Salem's Artists' Row To Kick Off Season With 'Launch Party'

SALEM, MA — Salem is looking to bring residents and visitors back downtown this spring and summer and is throwing a "launch party" May 1 to kick off the season on Artists' Row.

The New Derby Street location across from Old Town Hall and Derby Square was originally built as a marketplace and this season will resume as a public plaza with four artist stalls and a restaurant. The city's Office of Arts & Culture program provides space for artists and artisans looking to build their audience or business through daily engagement with residents and visitors to Salem.

The launch party will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and include hands-on art-making, workshops, live music and shopping opportunities.

Those attending will be expected to wear facemasks and observe other coronavirus-related public health guidelines.

ChagallPAC will offer up an eclectic array of handcrafted jewelry, fiber arts, poetry books, painting at their booth so passersby can get a taste of all this collective of artists has to offer.

Visitors will also be able to engage with a variety of COVID-safe, hands-on art-making activities and listen to musical performances with the Matt Savage Quartet performing from 4 to 7 p.m. on May 1.

The Chagall Performance Art Collaborative is a community of artists committed to collaborating across disciplines and exploring the ways we experience art.

"We believe art is never the same in any given moment, but rather evolving and continually being shaped by the imaginations of those who come into contact with it," ChagallPAC said. "We create performances that involve audience participation and expand to the newest reaches of contemporary performance art."

Now open Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Unit 1, ChagallPac will be open every weekday following the launch party with live music on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer.

Beverly Bees will roll out a table where visitors can learn about bees and how to help them by planting a bee-friendly garden. View honeybees at work in their observation hive and peruse a wide variety of hand-made locally harvested beeswax candles and gifts.

Beverly Bees will also have their own raw honey, native bee houses and supplies and bee-friendly organic seeds and plants available to purchase. They will have candle-making demonstrations with designs including pillars, tapers, votives, pumpkins, skulls, wolves, dragons, witches and zombies.

Located in Unit 2, Beverly Bees is now open Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shindig!, along with visiting artist Jim Motta of Wicked Kreations by Jim, will be setting up an expanded version of their shop including more upcycled, artist-embellished oddities, antiques, one-of-a-kind fashion, patches, pins and more.

Shindig! creates and collects fun and unique jewelry, art, clothing, and other items. Family-owned and operated, Shindig! is a small operation that's dedicated to creating cool things with as little waste as possible.

Located in Unit 4, Shindig! is open every day but Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m.

The Lobster Shanty is now open on Artists' Row from noon until midnight seven days a week for both dine-in and take-out service. Outdoor seating is always available along with a new expanded menu.

There will also be an exhibition table with previews of future vendors and hands-on activities.

Go here to learn even more about Salem's Artists' Row Initiative.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)