Blog: Author: Dora St. Martin

Converse Art Galleries: Ann and Richard Port African Art Collection

Posted on by Dora St. Martin

“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

When President John F. Kennedy was elected President, he quickly had Congress approve the establishment of the United States Peace Corps.

Richard J. and Antionette (Tramondozzi) Port were pioneers of the Peace Corps. They were the first couple to go overseas, serving as part of Ghana Group 1, the very first cohort of Peace Corps volunteers to deploy globally in 1961. They served with 48 single men and women as secondary school teachers in Ghana, West Africa for two years from 1961 to 1963. Richard and Ann later serviced in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The United States Peace Corps is a volunteer program established by Executive Order 10924 by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. Its founding director was R. Sargent Shriver. Peace Corps volunteers have traveled to over 139 countries in order to maintain its mission: to help people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

In honor of the 65th anniversary of the Peace Corps (2026), the Malden Public Library and Malden Historical Society have collaborated on an exhibition of over 150 pieces of African art and artifacts collected by Mr. and Mrs. Port during their time in service. The collection includes signed carvings, textiles, household items, musical instruments and art. A highlight of the exhibition is four carved figures by Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, a prominent Nigerian Sculptor. In 2008 Mr. Fakeye was named a UNESCO Living Human Treasure.

The exhibition is open Mondays 6-8 pm and Wednesdays 2-4 pm or by appointment through September 30, 2026. For more information, contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218.

Congratulations to all our summer readers !

Posted on by Dora St. Martin
Congrats to our top readers this summer!  Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s End of Summer Award Ceremony and to everyone who’s been participating in our summer reading, whether by joining our reading challenge, our programs, or simply being part of our library community.
Special thanks to Mayor Christenson for helping us award our grand prizes!
Also, the summer fun isn’t over yet! You can still log your minutes on Beanstack and pick up your prizes.  bit.ly/BeanstackMPL

POSTPONED: Kids Craft: Tie-Dye on the Lawn, Friday, July 31st @ 2:30 PM

Posted on by Dora St. Martin

Children up to 5th grade are invited to join us on the Malden Public Library front lawn for an afternoon of tie-dye on July 31st, 2026 from 2:30-4pm! Register in advance and make your own unique t-shirt in the summer sun! Materials will be provided by the library. Be prepared to get a little messy and dress accordingly!

This event will be capped at 36 participants, so sign-up ASAP! The rain date for this event will be July 31st.

https://maldenpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/tie-dye-for-kids-4/

MGB Community Care Van Visits Library on Thursday 5/28

Posted on by Dora St. Martin
Did you know, according to a recent study by Cambridge Health Alliance, the Malden community struggles with higher than average rates of heart disease and diabetes complications, among other ailments? It’s so important to take care of your health, but we know access to health care isn’t always easy. Which is why we are so glad to be welcoming back the MGB Community Care Van on Thursday, May 28th, from 2:00pm-5:00pm!
They will be offering screening, care, and education on a variety of topics, including blood pressure, diabetes, and colorectal cancer; as well as flu and COVID vaccines.
“All types of insurances accepted. No insurance? Ask how we can help!
You do not need to be a Mass General Brigham patient to receive services. We do not ask about your immigration status.
Walk-in – no appointment needed!”   At this event, the Community Care Van will be parked in the driveway of the Library.

Malden Declaration Day – May 27 – Moves to Bell Rock Memorial Park

Posted on by Dora St. Martin
Mayor Gary Christenson invites residents to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Malden Instructions and Malden’s support for American independence in 1776.
The annual reading will take place on Wednesday, May 27 at 5:30 PM at Bell Rock Memorial Park.
The event will feature performances by the William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps, a historical reading by local historian Tom Coots, and the unveiling of a restored memorial bell to be installed at Bell Rock Park. The Malden Instructions, adopted on May 27, 1776, are considered a precursor to the Declaration of Independence and reflect Malden’s early support for an independent American republic.

History Comes Alive – H. H. Richardson Remembered: Networking and Connecting

Posted on by Dora St. Martin
Join us tonight!
H. H. Richardson Remembered: Networking and Connecting
Monday, April 27 7:00—8:00 PM
Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), one of America’s first master architects, designed several local buildings that provide a vivid understanding of his greatness. They include 1) Medford’s Grace Episcopal Church (1868), 2) Boston’s Trinity Episcopal Church (1877), and 3) Malden’s Converse Memorial Library (1885). To gain a better sense of Richardson himself, some highlights of his life are important to explore.
Dee Morris is a scholar and educational consultant specializing in the nineteenth-century history of Greater Boston. She is the author of A Brief History of Somerville, Medford: A Brief History and Boston in the Golden Age of Spiritualism: Séances, Mediums & Immortality. Her goal is help us all connect to our civic ancestors. Sponsored by the Robinson Lecture Fund.

Gallery Talk on Sept 19 – The Florida Highwaymen – A Legacy of Landscape Painting

Posted on by Dora St. Martin
Join us Friday, September 19th at 3pm. The Malden Public Library will present a gallery talk with Roger Lightle, owner of Highwaymen Art Specialists in Vero Beach, Florida.
The Highwaymen painters created careers as landscape painters against the backdrop of racially segregated Jim Crow Florida. Denied access to gallery representation and excluded from the mainstream art world, they sold their art works wherever they could—including out of the trunks of their cars parked on the side of the interstate. The Highwaymen artists depicted the state’s scenic coastline and wild backcountry, often in dazzling combinations of color and tone. Harold Newton was inducted into Florida’s Artist’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Smithsonian permanent collection in Washington D.C. 2016.
hile primarily self-taught, these artist’s works are very much part of the lineage of European and American landscape painting that stretches back to the nineteenth century. They learned the basic skills of landscape painting from the renowned artist A.E. “Beanie” Backus, who welcomed both Newton and Hair into his studio. The Highwaymen paintings follow in the legacy of other important landscape artists in Library’s collection, including Joseph MW Turner, Frederick Watts, George Innes, George Loring Brown, and Thomas Hill.
Following the program, light refreshments will be served. Malden Public Library’s Converse Memorial Building & Art Galleries, 36 Salem Street, Malden, MA. Gallery Hours, WED 2-4, SAT 2-3 or by appointment. Call 781-324-0218 or info@maldenpubliclibrary.org. This exhibition is made possible by the generous donations of John Giso and funds from the Estate of Wilfred J. Carr & the Trustees of the Malden Public Library.

Family Movie Night at the Park at Rivers Edge (200 River’s Edge Drive)

Posted on by Dora St. Martin

Join us for a “Family Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Friday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m.. The movie will be on The Park at Rivers Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Drive in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring Despicable Me 4. MPAA Rating PG.

The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from Rivers Edge. Free parking is available at the Rivers Edge Garage.

 

Malden Renounced its ties to the Kingdom of Great Britain on June 27

Posted on by Dora St. Martin

Please join Mayor Gary Christenson and Library Director Dora St. Martin as Malden gets into the spirit of Independence Day with an exciting events at the Malden Public Library, 36 Salem Street on Friday, June 27th.

Taking place from 5 to 6 PM on the Converse Memorial Building – Library Front Lawn, the event will include a chance to see the original Malden’s town records from the Revolutionary war period. Featured will be the May 27, 1776 document entitled “Instructions of the Inhabitants of Malden, Massachusetts to their Representatives in Congress” unanimously voted on by the townspeople of Malden to be delivered to the Second Continental Congress via their representative Ezra Sargeant. In the 1776 communication, the voting citizens of Malden renounce the Colony’s ties to the Kingdom of Great Britain and set forth their wish to become an independent “American” republic. The document is credited as a precursor to the Declaration of Independence written in July of 1776 when the Continental Congress formally declared their independence from England. Attendees will proceed to the front lawn where Local Historian and period actor Tom Coots will perform the Annual Reading of the town “Instructions.”

 

 

 

Library Presents Outdoor Family Movie Night in the Park at River’s Edge

Posted on by Dora St. Martin

Join us for a “Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Friday, June 13. The movie will be on The Park at Rivers Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Drive in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring Moana 2 (Rated PG). The movie begins at sunset at 8:00 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from Rivers Edge. Free parking is available at the Rivers Edge Garage.