Located in Nantucket’s prestigious Cliff neighborhood, 14 Lincoln Circle is one of the most thoughtfully and meticulously restored homes on the island. Highlights include amazing water views, ten-foot ceilings, built-in cabinetry, rich wood paneling, a modern kitchen, and a 900+ square foot rooftop deck that is believed to be the largest of any residential property on the island from which the panoramic views are spectacular. There are several living areas and many amenities including a formal dining room, an exercise studio, a sauna, and a climate-controlled wine room to name a few. The primary bedroom occupies a private wing on the main level and features a marble-tiled bath. Also on the main level is an additional bedroom suite which opens to the back patio. On the second floor, there are two bedrooms, each with en-suite baths. The newly constructed second dwelling includes two bedrooms, a kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, a bunk room/office, laundry, a living area, and a two-bay garage. There is HDC approval for a swimming pool on this property.
by
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY TO FLY. It is flying that is an extension of what you value not an interruption of it. Less harrowing than flying commercial. More intimate than flying private. IT’S FLYING PERSONAL. And once you’ve done it, you’ll never want to fly any other way.
SCHEDULED SERVICE TO NANTUCKET FROM THE NEW YORK AREA.
Fully furnished home on three floors of finished living space that includes four en suite bedrooms, and three half baths. Conveniently located close to Surfside Beach in a quiet neighborhood and close to bike paths. Enjoy the convenience to the south shore beaches or stay at home and take advantage of the southerly facing 16’ by 33’ pool and spa, outdoor shower and custom outdoor kitchen, outside dining area and fire pit located directly outside your back door. Please call for details.
OFFERED AT $5,895,000
Thank you to our loyal clients and customers for their confidence in William Raveis!
We are honored to have won the following awards:
· Top Brokerage in the United States by Inman, the voice of REALTORS®
· #1 Luxury Broker in the World by Luxury Portfolio International
· Top 100 in the World & Best Luxury Real Estate Agency by Luxury lifestyle Awards
· Overall Winner of HGTV’s Ultimate House Hunt with over a million votes
SOCIAL, FITNESS & FAMILY FUN BY THE WEEK OF FOR THE SEASON
Situated just steps from downtown, The Nantucket Club features all the amenities and services you would expect from a private club.
A limited number of seasonal, weekly, semi-daily and year-round memberships are offered.
TWO HEATED POOLS + A KIDDIE POOL
CABANA RENTALS
KID’S CLUB
SAUNA & HOT TUB
PERSONAL TRAINING
GROUP CLASSES
SIGNATURE AMENITIES
FIRE TRUCK RIDES
SPA & WELLNESS
NEW SPA TREATMENTS
Now offering improved spa services including a range of massages; facials and skincare treatments.
CONTRIBUTORS
Meet the talented group of writers and photographers who helped make this issue possible.
BY THE NUMBERS
A numerical snapshot of Nantucket this summer.
NEAT STUFF
Every day is made special with heirloom pieces from this children’s lifestyle brand.
NTOPTEN
All the places you need to be and see.
NECESSITIES
Put these items on your summer wish list.
KID’N AROUND
How to keep your kiddos entertained this summer.
HEALTH N WELLNESS
Branch Basics founder Allison Evans on the dirty nature of the cleaning industry.
NTERIORS
A look inside the St. Regis Residences, Boston.
NBUZZ
All the news, tidbits and scuttlebutt that’s fit to print courtesy of the Nantucket Current
NEED TO READ
Tim Ehrenberg gives his summer reading list.
NEED TO KNOW
One hundred and sixty turbines, 1,312 feet tall, are planned for Nantucket.
The Clam Shack finally opens on island.
11:11 Market & Bistro brings authentic Japanese fare to Nantucket.
Transitional and traditional design meet in this Polpis home.
Thoughts from style empress Aerin Lauder
Film Festival short Lyrical explores issues of Black identity
The 13th annual Plein Air Nantucket festival takes place June 11-16.
The history and future of print media on Nantucket.
A look at what some of Nantucket’s residents’ most curious collections.
Author Kwame Alexander returns to the island for this year’s Nantucket Book Festival.
Step off the plane in these high fashions.
A recap of Nantucket’s hottest events.
N Magazine reflects upon the history of our island’s artistic past.
An abundance of florals and greenery makes a statement at Graciela Watrous and Connor Martin’s wedding.
Local Gabriella Burnham returns home as a featured author for the Nantucket Book Festival.
PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bruce A. Percelay
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Antonia DePace
ART DIRECTOR
Paulette Chevalier
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS
Emme Duncan
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kit Noble
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER
Brian Sager
SENIOR WRITER
Jason Graziadei
CONTRIBUTORS
Madeline Bilis
David Creed
Kristin Detterline
Tim Ehrenberg
Greta Feeney
Larry Lindner
Rebecca Settar
Jonathan Soroff
Wendy Rouillard
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Michael Blanchard
Amelia Golden
Charity Grace Mofsen
Laurie Richards
PUBLISHER N. LLC
CHAIRMAN: Bruce A. Percelay
Nantucket is surrounded by more than water; it is surrounded by culture. This month alone, the island hosts the Nantucket Film Festival, Nantucket Book Festival and Plein Art Nantucket.
The Film Festival, taking place June 19-24, provides an opportunity for filmmakers both local and afar to showcase their works. Two films of particular note—one, a documentary about an improbable female surfer whose talents in taking on some of the world’s biggest waves finally come to light, and another, about a Black Harvard Law student struggling with identity issues as he navigates two different worlds— were created by two filmmakers with island ties, Stephanie Johnes and Carter Stewart.
The Nantucket Book Festival, occurring one week earlier, brings literary luminaries from around the country, including local Gabriella Burnham and her new book Wait. The novel, which is based on Nantucket, follows the story of an island family as they are faced with deportation and eviction.
Few places in the country are more visually conducive to artists than Nantucket, which explains why so many of them gravitate to the island. The annual Plein Air event, hosted by the Artists Association of Nantucket, once again attracts scores of local painters who offer up their works after a five-day marathon of painting.
Another important cultural element on Nantucket has been our rich history of print media, which has included over 20 newspapers and magazines over the past two centuries. The newspapers, which have been carefully archived at the Nantucket Atheneum, have forever captured the flavor of life on the island, including stories about horse thievery, shipwrecks and mutiny. The romance of
newspapers is clearly threatened by the evolution of digital media, and our story on the history of print on Nantucket raises questions about the future of the dissemination of news on the island and beyond.
BRUCE A. PERCELAY Publisher
On the subject of news, this edition of N Magazine provides the epilogue of the Clam Shack saga, which has finally found a happy ending. Other timely news relates to the ongoing controversy of the wind farm, which has evolved from a vague concept to an all-too-real forest of massive towers, which now sit off the shores of the island.
Last, in a good news story, we feature the deeds of island summer resident Jay Calnan, whose Team IMPACT pairs children with chronic illnesses or disabilities with college sports teams throughout the United States. Calnan, who witnessed firsthand the benefits to a sibling with health barriers, saw how much both his brother and those around him grew from the experience of being part of a team.
While we tend to think that Nantucket’s greatest assets are its physical beauty, the people who capture the essence of Nantucket on canvas, film or through the written word are an irreplaceable part of the island’s identity.
Sincerely,
Bruce A. Percelay Publisher
Jonathan Soroff is a Boston native and a graduate of Duke University. He began his journalism career at The Boston Herald and for 28 years was the lead columnist for The Improper Bostonian magazine. He has written for publications ranging from People to the Royal Academy Magazine and The South China Morning Post . He is currently a columnist for Boston Magazine , writing a social column, the “Person of Interest” interview and most of the magazine’s travel content. He also produces travel stories for national and international publications. He is a board member of the Boston Ballet, the Trustees of the Reservations, the NET Research Foundation and Beaver Country Day School. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
Madeline Bilis is a writer and editor based in Boston. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine , Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, Real Simple and Slate , among other outlets. She grew up outside of Worcester, Massachusetts, then graduated from Emerson College with a degree in journalism. Madeline is the author of a guidebook called 50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts and can often be found exploring lesser-known trails in Greater Boston and on the Cape. She covers travel, design and other lifestyle topics, but relishes the opportunity to tell stories about New England and its inhabitants. See more of her work at madelinebilis.com.
David Creed moved to Nantucket in 2018 shortly after graduating from Bridgewater State University and has been a part of the N Magazine team since late summer of 2021. David works as a senior reporter and sports editor for the Nantucket Current, working with the Current’s editorin-chief Jason Graziadei to run the island’s most-read news source. Creed loves the change in seasons on the island and has come to embrace its quiet nature in the winter months and the busyness of the summer. In his free time, he loves following Boston’s four major sports teams, going to the gym and grabbing a delicious mudslide at the Gazebo. David CREED
7
The number of Nantucket-registered runners at this year’s Boston Marathon.
2 Parts Per Trillion
0
There will be no food trucks at Cisco Beach this summer after the Nantucket Health Department notified the Land Bank that it would be enforcing a section of the food code that requires formal bathroom facilities with hot water for food establishments.
$
1,769.19
The cost to rent a Jeep from Nantucket Windmill Auto Rental for June 2-8. Prices can change depending on the week.
1,312
Feet
The maximum height of Vineyard Northeast Wind’s 160 turbines that could be in clear view of Nantucket, according to a scope meeting the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held in late April.
The most recent results of Wannacomet Water Company’s PFOA and PFOS levels. The Environmental Protection Agency recently updated the maximum level at 4 parts per trillion, making Nantucket’s public water utility well below the new federal limits.
8,517
The number of homes on Nantucket that are likely occupied by people who only come for part of the year. This group accounts for 68 percent of all residential properties on-island.
$
45
The price to rent an adult bike for the day at Young’s Bicycle Shop. This includes a helmet, map, lock and basket.
The number of new restaurants opening on Nantucket for the summer season.
Cliff | $11,495,000 | Stephen Maury co-listing with
8,500sf+ parcels available from $3,595,000
A rare oversized parcel in the prestigious Cliff neighborhood offers several opportunities. The highly advantageous R5 zoning and town water and sewer allow for more than 8,500 square feet of ground cover! Work with the renown team of Hanley Development and Sophie Metz Design to execute your vision. Create your dream private compound within walking distance to town, north shore beaches, and the popular Westmoor Club. There is potential for a developer to divide the parcels into 3-4 lots. Smaller parcels are also available for purchase.
Dionis | $16,000,000 | Jamie Howarth
Stunning water views from this well-maintained, updated 5 bedroom home with 1 bedroom pool house and garage with studio above.
Polpis | $8,495,000 | Stephen Maury
Sweeping
Tom Nevers | $11,000,000 | Joyce Montalbano
Unobstructed ocean views! Build your compound on this 2.45 acre property with ample ground cover.
Surfside | $6,995,000 | Stephen Maury
Every day is special with heirloom pieces from this children’s lifestyle brand.
The Beaufort Bonnet Company all started with a gift. More specifically, a pink and white gingham bonnet for Markey Hutchinson’s newborn daughter. “It was perfect for holidays, but the true magic of this little bonnet was that it made every day a gift,” she remembers. After receiving countless compliments, Hutchinson decided to make the jump and buy the heirloom bonnet pattern. The vision for her coveted lifestyle brand, The Beaufort Bonnet Company, has since blossomed.
What makes The Beaufort Bonnet Company stand out from other children’s boutique brands?
are. Whether it’s Easter, Christmas or the Fourth of July, we want to make sure our customers have the ingredients they need to make family time extra sweet.
This year, our collection features America’s Birthday Bows, Chesapeake Bay Boats and Fairfield Fish as our main prints. We also have two stripes: Saddle Ridge Stripe and Kennedy Stripe. Our America’s Birthday Bows print features vertical bows that are in our signature colors—this print is the perfect way to “put a bow” on Memorial Day or Fourth of July festivities. Our Chesapeake Bay Boats print features blue
Our commitment to embracing babyhood and childhood is really unique in our current competitive landscape. It’s truly such a fleeting time in life—there are only so many summers they can wear bonnets and sunsuits or bubbles. We believe in embracing each stage of babyhood and childhood and making it extra sweet.
Who is The Beaufort Bonnet Company parent?
Today, the children’s lifestyle brand is known for its classic silhouettes with darling details. These heirloom-quality pieces allow mothers to dress their little ones up for any and every occasion, whether it be a sunny walk down Main Street or a Fourth of July vacation. “We remind her to embrace babyhood and make childhood special; we gently warn her that time is a thief and babies don’t keep,” Hutchinson adds. Here, the founder gives a closer look into this year’s Preppy Patriot Collection, as well as a Nantucketinspired print and more.
She loves the quality and the sweetness of our classic silhouettes and darling designs. She is drawn to The Beaufort Bonnet Company because of our commitment to classic, traditional and vintage-prep styles. She wants to make babyhood and childhood sweet for her little ones. She believes in celebrating the little moments because she knows that they become big memories.
Tell me more about the Americana Preppy Patriot Collection for 2024. Every spring, we release a Preppy Patriot collection. As a children’s clothing brand, we know how important special occasions
sailboats—it’s sweet summertime perfection. Fairfield Fish is a classic nautical print featuring navy and white fish. Our classic stripes round out the collection—making it Americana perfection.
Hydrangeas are very popular on Nantucket. Tell me more about the Happiest Hydrangeas print.
We had a photoshoot in Nantucket, and this print was inspired by all the blue blooms that became the backdrop for our collection.
What’s new for the company this summer and beyond?
We have stores in Miramar Beach and Sarasota, Florida, and Kiawah Island, South Carolina. In 2024, we opened stores in Fairfax, Virginia, and Houston, Texas.
53RD FIGAWI RACE WEEKEND
MAY 24-27
Mark the unofficial start of the 2024 summer season as sailors from throughout the East Coast gather to race from Hyannis to Nantucket. figawi.com
JUNE 5-22, 7:00 PM
for this June 4 7 7
JUNE 9-10
Sankaty Head Golf Club
From the inaugural women’s tournament to champions dinners, a full tournament day, parties and more, this year’s golf event benefiting the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club is sure to be a hole in one. nantucketboysandgirlsclub.org
THE 31ST DREAMCATCHER: “DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES”
JUNE 15, 6:00-9:00 PM
Nantucket Yacht Club
Hors d’oeuvres, a raw bar, an open bar, food stations, a silent auction and plenty of dancing are promised at this year’s event. All proceeds from the evening support the free care provided by PASCON. pascon.org
Bennett Hall
Escape into late 18th-century England during the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s current adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel. Following the life of the Dashwood sisters, the play takes audiences through the fortunes and misfortunes that they experience with humor, emotional depth and love. theatrenantucket.org
AN EVENING WITH CORKY LAING & FRIENDS—A NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE, PART 2
JUNE 9, 5:00 PM
The Dreamland
The legendary 1970s rock ‘n’ roll star and Nantucketer performs in a one-night-only, two-hour multimedia concert hosted by actor and director John Shea. Guests can expect performances featuring Laing’s repertoire that was written on Nantucket (including “Mississippi Queen” and “Nantucket Sleighride”), as well as a rotating photo show projected on-screen that highlights the musician’s island memories over the decades. nantucketdreamland.org 10 4
6 6 2 2
JUNE 11-16
Big Gallery, 12 Straight Wharf
Discover your artistic side with the weeklong outdoor painting festival hosted by the Artists Association of Nantucket. Open to all artists of any skill level, the event will present the finished works in the Big Gallery—all of which will be available for purchase. nantucketarts.org
JUNE 13-16
Well-known authors Kwame Alexander, Margaret Atwood, Nancy Thayer and more will be on the island for four days of presentations, talks and reading during this year’s Nantucket Book Festival. nantucketbookfestival.org
23RD ANNUAL ANNIVERSARY RACE FOR OPEN SPACE
JUNE 29, 8:00 AM 2 3 10 7 8 7 9 5 5
JUNE 19-24
The stars align across the island for this year’s Nantucket Film Festival. Check the schedule to pick out your must-see screenings at the Dreamland. nantucketfilmfestival.org
JUNE 27
Bartlett’s Farm Garden Center Tent Start the summer season at Bartlett’s Farm as Fairwinds—Nantucket’s Behavioral Health Center hosts a fundraising party complete with live music, light bites and drinks. You’ll learn more about how you can help to improve the island’s mental health between perusing silent auction items—just don’t forget to bid on your favorites online once you get home. fairwindscenter.org
Lace up your sneakers for this year’s race. Choose between a two-mile walk, 5K or 10K and enjoy the scenic views of the island throughout your trot. nantucketconservation.org
Weighing only six grams, these storm aluminum and 18-karat yellow gold earrings by Aaltas are set with 0.90 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds and feel simply weightless in your ears. Timeless and perfect for everyday wear!
CALISTA WEST
@calistawest calistawest.com
Take advantage of significant savings and simplified pricing on private aircraft charter using Tradewind’s Goodspeed Card. With a fleet servicing the Northeast, Southeast and Caribbean, discounted rates start at only 10 hours with no repositioning fees, memberships fees, peak day surcharges or blackout dates.
TRADEWIND • @flytradewind • flytradewind.com
To celebrate the 45th anniversary of this piece of American clothing heritage, Duck Head reintroduced its iconic Big Gold Patch. Combined with the bestselling Classic Fit Gold School
Chino silhouette, they’re even better than you remember!
DUCK HEAD
@duckheadapparel duckhead.com
The newest handcrafted porcelain line from Eleish Van Breems captures the essence of coastal wind, splashing waves and hunting for shells and sea creatures left behind in an ocean surge. Each dish gracing the collection of generously sized porcelain bowls, plates and platters is beautifully hand-painted with whimsical aquatic illustrations of seashells, fish, starfish and crabs, and is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe!
ELEISH VAN BREEMS
@eleishvanbreems evbantiques.com
These filtered reposado and añejo tequilas made by an 11th-generation single-estate producer are exclusive to Hatch’s Nantucket. Additive free and hand-selected for their unique characteristics, tthese bottles make the perfect gift for any island lover!
HATCH’S PACKAGE STORE
@ackhatchs ackhatchs.com
This adorable and cozy knit baby romper features a cheerful whale print and classic stripes. Handmade in Peru of 100% organic cotton, it is the perfect fit for a water-loving summer baby!
PEACHTREE KIDS
@peachtreekidsnantucket peachtreekidsnantucket.com
47 Hulbert Avenue
Brant Point | 6 Bedrooms | 5 Full, 1 Half Bathrooms | $15,995,000
The beach is your backyard. This Brant Point waterfront property has private beach access and outstanding water views. A calm water beach is yours to enjoy swimming, boating or just gazing at the mesmerizing views. An inviting and comfortable home with classic style. Gracious entry into large foyer with beautiful formal staircase. To the left is a lovely office and den with comfortable seating area and fireplace. The living room at the rear of the home has a fireplace surrounded by built-ins and access to a furnished sun porch and the private deck beyond. Adjacent is the beautiful dining room with French doors to the deck facing the harbor. The kitchen has a breakfast nook with built in seating, granite countertops and high-end appliances. There is access from the kitchen to a private covered porch with shaded seating al fresco. The first floor also has a side entrance that leads to a single bedroom that doubles as the laundry room and has a full bath. The second floor has a large stairway landing providing access to four bedrooms. The third floor is a twin bedroom, private balcony, and private bath. One step off the back deck and your toes are in the sand.
The Nantucket Community Music Center is excited to announce its Nantucket Sound Rock Band program. This two-session summer music experience is for musicians ages 10-18. Student musicians will learn how to form a band and write and create original scores. Then they’ll give a final performance on stage at Cisco Brewers. The experience is in partnership with Musack, a yearround island program that includes weekly after-school jam sessions with performances at Cisco, the Brotherhood and other venues. All skill levels and instruments are welcome. @nantucketcommunitymusiccenter, nantucketmusic.org
One of the must-do family activities is visiting the Maria Mitchell Association’s properties for handson exploration and fun! On June 10, the Aquarium (newly located at 32 Washington Street), Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, Historic Mitchell House, MMA Research Center and Loines Observatory will open for the 2024 summer season. Enjoy all the popular summer programs, including visiting the Aquarium for “Feeding Frenzy” and the Hinchman House for “Ravenous Reptiles,” touring the birthplace of Maria Mitchell at the Historic Mitchell House, learning about the biological collections at the Research Center and more. @maria_mitchell_ association, mariamitchell.org
AT PEACHTREE KIDS
Peachtree Kids is one of Nantucket’s favorite children’s shops located at the foot of historic cobblestoned Main Street. Carrying timeless classics and the latest fashions for infants and children through size
14, Peachtree supports small, women-owned and sustainable brands including Sammy + Nat, Nanducket, Petit Peony, Joy Street Kids, Maddie & Connor, Brown Bowen, Lake Label, Duffield Lane, Timo & Violet, Bits & Bows, Henry Duvall and Little Paper Kids. Of course, brands native to Nantucket can be found on the shelves as well, including Piping Prints, Nikki Rene, Tiny Tuckets, Barnaby Bear and Liliput Vintage. In all, it’s the perfect stop on your way to Lizza’s Puppet Show at the Atheneum this summer for all Nanpuppet merchandise and more. @peachtreekidsnantucket, peachtreekidsnantucket.com
CREATE WITH BARNABY’S TOY & ART
Barnaby’s kicks off its fourth season with more than 100 art classes for children ages 2 to 13, and kids can drop in and create, all day, every day! All Barnaby’s classes are taught by professional artists and educators who will guide your child’s technique and processes in
Day Parade balloons, Sarg was an accomplished illustrator, animator, designer and nimble entrepreneur who summered on Nantucket and was inspired by the island’s beauty for nearly 20 years. You won’t want to miss this exhibition and the interactive activities that provide entertainment for the whole family! Included among the NHA’s daily programs are exploring life aboard a whaleship and the famous Essex Gam. @ackhistory, nha.org
The Artists Association of Nantucket is offering a variety of weekly art camps for your kids this summer. Beginning June 24, your child can explore various artistic pursuits from clay sculpture and comics to mixed media and watercolor. Budding young artists ages 4 to 14 are encouraged to experience the creative process of artmaking in this welcoming environment. @ackartists, 508.228.0722, nantucketarts.org
Branch Basics founder Allison Evans on the dirty nature of the cleaning industry
Your skin absorbs approximately 60 percent of what you put on it. This 60 percent includes ingredients from skincare, lotion and even cleaning products—making paying attention to the chemicals in what you’re using of the utmost importance. This is where Branch Basics comes in.
Founded by Nantucket summer resident Allison Evans, Kelly Love and Marilee Nelson, the e-commerce brand is an education and wellness company that prides itself on offering EWG-verified and Made Safecertified cleaning products, as well as resources that allow its consumer
base to learn more. Currently, they sell an Oxygen Boosting powder, as well as an extremely versatile, 32-ounce liquid concentrate cleaning solution that can be used for anything from a multisurface cleaner and foaming hand soap to laundry detergent. “There’s nothing on the shelf that is as clean as ours because we are so strict when it comes to preservatives,” Evans says, noting that it took over 18 months and 100 iterations to solidify the cleaning concentrate. Recently, she also launched a 100 percent fragrance-free gel hand soap and has a laundry powder and 100 percent fragrance-free beeswax candle on the horizon.
Sold solely online, Branch Basics has become so popular through a continuously growing community of followers on Instagram, regular newsletters and podcasts, that last year, sales grew over 40 percent as a result of almost 240,000 customers purchasing products. The Oxygen Boost powder even has a cult-like following with about 60,000 refill subscribers. “We have a very strong and active community of people who follow us for health tips and how to create a clean home … and can’t help but love our products bc they trust us and our stuff works,” Evans says.
For Evans, the mission behind
Branch Basics is a personal one. She was only in high school when she became a part of the Centers for
and other neurological effects, she turned to Nelson for help. In addition to being Evans ’ aunt, Nelson had also been a holistic health consultant for 30 years. Evans, along with Love (her then-college roommate), spent the entire summer at Nelson’s Texas Hill Country home completely focused on living free of toxins from everyday items like candles, dryer sheets, hairsprays, mainstream cleaning products, pesticides and more. By the end of the season, the thousands of cysts that had previously occupied Evans’ ovaries were nearly
gone. “We just don’t know how much these products are affecting us until we remove them,” she explains. That summer set the course for the rest of Evans’ life, which she now lives completely toxin-free with her three (soon to be four) children.
In addition to the cleaning products on the Branch Basics website, the founders also launched a Toss the
“There’s nothing on the shelf that is as clean as ours because we are so strict when it comes to preservatives.”
– Allison Evans
A variety of the products offered through Branch Basics
Toxins course where those who are interested can learn more about the toxic burdens we surround ourselves with, including how to identify badfor-you ingredients. This is important because, according to Evans, a product can still be considered nontoxic even if it contains pesticides or preservatives. “We have the power of the purse, and we have to really be our own
advocates,” she says.
She always suggests starting with a few simple rules, including tossing any product you have that doesn’t include an ingredients list. For those products with ingredients lists, the words “fragrance” or “parfum” are clear indicators of toxicity. According to Evans, there are up to 3,100 different chemicals that have been grandfathered under the two words, most of which have been tested positive for endocrine disruption.
It’s reasons like this that have spurred Evans and her partners to keep Branch Basics out of retail stores so they can fully control their mission and message. Evans concludes, “We would love to be a household name. We would love to be the resource when it comes to, is this clean? Should I use this product? Should I not? How can I vet my own products and not have to rely on someone else
anaged and staffed by the world-renowned St. Regis, this 22-story, residential-only building is located directly on the water in the heart of the Seaport neighborhood where culture, dining and entertainment are just steps from your front door. Enjoy a curated lifestyle with 24-hour concierge, valet parking, doorman and dedicated butler service, as well as the perks and privileges at St. Regis and Marriott properties around the world.
Residences include Italian flooring in all living areas and kitchen; BAMO custom-designed cabinets manufactured in Italy exclusively for the St. Regis Residences, Boston; natural stone backsplash and counter; and Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. The bathrooms are inspired by a world-class spa, including heated floors.
Residents enjoy an entire 12,000-square-foot floor of amenities, including a resort-style infinity-edge indoor-outdoor pool and terrace with a nano folding door to a harbor view patio. There’s also a sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, spa, library, conference room, fitness center, sports simulator, residential lounge and bar, private wine vaults, as well as two resident guest suites. Plus, enjoy world-class dining, right downstairs at restaurant SAVR.
1
Overlooking Boston Harbor, the design of the twisting sculptural form of the St. Regis Residences, Boston celebrates the forces of the sea and evokes the billowing sails of ships plying the harbor.
2
Many homes have access to outdoor space overlooking Boston Harbor. Some residences even have the air-lux system, the first sliding window of its kind.
3
The kitchen includes BAMO cabinets, exclusively designed for St. Regis in light oak as well as high-gloss white.
4
All homes include custom Phillip Jeffries wallcovering in primary bedroom and entryway foyer.
5
The spa-inspired bathrooms include elevated touches such as Sherle Wagner fixtures, rain showers and heated floors.
A federal court in April rejected an appeal filed by a group of Nantucket residents aimed at stopping the Vineyard Wind offshore wind energy project southwest of the island. The group ACK For Whales—formerly known as Nantucket Residents Against Turbines—filed the appeal last September with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn the May 2023 decision of U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who dismissed the group’s original complaint. ACK For Whales had alleged that the federal agencies that permitted the Vineyard Wind project violated the Endangered Species Act by concluding that the project’s construction likely would not jeopardize the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The group also asserted that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by relying on a “flawed analysis” from the National Marine Fisheries Service. But in late April, three U.S. Court of Appeals judges rejected those allegations and affirmed the ruling of the U.S. District Court that had previously dismissed ACK For Whales’ complaint. ACK For Whales told the Current that it plans to take the case as far as possible, vowing another appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Nantucket Land Bank Commission continued its push to support local agriculture, voting unanimously in April to approve funding for essential supplies and services for the farmers who rely on Land Bank properties for their business. The commission’s vote paves the way for perimeter fencing, water and electricity to be funded for all farmers working on
licensed Land Bank properties. “I think we have done more for agriculture in the last hour and 20 minutes than we have in a long time,” commission Chair Neil Paterson said. “I think it is a pretty significant step for agriculture on Nantucket.” Other actions taken included increasing the length of farmers’ licenses from five years to 10 years and beginning the process of hiring a full-time agricultural specialist. Agriculture is one of three pillars of the Land Bank’s mission, along with open space and recreation, and in recent years the commission has been focused on expanding its efforts in this area, along with extending additional resources. The Land Bank’s agricultural properties leased to local farmers include Moors End Farm off Polpis Road, My Grandfather’s Farm and the Mt. Vernon Farm off Hummock Pond Road, Eat Fire Spring Farm (awarded to Aidan and Natasha Feeney in 2022), the newly acquired Berry Patch Farm off Hawthorne Lane, and the apple orchard off Millbrook Road now known as Millbrook Heritage.
The federal government in April issued sweeping new drinking water standards to protect communities from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals.” The Wannacomet Water Company, which serves as Nantucket’s public water utility, has been expecting the new PFAS standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Wannacomet director Mark Willett said the detectable levels in the island’s drinking water are already below the new federal limits. The EPA has set so-called enforceable Maximum Contaminant
Levels for two of the most common and harmful perand polyfluoroalkyl substances—PFOA and PFOS—at 4 parts per trillion. In the most recent test from August 2023, Willett said Wannacomet’s levels were below 2 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS. “We’d been waiting for this because they’ve been talking about it for a while, and it was along the lines of what we were expecting,” Willett told the Current “We’re still good, but that doesn’t mean it’s not something we think about regularly. It’s a lower number to look at and we were aware of it. Now we have to pay even more attention to it.”
Ry Murphy grew up surfing on Nantucket, taught first by his late father Ben and then by Nantucket Island Surf School owner Gary Kohner. So it’s no surprise that Murphy’s first job was working at the Indian Summer Surf Shop on Broad Street, where one of the initial assignments given to him by his new boss, Dave Iverson, was to scrub the stairs with a toothbrush. More than a decade later, Murphy and his wife Shantaw Bloise-Murphy have realized a long-held dream of becoming the new owners of the iconic surf shop and taking the torch from Iverson. After inking the deal late last year, the
Murphys recently reopened the Indian Summer spot under a new name: Broad Street Surf Shop. Working with friend and fellow surfer Beau Parent to design a new logo, they incorporated the same style script from the Indian Summer logo that has hung over Broad Street for decades. “We wanted to pay homage to it but also make it our own and go into a new era,” Ry Murphy told the Current. “It’s a new feel, a new look, but the traditions remain.” As they start their journey as the new stewards of Indian Summer’s legacy, the Murphys said they’ve felt the love and
support from the island’s surf community and the former owners of the shop who’ve helped make the transition seamless.
Human bones were discovered near the Phillips Run swamp area in Tom Nevers in early April, and the Nantucket Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) are investigating. The bones were discovered by a seasonal resident who was walking in the area looking for dropped deer antlers, often called sheds. The location was about a half-mile south of Milestone Road. “Patrol officers, detectives and MSP responded and located the human remains in the dense woodland off Milestone Road,” the Nantucket Police Department announced in a press release the morning of Friday, April 5. “The scene was secured, processed and evidence was collected. The human remains were then removed and transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The cause of death is unknown at this time and remains under investigation by the Nantucket Police Department Detective Unit.” Peter McHugh, a Connecticut resident who has been coming to Nantucket for 20 years and owns a home on the island, told the Current he found the bones around 5 p.m. Thursday, April 4, while looking for sheds in the remote, swampy area. “It was surreal,” McHugh said. “I kept questioning myself about what I was looking at.”
You won’t have to go out to the west end to get your Madaket Mystery fix this summer. Millie’s, the popular restaurant in Madaket, is opening a new establishment at the Milestone Rotary in the spot previously operated as Lola Burger. Over the early spring, Millie’s submitted applications to the town for common victualler (restaurant) and non-live entertainment licenses, along with new signage, to reopen the location under the Millie’s brand as “Millie’s Rotary.” Millie’s owner Bo Blair told the
Current that while the new venture will carry the Millie’s name and logo, it won’t be a replica of the popular dining establishment in Madaket. “We’re not trying to re-create what’s in Madaket; this is more of takeout and fast-casual,” Blair said. “The reason we loved the location is we want people to be able to get Millie’s more conveniently, being able to service town and the eastern parts of the island from there—and being on the way to the other beaches so people can grab food quickly. We also want to try to alleviate some of the traffic going to Madaket.”
Nantucket’s commercial scalloping season ended March 31, and the harvest by island fishermen topped 8,000 bushels for the first time since the 2019–20 season. Scallopers, along with officials from the Nantucket Shellfish Association and the town’s Natural Resources Department, all said they were pleased to see the final number come in at 8,709 bushels, an 18.8 percent increase over last season’s total of 7,329 bushels. There were other positive takeaways from the season—a mild winter allowed the fleet to get out
on the water nearly every day the fishery was open. Scallops were plentiful, and there was a huge amount of seed (juvenile scallops) in the harbors, a hopeful sign for the years ahead.
But the season was also a mixed bag. The yield, or weight, of the island’s bay scallops was down from last year, and the price per pound paid to scallopers finished at $20. Only 85 people bought commercial scalloping licenses for the 2023–24 season, an all-time low. By the last week of the season, just about a dozen boats were still out scalloping, and fishermen said that as of the season’s end, plenty of viable adult scallops still were not caught.
Nantucket is the only municipality in Massachusetts that owns and operates its own nursing home, and in late March the town unveiled plans for the new Our Island Home skilled nursing facility.
The proposed 61,216-square-foot building would
be relocated from its current site on East Creek Road overlooking Nantucket Harbor to town-owned land at the Sherburne Commons campus off South Shore Road. It would include 45 single-room beds—sustaining its current capacity for residents—while making significant upgrades that the town believes will improve care, safety and sustainability.
Following a presentation of the new plans on March 20, the Select Board voted unanimously to move forward with the concept for Our Island Home, but members indicated they were concerned about the price tag, which is not yet known but expected to be more than $50 million.
Scan the Flowcode to read more news on the Nantucket Current
Tim Ehrenberg of
“Tim Talks Books” gives you his seven picks for the Nantucket Book Festival this month.
SCAN HERE to connect with @TimTalksBooks
All events and times are subject to change. Please check nantucketbookfestival.org for the most up-to-date schedule. Follow @timtalkbooks and @nantucketbookfestival for more Nantucket Book Festival book recommendations.
I have been a true and devoted fan of Katherine Howe from the very beginning with her first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane It’s my favorite fictional tome on the Salem Witch Trials, a subject that has intrigued me since I was a young lad. Most recently Katherine has blessed our bookshelves with A True Account: Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself. What a title! What a story! This is the swashbuckling lady pirate adventure you didn’t know you were looking for of two women in two different worlds, Hannah Masury during the Golden Age of Piracy in 1726 and Professor Marian Beresford in 1930. This dual timeline combines themes of identity, class and culture in a centuries-old mystery set in academia that is truly one for the books. Don’t miss Katherine’s nonfiction exposés co-written with Anderson Cooper, Astor and Vanderbilt.
Hear about all of Katherine’s literary adventures as we talk together on Thursday, June 13, at 3:00 p.m. at the Nantucket Atheneum.
BY ERIK LARSON
I sat down to read The Demon of Unrest on Nantucket Island in April and didn’t realize I was going to be time-traveling. Within two sentences, I was transported to the year 1860 and placed into “a saga of hubris, heartbreak, and heroism at the dawn of the Civil War.” In my opinion, the very best historians write their historical subject matter as if it’s a thrilling novel with characters to love and hate, featuring plot twists and turns and themes to reflect and discuss.
Erik Larson is an absolute master of narrative nonfiction, and this is never more apparent than with his
newest book. My favorite part? The parallels of the divided nation of 1860 with today’s political climate. I also highly recommend an earlier work, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America.
Don’t miss Erik Larson on Friday, June 14, at 9:00 a.m. at the Methodist Church.
Pack your bags, get those passports ready, and let’s set sail for Italy and another laugh-out-loud adventure featuring GUP, or gay uncle Patrick. You will be traveling with all the beloved characters from The Guncle (winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor) in this much-anticipated sequel, The Guncle Abroad. All the ingredients you have come to expect from a Steven Rowley novel are here (and elevated!). This story on the complicated bond of family is infused with so much heart and humor that it will have you cracking up with laughter on one page and wiping a tear away on the next. Reading a Steven Rowley novel always makes me appreciate being alive with the urge to call up my friends and family and say, “I love you!”
Get ready to laugh and cry with Steven Rowley and me as we discuss his novels of heart and humor on Friday, June 14, at 1:00 p.m. at the Methodist Church.
I am still in shock with the news that Margaret Atwood will be gracing our Nantucket shores with her literary brilliance for the Nantucket Book Festival this year. I remember reading The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time in college and then rereading it not so long ago when the sequel The Testaments was released. What a magician of words and talented storyteller for our times! My favorite Margaret Atwood novel is without a doubt The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize. It’s one of those stories that has it all and can’t be quantified or placed in any one genre. It weaves together strands of gothic suspense, romance, science fiction, mystery, a book within a book (a literary trope I love), a killer first sentence and a final twist to remember! You can witness the magic of Margaret Atwood together with Heather Reisman on Friday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church.
BROTHER. DO. YOU. LOVE. ME.
BY MANNI COE AND REUBEN COE
A massive bestseller in the UK, a Waterstones Book of the Month and shortlisted for Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, brother. do. you. love. me. is perhaps one of the most touching family stories I have ever had the privilege of reading. The book is the very definition of the phrase “brotherly love” and tugs on every heartstring you have. Here is the story of two brothers, one with Down syndrome (who would like to see this label changed to “Up syndrome”?), and their journey of hope and resilience in difficult times. Manni’s eloquent language and Reuben’s powerful illustrations combine to create a book that is at the very essence of the Nantucket Book Foundation’s mission: to celebrate the transformative power of words to inspire, illuminate and connect us to each other through our shared humanity. Celebrate the power of storytelling and brotherly love with Manni and Reuben Coe on Saturday, June 15, at 10:00 a.m. at the Methodist Church.
In selecting The Many Lives of Mama Love as an Oprah’s Book Club Selection earlier this year, Oprah said, “Once you start reading, be prepared, because you won’t want to stop,” and I never doubt Lady O. This is one of those stranger-thanfiction stories, written beautifully, that starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. It recounts Lara’s slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot caller and her unlikely comeback as a highly successful ghostwriter and bestselling author. It’s both hilarious and heartbreaking and has a lot to say about suffering, redemption, forgiveness and human connection. I am telling everyone and their mama that I truly loved this one! Carve out a day to sit down and meet Mama Love! Join me and Mama Love herself, Lara Love Hardin, as we discuss this heartrending memoir on Saturday, June 15, at 3:00 p.m. at the Methodist Church.
Safiya Sinclair has written a moving and engaging memoir that reads like an epic poem. I first read this book in January 2023. Since then, it has won more awards and received more accolades than I could ever possibly fit and mention in this magazine. Comparisons can be made to other popular coming-of-age memoirs, but this is a lyrical story all its own, tracing Safiya’s struggle to break free of her strict Rastafarian upbringing. Reading one paragraph of this autobiography leaves you breathless from the beauty of the language and the author’s ultimate reckoning over her repressive upbringing in Jamaica. I dare anyone to close the book and not be changed and moved by the story and the voice in its pages. Get ready to be entranced by Safiya Sinclair on Sunday, June 16, at 12:00 p.m. at the Nantucket Dreamland.
One hundred and sixty turbines, 1,312 feet tall, are planned for Nantucket.
The voices in opposition of the wind farm are growing in velocity. While the proponents of the wind farm stand by their position that their effects will be minimal on the environment, ACK for Whales is coming from a very different direction. According to Vallorie Oliver, President of ACK for Whales, “The environmental damage that will result from Vineyard Offshore’s own described construction processes is decimating our seabed with trenching, drilling, pile driving and cable laying.”
In late April, it was announced by ACK for Whales that yet another offshore power plant began permitting in full view of Nantucket’s beaches from Low Beach to
Madaket—only this time, Vineyard Northeast planned on using turbines 53 percent taller than those in view now. To be exact, the up to 160 turbines will be approximately 1,312 feet tall, according to the first of two virtual scope meetings BOEM held. “It’s a very complex conversation,” says Amy DiSibio, a member of ACK for Whales, of the entire topic. She notes that in addition to the project equating to decades of construction out in the ocean, there could be a total of 775 out of approximately 1,400 turbines visible from Nantucket at the end of completion according to public record. “It is a huge slam to Nantucket, to a National Historic Landmark. It is a
huge slam to the environment to do this,” she adds.
According to the newsletter sent out by ACK for Whales, the National Academy of Sciences prepared a report on the projected ecological impact of the project on the water that surrounds Nantucket, which mostly states how the total implications are unknown due to the fact that there have yet to be other completed projects of this scale. Even so, it is clear that this could affect a variety of topics important to the island: tourism, which is Nantucket’s entire economy, and the protection of the North Atlantic Whale, among other things. DiSibio concludes, “Nantucket is a National
Landmark and it's our responsibility to defend it.”
The turbines were said to be virtually invisible from Nantucket, but the first 10 from the Vineyard Wind 1 Project are clearly seen from Madaket and Cisco Beaches, particularly at night, as well as Tom Nevers and the ferry. It is important to note that the closest turbines have yet to be installed. Let’s hope that the promises related to no impact on whales and other mammal life hold more water.
Scan the Flowcode for recent updates on Vineyard Wind Northeast on ACK for Whales
The Clam Shack finally opens on-island.
Few stories on Nantucket last summer garnered more attention than the battle of The Clam Shack. National media found the conflict between two Nantucket billionaires, San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson and New England Development owner Steve Karp, to be too delicious not to broadcast across the country. A Boston Globe headline read “Nantucket Billionaires Battle Proposed Clam Shack” , while CBS News, Forbes, Bloomberg and The Daily Mail chimed in, creating a truly national story.
The person at the heart of the controversy was Chef/ restaurateur Gabriel Frasca whose restaurant property was a mere 18 inches away from Johnson’s home with an exhaust fan overlooking Johnson’s property. When Johnson began to
As time went on, and the press became increasingly fascinated with the story, which was not flattering toward either Johnson or Karp, both parties were pulled together one afternoon at Old North Wharf to find a resolution. During that meeting, Karp saw the proximity of the vent fan to Johnson’s house for the first time and was genuinely surprised by its location. Both he and Johnson walked over to the site and Karp, recognizing the potential for disruption from
“I’m so excited to have local purveyors and provide people with fish caught by the Nantucket fleet.”
object to the possibility of fried clam exhaust wafting through his home, the dispute morphed into a battle of David and Goliath with Johnson being the billionaire and Frasca being the fledgling entrepreneur. But as the story evolved it became the battle between Johnson and Karp, two of many of Nantucket’s uber-rich. Given that there had always been a clam shack and ice cream stand in the same spot for decades, Johnson was painted as the billionaire bully who was holding up Frasca’s piece of the American dream.
– Gabriel Frasca
both the sound and smell of the exhaust system, agreed to relocate the equipment, which ultimately led to a resolution of the dispute.
Fast forward to today, and Nantucket is anxiously awaiting the opening of the now legendary clam shack. Little in Frasca’s culinary background hints at fast-casual dining. Born and raised on Boston’s North Shore, he left college to pursue a career in cooking, first in Boston, and then during stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Spain and Italy. Upon returning to the U.S., he worked in Boston, before
accepting a summer job in 2003 as a chef at Straight Wharf, which had been in business since 1976 under the ownership of Nantucket icon Jock Gifford and the kitchen expertise of Marian Morash (who worked with Julia Child).
“I had an amazing time,” Frasca recalls, “and afterward, I told Jock I’d love to come back.” Three years later, he and Gifford hammered out an agreement, and the rest is Nantucket dining history. “There’s not a lot of places like Straight Wharf,” says Frasca proudly. “It’s an open-air restaurant, exposed to the harbor. It’s fine dining, but not at all stuffy.” Not surprisingly, it’s a favorite among the cognoscenti, and its reservation list has included the likes of Martha Stewart, John Kerry, Jennifer Lawrence and Greta Gerwig.
As for the reimagined Straight Wharf Fish, it will look like nothing else on Nantucket, Frasca promises. To design it, he turned to the award-winning
spare Scandinavian aesthetic that displays the stylistic link between Copenhagen and the Quakers. The bill of fare will include fried clams, onion rings, and hot and cold takes on the traditional lobster roll. Frasca and partner Kevin Burleson hope to add ice cream back into the mix at some point, as well. There’ll be no reservations and no bar, although beer, wine and aperitifs will be served. Takeout will be available, and the simple yet elegant decor—with
seating for 60 at larger tables and high tops—will feature an awning for shade and unbeatable vistas. “The view is fantastic,” Frasca says, “I’m pretty confident that the neighbors are going to love it.” In addition, The Clam Shack will sell fresh local catch. “I’m so excited to have local purveyors and provide people with fish caught by the Nantucket fleet,” Frasca adds, “or to get Ipswich clams every day, so that I can fry ’em and put ’em on a bun.”
“The island deserves to have a low-key, first-come, first-served place, with good food and a view of the water,” he concludes. As for all the controversy initially surrounding it? Like most of last season’s chatter, no one will remember it after their first bite of the signature lobster roll.
WRITTEN BY DAVID CREED
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE
11:11 Market & Bistro brings authentic Japanese fare to Nantucket.
In 2011, Sean Durnin stepped foot on Nantucket for the first time. He was recruited by Lola 41 as one of the new sushi chefs, where he worked for four years. But long before his island days, Durnin aspired to open his own restaurant in his own space.
Durnin, well known across the island as the owner and operator of Sushi Sean 11:11 from several temporary locations and his food truck over the past few years, finally made his dream a reality after locking up a lease at 130 Pleasant Street—the former home of Petrichor, which closed late last year after a four-year run. Calling his new restaurant 11:11 Market & Bistro, the sushi aficionado debuted the market in mid-April with the bistro to follow in late summer or early fall. The restaurant is named after the numerology representation of 11:11, meaning balance and synchronicity— two characteristics that are evident in Japanese cuisine, according to Durnin.
“I have all these ideas floating around in my head of what I want to do and it’s difficult to harness when you don’t have a home base,” Durnin says.
“This place is set up for success. It’s got an excellent kitchen; dining facilities are great; it’s got a 12-seat bar. All these little knick-knack ideas I had floating around in my head, we can finally transform into some Japanese fare.”
Durnin’s passion for making sushi dates back to his days working in a small sushi bar out in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the mid-2000s. For years, he had been traveling to
work in numerous high-end establishments as a chef, but watching these Japanese meals be prepared and served caught his eye. He explains, “Those guys … they have a knife [and] a piece of fish, and looking at these dishes that are coming out … I was just blown away by the simplicity and the confidence in these guys of what they were doing and I just said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”
Quickly after coming to island for Lola 41, Durnin noticed something was missing from his
“All of these little knick-knack ideas I had floating around in my head, we can finally transform into some Japanese fare.”
– Sean Durnin
repertoire. He realized if he truly wanted to master his craft, he needed to go learn from the masters, himself. This prompted him to pack his things and move to Tokyo, Japan, in 2017 for almost five months, where he learned everything and anything about sushi while attending the Tokyo Sushi Academy. And now he’s using these talents within the new establishment. The restaurant will have two faces, the first being a day market where locals can pick up grab-andgo items like Japanese milk bread
sandwiches. “You can have different types [of food]. You can have egg sandwiches, you can have fried pork cutlets, you can have matcha tea and strawberry,” Durnin says. “They’re made with Japanese milk bread, which adds a different flavor, a sweeter flavor, and a different texture to the sandwich. They’re very popular in Japan. Now that I have a facility, I want to start making my own Japanese bread and making these sandwiches.”
Market offerings will go far beyond sushi, with Durnin noting fish poke, sashimi, nigiri, rolls and bao buns as other options. Robata grills (otherwise known as Japanese charcoal grills) are also on the premises, allowing for more authentic yakitori. Coffee, Japanese pastries (in the morning) and other authentic Japanese snacks are also available. “Then we have a whole area where guests can sit down for a casual lunch. They can take off or they can sit in,” he explains. The market will be open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The second portion of the restaurant comes in the form of a 12-seat bar and a full-service bistro where customers can walk in and order ramen, sushi and other hot foods that Durnin says will be available at a reasonable price. “I know I can do it because I have been doing it,” he says. “There is a way to offer this type of comfort food without gouging. The restaurant scene is changing here on Nantucket. It all comes down to the dollar, unfortunately. I think there are ways to have a year-round restaurant and keep locals coming into your place. Nantucket has the best locals. They built my business.”
Durnin also understands no matter how prepared he feels he is for this next stage in his culinary career, there will inevitably be challenges. He states, “You don’t go to a poker table playing with scared money.” For success, risks will need to be taken and patience will need to be exercised. But in the big picture, Durnin feels like all of the pieces are in place for success.
“Our business has worked in the past and it keeps evolving,” Durnin concludes. “We have good clientele and thank God. I am so grateful for that. … It is just putting out good food at a good value, treating the guests right, being polite, giving back. … This has all happened so fast. I can’t wait to get started.”
“Since graduating from Nantucket High School, I’ve been fortunate to earn a degree from the University of Virginia and travel the world while living abroad in Spain. Today, I am pursuing a rewarding career in the advanced nuclear energy sector at a company called Radiant where my daily objective is to build an innovative reactor technology that addresses climate change and energy poverty.“
36 Nantucket Scholars since 2006
42 Professional Workforce Scholarship recipients since 2018
52 instituations of higher education attended Grants to 92 Island organizations
784 grant requests – 691 grants funded
Largest grant of $1M
Through the generous support of the members of the Nantucket Golf Club, their guests, and others, the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation has raised over $45 million over the last 21 years for the benefit of Nantucket youth.
Transitional and traditional design meet in this Polpis home.
On an island where nautical often meets traditional in interior design, there sits one home in Polpis that defies the norm. Think traditional and transitional aesthetics with a touch of whimsical character, where each room is layered with color, texture and something made by the owner herself.
Purchased before COVID-19, the Cape-style home was originally built by Stephen Cheney of Cheney Custom Homes. When the new family, who had been renting on Nantucket during the summer season, purchased the property, they went back to Cheney to apply their personality to the home. They called upon Sydney Wachhorst of W Design for inspiration to create a one-of-a-kind interior.
This is the eighth project Wachhorst has worked on for the owners, who are West Coast-based. Once their children graduated from college and settled on the East Coast, they wanted to find a permanent vacation home where they could all be together with enough space to host their extended family.
The homeowners and decorator worked hand-inhand to layer colors, textures and patterns, as well as bringing personal touches into the home like homemade needlepoint, decoupage and knitting. Wachhorst adds, “The layering factor is a really important part with all of their houses.” Look to the tub room as an example, which is a favorite of the wife’s. Originally, the house did not have a primary bath, which led the team to convert a storage closet in the basement into a place for her to sneak away for restoration time. Inside, a freestanding tub from Shropshire sits atop a custom arabascato-honed marble floor juxtaposed by a Timorous Beasties wallpaper in shades of pink, purple and green. The bathroom is
reminiscent of space you would find in a Newport mansion, adding to the whimsy of the house.
Also in the basement is the Faraway Hotel-inspired bunk room, which was constructed to be a space for the homeowners’ children and friends to escape to, all while still being in the same house. Cheney and Wachhorst called upon local architects Joe Paul and Chris Belanger of BPC Architecture to help. A celestial Mind the Gap wallpaper used behind each bed was the launching point for the design. Also adding personality to this room are customfabricated brass railings, antique lighting, Pierre Frey drapery to divide
the room, Soane Britain linen drapery on the bunk beds for privacy, Misia headboard fabric and plush bedding.
Other family-oriented moments show up throughout the home through the wife’s homemade projects, like needlepoint pieces and knitted throws.
“She brings in a lot of things about the kids that they love or about the family, but not in a traditional monogrammed way. It’s much more creative,” Wachhorst says. She notes that the husband is also an avid art collector and purchases all of those works for their homes.
But even through all these changes, both Cheney and Wachhorst note that the clients tried to prevent being wasteful in a lot of the updates. For instance, the original countertops and appliances in the kitchen were kept and antiques were strewn throughout. “The initial inclination is often tear it out [and] start over and the client is very thoughtful,” Cheney explains. Other updates to the kitchen included adding two windows (there were
none prior) and installing an organic, warm green backsplash from Ann Sacks. Three bespoke pendants were also added to give a coastal feel to the space.
Wachhorst concludes, “The project was a lot of ‘how can you take these bones and work with them to add the defining character.’” She adds, “They never really gave me a set of guidelines. She just said, ‘Make it us.’”
It’s no secret that American businesswoman Aerin Lauder has taken the beauty, style and design world by storm. She is not only the style and design director of Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv, part of her grandmother’s eponymous beauty company, but is also the founder and creative director of her own luxury lifestyle brand AERIN. Next month, industry experts can expect to hear from Lauder as the Design Luncheon speaker, along with Mark D. Sikes, during Nantucket by Design (July 15-18) in a panel discussion about the icons, inspiration and interiors behind American style—which AERIN epitomizes. N Magazine chats with Lauder further about the panel; Nantucket inspirations; the intersection of beauty, fashion and interior design; and more.
The topic for your talk will be “American Style: Icons, Inspiration and Interiors.” Can you go into more detail about what guests can expect? Classic American style and heritage have always been inspiring to me, which you can see throughout my brand, my home and my wardrobe. I love the effortless sensibility and timeless approach to American style, especially when it comes to design and interiors. In Nantucket, I am excited to share an inside look at some of my favorite visual inspirations, aspirational American icons and designers who have influenced me over the years and, of course, the impact of American style on our industry and beyond.
A wonderful example of that inspiration is the new AERIN for Williams Sonoma collection. This spring, we launched an assortment of entertaining essentials and beautiful furniture pieces, all of which were inspired by my home and my garden in East Hampton, as well as an
“In Nantucket, I am excited to share an inside look at some of my favorite visual inspirations, aspirational American icons and designers who have influenced me over the years and, of course, the impact of American style on our industry and beyond.”
“Beauty is my heritage, but home and accessories are my true passion.”
American basket that belonged to my mother. The collections possess the detailed simplicity of classic American design and summers spent outdoors with friends and family.
What is your Nantucket connection?
I visited Nantucket a few times when I was in my teens. I stayed at The White Elephant, and I have special memories of the incredible beaches, delicious food, famous ice cream shop and classic American design on the island.
Nantucket has also always been a place filled with such authentic inspiration, especially the textiles and baskets. Raffia and wicker are seen consistently throughout the AERIN brand, cross-category, which really emphasizes that timeless American aesthetic. It is a material that I incorporate into my home and my wardrobe, no matter the destination or the season.
You’re known for your luxury lifestyle brands in beauty, fashion and interiors. How do you believe these categories all intersect?
When the modern woman thinks about beauty, she sees beauty as an extension of herself, her home, her wardrobe and her travels. Therefore, beauty and home should live together. When I decided to launch AERIN, I expanded the whole concept of beauty to make it part of the way we live today. Beauty is my heritage, but home and accessories are my true passion. Since the brand is built on the concept of lifestyle and effortless style, it was very easy to merge my passions into these different categories.
As a successful American businesswoman, what is your advice to those in similar fields?
My grandmother, Estée Lauder, always talked about the importance of being authentic. She used to say that if you are passionate and true, success will come. I have valued this idea since I was a young girl. Through the years, my goals have ultimately stayed the same—to be authentic to myself and do what I love. That is the best advice that I can give to any entrepreneur.
Looking forward, how do you see the industry changing this year and beyond?
I always say that my style is classic, with a modern twist, which has now become a theme throughout the industry.
is more present than ever, which I am really excited about. I think we are seeing this idea industry-wide, especially in lighting, tabletop and decorative accessories. AERIN is also leading the way with a specialty assortment of carefully curated and bespoke pieces that are now available for our customers to discover. Designers and brands alike are going back into their archives to revisit popular styles from many years ago and launch them in a modern way. I have always referenced my own heritage, but I am inspired by how I am seeing much more of this when it comes to design.
What are some major trends that you foresee for the end of 2024 and into 2025?
One trend that I am especially excited about is the return of color and pattern. For many years, a neutral color palette was very popular, but I feel that we are starting to move away from that and more toward a colorful mix of pattern and texture.
We are planning to open a new retail location in the fall, in a destination that will be a first for the brand. We also have a few collaborations launching over the next couple of months, allowing us to work with like-minded, talented partners and design collections that offer an element of surprise and delight to the consumer. Mark Cross and Gracie are two of our most recent partnerships that represent the best of American design.
Who or what is your inspiration?
I draw inspiration from everywhere—from friends, family, travel, museums, exhibitions, hotels and destinations. Many of our products within the AERIN brand are actually inspired by destinations that I have visited. Each piece is unique in its inspiration and tells its own story.
SCONSET | 14 & 16 COFFIN STREET | OFFERED AT $12,750,000 Nearly 3/4 of an acre comprised of two lots with two homes and a pool in the heart of Sconset Village.
First as a summer visitor and more recently as a year-round resident, Nantucket has been my home for almost 40 years. The island’s unique charm, natural beauty, and rich history make selling real estate on Nantucket very rewarding. I have enjoyed introducing my clients to the tight-knit community and vibrant local culture.
BOBBY SABELHAUS, LISTING AGENT1
BY MICHAEL BLANCHARD
Like most American children, summer Nantucket resident Jay Calnan grew up playing sports. Owner of successful construction firm J. Calnan & Associates in Boston and a former college athlete, Calnan notes, “I learned a lot of great life lessons through sports that were brought to me by my community.”
But what Calnan experienced that others did not was seeing his younger brother, Chris, watch from the sidelines—but not out of choice. Born without a fully formed skull, Chris required surgery to replace his skull with a plastic plate, inhibiting him from ever playing sports as contact was too risky.
“He absolutely loved sports and just couldn’t play,” Calnan says. But then one year, after watching countless Bristol Red Sox games, his brother experienced a change in fate. After seeing him in the stadium, the coaches approached him to be the new bat boy. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but by giving him a uniform and making him feel like he was part of the team and having a role, [it] made him feel every bit as included and had every bit of a sense of accomplishment that I was getting by actually playing sports on these various teams,” he adds.
PHOTOGRAPHY Jay Calnan
Chris becoming the bat boy on the Bristol Red Sox was inspiration that led to the creation of Team IMPACT in 2011 with co-founder Dan Kraft, son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The national nonprofit focuses on matching children facing serious or chronic illness or disability with college sports teams for multiple years.
made 155 new matches. “These kids and their families are dealing with so many hardships that it ’s hard to focus on their well-being. They ’re focused on their treatment; they ’re focused on their nutrition; they ’re focused just on their physical status, but it ’ s very, very difficult to focus on their state of mind and a lot of these kids … they feel different,” Calnan says.
possibly best step, comes during “Signing Day,” during which the child celebrates their signing onto the team—often receiving a team jersey, as well. Calnan adds, “It offers those kids the ability to feel like they belong to something.”
“It offers those kids the ability to feel like they belong to something.”
– Jay Calnan
The process of matching a child to a team is a thoughtful one. It starts with a group of Team IMPACT social workers and child life specialists vetting families who will benefit from the therapeutic program. From there, college teams are also selected— during which they undergo training
After Signing Day, Team IMPACT stays active in the relationship with a dedicated case manager, but also lets it grow organically through the team, coaches, child and family.
“A lot of these kids are homeschooled and spend a fair amount of time in the hospital,” Calnan notes. “And so they don’t have the opportunity to create relationships, create a support system, build their confidence, have developed self-esteem and feel included in something.” But Team IMPACT is changing that.
To date, Team IMPACT has made over 3,000 matches across the United States with a vision to help create a world where children facing serious illnesses and disabilities can feel supported by the community around them while jointly transforming student athletes’ views of the world for better and more empathetic leadership. Last year, the Northeast Team IMPACT region
to ensure that they are prepared for the experience. The last, and
But Team IMPACT is not only helping children. It also has a strong influence on the student athletes as well. So much so, that Calnan says that some students even decide to change their areas of study to focus more on the medical field and helping sick children. He breaks it down to two words: grit and gratitude. “Those are two of the most important things in life,” Calnan explains. “You think you’re tough, you think you’re hanging in, you think you’re not a quitter? Well look over and see that little
“Our long-term goal is to eventually have a sick child on every college athletic team in the country.”– Jay Calnan
kid who's going through chemo once a week. That's tough. That’s grit. That's where you're learning how life can be really, really hard and that you want to persevere. And these student athletes learn so much perseverance and grit from these young kids based on what they're battling, what they’re going through and the hardships they’re dealing with.” This realization and an emphasis on being grateful for the simple things that you have and normally take for granted are perhaps two of the most life-changing lessons for those teams that participate.
Calnan says, “You'll look over and you see a sick kid sitting on the end of the bench with
a smile ear to ear, happy to just be outside, and we teach these student athletes a lot of perspective on what's really important and how fortunate they are.”
While the nonprofit is active in all 50 states, Calnan, the board and new CEO Joe Daniels plan on getting more kids into the program in Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Florida this year. According to Calnan, there is a waitlist of college teams who are interested in being matched. It is his hope to bring more awareness to Team IMPACT’s mission through building relationships on a national scale—and in turn bringing more children to the program. He concludes, “Our long-term goal is to eventually have a sick child on every college athletic team in the country.”
On January 18, 2018, Brazilian native Maya Gabeira surfed the biggest wave a woman had ever surfed in Nazaré, Portugal. There was only one problem—no one believed her. “She out-surfed all the men, and then nobody believed her. Nobody was there. Nobody gave her an award. Nobody noticed,” explains filmmaker Stephanie Johnes, who has summered on Nantucket since she was 8 years old. The documentary, Maya and the Wave, screens at the Nantucket Film Festival this month.
In turn, Gabeira fought for vindication by appealing to her fans and starting an online petition, eventually leading her to become the first female surfer honored with a Guinness World Record. Two years later, on February
11, 2020, she became the first woman to compete in the men’s division of a big wave competition, during which she surfed the largest wave of the year (73.5 feet), breaking her previous record of 68 feet. This earned her the
World Surf League’s 2020 Women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award—the equivalent of the Oscars in surfing. “Her teammates said it should have been the sports story of the year. I mean, it’s unbelievable. She’s out-
surfing 18 very prominent male surfers, and it wasn’t really celebrated,” Johnes adds.
Johnes’ long-awaited documentary is 10 years in the making, and it all started when Gabeira was 26 years old. Johnes had just wrapped filming Venus and Serena, which followed the tennis legends and sisters on and
off the court. “As a filmmaker, sports are so awesome because they’re so visually engaging and wonderful to film,” explains Johnes.
Upon being introduced, Gabeira invited her to a surfing trip to Mexico, thus beginning the decade-long story in 2012. “The production took place with her as her life unfolded. It was a bit of a reverse approach,” Johnes says.
Filming in “cinéma verité,” as the
Nantucket summer resident explains it, allowed her to be a part of Gabeira’s pivotal career moments firsthand. From the first wave to watching Gabeira nearly drown in Nazaré and come back with a vengeance, the entire documentary was filmed exactly as all those life moments happened. But what makes this surfing story so different than others? Johnes responds, “There’s a lot of surfing stories, but this one is pretty special. She really
broke a glass ceiling with what she did in the big waves.”
Through Gabeira’s story, the documentary highlights the very important topic of gender equality in surfing. According to the Surf Industry Members Association, there’s an incredible male dominance in the sport, with approximately 65 percent of 3.8 million surfers being men in 2020. Big wave surfing is often seen as a huge show for male dominance,
often leading to testosterone-boosted behaviors within the waters. But that didn’t stop Gabeira. “This conversation is very unique in particular, because it’s extremely uncommon for women and men to compete against each other directly,” Johnes says.
The documentary follows this topic throughout, along with themes of perseverance and strong family connections. It also gives the public a
closer look into the world of professional big wave surfing, an often “unseen” sport compared to more popularized athletics like soccer or basketball.
Of note, the film has already premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival—during which it was first runnerup for the People’s Choice Award for documentaries—and was the opening night film at the DOC NYC (America’s largest documentary film festival). It also screened
at the 2024 Sun Valley Film Festival, where it won Best Documentary Feature. Moving forward, Johnes is preparing for a film tour in the United States, Canada and the UK this fall. “My goal is really to sing the underdog stories,” she concludes. “I like to bring to light the stories that are lesser known, so this was the perfect project for me because it’s a stunning story that deserves a bigger light than it has had.”
Michael Pierce’s raw bar boat creations.
At first glance, Michael Pierce might look like your typical Nantucket carpenter, with a perpetual coating of sawdust on his clothes and a pencil peering out from his chest pocket. But when the former independent contractor steps into the woodshop behind his house, something quintessentially Nantucket is being made—wooden raw bar boats. “It started as winter work, basically,” Pierce says. “I used to build houses.”
In fact, it was in the process of rebuilding the home of 21 Federal Street, now known as Ventuno, that Pierce met his best friend, the late Stephen “Spanky” Kania, the man who, according to local legend, was the first to cater a raw bar on Nantucket. It all started in the 1980s when Kania was hired by a woman named Lizzie Sanford to shuck littlenecks for a group of women playing bridge in her home. The idea quickly took off, and with Pierce’s help, they soon left building homes behind, enjoying season after busy season of not only providing and shucking at raw bars at events, but digging for the shellfish as well.
This business became so popular that Pierce says they needed to dig for clams every single day, all year long, to have enough to serve at their parties. But he and Kania quickly realized that the iced tables they were using weren’t the best vehicles to display the mollusks—they were destroying the tables in the process. Kania and Pierce turned to Warren Pease, who was the first to build a wooden raw bar boat on Nantucket (and still continues
A look inside Pierce's workshop
“I was thinking recently, am I still having fun? It’s good woodwork, and yes, it’s still fun.”
– Michael Pierce
today). Although this pardoned the fate of countless wooden tables, the design was just a few inches too long to fit in the back of a truck’s bed, causing Pierce to take matters into his own hands (literally) when he constructed his first raw bar boat, a shorter creation that could be transported from party to party with ease. The first raw bar boat he created is still used at The Wauwinet.
Pierce’s process is one of patience and craftsmanship. He first created a mold for the three different sizes of boats—56, 76 and 96 inches. The smallest can accommodate a single shucker, while the medium and large can accommodate two or three. Each boat is built with a mahogany stem and stern, and cedar is clamped and slowly bent for the smooth curve of the planking. “When it snaps, it’s not bashful,” Pierce says. “And while it’s being built, with all the clamps, it kinda looks like a porcupine.”
An insert tray made of plywood allows for the use of less ice, and a brass plug gives a controlled release of ice melt so that the seafood is never “swimming” in water. Each boat, from beginning to end, takes just under a month to be fully constructed, the longest part due to waiting for varnish and glue to dry. But Pierce doesn’t seem to be in any rush, nor does he have plans for hiring an apprentice. In fact, this 78-year-old has relied solely on word of mouth to sell his work, up until about two years ago when he launched his single-page website, and now he “receives calls from every which way but loose,” the master woodworker happily reports. In the summer, in his time away from his woodshop, Pierce can still be found as a raw bar shucker at parties, although the digging for littlenecks is now, thankfully, someone else’s responsibility. The classic wooden raw bar boat, typically the length of a four-top table, has become something of an island staple at weddings, parties, galas and other celebrations. The boats serve not only as a display for the ocean’s bounty, but as a focal point and gathering place, a common ground for all to convene and enjoy. Meeting the customers who purchase his boats is what Pierce says is his favorite part of the job after long solo winters in the woodshop behind his home. For now, the calls continue to come in from both existing customers and new, all wanting their own take on his oneof-a-kind creations. But he insists that despite all the hard work, he’s still having a good time. “I was thinking just recently, am I still having fun?” he says. “It’s good woodwork, and yes, it’s still fun.”
Nantucket Film Festival short Lyrical explores issues of Black identity
Nantucket Film Festival (June 19-24) will feature a short by summer resident Carter Stewart this year.
Titled Lyrical, the short film follows a privileged Black law student who is trying to escape pressure from his father and eventually finds himself in a potential police violence situation. The coming of age drama depicts the collision of two worlds: that of the Black elite and the dispossessed. Carter, who serves as the executive vice president over programs at the Mellon Foundation, has a deep-rooted history on the island, where his great-grandparents built a cottage in 1926. He sat down with N Magazine ahead of his film ’s debut.
Tell me more about Lyrical.
Lyrical is a very personal story. It’s a story that I started drafting in my head while I was in law school, in part because in my first year, my criminal law professor, rather than giving us a final exam, said, “I’d like you to write an episode of Law & Order that captures all of the legalities and law that we’ve been talking about this semester.” And so that just got me in that mindset of writing a script.
I had the opportunity to represent kids who were charged with crimes as part of a juvenile justice clinical in law school, and I also volunteered in a halfway house for kids who were coming out of lockup
facilities that were on their way back to their families after a period of months. Those two experiences opened my eyes to a different world. It was really impactful for me, especially to work at the halfway house because these kids shared my ethnicity. We’re African American, but we came from such different backgrounds, and they viewed me with suspicion … looked at me as an Uncle Tom. I was struck by the fact that they have these incredible stories that I wasn’t aware of, and so that combination plus the script idea got me writing.
I wrote the first draft all the way back in 2003. We just had our daughter, and I was going through my background check when I was about to start as a federal prosecutor, so I had about two months
to do it. And so I read a bunch of books about how to write a screenplay, took classes and wrote it. It was not good. It was way too long and over the past 20 years, I’ve been working trying to get it to a place where it would actually sell. I placed in different competitions, which was great, but I never succeeded in selling it.
I just reached a point where I wanted to make something from this dream that I’ve had for 20 years. That’s when I decided to shrink it down to a short. So I shrunk it from a feature to a short, and then through a series of very lucky circumstances, found a production company, and then raised the money to make it. … I applied to about 30 film festivals, and Nantucket is the very first one to respond. … It is so thrilling for me to be showing my movie on Nantucket since it’s so close and connected to my family, and I
dedicate the film to my dad, who’s buried in the Colored cemetery.
What kind of impact do you hope that this film makes not only on the island, but beyond?
I hope it encourages people to think about our shared humanity. That’s the basic point. From my time as a prosecutor, and then when I was a defense attorney as well, and also during the juvenile justice time that I had at law school, what became evident to me is that we allow injustices to happen in large part when we don’t see the humanity of the folks that they are happening to. And when we think “those people are different, they’re not like us,” that sense of separation leads to bad things happening. And so I’m hoping that people, after seeing this, will think about how everybody has a story. Everybody has reasons and development history that help explain why they are who they are and how they act. And that if we take the time to learn each other’s stories, this will be a better world.
I want people to feel entertained. I want folks to feel engaged. I think anybody who has felt caught in between worlds will see themselves in this film. Folks who feel like they don’t really belong to one place or another, I’m hoping that they see themselves and realize that they’re not alone in feeling that way.
All of your career and life experiences have allowed you to look deeper at humanity, so how did that continue to inspire the depth of this script’s story?
Well, the sad fact is that this film feels just as relevant today as it did back in 2003, which to me shows that we have not had as much progress as I would have hoped in this development of the criminal justice system. The fact that it’s still relevant today is unfortunate and sad to me.
How the movie changed over the time was really personal. It changed as my relationship with my dad developed and changed as I got older. He passed away four, five years ago. But standing in
the shoes of a father helped me understand him better and helped me understand where he was coming from when he showed me what I would call tough luck, when he would basically try to tell me what I should do with my life and force me into certain situations that I didn’t really want to go in. … So I think that the time difference between then and now really allowed me to learn from and lean into my relationship with my dad, which is why I dedicated the film to him. His influence is a key factor. As much as I recognize that there was some detriment to the things he was pushing me to do, there was also a huge upside in terms of his teaching me about the
– Carter Stewart “I hope it encourages people to think about our shared humanity.”
power of persistence and the power of time on task. It was that lesson that led me to keep working on this [film].
After watching the film, what are some steps that we can begin to put in place as a community to help shift the narrative into a better light?
I would encourage people to do what I did, which is to volunteer, to reach across places where you don’t necessarily feel comfortable, and try to learn that which you don’t know. And so if you have the opportunity to volunteer, to work with, to support, to basically be proximate to some of these issues that are so easy to ignore, that would be for everyone’s betterment. And this actually comes from Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, where he talks about how important it is for us to not stay too
comfortable in our established worlds, but to learn how others live. So public service and volunteering would be my number one piece of advice.
The 13th annual Plein Air Nantucket festival takes place June 11-16.
In 1920, American Post-Impressionist landscape painter Frank Swift Chase visited Nantucket for the first time. Upon his trip, he fell completely in love with the island’s landscape, which prompted him to come back every summer until 1955 to teach the art colony plein air (outdoor) painting. Known for being the founder of the Woodstock Artists Association, as well as the Sarasota School of Art in Florida, Chase is credited with also forming the art colony on Nantucket—during which he taught many of the women who ended up founding the Artists Association of Nantucket (AAN) that we all know today.
Photo by Kit Noble
Nantucket artists and the AAN continue to honor Chase’s tradition through Plein Art Nantucket. The festival, which celebrates its 13th anniversary this year, June 11-16 was created by plein air painter and former AAN president Robert Frazier in 2013. “The association itself is tied very specifically to the history of plein air painting on Nantucket,” he says, referencing Chase’s storied past.
The festival, which is headquartered in the Big Gallery at 12 Straight Wharf, is free for all artists at any level to participate. “So many artists, writers, poets and creatives have long come to Nantucket because of the visual inspiration all around and the sense of place,” explains
AAN board member and artist Meghan Weeks. “And what better way to enjoy that than to spend time outdoors, commune with the scenes and really make work surrounded by the inspiration?”
Annual Paint Out Day (June 12), taking place at
“You may be idealizing the space, but you’re still trying to capture the essence of where you are and what you’re feeling at the time that you’re there.”
– Illya Kagan
Folger’s Marsh, is perhaps one of the largest events, during which three free buses take artists and the public from town to the Shipwreck Museum near the location. Quick Paint Day at two currently unannounced locations follows. “It’s become a tradition where you get to see all your
Paint image courtesy of the Artists Association; all other images by Kit Noble
fellow artists out painting on location, and it s really fun to catch up with everyone and see what they’re doing and feed off of one another’s ideas and interpretations,” explains Illya Kagan, who is a full-time Nantucket resident, plein air painter and AAN member since 1989.
According to Kagan, the idea of plein air painting really circles around capturing the chosen landscape in time. “You may be idealizing the space, but you’re still trying to capture the essence of where you are and what
you’re feeling at the time that you’re there,” he says. Overall, plein air paintings provide the island with a history of that location and how it has changed. Weeks adds, “We’re capturing the island as it changes and we’re looking now at a 100-year history where we can really go back and see how much the island has evolved through the eyes of artists.”
According to Frazier,
participants tend to complete anywhere from three to five works, if not more, during the festival, all of which are hung on the wet wall at the Big Gallery and are available for purchase. Sixty-five percent of the proceeds go to the artist, while the rest is given to the AAN. On the final day of the festival, a closing reception takes place, during which the Frank Swift Chase Awards are announced. Frazier concludes, “[The festival] spreads the word that we’re a strong arts community here. We are a colony—one of the few art colonies with a long tenure.”
– Robert Frazier “The festival spreads the word that we’re a strong arts community here.”
Nantucket Cottage Hospital is the island’s source for health and wellness, providing compassionate care with the expertise you would expect from Mass General Brigham.
Claire Conklin, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, and Dr. Derek Andelloux, two of NCH’s primary care providers. At NCH, our primary care providers are the orchestra leaders of your health and well-being. They’ll take care of all your routine needs such as annual physicals, vaccines and the care of common or chronic health issues. If you need a primary care provider, call 508-825-1000.
The history and future of print media on Nantucket.
For those of a certain age, the look, feel and smell of a newspaper holds a certain charm that cannot be replicated by today’s digital media. Indeed, for the majority of the last two centuries on Nantucket, newspapers were the internet of their day and provided islanders and beyond with news ranging from shipwrecks and horse thievery to great fires and matters both large and small about island life. Belying its size, Nantucket has had a broad array of newspapers in its history with over 20 publications having come and gone spanning over the past 210 years. These newspapers chronicled the life of Nantucket and provided a fascinating account of the evolution of this island, much of which is preserved in the archives at the Athenaeum at the Boston Public Library.
In general, the number of newspapers grew in the United States quickly between the 1790s and 1850s, tripling between 1790 and 1810, according to Lincoln Thurber, Head Reference Librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum. He adds that by the early 19th century, small cities and large towns had their own newspapers—or even competing ones—making it no shock that Nantucket, a small yet prosperous island, would have so many. He adds, “News was important to merchant captains and ship owners, so local papers were consumed, as well as New Bedford and Boston papers [that were] shipped to the island. There was always the need for one or more
papers because competition often was also about point of view politically.”
Nantucket’s first newspaper was born in 1816. Called the Nantucket Gazette, the paper was published by Abraham G. Tannatt. Perusing the front page of any random issue of the Gazette will take you back in time and give a colorful sense of what life was like on the island 250 years ago. A notice from Isaac Coffin forbidding residents from removing sand or earth from Main Street; $20 rewards for finding the culprit of fence vandalism;
and incarceration for horse thievery, all take the reader back to a simpler time both in Nantucket and the world.
“There was always the need for one or more papers because competition often was also about point of view politically.”
– Lincoln Thurber
The Nantucket Gazette wasn’t the only paper on the island at the time. It was joined by the Nantucket Commerce Gazette (1816-1817), Nantucket Weekly Magazine (1817-1818), and shortly thereafter the Nantucket Journal (18261828). After the disappearance of these publications came The Islander (1840-1843), Weekly Telegraph (1843), The Telegraph (1843), Daily Telegraph (1843-1844), Morning Telegraph (1844-1845), and The Warder (1846).
The constant flow of newspapers on the island continued with The Island Review (18741878), Nantucket Journal (1878-1899), the Daily Nantucket (1889-1899), with other smaller tabloids popping up throughout this period.
Nantucket’s most storied and durable newspaper, today’s Inquirer and Mirror, was the result of the merger between the Nantucket Inquirer and The Mirror, which together have lasted a remarkable 200 years, 40 of which were run by Marianne Stanton—making it one of the oldest newspapers in the country. What is now referred to as The Inky Mirror, started out as a broadsheet, which refers to its 29-by-23.5-inch size, enough to cover a small table. For reasons of economy and practicality, broadsheets were replaced with a smaller tabloid size, which not only saved on printing and paper costs but reduced the cost of shipping. Indeed, the challenge of disseminating news on Nantucket because of its geographic isolation made the newspaper business particularly challenging given that news might travel quickly but boats traveled slowly. Storms, rough seas and fog
would prove to have a big impact on newspapers that were printed off island. Even today’s newspapers on the island, including The Boston Globe, can often be delayed when planes are delayed by challenging weather conditions.
Betsy Tyler, who was the Great Hall librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum from 1995 to 2001, notes how publishers would utilize clippings from faraway newspapers that came by sea to the island to help tell national and international news. “During various conflicts, like the Civil War, there were regular updates about what was happening around the battlefields of the country, and what local people were involved,” she explains. “News came in by mail or by ship or by people who received letters from their loved ones and they would relay the news to the paper.”
Prior to the newspapers being organized in the digital database, locals had little to no access to the fragile pages—they were only available in hard copy or via
microfilm, and while available to all, were only seriously used by avid researchers. The advancement from hard copy to microfilm was all thanks to Chris Turrentine and Lee Rand Burne, both of whom worked at the Atheneum at the time and sifted through every newspaper stack. “It was important because there was no easy access to that information before it went online in this database. I remember sitting and reading through issue after issue on a microfilm reader, and there was no index. You’re just scanning, looking for somebody’s name or some event, and you don’t really know how to find it. So it was like a needle in a haystack,” Tyler explains. The microfilm step allowed the Atheneum to digitalize the papers in 2010. Today, the online database is perfect for anyone looking to do more research on the island’s rich history.
Like the period in Nantucket history when oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, which rendered the whaling industry obsolete, the internet poses the same threat to print media. Faster, cheaper and with vastly broader distribution, digital news has reshaped the traditional newspaper world to a point where our children’s children may have to learn about Nantucket newspapers from a
history book or more likely, a digital story. The two dominant news sources on Nantucket at this moment are the Nantucket Current and the digital version of the Inquirer and Mirror. The Current, which is a mere two and a half years old, has garnered a significant following on the island and demonstrates the agility of digital enterprises and their ability to supersede print news institutions in short periods of time.
Publications with the success of N Magazine and the longevity of the Inky Mirror are few and far between. Beyond the desire to pick up a piece of printed paper versus an electronic device may be part of the reason why print is still relevant on Nantucket, but the reasons may go deeper. According to Inquirer and Mirror General Manager Robert Sauer, “the resilience of print news on Nantucket is largely due to the fact that we have a highly-engaged and involved island. Having worked in the news media for large national companies, I can honestly say that the audience on
Nantucket is more engaged than any I have seen.”
Sauer added, “the consistent presence of quality journalism on the island keeps the town engaged and keeps the media as an especially vital part of the community.”
But the sad fact remains that the heyday of newspapers and magazines is now in the rearview mirror and not only deprives us of a time-honored reader experience but also poses a threat to journalism as we know it.
Many are unaware that unlike print media, news on the internet is protected against libel and slander by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This means that false, inaccurate or defamatory news on the internet poses no recourse to the source whereby print has to meet the standards set forth by libel and slander laws.
We defer to Thomas Jefferson’s famous quote, “and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” For now, we should enjoy the print world that Nantucket offers, because a day will come when print news as we know it will be history.
The Community Foundation for Nantucket is a trusted and unique resource for the Nantucket community.
To make a gift, visit cfnan.org, or hold your phone camera up to our flowcode:
Your gift to the Nantucket Fund will help us continue our work to support a healthy and connected community for all who call Nantucket home. To learn more & donate, visit: cfnan.org
A look at some of Nantucket residents’ most curious collections.
At some point in their life, a person may get bitten by the collector’s bug. It could come on suddenly, like for some islanders, or it could grow into a gradual hobby over a period of years. Regardless, whatever possesses people to gather and display items that bring them joy is certainly an extraordinary gift. N Magazine asks four Nantucket residents to share their special collections.
TOM MCCANN SPORTS MEMORABILIA
One of Tom McCann’s most prized possessions is his display of Muhammad Ali’s garments—among them the robes from the famed boxer’s first and last fights, signed boxing gloves and framed photos. But they’re only the beginning of McCann’s affinity for sports memorabilia.
Just over 30 years ago, after acquiring the boxing relics, he started keeping his eyes peeled for one-of-a-kind collectibles, from pennants and trophies to signed balls and racquets. Since then, he’s filled a 1,000-square-foot room in his home with hundreds upon hundreds of items. He describes it as 80 percent sports-themed and 20 percent simply eclectic, thanks to neon beer brand signs, a refurbished gas pump from 1920 and plenty of nautical accents. The result is a combination sports pub and museum, complete with tables and chairs for watching a game—or playing one.
“You can go in there 1,000 times and miss things. I go in there and I go, ‘Oh, I forgot I got that!’” says McCann, the owner of McCann Pets Group. “But every item has a story behind it. I remember each day, each location, each place that I got each item.”
The room, anchored by both a pool table and an antique shuffleboard table,
is organized by sport. Over the years, McCann has aimed to have every sport imaginable represented in the space, with sections for baseball (with both Red Sox and Yankee heirlooms), golf, hockey, soccer, football, tennis and beyond.
More obscure finds include a discus from the 1954 Olympics and a trophy from a Southampton, England, sailboat race in 1928. Other standouts like Shaquille O’Neal’s signed sneakers, antique bowling pins suspended from the ceiling, bocce balls from Sicily and 1940s table tennis paddles round out the collection. Still, there are numerous showpieces tucked away safely in storage to swap in when the time is right. “People come into the room and they either have a panic attack because there’s so much to look at,” McCann says. “Or they freak out and go ‘Can I take a video?’”
McCann, pictured wearing an old Yankees jacket. The collector’s item lists all of the team’s World Series years on the back.
Matthew Palka’s offbeat collection began with a visit to the Toy Boat on Straight Wharf. Over a decade ago, he stopped in the now-shuttered shop with his fiancée, admiring its trinkets and curios. One treasure in particular caught his eye: a marble eyeball with a snake wrapped around the base, its head resting on top. He marveled at the little sphere of glass but left without buying it.
Six weeks later on their wedding day, Palka’s wife, Lydia, presented him with a gift. It was none other than the marble eye he’d spotted. She didn’t know it at the time, but that gift would eventually balloon into a collection of 251 marble eyes.
He was never a collector of traditional glass marbles or even a kid who played with them, yet the colors, the level of detail and the artistry on the eyeballs are simply something he admires.
“Nobody I knew had really seen or heard of them,” says Palka, who is the owner of Matthew Palka Landscape. “I didn’t know anything about them. It was just fun.” Upon further
research, the source of the marble eyeballs still seems to be a mystery, but that didn’t stop Palka from his collection.
When each of his three daughters was born, he acquired matching eyeballs to mark the occasion. Then, after the Toy Boat closed, he turned to sites like eBay and Etsy to find interesting designs. Palka began following glass artists like Kenny Talamas and Lindsey Peterson online, buying ones with new colors and patterns when he’d come across them. Eventually, he began arranging them in
a display case in his home office, which he’ll keep filling with interesting pieces. Each eyeball he finds is completely unique, much like human eyes.
“I just got one from Kenny Talamas that has a tree on the back of it,” Palka says. “I’m always doing stuff with trees everywhere all over the island. To have that on the back and the eyeball on the front—it’s just cool. You can always have a personal take on them.”
At 79 years old, Dr. Timothy Lepore still spends most of his time caring for the people of Nantucket. The island’s resident surgeon has a full calendar—as most of his patients, family and friends know—but when he does find a moment to himself, he’s likely admiring his vast collection of antique revolvers and pistols.
“I grew up interested in knives, guns, bows and arrows,” recounts Lepore. A little later, when he was a freshman in high school, he acquired his first gun: a lever-action rifle.
It wasn’t long before he realized what he really enjoyed. “I seemed to gravitate towards antique firearms,” he says.
His current collection, of which there are dozens upon dozens of specimens, ignited with one type of gun: an 1849 Colt. It’s the revolver model that put Colt on the map as a company.
“They’re fascinating old guns,” says Lepore, who owns a version with an ivory grip. “And they come with obscure different engravings on the barrel.”
Other guns have followed as the years have marched on, including an 1811 Springfield flintlock musket, a Remington Model 1858, a few Winchester Model 1885s, a Savage Model 99 and many more. “It gets obscure,” admits Lepore.
Naturally, he’s protective of his vast collection and stores the guns in several booby-trapped vaults. One wrong move and a burglar could discover an “unpleasant surprise,” per Lepore.
What all of Lepore’s guns have in common is a representation of a period in history, which is what he enjoys most about each one. Some models were used in the Civil War, others were thought to have been brought to Nantucket by members of the Navy.
“Guns all have a history, a mechanical history,” he says. “And they played a role in the history of the country.”
Dr. Timothy Lepore
Upon entering Janet Sherlund’s home, it’s evident someone with a collector’s spirit lives there. For almost 25 years, Sherlund has been adorning her house with her favorite things: Nantucket lightship baskets.
“It’s just something that my heart responds to,” says Sherlund, who bought her first basket on Main Street soon after moving to the island in 2000. Since then, she’s amassed more than 200 of the woven creations, which originated on Nantucket in the 19th century. One of Sherlund’s largest displays sits under the front staircase where over a dozen baskets take center stage, with several sets of
nesting baskets resembling crowns. Up the stairs, friendship baskets—the kind used as handbags— cover an antique bench, while some command attention from a wooden hutch, including originals from artist José Formoso Reyes. More baskets sit atop cabinets in her primary bedroom; others are tucked beside sofas and under tables.
Sherlund, a trustee emeritus of the Nantucket Historical Association, stresses that she’s not an academic collector—she doesn’t have goals or certain models she’s after. Instead, she selects them based on the colors, shapes and carvings she’s drawn to. Her inventory ranges from historical baskets made as early as the 1800s to Folger and Appleton designs, as well as more
contemporary pieces created by locals. Her most prized baskets include a nesting set of 18, crafted by Nantucket basket weaver Kathleen Myers with scrimshaw detailing by Lee Ann Papale. Sherlund collaborated with the artists to choose what quotes and designs would grace the scrimshaw
handles. Beyond the piece’s custom detailing, Sherlund says she’s never known of any other weaver to complete a nesting set as large as 18.
Every basket Sherlund acquires has been from the island, though the thrill of the hunt pales in comparison to the joy she receives from the
environment she’s created.
“Whether they’re something you’ve found in an old dusty corner of a secondhand store or something at the finest antique store, I think having baskets in a room just grounds it,” Sherlund says. “It makes a space feel warmer and more human.”
When major Nantucket news breaks, the mainland broadcast networks and newspapers turn to the Nantucket Current for insights on what’s happening. Our work has been cited dozens of times in some of the most respected national and regional media outlets, and our team has appeared on CNN and Fox News to discuss island-related stories.
Nantucket Current is the largest and most-read digital news source on the island, providing instant news to your phone or email inbox. The news doesn’t wait to break every Thursday, so why should you? Discover why thousands of Nantucketers now view the Current as their single source of news.
Author Kwame Alexander returns to the island for this year’s Nantucket Book Festival.
Kwame Alexander’s mission is simple—to change the world, one word at a time. But as this Emmy Award-winning producer and author of 40 books—many of which are No. 1 New York Times bestsellers—will tell you, simple doesn’t always mean easy. Alexander’s tireless work as an educator and literary ambassador on multiple continents has underscored the impact of his writing. “I have visited over 2,000 schools in the past two years,” he says.
This includes those schools on Nantucket in partnership with the Nantucket Book Foundation’s Visiting Authors program. In 2023, Alexander was “hope No. 1” for Rebecca Hickman, the Cyrus Peirce Middle School Library teacher, and others involved in the program. “To say we were over the moon to have Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander visit our schools last spring is an understatement! The sheer number of awards his books have received, and the fact that keeping his titles on the library shelves is nearly impossible to this day, is indicative of his popularity among tweens and teens,” she raves.
This year, Alexander is returning to the island for the Nantucket Book Festival, during which he will speak about his 2023 memoir Why Fathers Cry at Night, a book that explores the author’s rich tapestry of life through childhood memories, kitchen table tales, poems, family recipes and a jazz playlist, and his latest release, This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets, to locals and summer residents alike.
Coincidentally, Alexander listens to instrumental jazz as he writes, which streams into the central themes of his books, along with sports, family, friendship and first love—according to Nantucket High School librarian Jill Surprenant, this makes him especially relevant to young readers on Nantucket. She says, “Many of his titles are written in verse—yet another draw, as readers allow the rhythm and cadence to propel them forward and keep reading.”
Music serves as a point of connection for the author, as classic mid-century American jazz allowed Alexander to finally connect with his father, a serious man who became a minister after a career in the U.S. Air Force. When Alexander discovered his father’s box of old classic jazz records in the attic of his family home, he was still a student of acclaimed poet and creative writing professor Nikki Giovanni. The music
Alexander explains, “When I fell in love with those jazz records, I sort of fell in love with my father. Because I realized he’s got to be a cool dude to be listening to this music. And that sort of coincided with me beginning to really write love poems in earnest. And jazz music became the soundtrack.”
His early days as a poet didn’t make for a smooth chapter. His first marriage ended in divorce after just five years, and he admits that in the beginning, poetry was “not … a sustainable career for a twentysomething husband and father to a four-year-old—and the author of a book of amateurish, if not provocative, love poems that I published myself.” While his poetry is now widely celebrated (in February, he read aloud from This Is the Honey on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert), it was Alexander’s transition into children’s literature that allowed him to truly
find his stride. Was it a strategic move? “Not at all,” he says, explaining how his shift in focus was simply a natural outgrowth of his love for his daughters. “I had my second daughter and my wife [said], ‘You should write a poem, a prayer for our daughter, so that she can recite it every night,’” he recalls.
As a new dad, reading aloud from children’s books by celebrated authors like Mo Willems set Alexander on a new trajectory. He adds, “Before you knew it, I had written a children’s picture book, and then another one, and then, as my kids got older, I began to write to meet the age that they were.” Eventually, Alexander ventured into the television, film and music industries, becoming executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning series The Crossover, which was based on his Newbery Medal-winning novel of the same name. It was released on Disney+ in April of last year. This was followed by Rebound, which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, and The Undefeated, a National Book Award nominee, Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal-winning picture book illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Some of Alexander’s latest projects include the reality television series America’s Next Great Author and an animated series based on his children’s book Acoustic Rooster , in partnership with GBH.
Among his other awards and accolades are the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Prize, the Coretta Scott King Author Honor, four NAACP Image Award nominations and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander
Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded in honor of his mother, a professional educator who shines as a luminous presence throughout his memoir.
“Many of his titles are written in verse—yet another draw, as readers allow the rhythm and cadence to propel them forward and keep reading.”
Isabella Schingle’s sleepwear brand, Ella Alden, hits Nantucket.
Even as a child, Isabella Schingle had a fascination with sleepwear. “I like to wear a matching pajama set when I sleep because I like to feel put together,” the Hingham, Massachusetts resident says. “I got made fun of as a kid because I was the one showing up to the sleepover in a matching striped set. That was just the way my mom did things,” she says. Eventually, this led to the launch of luxury sleepwear brand, Ella Alden.
Schingle’s love of coordinating sleepwear sets continued as an adult. During the long days at home throughout the pandemic, her many pairs of pj’s provided
a welcome sense of comfort. It was during that time that the third-generation interior designer (Schingle’s mother and grandmother were both in the industry) started thinking about launching her own brand. Since she was already working with different companies to source textiles for client projects, Schingle decided to ask an artisan of print fabrics in India if she had ever made pajamas. As luck would have it, the designer had just finished creating a new sample. That was the moment Schingle’s idea began to take shape.
Schingle, along with business partner and husband Stephane, launched Ella Alden in 2021.
The brand’s sleepwear, made from a block print fabric spun from organic cotton, stands out because no two pairs are the same. The pajama fabric is entirely stamped by hand.
“It’s true artisan wear. The designers carve a print into a gourd, dip it in dye and then stamp the fabric. So let’s say a pair of pajamas have little flowers all over the fabric. Each little flower is individually stamped by someone. It’s just a phenomenal process,” she says.
The rising brand’s ultrafeminine prints have been popular with teens, brides and Gen Xers. Both preppy and whimsical, styles range from classic gingham, stripe and floral patterns to colorful bunnies, elephants and hearts. Silhouettes include long- and short-sleeved sets, button-down pajama dresses and reversible quilted robes. Ella Alden is a direct-to-consumer line that’s available in only two stores: Anchored in Pink in Newport, Rhode Island, and Four Winds
on Nantucket.
This summer, Schingle is adding to the collection in a collaboration with Nantucket Magic on June 2930 at Four Winds, where shoppers will find brand-new pajama sets and swim cover-ups. Schingle adds, “We found each other on Instagram. I already had the pop-up planned for Nantucket, and Four Winds wanted to do something exclusive, which they hadn’t done before. So it just worked out perfectly.”
island’s original whaling families dating back to the 17th century. That sense of familial connection is present from the moment Schingle and her husband arrive on the island. “It’s like this dreamland. From the moment you step off the ferry, all the craziness of life just stops,” she says.
Whether she’s on Nantucket, back home in Boston, visiting family in San Diego or traveling to some far-flung destination, Schingle ends each day the same way: slipping back into a pair of Ella
HER
HIM
PHOTOGRAPHER: BRIAN SAGER
WARDROBE STYLIST: LEXY KAROLYI AND PETRA HOFFMANN
MAKEUP STYLIST: JURGITA BUDAITE OF ISLAND GLOW
HAIR STYLISTS: LINDSAY WALSH OF RJ MILLER
FEMALE MODEL: BETHANY DZIEKAN OF MAGGIE INC.
MALE MODEL: MARK POLI OF MAGGIE INC.
Shot on location at the Nantucket Memorial Airport
DRESS AND JACKET: CARTOLINA
BAG: SARA CAMPBELL
JEWELRY: ICARUS & CO.
CASHMERE WRAP AND SUITCASES: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
CASHMERE PANT AND CARDIGAN SET, SHIRT, BAG AND CASHMERE WRAP:
MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
JEWELRY: CALISTA WEST
SNEAKERS AND SUITCASES: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
JEWELRY: HEIDI WEDDENDORF
SPORT COAT, BUTTON UP, ZIP
PULLOVER, TOTE AND LAPTOP BAG: DUCK HEAD
PANTS AND WATCH: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
SWEATER: REMY POLO: DUCK HEAD PANTS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP BRACELETS: KATHERINE GROVER
SHIRT, PANTS AND CARDIGAN: REMY BAGS, SHOES AND SUITCASES: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
JEWELRY: KATHERINE GROVER
HAT, SUNGLASSES
BRACELET AND SHOES:
MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
NECKLACE:
KATHERINE GROVER
EARRINGS: HEIDI WEDDENDORF
JACKET AND SHORTS: SARA CAMPBELL
SHIRT, HOODIE AND PANTS: SOUTHERN TIDE
JACKET, BELT AND BAG: DUCK HEAD WATCH: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
CARDIGAN, JOGGERS, VEST, SUNGLASSES, BRACELET, WATCH, GOLF BAG AND DUFFEL BAG: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP SHIRT: SOUTHERN TIDE
SWEATER, VEST, JOGGERS AND BAGS: MURRAY’S TOGGERY SHOP
EARRINGS: HEIDI WEDDENDORF
1,132 square feet in Brant Point
For further information, call Richard Jardin at (508) 939-0940 with build-out allowance
We are pleased to offer a rare office leasing opportunity at 19 North Beach Street in Brant Point. The space offers convenient parking and easy access to town and is now available.
A series of in-depth conversations between luminaries, well-known journalists, activists, authors, entertainers and so much more at The Dreamland.
Previous guests include John Kerry, Kevin Youkilis, Casey Neistat, Amanda Knox, Dana Bash, Nathaniel Philbrick & more!
A small capture of the tremendous fun had at the 48th annual Daffodil Weekend, featuring snippets from the ‘Sconset Picnic, Car Parade and more.
For the sixth year, the Nantucket Historical Association kicked off its annual fundraiser, Flower Power, during the 48th Daffodil Festival weekend. Upon arrival, attendees were greeted by daffodil artwork by students from the Nantucket Lighthouse School before heading into the spring celebration. From there, a closer look at new museum additions, dancing and music by Billy Voss ensued.
In the early 1920s, one artist name Florence Lang began converting small wharf shacks into studio spaces, available for rent to other artists in the summer months. Soon after, the “waterfront artists” would arrive as students of Frank Swift Chase and occupy those same studios, all while exhibiting their work at the Easy Street Gallery that Lang also opened. And thus, the Nantucket art colony was born.
After the gallery closed in 1943, the core of artists and patrons formed the Artists Association in 1945 after moving into an abandoned whalingera warehouse on Straight Wharf. Today, the Artists Association of Nantucket still thrives—supporting nearly 300 juried artist members in the two year-round galleries. In the pages ahead, N Magazine reflects upon the history of our island’s artistic past.
Elizabeth Saltonstall, 1900-1990, was considered one of the nation’s foremost lithographers, but also worked in oils, acrylics and watercolors.
John Egle, 18861988, was born in Latvia. He moved to Nantucket in 1910, where he worked as a clam digger and yacht captain. In 1972, he began painting, completing more than 300 works.
“Lib goes to her painting class.” Photo from album made by Jean Burrell Beinecke.
Artist Jan Pawlowski paints a scene of boats in the harbor from the Washington Street shore.
An unknown woman holds a plein air landscape painting.
Bride: Graciela Watrous • Groom: Connor Martin • Venue: The Wade Cottages (ceremony), The Chanticleer (cocktail hour), Sconset Casino (reception), Summer House (after party) • Wedding Planner: Lindsay Daley PPX Events • Wedding Design and Florist: Stone Kelly Events • Photographer: Mark Crosby, Zofia & Co. Photography • Videographer: McKenzie Miller • Caterer: PPX Events • Cake: Dani Coleman Officiant: Julian Watrous, Brother of the Bride • Lighting and AV: Capron • Bridal Hair: Abbey Ardolino • Bridal
Makeup: Emily Nantucket • Bride's Dress: Oscar De La Renta • Groom's Tuxedo: Kiton • Band(s): Nantucket Second Line, Peter Watrous Trio, Big Sam's Funky Nation • DJ: DJ Ryan Brown • Transportation: Cranberry Transportation • Rentals: The Event Rental Co., Nantucket Party Rentals • Raw Bar: Yoho Raw Bar
What is your Nantucket connection?
I grew up on Nantucket. … When I must have been 14 years old, I delivered newspapers for Yesterday’s Island. I would run out of the van and run into the inns and drop off a stack. And I worked at the Bean, too. When I was in high school, I started taking my writing more seriously. I had this really amazing teacher, Anne Phaneuf, who’s very beloved on the island. She was my high school English teacher, and it was in that class that I really started seeing the potential of what literature could do.
I read Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, and in reading magical realism, I was like, wow, there’s a way in which you can kind of play with language and sentences to represent a place or an emotion but in a really creative and different kind of lens.
From there, I went to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and in the summertime, I would go back home. I worked for the Inquirer and Mirror newspaper. … I wrote for Nantucket Today, as well. And that was my first time having my writing published, which is just exciting, but it also gave me a real skill around just the practice of writing. In doing that, I learned to not only write quickly but how to write accurately in a quick timeline.
GABRIELLA BURNHAM RETURNS TO NANTUCKET AS A FEATURED AUTHOR FOR THE NANTUCKET BOOK FESTIVAL.
Growing up on Nantucket, author Gabriella Burnham always felt a strong connection to the island and community. In an interview with N Magazine, she describes it as a “oneness.” “Truly for people who live on the islands, there isn’t as big of a barrier between the people who live there and the land that we live on,” she explains. It’s this connection, along with a sense of obligation and loyalty that one feels toward the community they are from, that she homes in on in her most recently published book, Wait. This is her second novel, the first being It Is Wood, It Is Stone. This month, Burnham returns home for the Nantucket Book Festival (June 13-16) as a featured author.
You just debuted a brand-new book, Wait. Tell me more about the inspiration behind it.
Wait is set on Nantucket. I think about the origin as an answer to a question that everyone who’s from Nantucket gets whenever they meet someone who is not from the island, which is “What was it like to grow up on Nantucket?” And it’s something that I’ve been asked my whole life. Every time someone asks me that, I always feel like I don’t actually know how to answer the question. Usually, when I do, I focus on just how beautiful the island is and how connected I am to the land there and also the community. … It’s an island that is known for being a place where very wealthy people go to visit. Often, people are shocked that people actually live on the island and that there’s this workingclass community there. … And so, I wanted to write a book that’s really for the local community on the island; that really represented, hopefully, universal experiences that people have when you’re from a place that is known for being this exclusive vacation destination. It was also my way of figuring out my own relationship to the island. … Now that I’m an adult, looking back on that, what are my feelings about the island? They’re all incredibly heartwarming and positive, and there’s so much joy, … but then there’s also the complicated aspects of the housing insecurity and also how the land is being bought up and changed and the real kind of antagonism between working-class people and the people who come and use it as a vacation spot. The book contains a lot of that.
How do you cover these themes in the book?
The main character is an endangered species monitor, which is a job that my sister actually had on the island. She spends her days on the beach, trying to protect these piping plover eggs that have been laid, and so there’s a real connection to her wanting to protect these eggs, but then also her mother’s deported at the beginning of the book, which starts this cycle of losing their housing because of that. She and her sister are trying to figure out where to live on the island, and so there’s a correlation between her wanting to protect the eggs and the changing nature of the environment on the island, as well as her wanting to protect her family and trying to make sure that she and her family can stay on the island even though they’ve lost their housing.
How do you hope to inspire others on the island?
I have been in touch with young writers on the island who have questions about how you become a published author. But I think just even having been a presence there and also writing a book that hopefully shows their experience will be an inspiration. … Just knowing that “oh, there’s someone from my community who actually did this” … it gives you that sense of hope.
Nantucket’s hit podcast with #1 Bestselling Author Elin Hilderband and Tim Ehrenberg of @TimTalksBooks
oin Elin Hilderbrand, #1
New York Times bestselling author of 30 titles and the “Queen of the Beach Reads,” and Tim Ehrenberg, Nantucket’s most voracious reader and creator of the popular Tim Talks Books, as they hit the airwaves for Season 2 of the smash podcast produced by N Magazine
Following Season 1’s outstanding guest line up including Taylor Jenkins
Reid, Kristin Hannah, The TODAY Show’s Jenna Bush Hager, Ann Patchett, CNN’s Jake Tapper, The View’s Sunny Hostin, Jodi Picoult, The New York Times’ Gilbert Cruz, Jennifer Weiner, Colleen Hoover, Maggie O’Farrell, and Fredrick Backman, Hilderbrand and Ehrenberg are back talking to the who’s who of the publishing industry and bringing books to life in a brand new way for podcast listeners!
THANK YOU TO OUR SEASON 2 PREMIER SPONSORS
21 Broad, The Swain House
76 Main, Ink Press Hotel
A Safe Place
Advisors Living - Sandpiper Place II
Arrowhead
Atlantic Landscaping
Audrey Sterk Design
Bar Yoshi
Blue Water Pools & Spas
Books, Beach, & Beyond
Brant Point Lease
Brian Sager Photography
Cape Cod 5
Carolyn Thayer Interiors
Citizens Private Bank
CMC Construction
Community Foundation for Nantucket
Compass - Marybeth Gilmartin-Baugher
Congdon & Coleman Real Estate
Douglas Elliman
Eleish Van Breems Home
Fisher Real Estate
Gail Roberts, Ed Feijo & Team
Gibson Sotheby's - Michael Carucci
Great Point Properties
Great Point PropertiesBobby Sabelhaus
Heidi Weddendorf
Island Glow Nantucket
J Pepper Frazier Real Estate
JB Star - Long's Jewelers
Jordan Real Estate
Katherine Grover Fine Jewelry
Kathleen Hay Designs
Kit Noble Fine Art
Lee Real Estate
Maury People - Bernadette Meyer
Maury People - Lisa Winn Murray's Toggery Shop
Nantucket Book Festival
Nantucket Conservation
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Nantucket
RJ Miller
Sara Campbell
Skyline
Southern
The
Tom Hanlon
Tomaiolo
Toscana
Tradewind William
Over the past 20+ years, N Magazine has established itself as Nantucket’s leading luxury lifestyle publication and the most powerful advertising vehicle on the island. Renowned for its compelling content, stunning photography and premium production, each issue is hotly anticipated and becomes a permanent collectible in homes around Nantucket and beyond. Accordingly, N Magazine provides businesses with residual exposure unlike any magazine or newspaper of its kind.
To learn more about the many advertising opportunities available with N Magazine, contact Emme Duncan, Director of Advertising and Partnerships, at emmeduncan@n-magazine.com
