Massachusetts
Massachusetts woman gives up career to follow dream of becoming artist
LYNN – A Lynn woman gave up a stable career to follow her dream of becoming a watercolor artist. Now, Diana Morgan is finding beauty in neighborhoods all around New England.
Morgan isn’t your typical house painter. Water is the key element in her toolbox.
The artist understands homes are much more than just brick and mortar.
“My dad is a real estate appraiser, and when I was a kid he would point out the architecture of all the houses and show me why they were beautiful,” Morgan said. “So I’ve been looking at houses in a way that showcases why they’re beautiful my whole life.”
Becoming a professional artist
Being a professional artist is challenging. In the U.S., only one in six earn $25,000 a year, one in ten make $100,000 or more.
Becoming an artist wasn’t always Morgan’s plan.
Morgan was a philosophy major in college and worked in graphic design and marketing for a decade. But she says everything changed in 2020.
“I had so many dreams about painting that I realized I had to try it. And then I tried it and I was hooked,” Morgan said.
While many artists rely on social media to sell their work and to raise their profiles, Morgan focuses on making connections in the local community.
Art on display in Lynn
She has an exhibit up at a Lynn coffee shop, sets up booths at outdoor markets, and works closely with several realtors, who commission her work as closing gifts to buyers and sellers.
Under the name Sophia Diana Creations, Morgan has painted more than 400 pieces in the past two years, everything from $6 greeting cards to larger works that sell for more than $1,000.
Morgan said the opportunity to always try something new is one of the best things about it, saying “Being an artist and being paid to do it is freedom in a lot of ways.”
A man was shot and killed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday, July 4th.
It happened around 4:30 a.m. near Broadway Street and Norfolk Street, according to the Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. A pedestrian found the man shot in the area around 5:30 a.m. and called 911.
First responders arrived to find that the man had died. He was identified as 32-year-old Xavier Bautista from Cambridge. The City of Cambridge said that Bautista worked in the Public Works Department and was off-duty at the time of the shooting. They described him as a “valued colleague” who was “beloved” by friends and family.
“We extend our deepest condolences to those who knew and loved him. This is a tremendous loss, and our entire City grieves alongside his family, friends, and coworkers,” the city said in a statement. “Gun violence has absolutely no place in our community. We are unwavering in our commitment to keeping Cambridge safe, and we will do everything in our power to support the investigation and ensure accountability.”
No arrests have been made. Cambridge Police, the Middlesex DA’s Office, and Massachusetts State Police are investigating.
“The City will continue to deploy every necessary resource and will fully support our law enforcement partners as they work to determine the circumstances associated with the shooting and to bring justice to those affected,” Cambridge said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300 or submit an anonymous tip.
Cambridge Police are investigating a fatal shooting near the intersection of Broadway and Norfolk Street early Saturday morning.
Around 5:30 a.m., Cambridge Emergency Communications received a call for a person laying on the ground near the intersection of Broadway and Norfolk Street. Officers were dispatched to the area, and Paramedics from the Cambridge Fire department declared the person dead on scene. The victim had an apparent gunshot wound, according to Cambridge police.
There were not many details initially released, but an active investigation is underway by the Cambridge police, Middlesex District Attorney’s office and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
Additional information will be shared when it becomes available.
Police are asking anyone with information surrounding this incident to contact the Cambridge police department at (617) 349-3300.
One day before the Fourth of July, police in Yarmouth, Massachusetts say American flags were “ripped down” from a highway overpass that’s named after a two-time Purple Heart recipient.
Yarmouth police said an officer noticed the vandalism Friday on the Lance Corporal William Joseph Donovan Jr. Memorial Bridge over Route 6.
“The officer found American flags forcefully ripped from the fencing,” police said. “Their grommets had been torn out, and flags were ripped apart at the seams left hanging.”
Lance Cpl. William Joseph Donovan Jr., a Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School graduate, was awarded the Purple Heart twice for injuries sustained in Operation Enduring Freedom. After returning home, he died in a motorcycle crash at 27 years old.
Yarmouth police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to contact them.
This isn’t the first time that flags on the bridge were damaged. Last summer, they were similarly torn down before being replaced in a rededication ceremony.
The community has already stepped up to restore the patriotic display that was vandalized on Friday.
State Rep. Steve Xiarhos of Barnstable, who lost his son Marine Cpl. Nick Xiarhos to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, said “Cape Cod sent a message tonight.”
“You can tear down flags, but you cannot tear down the spirit of this community. If anything, you made people stronger,” Xiarhos posted to Facebook. “You brought people together from all over Cape Cod, united by love of country and respect for those who have served.”
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