The museum is switching up free days in January for days throughout the year including a fixed schedule of second Saturdays of every month.
Courtney Richardson shares news about the debut of a bounty of new Cape Ann Museum tours presented by dedicated docents on Saturdays in January 2020. Peruse the complete list below; a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion went into preparing distinct and engaging programs for museum visitors.
Winter Shorts Return in January!
Theme-based tours of the collection Saturdays throughout January
The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a month-long series of specialty tours on Saturdays starting January 4, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.  Learn more about the Museum’s collections through Winter Shorts. Each tour has been creatively crafted by one of the Museum’s volunteer docents. Each themed tour focuses on different areas of the collection. Three or four tours are offered each Saturday —sign up for one or more—a great way for members and nonmembers alike to learn about the Museum and Cape Ann art & history. Each tour lasts approximately 20 minutes with time to transition in between. Come for one or all! On these Saturdays, Winter Shorts will replace the 11:00 a.m. highlights tours. Tours are free for CAM members or with Museum admission. Space is limited. Reservations required. For more information visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10.
List of tours by date.
January 11, 2020
“Everyday Art Objects” with CAM docent Pat Earle
There are many things in our world what are used on a regular basis but not remarked on for their appearance. Sometimes, when no longer used, these items become recognized and treasured for their beauty. View objects on display now which are admired as artwork and consider what everyday objects might be exhibited by this Museum 50 years from now.
“Cape Ann Morals, Commerce and Culture Viewed Through a 19th Century Piano” with CAM docent Paul Romary
The piano in the rear parlor of the Davis House was built in Boston in 1828 and accessioned by the Cape Ann Museum in 1942. In exploring between those dates, this piano offers a window into the transformation of the mores, commerce and culture of the nation charting Cape Ann from the Federal era of the early 19th century until the Great Depression.
“Angels, Saints and Serpents” with CAM docent Trudi Olivetti
Amid the realistic landscapes and life-like portraits in the Cape Ann Museum, one can find surprising representations of otherworldly beings. Some of these are allegorical and some are sworn to be seen by eyewitnesses. On this brief tour, we will visit some of these and learn their intriguing stories.
“Is that a Lane?” with CAM docent John Day
The Captain Elias Davis house has many treasures: furniture, portraits, pewter, imported serving ware, navigational instruments; a bird cage, a large ship model, a sailor’s valentine, a peep box, and a lady’s fireplace screen.  Sometimes overlooked are the landscapes and seascapes on the walls of the several rooms, some of which are among the Museum’s oldest and most historically important paintings.  And among these are several with direct or indirect links to the work of Fitz Henry Lane.
January 18, 2020
“The Material World” with CAM docent Gail Anderson
A British redcoat, an elegant silk dress, lavish upholstery and carpeting. Have you ever looked carefully at the use and depiction of fabric in the museum’s collections……and what that material might indicate about the owner or wearer? This Winter Short will explore artworks and artifacts to discover hidden meanings folded into fabric.
“Geology as Destiny” with CAM docent Ed Becker
The landscape of Cape Ann has been shaped by ancient geologic forces – from the collision of tectonic plates to the scraping of glacial ice. Using examples from the Museum’s collection, we’ll explore how this geologic history led to Cape Ann’s important quarry industry, and to landforms that have inspired artists for over two centuries.
“Cape Ann Really Rocks” with CAM docent Hazel Von Rosenvinge
Fishing wasn’t the only booming industry on Cape Ann. Granite quarries speckle the landscape. Rocks were shipped all over the world. Learn more about the people who worked in the quarries and the impact the industry had on this place.
“Let’s Have a Show of Hands” with CAM docent John Huss
Visit an array of exhibits and see how artists portrayal of HANDS helps deliver their message. HANDS are on display on canvas, in stone and on film. It’s a fast and fun tour!
January 25, 2020
“Judith, John and Universalism” with CAM docent Sarah Wetzel
Musings on Judith Sargent Murray born in Gloucester May 1,1751 -nearly to the day 200 years before me -and her husband the Rev. John Murray. Exploring her voice and influence during the time of the birth of our country and the establishment of the first Universalist Church here in Gloucester.
“Sailing Solo” with CAM docent Doug Stewart
What kind of person would willingly spend two months, maybe three, alone in a small boat being tossed around by waves while trying to sail 3,000 miles to Europe? Meet two of them, both Gloucester fishermen, in the Museum’s Maritime Gallery and see the actual boats they sailed. One of the men, Danish immigrant Alfred Johnson, was the first person in history to sail alone across the Atlantic. The other, Nova Scotian Howard Blackburn, was the first to do so without fingers!
“From Tragedy to Beauty: Thacher Island and the Fresnel Lens” with CAM docent Suellen Wedmore
This multi-media presentation on the Island of the Twin Lights, includes a brief history of the island and lens, shared photographs, a piece of a Fresnel Lens that you may hold in your hands, music, movement, and the reading of two poems relating to Maria Bray’s 1864 heroism. She is joined in this presentation by Cape Ann Museum members Barbara Brewer and Juliana McGovern, who participated in Suellen’s 2016 CAM presentation “Mind the Light.”
COMPLETED TOURS
January 4, 2020-Â Â
“Please Leave Your Tiara at Home” with CAM docent Jill Carter
In 2013 photographer Jim Hooper set up a make/shift studio on the Gloucester wharves. He then invited all families involved in the various industries on the waterfront to drop by and have their pictures taken. Hooper captured people wrapping up their days work and what evolved is a portrait gallery that tells a story of Gloucester’s heroic fishing families— some with a span over 4 generations. Â
“Can Art Assimilate a Young Immigrant?” with CAM docent Bruce Shaw
Immigrants poured into America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Saturday Evening Girls Club, a reading club in Boston (and here in the summers on Cape Ann), and the Paul Revere Pottery, in existence until 1942, provided the possibility for these girls to decorate ceramic pieces, helping them gain skills while also defining them as important and imaginative.
“Return of the Natives” with CAM docent Bruce Jones
The Cape Ann Museum displays a limited number of artifacts about the Native Americans who populated the area from about 11,000 years ago to the 20th century. Let’s take a closer look at those artifacts and what happened to all those communities.
About the Cape Ann Museum
The Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, two historic homes and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Visit capeannmuseum.org for details.
The Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at http://www.capeannmuseum.org.
Winter Shorts 2020 Press Release
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Good Morning Gloucester 