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Wellesley’s newest public art: Heart sculpture at Temple Beth Elohim

January 16, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley (10 Bethel Rd.) has unveiled a sculpture in its courtyard that is clearly a heart but holds so much more meaning once you take a closer look and read what the artist has to say about it.

The sculpture, from temple member and mixed media artist Caron Tabb, had previously been displayed in Boston. Wellesley is now its home thanks to  a gift from Diane and Gary Glick and the Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts).

The art is titled “Prisoner a-7713: Antisemitism = Racism = Hate Sliding Back in Time Or, Did We Actually Ever Move Forward?” and was created in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League as part of a larger “Be the Change” project in partnership with JArts.

In an interview published on the Temple Beth Elohim website, Tabb reveals that the title of the sculpture gets its name in part from the concentration camp prisoner number of Nobel laureate, author and Holocaust survive Elie Wiesel. The sculpture’s materials include concrete, chicken wire, yarn, wood and paint, all of which have meaning.

It’s unclear whether the sculpture will remain a fixture in the courtyard, says Temple Beth Elohim Communications Manager Elise Lublin, as the temple has not had such permanent art there before.

Though it sounds as though Tabb loves where it is.

“When we put it down in the courtyard at TBE, I had serious chills,” she says in the temple blog post. “I felt like first of all, it had arrived home. There was a deep sense of pride that I was able to put that piece where it is right now. That you can sit in the sanctuary and look inward and outward and think about what we have survived as a community…”

temple public art

temple public art

More: Wellesley outdoor art gallery


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Filed Under: Art, Religion

Linden Square, Wellesley
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Top 10 things to do in Wellesley, Mass. in 2023

January 6, 2023 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

We’ve updated our popular “Top 10 things to do in Wellesley” page to remind everyone of how much the town has to offer. From hiking the many trails in town, to listening to live music during summer concerts, or enjoying a meal at any number of top-notch restaurants, there’s plenty to do and see in Wellesley.

Have you experienced everything on our list?

Boston Marathon, Wellesley
Boston Marathon, Wellesley

 

Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend, antique cars
Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend, antique cars

 

Babson College globe
Babson College globe

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Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.

Filed Under: Art, Babson College, Dump, History, Holidays, Wellesley College

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Wellesley Lacrosse

Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club Marketplace shopping event is Saturday, Nov. 19

November 17, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED CONTENT: Help the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) welcome back the 44th annual Wellesley Marketplace holiday fair at Wellesley High School on Saturday, November 19 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). It’s been three years since the WHJWC has been able to bring more than 200 local artists and craftspeople to town, so this year’s Marketplace is a special homecoming of sorts! Artisans are excited to set up their booths with a full range of goods including fine art, gourmet foods, hostess and teacher gifts, jewelry and clothing, home accessories, ornaments and children’s clothes.

Wellesley Marketplace
Whale Tail Weaving offers modern pieces of wearable art that hold true to America’s whaling and lightship history.

 

Wellesley Marketplace
Janice Kwan, owner of Kitr Knits, says kitr is short for “knitting in the round,” a technique that uses circular needles, allowing her to create seamless pieces.

10 quick facts about Wellesley Marketplace

  1. 1976: First year of Wellesley Marketplace.
  2. 206: number of artisans who will be exhibiting this year.
  3. More than 50% of artists are new to Marketplace since the event was last held in 2019.
  4. More than 2,000 admission tickets were sold to the last Marketplace, held in 2019.
  5. Vocabulary lesson: “Premier Merchants” are vendors who are graciously donating a portion of their proceeds to WHJWC.
  6. DATE: Saturday, November 19, 2022
  7. TIME: 9am-4pm (9am–10am for VIP ticket-holders only.)
  8. LOCATION: Wellesley High School, 50 Rice St., Wellesley, MA 02481
  9. TICKETS: VIP admission tickets $25 (Avoid the crowds, and purchase a VIP ticket for early admission as well as a complimentary collectible gift!)
  10. General admission $20 (at door), or $15 (advance purchase)
  11. BUY TICKETS at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wellesley-marketplace-2022-tickets-438543524487?aff=Swellesley

Instagram: @wellesleymarketplace
Facebook: @Wellesley-Marketplace

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Clubs, Fundraising, Holidays, Shopping, Wellesley High School

Wellesley Friendly Aid

Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application is available for 2023 award cycle

November 4, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC), an 80-member non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to community service, is accepting applications for the 2023 awards cycle. The deadline for submitting applications is Feb, 1, 2023. You can find a link to the application under the Grants tab at whjwc.org

The goal of the WHJWC grants program is to fully fund concrete programs and make a measurable impact on communities in the MetroWest region. Last year the Club donated $70,500 in grants to 27 Wellesley-area community groups, making it one of the largest grant-making organizations in the area.

If you have any questions, contact the WHJWC at their NEW email address, grants@whjwc.org.

Wellesley Marketplace fundraiser

Help the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) welcome back the 44th annual Wellesley Marketplace holiday fair at Wellesley High School on Saturday, November 19 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). It’s been three years since the WHJWC has been able to bring more than 200 local artists and craftspeople to town, so this year’s Marketplace is a special homecoming of sorts! Artisans are excited to set up their booths with a full range of goods including fine art, gourmet foods, hostess and teacher gifts, jewelry and clothing, home accessories, ornaments and children’s clothes.

Buy tickets here.

About the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Entertainment, Fundraising, Holidays, Shopping, Volunteering

Wellesley art show, reception & demo set for Nov. 6

October 31, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Society of Artists will kick off its annual library show with an opening reception and program featuring artists Julie Beck on Nov. 6, 1pm, at Wellesley Free Library.

Artist and educator Julie Beck will share stories of her path from self-taught painter to professional fine artist and instructor. She will also demonstrate principles and techniques she uses. The program will begin at 1:30pm.

Refreshments and chance to meet artists begins at 1pm. Show judge William Pope, director of the Zullo Gallery in Medfield, will announce show award at 1:15pm.

The reception and artist demonstration are free and open to the public.

The Society will be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the Wellesley Food Pantry.

Julie Beck
Julie Beck

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Filed Under: Art

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Wellesley artist takes Halloween display Operation to higher level

October 14, 2022 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Wellesley’s Ann Gagliano, whose outside Halloween display at 3 Upson Rd. has become an annual must-see, really outdid herself this season with a Game Night theme featuring the classic board game “Operation.”
Upson Halloween operation
Ann Gagliano must have had butterflies in her stomach before embarking on this project (Photos courtesy of Ann Gagliano)

 

Gagliano, an illustrator, says Operation was her favorite game, or actually her “FAVORITE GAME,” when growing up.
“My daughter knows my love for this game and purchased me a mini version to keep on my drawing table. As I was playing the game brainstorming for my Halloween ideas it occurred to me: Why not make a life-size operation game and have my 5 friendly skeletons playing it! Maybe I’ll do an Upson game night,” she says.
Upson Halloween operation
The mini Operation game

 

Those skeletons to which she refers last year got entangled in some apple picking exploits for Halloween.
Upson Halloween operation
Of course a project like the Game Night display takes a team. “My husband helped me so much in the construction of my design… as I illustrated and painted the board by hand. This took weeks as I always keep my ideas top secret until I make my revealing presentation,” said Gagliano, who enjoys the reaction from neighbors, especially kids.
Upson Halloween operation
Teamwork

 

Upson Halloween operation
The illustration before the display

 

Gagliano is certainly having her moment this season. She’ll be joining Wellesley author Ushma Multani at a book signing at Wellesley Books this Saturday, Oct. 15, 10am-noon, for Multani’s “Reena and the Diwali Star.” Gagliano illustrated the book.
Upson Halloween operationUpson Halloween operation

 

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A post shared by Ann Curch Gagliano (@annillustrates)


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  • Wellesley Halloween Happenings 2022

Filed Under: Art, Books, Holidays

Wellesley Business Buzz: Truly’s bringing Peet’s back to town; We visit an artist’s Poet’s Corner studio; Yum, Papa Razzi

October 7, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley business news:

Truly’s bringing Peet’s back to town

When Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Wellesley Square closed in March of 2021 to make way for another bank, regulars and other residents mourned the loss. It was especially frustrating to learn later that popular ice cream & frozen yogart shop Truly’s had designs on that space, and a plan to keep Peet’s products available, but couldn’t quite pull things off.

Now a year and a half later, Truly’s has revealed that as part of its expansion into the space at 39 Grove St. next door to its current 35 Grove St., shop, it will be bringing Peet’s products back to Wellesley after all. Truly’s anticipates opening the new shop in February, according to owner Steve Marcus, who says Peet’s will be training Truly’s staff on its products.

“Truly’s will offer a substantial line of hot and cold beverages by Peet’s, plus hot ciders and hot chocolate concoctions made in house, baked goods, and an ever expanding line-up of ice cream offerings (approximately 35 flavors daily),” Marcus says.

Mary Dusenbury, senior director of marketing at Peet’s, said in a statement:”We have long been a part of the Massachusetts coffee community, and are excited to partner with locally loved Truly’s, to bring Peet’s best coffee back to the Wellesley community.”

Marcus said Truly’s will be changing its hours of operation to accommodate those looking for their early morning Peet’s, as well as other offerings. “We’ll try to catch people’s first cup,” he says, noting its hours of operation do need to take into consideration that residents live above.

Truly’s has been in talks with local bakers to bring unique treats to the shop when it opens at the next door location. “These will be no frozen pucks…these will be one-of-a-kind baked goods,” he says.

Another big change at Truly’s will be availability of year-round seating inside and outside, Marcus says.

Truly’s expanded its outdoor seating this year with a parklet in front of its future shop location, which is being designed to help lessen the familiar queuing of patrons on the sidewalk (as was discussed briefly during a recent Select Board meeting approving the business’s expansion at about the 1-hour, 13-minute mark of the Wellesley Media recording).

Truly's
Parklet, surrounded by planters, in front of what will become Truly’s new location next door to the current shop

 

Truly’s also continues to make efforts to get a better handle on trash, and has invested in a solar-powered trash and recycling compactor.

The new Truly’s space is about 1,000 sq. ft. vs. 750 sq. ft. for the existing shop, and a big difference is that the property will be designed so that Truly’s can actually use most of the space for customers. The existing shop will be used as more of a production center, and possibly for catering.

Hopefully by the time the new shop opens some of the supply chain issues that have haunted all restaurants will be lessened. While Truly’s has been able to get the products it needs, it’s taken more work to do it.  “There are some things we can’t do without—cups, lids, spoons, straws…” said Marcus, who put in a plug for cones over cups for their environmental edge.

One thing that Truly’s has had no shortage of is local students looking to work there, a tradition embraced by Marcus and his son Jeffrey, who manages Truly’s. “We are all having a blast and continue to believe that the community still recognizes and supports locally-owned (1-location) businesses,” Marcus says.

Truly


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We visit a Wellesley artist’s studio

There’s something evocative about a jewelry artist’s home studio being located in Wellesley’s Poet’s Corner. Alfred Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Ralph Waldo Emerson all have streets named for them in that area, and all produced many essays and poems that centered on nature.

Susan Ohrn Jewelry, Wellesley
Susan Ohrn at her work table in her Poet’s Corner design studio.

While Susan Ohrn doesn’t compare herself to her neighborhood’s namesakes, her inspiration, too, is drawn from nature. “My latest collection, Flora Nordica, was inspired by a trip I took to Sweden. My mom’s parents come from Sweden, and I speak Swedish and studied it in school. We have family there and go back and forth often,” she said.

During her last trip to the Scandinavian country, Susan was struck by the wildflowers in bloom during her visit, along with the folk art in which flowers take center stage. Working at her jeweler’s bench as sunlight pours in from three walls of windows that enclose the heated side-porch studio, Susan shapes silver and gold into floral designs both delicate and bold.

Susan Ohrn Jewelry, Wellesley
Susan Ohrn Jewelry, Starflower Pendant in sterling silver.

“To create each of the pieces, I start from scratch on the computer,” she says. Using jewelry-designing software, Susan first drafts her work  in a digital form before she takes tools to the sterling silver and 18k gold that will become wearable nature-based jewelry. Her goal: to create sculptural pieces that celebrate her Scandinavian ancestry with elegantly sparse expression and clean lines.

Susan learned the craft of creating beautiful designer-quality pieces as an executive and designer at Tiffany & Co., DeBeers Jewelry, and Swarovski. Her designs are available online at Susan Ohrn Jewelry.

Yum, Papa Razzi

We really enjoyed our recently Friday lunch at Papa Razzi in Wellesley Lower Falls (16 Washington St.). The restaurant had a healthy buzz, with patrons enjoying meals at tables and the bar, but it wasn’t so crowded that we couldn’t be seated right away.

We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fresh mozzarella and arugula pesto on ciabatta, classic chicken soup, and orecchiette with broccoli rabe, fennel sausage, garlic, chili flakes, and pecorino cheese. It all hit the spot, plus the manager swung by to tempt us with upcoming menu items that sound absolutely autumnal.

More: Where to eat in Wellesley

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Filed Under: Art, Business, Restaurants

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