What are the places, landmarks, and memories that define your sense of community? When you think of home, do you think of the park on the corner where you and your friends hang out on weekends? The coffee shop that has the best bagels? The neighborhoods you walk through to get to work?  In 2019, the Essex County Community Foundation

by Joey Phoenix “Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species — man — acquired significant power to alter the nature of the world. ” ― Rachel Carson, Silent Spring “I consider it an extremely dangerous doctrine, because the more likely we are to assume that the solution comes from the outside, the less

by Joey Phoenix Magnolia Blooms Is a mobile, floral delivery service located on Boston’s North Shore. The artist behind the small popup business is marketing and branding expert Jeannine O’Neil of JO Social Branding, and her lively, original creations have been brightening rooms across New England for the better part of three years.  In that time she has become well-known

by Joey Phoenix The Phoenix School, whose small numbers provide a rare opportunity for in-person and predominantly exploratory outdoor learning, recently announced that they are moving to their new location at 28 Goodhue Street near Mack Park in Salem.  While teachers, and educational staff nationwide have been debating how to safely educate students this fall during a global pandemic, the

By Joey PhoenixCover Image from the National Museum of African American History and Culture 100 Years Ago women won the right to vote in the United States, but many will argue that with a presidential glass ceiling yet unbroken, stories of voter suppression still occurring throughout the country, and and a considerable lack of governmental representation for Black and Brown

By Joey Phoenix  It’s the question of the year in a year full of endless questions: Do we send students back to school in person? The answer is undeniably complicated, and there’s little precedent for how to effectively deal with this crisis in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic. Many schools are looking to adopt a hybrid model where

by Joey PhoenixImages by EmVision Productions What do you have to look forward to? What allows you to stay hopeful when the world is turned upside down?  In May of this year, minority-led EmVision Productions released a limited series of videos called #StayHopeful. The series features eight people: an artist-entrepreneur, a student government candidate, an activist-entrepreneur, an author, a hip

Originally Posted on Essex County Createsby Joey Phoenix Since 1993, The Essex Art Center in Lawrence has been offering classes, events, and exhibitions to the public in an ongoing effort to inspire and sustain lifelong growth and learning for a diverse community of artists in greater Lawrence.  Their goal has been to provide opportunities for people of all ages to

by Joey Phoenix When you’re a small business owner, moving to a new location can be harrowing enough. Doing it in the midst of a global pandemic adds a whole new level of difficulty. But for two Salem small businesses, it’s been something to look forward to.  This summer, Kate and Jess Moody of Moody’s Home and Gifts and Matt

by Joey Phoenix February is Womxn* in Horror Month and FunDead Publications is hosting their annual event, Write Like a Girl III this coming weekend on the evening of February 22nd at 7:30 pm at The Witch House in downtown Salem.  This year’s authors include Cat Skully, Nancy Brewa-Clark, Morgan Sylvia, Lauren Devora, and RC Mulhare. The intros and outros