"Visual Gifts" tells the story of kinetic sculptor George Greenamyer, a Mass. College of Art professor who works from his Marshfield, Massachusetts studio creating public art for sites from Miami to Anchorage. Briefly tracing Greenamyer's struggles to overcome severe learning disabilities as a child, the presentation focuses primarily on his development of a kinetic sculpture, "First in Flight", currently installed at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The piece traces Greenamyer's original inspiration for the piece, which consists of sixteen intricately-detailed "flying machines" driven by electric gears and motors, through its elaborate stages of design, construction and installation. Taken as whole, the sculpture illustrates a whimsical view of the history of aviation, from Icarus to the space shuttle. The documentary presents an intimate glimpse into the mind of a "high-tech" folk artist at work.

The presentation was produced in January of 1998 with the help of Beverly Burbank, Public Art Manager at Careswell Sculpture and Ironworks, Greenamyer's Marshfield studio.

Grants Awarded for Gloucester Schooners Documentary

Yesterday's News, Inc. has been awarded a ten thousand dollar partnership grant by the Essex National Heritage Commission to produce a one-hour video documentary on the history of Gloucester schooners. The Essex and Gloucester Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, have also awarded grants to Yesterday's News for the production. Working with the staff and resources of The Gloucester Adventure and the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, who will serve as partners in the project, Yesterday's News will examine how the schooners were built in Essex shipyards, how they were used to develop a thriving fishing industry in Gloucester, the lives of the dory fishermen, their families and the communities they built. The production will also focus on current efforts to preserve and restore the schooners, and will include footage of the 1999 Gloucester Schooner Fest.

Writer/historian Joseph E. Garland of Gloucester, and educator/folk artist Daisy Nell of Essex will serve as consultants for the hour-long documentary. Designed for both adults and children, it will be used by the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and the Gloucester Adventure for educational purposes, and will also be marketed for broadcast and retail sale. The project is scheduled for completion by November, 1999.

The production will include interviews with local historians, fishermen and boat builders, as well as archival photographs and film footage. "This is a story we've wanted to tell for a very long time," said Executive Producer Laura Scott Lowell. "We're thrilled to be working with such a knowledgeable group of people." Lowell added,"We're also fortunate that so many elements of the story still exist around us here on Cape Ann. We want to capture those oral histories while we still can."

The Partnership Grants Program of the Essex National Heritage Area is designed to foster partnerships among the historic and cultural resources of the 34 cities and towns of the North Shore and Merrimack Valley. It is supported by a framework of public and private partnerships on the local, state and federal level.