Peabody Essex Museum

In December of 1865, sculptor #EdmoniaLewis stepped onto the streets of Rome and into a new world of possibilities. In our recent blog post, Curator Jeffrey Richmond-Moll gives an inside look at the pivotal moment when Lewis visited a community of Boston women sculptors in Rome. Within only a few years of her arrival in Italy, she would become the first Black and Indigenous woman artist to achieve widespread international acclaim. Lewis’ story continues at PEM this winter when our  exhibition “Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone” opens on February 14. It’s the first comprehensive survey of the sculptor’s remarkable art and life. 📖 Discover the full blog story through the link below and mark your calendars for the opening of “Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone” on February 14! https://lnkd.in/ebSaeRcZ

OUR APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW OPEN! 📝 SEEKING SUMMER FELLOWS FOR 2026! Apply now for our summer Native American Fellowship Program, a nine-week, paid experience at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. We are looking for persons of Native American, Alaska Native, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), First Nations, Métis, and Inuit heritage and members of federally recognized tribes, consistent with the distinctions established under federal U.S. law. Individuals who reside on Native or tribal lands may also apply, and those whose work and/or study contributes to the artistic traditions, research, and preservation of Native American art, culture, and history, and who demonstrate consistent commitment through their life and their work to the purpose of the program, the cultural, and educational mission of the library and museum. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. Fellows work with PEM’s experienced staff members and gain hands-on experience and mentorship. Weekly workshops, field trips, dialogue and in-depth engagement on museum projects support Fellows in sustaining their existing skills while cultivating their professional development needs. Previous department placements have included Curatorial, Development, Learning and Community Engagement, Collection Management, Exhibition Planning, Merchandising and Marketing. Fellowship includes a stipend (equivalent to $25/hr for a 35 hour work week), housing near PEM and assistance with travel expenses. Academic credit is available upon official request to PEM and the Fellow’s university. The deadline for application and all supporting materials is Friday, January 30, 2026. The application can be found at pem.org/naf

Our window display at 179 Essex Street has a new look! We recently installed our 2025 Salem-Ōta Cultural Exchange Origami Quilt in the windows. This summer, 28 middle school students from Ōta City, Tokyo spent 11 days in Salem as part of a sister-city partnership. During their visit, they explored Japanese-inspired origami and American-inspired quiltmaking traditions in a workshop led by Richard Alexander and Michael LaFosse of Origamido Studio (pictured above). Each student folded a 9-cell quilt tile of their own design to create this 30-tile quilt. This display celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Salem-Ōta Cultural Exchange, Salem 400+ and the opening of a new origami exhibition at PEM in 2026! Come see it for yourself on your next stroll down Essex Street. 📷️ Kathy Tarantola/PEM

Sunday is the final day of our Holiday Food Drive to support The Salem Pantry! This weekend, we welcome you to drop off non-perishable food donations at the Admissions Desk during museum hours. Every contribution strengthens this powerful network of care to the North Shore community. On our blog, Art & Nature Center Manager Lela Clawson-Miller writes about the importance and impact of PEM’s food drive this holiday season. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eMmBerUD

Last Saturday’s PEM Gala honoring Susan and Appy Chandler was truly the event of the year! With nearly 800 partygoers joining us at the museum, the event sold out a month in advance! Together, PEM, the Gala Committee and the gala co-chairs (Molly and Justin Cook, and Catherine and Peter Creighton) raised over $1 million for the museum and its initiatives – our most ambitious and successful event to date! We are tremendously grateful to each and every person who contributed to make this achievement possible. It takes a village to transform the museum as we know it into an unforgettable feast for the senses. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the PEM staff who worked in harmony to bring this event to life, including the Development & Donor Engagement team, executive team, curators, designers, Facilities staff, catering crew, electricians, PEM Shop, marketing team, Visitor Engagement department, security officers and countless volunteers. We are reminded every year how YOU are the magic that brings PEM to life. The connecting and healing power of art can’t be felt if it is not shared. We are immensely grateful to have gathered with so many of you to celebrate PEM and its human-centered mission – a mission that is primed to serve our North Shore community for years to come. To read more about the #PEMGala, be sure to check out our latest blog post by PEM’s Director of Donor Engagement and Events, Lauren Fairweather. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/etF3wmYb

The museum's Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO Lynda Hartigan joined Mayor Dominick Pangallo on the latest episode of the Salem Compass podcast. They talked about the relationship between PEM and Salem, especially with the lens of the upcoming Salem 400+, as well as some of our exciting exhibitions and programs coming soon. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: salemma.gov/salemcompass

PEM is honored to participate in #Handwork2026, a national initiative organized by Craft In America that celebrates the power of making and the communities built through craft. The museum will join more than 250 arts organizations across the country who will be hosting exhibitions and events in 2026 to showcase the importance of the handmade throughout our country’s history and in contemporary life. Learn more about PEM's upcoming "Craft in America" audio tour at https://lnkd.in/eud2Vutk

It was a pleasure to have Peabody Essex Museum CEO Lynda Hartigan on the latest episode of the #SalemMA Compass podcast. We talked about the relationship between the Peabody Essex Museum - America’s oldest museum - and Salem, especially with the lens of Salem 400+ upcoming, as well as some of the exciting exhibitions and programs coming soon to the museum. https://lnkd.in/eCR_HKVz

We’re pleased to announce that PEM and the museum’s Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO, Lynda Hartigan, has been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts” for 2025 by The Women's Edge, in partnership with The Boston Globe. Learn more about this achievement at https://lnkd.in/eA3jjWX5 📸 Alex Paul Photography, Inc.