Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 18, 2024 The Gallery@57 celebrates its 5th anniversary O n Friday, October 25, 2024, The Gallery@57 will celebrate its fifth anniversary, marking an important milestone for this beloved community space in Malden. But how did this journey unfold? In the spring of 2019, nine artists, artisans and art enthusiasts gathered at the home of Malden photographer Ose Manheim to discuss a promising opportunity proposed by the City of Malden’s Business Development Director, Kevin Duffy. They were offered the chance to rent a storefront at 57 Pleasant St. Inspired by the success of a previous popup gallery, the group was eager to revive the sense of community and artistic beauty that had been lost. The transformation of the space was no easy feat. The shop required major renovations, including the removal of a moldy rug and unpleasant odors, and the installation of improved lighting. With the help of donations from local businesses and the artists’ own elbow grease, the team spent months turning the rundown storefront into the gallery they had envisioned. By October 25, 2019, The Gallery@57 opened its doors, proudly showcasing the art and fine crafts of local artists for the Malden community to enjoy. However, just five months after the grand opening the COVID-19 pandemic forced the gallery to temporarily close. Refusing to let this setback halt their progress, the artists quickly pivoted to online sales, even adapting their offerings to include couture face masks. The experience underscored that The Gallery@57 was more than just a shop – it was a vibrant community for local artists to Rosemary Chimbganda bringing in a new collection of her earrings A r tist Linda Dolph displaying her fine art and photography Music by Malden’s own Maddie Lam Artist Beth Copp renovating The Gallery@57 Trish Micheli puts out the art note cards at The Gallery@57 A beautiful gallery and shop – The Gallery@57 connect, support one another and share their work with the public. In addition to being a retail space, The Gallery@57 quickly became a cultural venue for book readings, artist demonstrations, exhibitions and live music. To support free performances at the gallery, the nonprofit Creative Malden was founded. The gallery also expanded its presence beyond the storefront, offering art classes every other Tuesday at Idle Hands Craft Ales and participating in local festivals and pop-up events, such as those at 350 Main St. Surviving through the pandemic and navigating the challenges of today’s fast-paced retail environment has been no small task. The ongoing success Poetry Reading by Medford Poet Laureate Terry Carter of The Gallery@57 is a testament to the dedication, willpower and resilience of the volunteers who run it, as well as the unwavering support of the local community. The gallery’s story serves as a powerful reminder of how the arts and community spirit can enrich local culture, even in the most challenging times. As The Gallery@57 celebrates its fifth anniversary, the public is invited to visit on Saturday, October 26, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm. Between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., visitors can spin a wheel for a chance to win artful prizes. Friends of Fellsmere Heights Newsletter Note: The following info is excerpted from a Friends of Fellsmere Heights Newsletter by Lauren McGillicuddy, the Clerk of Friends of Fellsmere Heights (FoFH). I hope some of you got out to see the Northern Lights – if you did, send pictures and we’ll include them in our next newsletter! My neighborhood has too much light around, but I couldn’t help thinking how great the light viewing would be on the open space at the hospital site. The City of Malden is preparing a new Open Space and Recreation Plan. They commissioned a community survey as part of this process. Several FoFH members and supporters participated in a priority-setting exercise at City Hall last summer that helped produce the survey questions and response options. Acadia Report: As you’ll remember, our last message discussed the New York Times report about incidents at Acadia Healthcare’s behavioral health hospitals where patients were admitted inappropriately and retained against their will, as well as situations where poor staffing created dangerous conditions. Acadia has since reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department for $20 million with regard to incidents and practices up to 2017, while other investigations are on-going. We are still waiting for a public meeting to discuss this situation. What we want to hear about is how Tufts – particularly the medical school – and the State plan to ensure that similar abuses do not occur at the new facility, whoever is in charge of operations. LAND Grant Update: Back in July, the City applied for a Land Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant from the Commonwealth, as part of the process for acquiring the land on the Malden side of the border at the former Hospital site. We expect the grant awards to be announced in November. October Meeting, Future Dates: Our next Steering and Supporters meeting will be on Saturday, October 19, via Zoom. As usual, the Steering Team will meet from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and the general meeting will run from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Look for link information and an agenda in your mailbox towards the middle of the week! We expect to have an in-person meeting (virus counts permitting!) on Saturday, November 23, the Saturday before Thanksgiving (location to be announced). This will be a formal Board meeting if there’s business that needs to come before the Board at that time. Finally, our December meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 14, via Zoom. We hope that having these dates in advance will encourage you to attend! Thanks for your attention – we know there’s a lot going on, and we appreciate your involvement.
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