATV will match the grant funds with in kind services. So for example Cape Ann Seafood Exchange wrote a big grant, and they won $5000 as part of this big grant to make a video. CATV matched that award which meant Seafood Exchange could make a $10,000 value video. Next time you’re writing a grant, think about ramping up the application with a video component, and plan ahead so it can happen!

A NOTE FROM MAYOR ROMEO-THEKEN

“Cape Ann Television is an invaluable asset to Gloucester and the Cape Ann community. The city turns to CATV for important local news, information and media education opportunities. The dedicated staff members and volunteers at Cape Ann Television through the leadership of Erich Archer work tirelessly to improve and broaden their coverage of public, education, and government events, keeping our citizens informed and entertained. I have been involved with Cape Ann Television for many years, sharing my views as a city councilor, mayoral candidate and finally, today as Mayor. From this personal experience, I have always recognized the value that CATV provides, allowing local citizens the opportunity to share opinions and information. It is a critical piece of our city’s democracy.” Mayor Romeo Theken, City of Gloucester, MA

DIRECTOR CATV

Erich Archer has been at the helm of Cape Ann TV for three years. He is a filmmaker and editor by profession. “I try to produce at least one original project a year that I’m proud of. The two On the Waterfront episodes are definitely in that category, as are the two Portrait Series pieces.”

Prior to running the station he worked in Los Angeles in TV and advertising. He moved back from LA for…love. His wife, Tara, is a wardrobe stylist who grew up on the North Shore. They have two children and reside in Beverly. As a boy, Archer spent summers on Wingaersheek beach with his family. His parents recently moved to Rocky Neck; his mother, Kathleen Gerdon Archer, had a gallery on Rocky Neck. That’s her original art on the walls.

designLAB Architects were tasked with orchestrating four projects for this Cape Ann Museum 2013-14 renovation. The museum required interior repairs and updates for older parts of the building “studs in” such as electrical, plumbing, fire and security systems. There was some necessary upkeep and care of fifty year old surfaces. Underutilized spaces were re-configured. Lastly, the renovation provided an opportunity to reinstall the permanent collection. Prior to this renovation, one of the museum’s last building projects was the Graham Gund master plan, a dramatic facility expansion and redesign begun in 1990 and completed in multi-stages so the museum could remain open.

It’s not easy to temporarily close a Cape Ann mainstay. In order to continue to encourage such a superb experience and repeat visitation, the Cape Ann Museum has continually improved. The museum has been in existence since the 1870s. The various buildings, architects and additions are part of its history and success in sharing the arts and culture of Cape Ann.

When the museum re-opens in August 2014 , as visitors ascend the familiar Graham Gund staircase to the second floor (or elevator—Cape Ann Museum is fully accessible), they’ll encounter a new gallery space custom designed for the massive and rare first order Fresnel Lens, one of 39 remaining in the United States. French physicist Augustine-Jean Fresnel designed these lens in the early 1820s. This one was manufactured in Paris, France, and installed on Thatcher Island in 1861. The lens is remarkable for the science and history and is just one of many objects of notable design in the museum’s collection.

Funding support also tells the story of a museum. This project was successful in raising 5 million for a capital campaign including funding from the Gloucester Community Preservation Act, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, among others- and most recently the NEA for the upcoming Fitz Henry Lane Online project.

Although we could not pin her down on a new favorite spot to recommend (“Hopeful that folks will find their own!”)

THREE QUESTIONS FOR MUSEUM DIRECTOR RONDA FALOON

Congratulations on the successful capital campaign and major facilities renovation and collection updates! When did you start as Director?

“I worked as the Assistant Director from 2004-06 and was hired for the Director’s position in 2006. I’ve lived on Cape Ann for 25 years.”

How does it feel to be almost opening?

“10 months is a long time to be closed- I look forward to having people in the museum enjoying and enlivening the spaces! Everyone here on staff has done more than 200% to make this transformation a reality.”

Is there anything you’ll miss from the prior design?

“Change is hard and it was tough to see rooms you loved being disassembled, but now that they have been replaced with something wonderful it’s exciting! We are so grateful to the members, friends, and community for being so very generous and offering such broad support.”

For more on the legacy of artists on Cape Ann and how important the Cape Ann Museum is…

LOOK UP this August to see Hopper, Homer, Hassam, Lane and more on billboards across the country. The Art Everywhere US campaign will feature works by American artists on displays, ads and transportation platforms across the country. Popular vote decided which images will go large. Visithttp://arteverywhereus.org/art-gallery to see the 58 works of art that were crowd sourced from high lights of 5 museums. Hopper, Homer, Lane, Hassam, Heade: images by artists with some Massachusetts and/or Cape Ann –and Cape Ann Museum–connections are represented. Edward Hopper’s Nighthawksat the Art Institute of Chicago received the most votes. Look for Homer’s Gloucester image, Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), from the National Gallery (which granted Gloucester permission for the Winslow Homer story moment marker for the Gloucester HarborWalk) and Lane’s Boston Harbor, Sunset, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Several artists have more than one image chosen (Homer, Cassatt, and O’Keefe to name a few).

Like this:

Harbortown Cultural District will be included in an upcoming AAA publication featuring 10 cultural districts! Also look for some breaking tech news. Our Harbortown cultural district joined forces with the 3 other Cape Ann Cultural Districts (Harbortown, Rocky Neck, Rockport and Essex) to apply for a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant to help us towards some exciting shared marketing. We found out that YES we were awarded a grant, and are looking forward to creating a new mobile APP.

We’re also crossing our fingers this week, waiting to see if an amendment to the state’s supplemental budget happens or not. The MCC is asking for an amendment that will include $500,000 to market the state’s cultural districts through advertising on commuter rail lines, the subway and on busses in the Boston area.

GMG contributor and the ever affable Main Street proprietor Fred Bodin is one of our many talented founding partners. During our August event at the Cape AnnMuseum, he multi-tasked. The good photos from the event are his! Visit http://www.gloucesterharbortown.org

Cape Ann Museum Director, Ronda Faloon, outlined the museum’s impressive next steps and guided us on a mini tour. Cape Ann TV –also a founding partner—was filming. The Fresnel lens is gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it in its new location when the museum re-opens. Look at the scale of this thing (see photo with Bob Whitmarsh, Co-Chair, to get an idea of size—)!

We followed up with a discussion of our district goals led by Bex Borden.

We are so grateful to Cape AnnMuseum for hosting and the lovely appetizer spread and beverages. They also set up and readied for our visit and meeting. Harbortown founding partner, Lise Breen, and other members also helped set and clean up for this double billing. What a spot to have it. Check out the large Gordon Goetemann oil on canvas From a High Place Nice!

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Free GMG Gloucester Sticker

As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

Send the self addressed and stamped envelope to the dock at 95 East Main St Gloucester Ma 01930 care of Joey (put my name in big letters to make sure it gets to me)

Free GMG Gloucester Sticker

As long as supplies last if any GMG folks want a bumper sticker but can't drop down the dock, just send a self addressed and stamped envelope longer then 7 and a half inches and I'll drop one in the mail for you.

Send the self addressed and stamped envelope to the dock at 95 East Main St Gloucester Ma 01930 care of Joey (put my name in big letters to make sure it gets to me)