I painted the old Salem Depot, which existed through much of the late 19th century and early 20th century as one of the primary focal points of our downtown. Salem is best known as a maritime community; however, it had a great railroad history as well, and major portion of the materials that were used to build this city during this period, as well as the majority of the people that built it, many of them immigrants, came and went by train through this mighty depot. It was the airport of its time, and both a launch pad and a landing pad, for the thousands of those that came before us- truly an inspiring gateway to a growing and expansive young land. I would like to portray this monumental gateway, as well as the surging bustle of citizenry that passed in and out of its doors, and of course one of the classic trains that whisked them off to places unknown.