The Friday notebook
Tracking down the Gruppe mural; more on the day Dylan came to Beverly; longer school day
Notes and quotes on a Friday afternoon . . .
This could be this week’s trivia question, but I’ve decided it’s too difficult, so let’s give the answer right up front.
The question: Where is the mural that was in the old McDonald’s on the waterfront for half a century and was safely removed before the building was demolished five years ago?
The answer: The Williamstown Art Conservation Center.
Editorial comment: Still?
The mural was taken to the conservation center in 2019 so that it could be restored and returned to Beverly to be displayed, perhaps at the library. So why is it still in Williamstown instead of back in Beverly town?
Officials have said the restoration was first delayed by the pandemic. Since then, things have gone slowly due to the complicated nature of the restoration.
The mural was 23 feet long and was painted directly on a wall inside the McDonald’s. It has now been cut up into three panels, and one of them has been cleaned and retouched, according to the city’s Planning Department. The other two panels are being prepared for major structural work that is needed before the final cosmetic work is undertaken. There’s no word on how long that will take.
The mural was painted in the 1970s by renowned Cape Ann artist Emile Gruppe and his son, Robert. It depicts an aerial view of Beverly Harbor stretching across the old Beverly-Salem bridge to Salem.
The city determined that the mural was historically significant and is contributing $35,000 in community preservation fund money for the restoration.
I remember interviewing Robert Gruppe a few years for a story about the city’s efforts to preserve the painting. He seemed a little amused by the whole thing.
“Scrape the mustard and ketchup off and it’ll be all set,” he said.
Gruppe said he and his late father painted the mural in a few days. At one point, they asked a tall construction worker who was in the building at the time to paint the sky.
“I don’t consider it a masterpiece, but it’s a part of Americana,” he said.
Positively Hale Street
Thanks to Paul Van Ness for pointing out this great video of Melissa Ferrick talking about the day she opened for Bob Dylan at Endicott College in 1992.
Longer school day
The school day is about to get longer in Beverly.
In a letter to the school community, Superintendent Sue Charochak said an additional 10 minutes will be added to the school day starting in September. The change is for all the public schools, from pre-school through high school.
“The rationale for the additional 10 minutes is that it will give our youngest learners more time to settle into their classrooms and ensure our high school remains in compliance with state-mandated time on learning,” Charochak said.
New board members at Beverly Main Streets
Beverly Main Streets has announced the appointment of three new board members: Abby Battis, the newly named executive director of Historic Beverly; Paige Williams, dean of visual and performing arts at Endicott College; and Peter Bakhit, owner of Score & Slip, a maker space and pottery studio on Rantoul Street.
Historic Beverly also recognized the valuable contributions of Sue Goganian and Gary Moffie, who recently left the Beverly Main Streets Board of Directors due to retirement.
Trivia question
This week’s real trivia question: Who was the Beverly High graduate who went on to become a famous bandleader and was played by Tyrone Power in the 1956 movie based on his life?
I had a way better chance at getting the nixed trivia question correct rather than the chosen question!
Trivia reply - that handsome fellow is none other than Eddy Duchin.