Greetings, my macabre companions. Allow me to regale you with my recent foray into the dark heart…read moreof Salem, Massachusetts: headquarters to The Satanic Temple and Salem Art Gallery. I must confess, in my heart of hearts, I align more strictly with the fiercely individualistic tenets of LaVeyan Satanism. Yet, stepping onto these grounds, I found myself thoroughly enchanted. The venue is a vision of dark elegance, a magnificent Victorian house whose very architecture whispers tales of exquisite mystery. Simply wandering from room to room is an utter delight for the senses. The Paradise Lost Art Exhibit is a breathtakingly grand visual feast. The intricate, dramatic depictions inspired by Milton's epic are sheer perfection for those who appreciate romanticized darkness. The Library is absolutely phenomenal. The shelves are bursting with rare, arcane volumes and occult literature, plenty of obscure titles that even I, a seasoned connoisseur of the strange, had never laid eyes upon before. The Baphomet Monument is a towering, bronze, and triumphantly theatrical. Standing in its presence is a transcendent experience. While engrossed in a particularly dusty 19th-century volume on demonology, I attempted a subtle, grandiloquent gesture to admire the room's brooding ambiance. In doing so, my sleeve caught a tiny velvet-wrapped idol on a side table. As I lunged forward to catch it with dramatic theatrical flair, I tripped over my own velvet cape, collided with a decorative velvet rope, and landed flat on my back directly at the feet of the colossal Baphomet statue. I lay there in silent, dramatic pose for several seconds, waiting for the abyss to swallow me whole. Instead, a kindly staff member leaned over, smiled warmly, and asked if I needed a glass of water. It turns out even the Dark Lord's domain possesses immaculate hospitality. Whether you are a devout practitioner, an admirer of alternative art, or merely a seeker of unique philosophy, do not hesitate to cross this threshold. It is, quite simply, divine.

Through out the United States, there is only a handful of registered Satanic Temples. And the…read moreSatanic Temple/ Art gallery in Salem Massachusetts does not disappoint. It was easy to make reservations for the visit, the temple is well managed, staffed, and maintained. They offered an excellent selection of swag and merchandise for the believers and haters alike. The art presentations were beautifully done and well presented. The merchandise was priced fair and was plentiful. If it's your thing.. make the visit, learn a thing or two and schedule your Marriage, Un-Baptism, or your divorce at this location!

Great artists and the staff went above and beyond to help with my after care issues. Kelly was…read moreincredible to work with - definitely worth traveling from California for the experience.

I researched places to get a tattoo while visiting Salem and the studio caught my attention! It's…read morebeautiful and the artist are all so welcoming and kind. I got a flash design by Brit and my whole experience was amazing. Def make an appointment or call ahead about a walk in but was really happy with this place.

When in Salem you have to shop and play!…read more The spirits are afoot and we need protection to shield us. The love is strong here. Are you looking for something that will make you smile and feel better let's shop in here for a while. The selection is great . The shelves are full and adorned with many different and beautiful unique flavors of Salem. Remember to be yourself and have fun ! Thank you for the kind invitation to your store. The light is strong here. Let's yours get brighter with friends you make here.

What an amazing store with different oddities and amazing smelling soaps. I enjoyed the variety of…read moreitems, and picked up a beautiful lotus ring and soap. I love stores like this, but sometimes feel the items don't speak to me. This was not the case at hive & forge! Great prices and lovely staff. I always make it a point to stop by here when I'm visiting the area.

Helpful professional experienced staff with a good selection of frame mouldings. Frames were done…read moreexpertly and finished in a reasonable amount t of time. A completely enjoyable experience with beautiful satisfying decorative results.

Wendy did a fantastic job framing my antique silk flag. I've received so many compliments on it. I…read morecouldn't be happier. Thank you, Wendy

So I stopped in to check out the gallery. It's right in Downtown Salem at the Hawthorne Hotel…read more The paintings are actually beautiful pieces if work for sale. They're outside of my price range though. Although looking up some of his other works, they are very reasonable prices! It depends on what people are willing to pay for art. There are prints and sketches available as well. There's also some custom pottery by a local artist who lives on one of the islands. Her name escapes me as of this writing. That's what I like about these little known artists and stops, you're not going to find them on the internet. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this gallery again: but if you like maritime-themed paintings, or happen to be a fan of John Stobart, then this may be something that you're interested in.

From the owner: The Kensington-Stobart Gallery specializes in paintings by John Stobart with an exceptional…read moreselection of paintings by the master marine painters of the 18th and 19th centuries. The gallery also has a rotating selection of local art.

An eclectic array of artistic expression in a quiet,calm environment away from the bustling tourist…read moreactivity. Had a great chat with the gift shop artists. Good, positive energy. It was a pleasant experience.

I love their new space on Bridge Street. The gallery spaces are really nice and there's always a…read morenew exhibit on display every few months. They have a sweet little gift shop, too. Highly recommended.

My child (age 9) has gone through many local art programs in the past few years but none seemed to…read morebe the right fit for her. She needed an output for her creativity so I was searching everywhere for the right one. After talking with one of the moms from my daughter's school she recommended the Acorn Gallery, saying her son takes a class there and it was a great place. After just the first class I could already tell this was the place we've been looking for! There's a safe environment with caring teachers that lets the children express themselves. The children make oil paintings that I am thoroughly impressed with; they are well beyond what you would expect for that age group! The location is so convenient, its just in downtown Marblehead, a five minute drive away. The teachers as I said before are so caring and all of them, Debra, Jack, and Lexie, encourage the children's creativity and teach them so much. I would recommend the program for any child, teenager, and even adult. Acorn Gallery is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

From the owner: Acorn Gallery's doors have been open for 25years. We give lessons in classically trained oil…read morepainting and figure drawing. To date our students have earned over 9 million dollars in college scholarship based on their senior portfolios! Over the years our students have won many awards ranging from best portfolio in the state of Massachusetts to Best In Show in the Marblehead Arts Festival. We are located in the sea side town of Marblehead, Massachusetts overlooking the ocean on Tuckers Wharf. We are open to the public and students travel all over the country to visit and take lesson. Our age range is from 5 years old through adult so if you are interested in taking lessons we have a class that can fit anyone's needs.

Working artist studios; once in a while they open up the studios for public visitors and walk-in…read moresales. Really neat location and set-up: four floors of engaging art, artists engaged in sharing their work, and an aura of conviviality, particularly during the holidays. A really nice scene; support your local arts communities!

From the owner: We are a community of over 50 artists, and a contemporary art gallery with rotating exhibitions.read more

Haven't been in over 5 years because of a bad experience. Today, a friend from Hawaii wanted to see…read moresome quality glass. We came by in the middle of a weekday afternoon to find locked doors. No nothing. Hey guys. Funny story. Nobody's making an appointment to shop for a bowl.

The folks at the Witch DR are friendly and knowledgeable. The selection of art glass is really…read morevaried and the quality is diverse. The store is not intimidating at all and the products are well displayed. My husband really enjoys shopping here when we are in Salem. They can be a bit pricey, but, you do get what you pay for, so it is worth the trip!

I'm a local and previous member of PEM. I would recommend this museum to history buffs and Asian…read moreart enthusiasts. I appreciate that the museum has held workshops with the Mashpee Wampanoag and has held events with iconic Native artists like Joy Harjo (Muscogee). The Native American exhibit is refreshingly good. As a Native person (Choctaw Nation of OK) I feel really comfortable going here.

I visited the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) with my mom at the end of our day in Salem about a week or…read moreso ago, and we really enjoyed our visit. The museum has an extensive collection of Asian Art, but it holds more than 800,000 works of historical and cultural arts covering maritime, American, Asia, and Oceanic and African art. The highlight of our visit was visiting the Yin Yu Tang House. The house dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Huang, a prosperous merchant, built this stately 16-bedroom, two story-house with a courtyard and called it "Yin Yu Tang," meaning "Hall of Plentiful Shelter." It was home to the Huang family in the Huizhou region for more than 200 years until the last of the family descendants moved from the village in 1982. In the 1990s, as part of a cultural exchange, the home and its contents were dismantled and transported to Massachusetts, where it was re-erected in the PEM. The PEM opened to the public in 2003. The house is currently undergoing work to preserve its roof tiles and masonry walls, so there was a lot of scaffolding obstructing views of the home and pictures taken of the museum. But it still well worth a visit; it's incredible. (The website says the house is closed 7/27-7/31 and 8/3-8/7, so maybe they'll have the work done by the end of those stretches!) I only wish the staff that had walked us into the house had explained exactly how much time we'd get inside the house before being ushered out for the next group, because my mom and I were using the audio guide to learn about the house as we explored. Before we finished several rooms, we were told our time was up, which was a bummer - we barely had time to peek into the rooms we hadn't gotten to yet, so I wish we'd known and could use our time better. They call it a tour on the website, but it's a self-guided experience; no museum staff walk you around the house. (FYI: You need a separate ticket for the Yin Yu Tang House, which you can buy on the website.) We explored the rest of the museum as well, including some of their interesting temporary exhibits: "Anila Quayyum Agha: All the Flowers Are for Me," "On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America," and "Beyond the Broom: Salem Short Films." Other highlights of our time were visiting the East India Marine Hall and seeing art and artifacts relating to the Salem Witch Trials. They also have a great gift shop, so save some time for that. A very nice regional art museum that is worth visiting if you have time in your Salem itinerary!