McGRATHPR.com – The James Library & Center for the Arts, Norwell’s historic community arts center and lending library, presents a spring season of a variety of music, art, and literary programming serving the South Shore community at 24 West Street, Norwell. The James is also home to a beautiful art gallery featuring the works of local and regional artists for monthly gallery openings and exhibits. Visitors are welcome to attend the openings, or view the works on display during business hours.
~ Spring Entertainment
and Events
Schedule ~
Pastel Gems: Small Works Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: On view through January 29
Admission: Free and open to the public during business hours
The Pastel Gems exhibit features small, exceptional works of art. All of these original pieces are created by well-recognized, accomplished local pastel artists who have been painting and exhibiting together for years.
Virtual Trivia Night with a JEOPARDY! Winner
Friday, January 21, 7:30 to 9:30 pm via ZOOM
Suggested Donation: $10 per person
Register at jameslibrary.org
Join in on a trivia night for a cause, benefitting The James Library, via Zoom. Celebrity Host Brendan Sargent announces categories and poses twenty questions over four rounds, grouping participants into breakout rooms to thinktank their answers as a team, racing against the “single song” clock! That song also serves as a clue to their success – an added bit of “trivia within the trivia”. Answers are submitted via Google sheet, and a scoring update is announced at the end of every round, a fun night ahead!
Jeopardy! winner Brendan Sargent is a Worcester-born writer and comedian, achieving a life-long dream when he appeared on Jeopardy! in March 2021. He’s also a nine-time Employee of the Month at Lucky Guess Trivia, a company he owns and operates, and of which he is the only employee. Brendan and his wife live in Los Angeles with their two pets, Chloe and Rocky, who (despite being perfect) have both resisted the urge to start their own Instagram accounts.
Norwell High School AP Art Show
Open House Art Gallery Opening: Friday, February 11, 1 to 7 pm
*Subject to change due to Covid-19
Exhibition Dates: On view from February 11 through March 19
Admission: Free and open to the public during business hours
Generously sponsored by the Church Hillers of Norwell
Visit the James to enjoy the best of Norwell High School AP student art. Norwell High School AP art students have been working hard all year developing sustained investigations for their portfolio submissions. Students must research, revise and find synthesis between their materials and ideas as they collect both written and visual evidence. Portfolio submissions are often very personal and showcase the student’s budding style. Enjoy the finished pieces by 19 of Norwell High School’s finest artists on display!
Author Talk: Anthony Sammarco on the History of Howard Johnson’s
Saturday, February 12, 11:30 am
Tickets: $20 General Admission, $10 Students
A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens,
courtesy of a grant from the Cordelia Family Foundation.
Generously sponsored by Lynch Marini & Associates Inc.
Author and historian Anthony Mitchell Sammarco returns to the James to explore how Howard Johnson created an orange-roofed empire of ice cream stands and restaurants that stretched from Maine to Florida and all the way to the West Coast. Popularly known as the “Father of the Franchise Industry,” Johnson delivered good food and prices that brought appreciative customers back for more. Learn about how Howard Johnson introduced twenty-eight flavors of ice cream, the “Tendersweet” clam strips, grilled frankforts and a menu of delicious and traditional foods that families eagerly enjoyed when they traveled. This program is supported in part by grants from the Scituate and Norwell Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Will’s World: All About the Bard with Actor J.T. Turner
Saturday, March 12, 11:30 am
Tickets: $20 General Admission, $10 Students
A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens,
courtesy of a grant from the Cordelia Family Foundation.
Generously sponsored by Coastal Heritage Bank
How does a glovemaker’s son, with just a few years of formal schooling, become the most famous writer and poet in the world? In this one-man performance, William Shakespeare shares his life story, while providing insight into his greatest works and the world of Theater during the time of Queen Elizabeth. This engaging, interactive show features excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Henry V, and As You Like It, as well as Shakespeare’s sonnets. Professional actor and Shakespeare expert J.T. Turner brings the Bard to life and makes his works accessible for all. This program is supported in part by grants from the Scituate and Norwell Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
J.T. Turner is an award-winning professional actor, director and writer, with credits on stage, screen and audio. A member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity, Turner is also a historical re-enactor, touring theaters, museums, schools, libraries and churches in original shows. He is the founder and director of Moonlight Productions, a theater company dedicated to using theater as an outreach tool for children and teens, and Artistic Director of The Actors Company, a performing group that works with non-profits. Turner is also a professional lecturer, fight choreographer, circus ringmaster, and acting and public speaking coach.
Third Annual Spring Juried Art Show
Open House Art Gallery Opening: Friday, March 25, 1 to 7 pm
*Subject to change due to Covid-19
Exhibition Dates: On view from March 25 through May 7
Admission: Free and open to the public during business hours
Generously Sponsored by The Frame Center of Hanover
Exhibition prospectus TBA. This program is supported in part by grants from the Scituate and Hingham Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
An Evening with Loretta LaRoche, Stress Expert, Humorist, Author, Speaker and TV Personality
Saturday, April 9, 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25 General Admission, $15 Students
A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens,
courtesy of a grant from the Cordelia Family Foundation.
Generously sponsored by Realtor Patty Jackson of Robert Paul Properties
Laugh out loud with us as internationally acclaimed stress expert, humorist, author, speaker and television personality Loretta Laroche performs at the James. Loretta has sold out venues across the country with her outrageous one woman show, and has toured with The Power Within sharing the stage with Arianna Huffington, Former President Bill Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, Tony Robbins and many other great leaders. A well-recognized TV personality on PBS with seven one-woman television specials, Loretta has been nominated for local and prime time Emmy Awards. Loretta improves health by alleviating stress through humor, leaving audiences happy and optimistic. Loretta is an Internationally recognized stress-management consultant who advocates fun, optimism, and resiliency. She uses her wit to help people learn how to take stress and turn it into strength.
Norwell’s Historic House Tour to Benefit the James
Saturday, April 30, 10 am to 3 pm
Tickets: $40 General Admission, $50 Day of Event
A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens,
courtesy of a grant from the Cordelia Family Foundation.
Tour begins at Cushing Memorial Hall, 673 Main St, Norwell
Artist Laura Harvey: Ab/Fab—A Fusion of Abstract and Fabulous
Open House Art Gallery Opening Friday, May 13, 1 to 7 pm
*Subject to change due to Covid-19
Exhibition Dates: On view from May 13 through June 18
Admission: Free and open to the public during business hours
An exhibition of new works, Ab/Fab—A Fusion of Abstract & Fabulous—is the creation of Laura Harvey, and features abstract paintings and collages (Ab) as well as Harvey’s signature mixed media collages and photo transfers of family and fabulous (Fab) familiar figures.
Mile Twelve Bluegrass Concert
Saturday, May 14, 7:30 pm
Tickets: $35 General Admission, $30 Seniors, $20 Students
A limited number of free tickets are available to senior citizens,
courtesy of a grant from the Cordelia Family Foundation.
Generously sponsored by Anthony Napolitano of US Wealth Management and Lauren and Bob Monahan
Winners of the 2020 IBMA New Artist of the Year award, progressive string band Mile Twelve of Boston will thrill with their seamless blend of expertly crafted songs, creative arrangements, and virtuosic execution. The band takes their name from the mile marker that sits at Boston’s southern border on Route 93, a road sign they’ve passed countless times while heading out on tour. They’ve found receptive audiences across the globe, touring throughout North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. This program is supported in part by grants from the Hingham, Scituate and Norwell Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Due to the evolving circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, The James reserves the right to change in person, ticketed events to private ZOOM events as needed. If this circumstance arises, The James will notify guests the Tuesday before the event. For all in-person, ticketed events, masks are required for all staff and guests, and proof of vaccination is required or negative covid test at the door. Currently, performing artists are not required to mask while performing. Further detailed information is available at jameslibrary.org.
For more information about The James Library’s programs and events, please call 781-659-7100, visit jameslibrary.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the James Library & Center for the Arts
Since 1874, The James Library has served the South Shore community as a warm gathering place. Housed in a landmark Victorian in historical Norwell Center, The James is dedicated to serving the community by providing high-quality programs, resources and materials through a concert hall, art gallery and the operation of a free lending library. As an independent, non-profit arts center we foster a mission for the creation, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts for residents of all ages on the South Shore, while preserving the historic character of our home. The James Library is located at 24 West Street, Norwell and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 pm and on Saturday from 11 to 1 pm. For more information, please call 781-659-7100, visit jameslibrary.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
