Hi Joey
Newspaper articles dated back to 1951 were given to me by Suzy Kadiff whose father was Tom O’Hara of The Cape Ann Society of Modern Artists. They summered on Rocky Neck beginning in the 40’s and the Society of Modern Artists had their gallery in the Hawthorn Hotel down the street from Rocky Neck.
The Ball was a tradition that seemed to straddle a number of artists groups (but many of them appeared to be sponsored by the Cape Ann Society of Modern Artists) on Cape Ann and various locations. In 1951 was called the Artists Masque Ball, in 1952 the Cape Ann Artists Ball, in 1955 the Beaux Arts Ball, in 1959 the Artists Ball and in 1963 the Bal Casma.
So the Artists Ball is a pretty old tradition.
Barbara
Good Morning Gloucester 