Marblehead Festival Sign Up Information

If you know someone who is new to the area, why not tell them about our Festival?  It's a great way to get involved in the local arts community and meet some new friends quickly.  Festival volunteers are always active in the community and are looking forward to welcoming everyone at the Tree Lighting at National Grand Bank's parking lot on Friday, December 6th at 7pm.


Deadline for Entries to Festival of Arts Logo Contest

Thanks for Attending the Artisans Holiday Marketplace

Come to the Logo Premiere

The Marblehead Festival of Arts is an all-volunteer organization which supports its events through a variety of fundraising activities. The Festival is a wonderful community-wide event for all ages and art interests, and that's why it attracts so many volunteers each year.

Maggie Smist has been an integral part of the Festival’s success since 1997, serving in varied capacities, from logo product to fundraising. She has also served as Vice President and President of the Board of Directors.

In recent years, her interests have been in the Arts Exhibits, including her current roles in Printmaking and Drawing. “Everyone who comes to the Festival visits the Exhibits,” Smist said. “There is something for everyone. And new volunteers are always welcome!”

If you enjoy the Festival and would like to get more involved, we invite you to register on our website at https://www.marbleheadfestival.org/volunteer, and we’ll find a role that suits your interests.

Come to the Logo Premiere

The Marblehead Festival of Arts is an all-volunteer organization supported through a variety of fundraising activities. The Festival is a wonderful community-wide event for all ages and art interests, and attracts many volunteers each year.

We are so pleased that Rome Pozgay joined the volunteer ranks two years ago. “I enjoyed the Festival for many years; and I like meeting local artisans and greeting visitors.”

Being Chair of Information Booths gives him those opportunities. “We get to see people enjoying themselves, and, at the same time, help them find their way around the Festival … from the Exhibits to Special Events and even where to pick up the trolley that takes people to the different venues,” he added. There are two information booths in town. Each offers water and Festival Programs for a small donation. “We are always looking for more volunteers for this fun activity.”

One special gift Rome brings to the Festival is the introduction of beautiful chamber music to the Exhibit Halls. He and his friends volunteer to play to the delight of Festival guests.

If you enjoy the Festival and would like to get more involved, we invite you to register at https://www.marbleheadfestival.org/volunteer, and we’ll find a role that suits your interests.

The 2020 logo is a sailboat-and-paintbrush design by Leo Wilkens, a Marblehead High School senior.  It won the public vote over two other finalists: Tom Amsler, a local architect and Edwin Peralta Jr, a graduate student at Beverly Community College.

Supporters packed the event room at the The Landing Restaurant on Tuesday, January 14^th leaving standing room only! General manager Robert Simonelli and his staff went above and beyond to warmly welcome our volunteers, logo finalists and families, and many supporters.

The Festival appreciates the time and creative talent every logo contest entrant invested to support the arts and participate in this important community event.

This new logo for our 55th year will be featured on all Festival media and logo products including hats, shirts, glassware, and more throughout the year.

Mid-winter blues getting you down? Here's your opportunity for a fun night out and to see some great films...and it's close by!
The screening will take place at 6:45pm on Wednesday, February 19th in the Public Meeting Room at Abbot Public Library.

The evening’s lineup includes pieces that were screened during the 2019 Summer MFoA Short Film Festival as well as additional thought-provoking original short films.  Popcorn and drinks will be available to put you in the right movie atmosphere... and admission is free... but as always, donations are welcome.  We have invited the filmmakers to speak and have a Q&A about their films after the 90 minute show.

Film Festival works are intended to show the many ways that film and video can be used as an art form to inform and express. They are not commercial films of the sort that you can find in your standard multiplex. Although some of these works can certainly be enjoyed by children, not all of the films may be understood by them. Parents should review the lineup and decide if the films are appropriate for their younger children.

WHAT: Long Winter Short Film Festival

WHERE: Abbot Public Library Virginia Carten Galley

WHEN: Wednesday February 19, 2020 6.45 – 9:00 pm

Call for Entries for 2020 MFoA Short Film Festival
 

The Film Festival Committee is looking for films for this year’s Festival.  The Festival invites both aspiring and seasoned filmmakers to submit films for its 2020 Short Film Festival, which will be held at Crocker Park on July 2nd through July 5th, 2020, in a 90 minute presentation. The selected films will also be shown at the Abbot Public Library, Marblehead.   

Film genres include Comedy, Narrative, Documentary, Music Video and Animation.  Films must not exceed a 15-minute running time.  Films chosen for the Festival have the opportunity to win prizes if selected by the judges, as well as a People's Choice Award based on audience balloting.  Additionally, selected films may be screened during the Winter Film Festival, to be held in February 2021.  

For film submission criteria and rules, please go to our website, MarbleheadFestival.org/film-festival2   

We look forward to reviewing your film. 

Committee: April Alario, Cameron Craig, Paulina Villarroel Cruz, Mike Evers, Steve Krom, Bill Smalley, Laurie Stolarz, Allan Warren 

The Marblehead Festival of Arts is an all-volunteer organization. In addition, it is a self-supporting event, deriving funds from fundraising activities. The Festival is a wonderful community-wide event for all ages and arts interests.

Spearheading this year’s effort to identify and recruit volunteers is Ilise Ratner, a relative newcomer to Marblehead who is already making her mark with lots of energy and creativity. Her goal is to encourage people of all ages to join the Festival team and be part of the excitement.

Volunteers are needed during the Festival itself to do the physical labor of hanging exhibits and to assemble the stages and other settings that help the events happen. Greeting Festival visitors is critical as well. There are also year-round needs … finance, facilities, development, marketing and public relations are among them.

Among other plans, Ilise will be meeting with the high school principal to encourage students to volunteer.  If you enjoy the Festival and would like to get more involved, we invite you to register on our website and Ilise will help you find a role that suits your interests.

This July 4th is strange ... Missing the

• Hat contest at the Champagne Reception. 

• "Painting the Town" Artists throughout the town.

• Drop-off, judging, and hanging of 100's of pieces of artwork all around town.

• Artisan Marketplace at Abbot Hall. 

• Art on the Avenue demonstrations.

• Setting up and staffing the Logo Stores to sell all the great Festival logo products.

• Riding in the back of the Festival truck through the back roads of the town.

• Placing of 50+ Cods in all the wonderful businesses around town for the auction.  

• Volunteers handing out Festival Programs, selling water, and helping answer questions for the non-seasoned Festival visitors.

• Model Boat Building and Regatta at Redd's Pond

• Sand Castle contest and Kite Festival

• Children's Festival

• Street Festival

• Film Festival

• Literary Festival

• Dinners with friends and family as the music plays at Crocker Park and then dancing into the wee hours of the night.

It goes without saying, this year has been hard.  The loss of our President Carol Moore in March, and then having to cancel the Festival in April due to the pandemic was not the way we had envisioned the 2020 Festival.
 

The Festival brings joy, happiness, and an amazing sense of community to the town.  I smile when I think about all the activities and memories the Festival creates for the families and visitors who participate. This includes the hundreds of volunteers that it takes to pull it off. 
 

The Marblehead Festival of Arts will be back.  When we return, we will make sure to make the Festival an event that would make Carol proud and smile.
 

So, on this quiet 4th of July, please have a safe, peaceful, healthy, and wonderful holiday weekend.

Thinking of everyone!
Matt


Matt Friedman
Marblehead Festival of Arts
Acting President

The Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for both the Marblehead Festival of Arts and the Warwick Foundation Scholarship Awards.  These $3,000 scholarships are presented to deserving high school seniors pursuing higher education in visual or performing arts, crafts, music or film production. You can read about last year''s winners here.
 
Applications are available at Marblehead High School and on our website. The application deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2020.

The Film Committee of the Marblehead Festival of Arts is looking for films for this year's Festival.  Film genres include Comedy, Narrative, Documentary, Music Video, and Animation.  Films must not exceed a 15-minute running time.  There are two entry categories: adult division includes ages nineteen and above, and student division, for young people through grade twelve and age eighteen.
 
For more information about the film submission criteria and rules, please go to our website. We look forward to reviewing your film.

The Festival is a self-supporting event, deriving funds from fundraising activities and free will gifts.  Long term supporters should be on the lookout for our Annual Appeal Letter which will be coming to your home soon. But if you''re new to the area or have not donated before, you can do so now on our website.