Rockport Exchange

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020

The 2020 Motif No. 1 Day Commemorative Poster

During this difficult time, a strong community is more important than ever. Our 2020 festival poster highlights all the joys of being a part of this beautiful place while recognizing that this year is not like all the other Motif No. 1 Days that have been celebrated in Rockport.

The 2020 poster artist and designer is Darren Mason. Darren has been always been a crucial part of the work of Rockport Exchange, long before our nonprofit organization even had a name — back when we were an ad hoc group of enthusiastic and willing Rockporters, ready to contribute to building community in our corner of the world. Darren has generously given countless (literally, countless) hours to designing all of our logos and promotional pieces, as well as our merchandise. Not only does he give of his design talents, he has also given countless hours helping set up, run, and break down our multiple yearly festival and events and the weekly farmers’ market. In many ways he is the spirit of Rockport Exchange, always an upbeat, positive, hardworking presence even during those times when things have been very, very hard for our little organization.

So it is fitting that Darren design this year’s poster. He brings his positive spirit to this time, when things are very hard for many of us and the call to come together is more important than ever.

Thank you Darren, for more than a decade of what you’ve brought to Rockport Exchange, and to our larger community — locals and visitors alike. Thank you for bringing us together, yet again, with this year’s poster design.

#kolkhoz

May 1, 2020May 3, 2020

Call for Submissions to Celebrate Motif No. 1 Day!

We Want to Hear from YOU!

Makers, creators, dabblers, doers, and dreamers — this is your moment. Send in your Cape Ann and Rockport-inspired work (even better if it features our favorite red fishing shack). Prose, poetry, film, drawings, paintings, sculptures, finger-painting — we want to see Cape Ann and the Motif through your eyes!

Send in your original work — or a digital photo of it, if you are submitting visual art — via email or to our mailing address.

Every day leading up to Motif No.1 Day on May 16th, we’ll post a picture or video featuring your work ,or a piece from our M1D Fest archives celebrating the amazing place we live and the fishing shack that has become a symbol of all things Rockport.

Need a little inspiration to get started? Check out the work of a few of our favorite Rockporters who colored the Motif and posed their work in front of the Motif. Talk about meta Motif!

If you want to join in the fun, you can start by downloading the original Motif coloring page, below. The next step is to enjoy a relaxing time of coloring and then send in a photo of your work! We’re grateful for the generosity of the artist, Cynthia Bugden, who donated the artwork for the coloring page. Read on to learn more.

Cynthia Bugden, along with her sisters, Patsy & Betsy, create the art and layout for beautiful coloring and painting pages. The sisters are North Shore natives and residents. Cynthia started “Arts of Gold” as a part-time business, painting with seniors locally in nursing homes and assisted living facilities back in 2008. You can see more of her work at www.etsy.com/artsofgoldpaintpages or at facebook.com/artsofgold.

Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing your classic homage to the wonderful Motif #1!

April 16, 2020April 28, 2020

Virtual Rockport Farmers Market on May 9

The Virtual Rockport Farmers Market opens for online orders on Sunday, May 3, through this link: www.rockportexchange.org/shop

How it Works

May 3: the online farmers market opens for orders at https://rockportexchange.org/shop

May 7: the online farmers market closes for orders at 4 pm.

May 9: orders available for pickup outside the Seaview Farm Store at 38 South Street between 11am and 1pm.

Featured vendors include Seaview Farm, Brothers Brew, Dancing Daisy Bakers, Breakwater Roasters, Halvah Heaven, The Spicy Shark, and Eclectic Clam

COVID-19 Pickup Policies

Pickup will take place outside of the Seaview Farm Store (please park across the street on Marmion Way). Specific 30-minute pickup windows will be emailed Friday, May 8.

Each order will be packed in a new paper bag.

Policies requiring the wearing of masks, social distancing, and sanitation will be strictly observed.

All orders are prepaid online. No money will be exchanged at pickup and no orders are taken the day of the market.

February 18, 2020

A Rockport Winter Farmers Market Update

Thanks for coming to our February Rockport Winter Farmers Market! Your support of our vendors makes it possible to hold a farmers’ market in the winter. It was great to come out on a February day and see friends and neighbors and, of course, our growers and producers of local food. Hope to see you at the next one (read on for details)!

We are gearing up for our next Winter Farmers Market on Saturday, March 14th from 10a-2p at 17 Railroad Ave in the old Smith Lumber building. Special thanks to the Smith family of Crackerjacks-Whistlestop Market and Smith Ace Hardware & Lumber for providing the venue for the Rockport Winter Farmers Market! — with SymbioticJuice, LLC, Beckah’s Bangin’ Butter, Eclectic Clam, Scrub It LLC, Halvah Heaven, North of Boston, Seaview Farm and Farm Stand, Dancing Daisy Cookie Company, Crêpe du Jour, Lauralee’s Country Kitchen and Lattof Farmhouse Kitchen.