New Product

We have a New Product for your Holiday Enjoyment! We have made a series of TINY frames--3 1/2" square, with plexiglass and foamcore backing--for your own Holiday Photo Portraits.

The mini-frames cost $15 and feature bendable tabs in the back for easy loading of your favorite photos!

Come by the store and check them out! They sell for $15 each. Start your Christmas Memories right now!

Thanks!
Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, ma 01970

978-745-9524

BAIL MONEY!

I STILL need to raise bail for my impending ARREST! Please make a donation to the ART Corner! Come by the store and throw some $$ into the pot!

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, ma 01970

978-745-9524

First Hire

I hired my first NEW employee this week!

We are SO bogged down with Christmas work that we are working overtime and still not getting all the work done. A girl walked in the store the other day, looking for work and I basically hired her on the spot! She presented a very professional resume and seemed sincere in her approach. I mumbled a few excuses, then excused her, then discussed with Elaine about the situation.

Then I called Erin back and asked her to come in on Saturday.

She'll fit right in with us and help take the edge off all the work we have to do--not that I'm complaining! October was the SECOND highest month The ART Corner has EVER had! December might prove to be the BEST!

And Erin will help us reach that goal!

Thanks for helping, Erin!
Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

Marblehead Festival of Art Voting

The ART Corner is an "official" voting spot for the 2006 Marblehead Festival of Arts Official logo. Many people have stopped by to vote and we urge everyone to participate.

I would have taken a photo of the "candidates" today, but I didn't have the camera at the store!

Maybe tomorrow...

I still need Bail Money.....

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, ma 01970

978-745-9524

WRITER'S GROUP

Every other Wednesday night meets the North Shore Writer's Group at the Art Corner. We are a no-pay, non-profit group of individuals who meet to discuss our writing and the world of publishing, such as we know it, and our experience--however limited!--in it!

We welcome ALL walks of writing--fiction, long and short; non-fiction essays and articles; children's stories; poetry. Variety is fun and stimulating.

We have a "set" schedule--but it's always flexible!--in that the "author," "presentor" must give out what they wish reviewed the session before they are scheduled. This gives the group a chance to review the submission and make written notations on the pages themselves. Then, at the next session, we get to talk over the reviews.

I feel this gives everyone a chance to look over the material for a well-rounded asessment.

New members are given some predominance; this will encourage them to participate. We all need encouragement!

The more, the merrier!!

Please join, if you're interested in writing and the mechanics thereof!

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, ma 01970

978-745-9524

100 gifts of FNX-mas!

Hey!
We've been linked to WFNX's website because we're an advertiser there and also have CONTRIBUTED to their Holiday Promotion! If you listen to FNX and CALL IN when asked, you could win a KEWL poster of an FNX celebrity or band, framed by THE ART CORNER!! We decided from the git-go to make YOU, the Winner, happiest, by framing the posters supplied by FNX the BEST way we could, and not just go for the CHEEPEST route!
Hope you're happy--I certainly am!
This is fun!

Wendy.

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

ARRESTED!

On December 15th, I'm going to be arrested by the Muscular Dystrophy Association! They are demanding that I turn myself in at Rockafellas on that date. I must bring my bail money with me when I arrive and, after having my mug shot taken, being feed Jailhouse food, and kibbitzing, I am free to go.

If you wish to make a donation to my bail fund, please see me at the store.

Thanks, in advance, for all your help!
Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

Holiday Framing

Christmas Gift Giving Season is upon us and earlier than usual! We are bogged down in work and are working extra hours. Elaine, Justin and I are coming in a half hour earlier each morning and leaving a half hour later each evening. Nancy is coming in for 3 hours in the evening once a week. Doesn't seem like much when you look at it, but it gives us 18 man-hours a week extra! Two+ days of work hours a week!

We have a lot of work to get done before Thanksgiving--we want to make sure you have your family portraits and Fine Art works on the walls to show off to your Thanksgiving Guests, after all! So please bear with us!

And I anticipate that this Christmas Season will be one of the Art Corner's BEST!

(I'm knocking furiously on wood to right now to scare off any ill-bearing goblins that my prediction will come true!!)

Wendy, mentally gearing up for the season ahead!

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, ma 01970

978-745-9524

Update Directions!

From Marblehead!!!

Follow 114 west up Lafayette Street past Salem State College. At Lafayette Park, take the left fork, following 114 and dropping 1A. Look for us a block up on the left! Park in the rear.

Wendy

Directions

How to get to the ART Corner:

From Boston: follow 1A through Revere, Lynn, Swampscott, into Salem, until you get to Salem State College's main building at the intersection of 1A and 114. Turn left up Lafayette Street, following 1A and 114 about 3/4's to a mile. At the fork at Lafayette Park, continue on 114 on the left and drop 1A. Look for us a couple of blocks up on the left.

From 128: exit at 114 east, follow throught the windy streets until you get to downtown Salem--you'll go over the North Street Bridge first! After the post office, you'll continue on 114 and turn right. Go to the next intersection and turn left. People make the mistake of turning right directly in front of the post office, but you must proceed to the right AFTER the circle of flagpoles!! The left you take is at an intersection with a Dominoes Pizza on the right. Go up the hill and look to your right.

From Beverly and North: take 1A south, follow through Salem past the Commons and the Hawthorne Hotel, turn right onto Derby Street, and then at the intersection with the engine house and Lafayette Street, turn left. Go past the Ace/Tru-Value Hardware store and Strega; turn right at Los Amigos Market--Harbor Street. The ART Corner is directly in front of you!!

We have parking in the rear of the store. Take either driveway on either side of the building. Or park out front! Though the spaces are designated as a "service zone" we are the "owners" of the service zone and we PROMISE we won't call the police if you park there!!

See you soon, we hope!
Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

Update: the Salem Gazette

The Salem Gazette published an article today about the Salem postcards which I spoke of a couple of posts back.

The ART Corner was prominently featured. The bottom half of the Front Page highlighted the back of a postcard I provided: "A picture post card of the Salem fire--bears burdensome message: 'Dear Sister, Words cannot describe the scenes here.'" refering to the Great Salem Fire of 1914 which burned to the ground half of Salem.

On page 12 the article continued and concluded. It featured a TERRIBLE picture of me, but it's not the photographer's fault, just ME!!

I'll quote the passage about the ART Corner: "Unlike the others, Wendy Snow-Lang's interest is largely commercial. She looks for postcards to frame and sell at the ART Corner...Snow-Lang says she's seen prices of certain postcards reach more than $200 on eBay.

"The ART Corner sells framed postcards of Salem scenes for $39...framed Salem Halloween postcards go for $59.

""Customers are fascinated by them," she says. "I search for antique postcards and Salem cards seem to predominate. I can't quite imagine any other small city creating such a fascination."

"Despite her desire to make sales, there are some cards in Snow-Lang's collection with which she won't part.

"She's partial to one of the Custom House and Old Ladies Home, in which the windows have been painted in warm, shimmering tones that make them look illuminated. She also loves postcards bearing the 1920's vintage pen-and-ink-and-watercolor work of an unknown artist who signed his initials--AMC.

""This one shows a witch painting white cats with black ink for Halloween," she says, pulling it from her deck to show it off. "I'm keeping this one.""

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma. 01970

978-745-9524

Bugs and Butterflies

I threatened last post and here they are!

We have Bugs and Butterflies for sale at the ART Corner. A friend of mine goes to South East Asia several times a year: sometimes to Bali, sometimes to Indonesia, mainly to New Guinea. Yes, the tribe she visits has cannibal ancestors!!!

Last year she brought me back a Box 'O Bugs--native beetles and weevils. This year she brought the Butterflies.

I've framed a sampling of each and have them for sale at the ART Corner. You can get a grouping of 3 or 5 beetles or weevils, or a butterfly or 2 for $39! You may see SIMILAR things like this, but nothing EXACTLY like this, because I framed them in a style that I think highlights the bugs and butterflies the best!

Some of the Bugs have locations and dates where and when they were collected and I include those facts with the framed package. The butterflies tend to include the location of collection and the species--at least, the Genus of butterfly.

Sorry that the images are not the best or clearest. Guess you'll have to stop by the store to see them in all their glory! An explanation about the poor photos: I used MUSEUM GLASS for the framing of the bugs, and Museum Glass has almost No reflection--except when a flash is pointed at it! So I shut off the flash on my camera, and so the photos are not well lit and are somewhat blurry. The colors of the bugs are DULLED DOWN in these photos, however! The actual bugs and butterflies are much MORE colorful in real life!!

Thanks, Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

WFNX Radio!

Hey!

The ART Corner advertises on WFNX, 101.7 on your FM dial! It's especially exciting for my hubbie and me, because we were married the same year FNX went on-air! And we LISTEN to FNX! It's the BEST!

Today, the sales rep offered us a great deal to match our ad campaign so far. FNX does its "100 Gifts of FNX-Mas" every holiday season and the ART Corner will be featured this year! We're going to frame 10 promotional posters for FNX, of different featured rock artists, and FNX will give those framed posters away as part of those "100 Gifts." How cool is that?

And we're NOT going to short-sheet those posters; we'll frame them to look their BEST! You won't be sorry to hang that Prize rock poster on your wall, believe me!

AND FNX will LINK to this site for the promotion! (I guess I'm gushing, but it is SO much fun to be working with FNX! If you come into the store, you may HEAR the ads we've put on the radio station because we have a copy of the cd in our cd player, which plays randonly through-out the day. It's great fun!)

Tomorrow, I will talk of butterflies and bugs, so BE PREPARED!!

Thanks for reading,
Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, MA. 01970

978-745-9524

Salem Gazette

The ART Corner may be featured in the Salem Gazette this week!

I was interviewed by a Salem Gazette reporter today, I believe his name was Bill Woolley--(I hesitate about the spelling of his last name because I know from first hand that the given name of "Woolley" has many permutations--Wooley, Wholley, Whoolley, etc!)

We talked of the antique Salem postcards which I have recently begun to feature on the walls of the store. I collect antique Salem postcards and frame them and put them for sale. I try to buy the postcards that are from neighborhoods, rather than civic buildings and tourist attractions, but I offer those, too.

I buy the postcards from antique marts, flea markets, eBay, etc.

I have a collection from the Great Salem Fire of 1914. I want to give these postcards special remembrance. One of the cards was particularly poignant: It read--I paraphrase: "Dear Sister, words cannot describe the scenes here" I got this card shortly after Katrina and chills ran up my spine after reading the message.

I also collect Holiday postcards from the turn of the 20th century. Most of the post dates for ALL of the postcards, including the Salem ones, are from 1903--1920-ish. Sort of that era. The Halloween ones are particularly desirable. I look on eBay and pay on average $20 for each one. I've seen Halloween postcards from that era selling for upwards of $250!!! I'm looking into Christmas now, but the Halloween cards seem the most popular!

Here's a sampling:

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

The Art Corner Staff

Here we are hard at work and sorry to see our photos published here!!!
Me measuring twice, cutting once--as the saying goes.
Justin hard at work cutting those frames on the 12" double-miter saw in the basement. Justin is the Lord of the Under World, or in the Bat Cave.
Elaine is avoiding having her picture taken, as usual, as she disposes of a piece of glass she cut down.
Nancy smiles as she cuts matboard.

That's us!!

Thanks for looking,

Wendy

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

OUR LOCATION!!!

Boy, am I a Dumb Blonde some times!

In my excitement to create this blog I forgot an extremely important fact!

The ART Corner

264 Washington Street

Salem, Ma 01970

978-745-9524

Halloween

Pheewww!! The Halloween season is over!

We weren't as busy this year as I'd liked, but we had many sales, none-the-less.

Let me explain: fifteen years ago my hubbie and I hooked up with John Flaherty of the Fool's Mansion to hold an Art Exhibit in his store, the now defunkt O'Flaherty's on central Street. Remember?

The Terror Fantasies Supernatural Art Show evolved through many permutations over the years, but since I bought the Art Corner, Chuck and I decided it was time to go out on our own.

We did.

We had an exhibit at the store and received many well-wishes. We had tourists and long-time customers stop by. It was fun.

Next year, we'll turn up the fire and do more advertising and marketing and kick up the visual "appeal" of the outside of the building to attraction attention.

Please feel free to make suggestions on how we can improve and market next Halloween's Event!

Wendy