Day: August 9, 2022

News from Rocky Neck about great upcoming group show-

Women on the Wharf: Jane McDonald and Friends
Curated by Christina McDonald

• Exhibition Dates: August 11 – September 11, 2022
• Venue: Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA
• Galleries open: Thursdays through August noon – 7 PM, Friday-Sunday, noon – 5 PM
• Opening Reception:  Saturday, August 13, 4 – 6 PM
• Book Talk with Carol St. John: Sunday, August 14, 3 PM

This retrospective exhibit honors the life and legacy of the renegade artist Jane McDonald, who painted on Cape Ann and Rocky Neck from the 1970s until her death in 2009.  McDonald, a fiercely passionate artist who eschewed societal expectations, established her own studio/gallery at 77 Rocky Neck Avenue.  In the 1980s and 1990s, she collaborated with and inspired other painters Joan Frank, Eileen Mueller, Carol St. John, and Patricia Sullivan, generating a powerful female presence on Rocky Neck’s Madfish Wharf. Jane dedicated herself to supporting these artists, encouraging each to be true to her own vision. This exhibit reunites this dynamic group for the first time. A genius of whimsical watercolors, McDonald’s spirit and influence echoes in the work of other Cape Ann artists: Patricia Sullivan’s strong colors and composition; Eileen Mueller’s bold brushwork and energy, Joan Frank’s combination of childlike vision and sophistication, and in Carol St. John’s playful, satirical watercolors. These works can be found in collections here and all over the world.  These five artists join the long history of notable artists of Gloucester.

Artists:
Jane McDonald (1938-2009); Joan Frank (1941–2014); Eileen Mueller; Carol St. John; Patti Sullivan

Women on the Wharf: Jane McDonald and Friends is on view Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 PM, with extended hours until 7 PM on Thursdays through August, at The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, Mass. The public is invited to celebrate the artists at the Opening Reception Saturday August 13 from 4-6 PM. View the art and enjoy light refreshments, drinks and lively conversation. Carol St. John will deliver a free public talk on her recently-published work, With Life as Your Canvas, All is Art, Art is All, on Sunday, August 14, 3PM.

The Rocky Neck Art Colony offers an exciting roster of exhibitions, receptions, and events in 2022, with refreshments, admission and nearby parking free of charge. More information for all Cultural Center events is available on the website, http://www.rockyneckartcolony.org, by email at director@rockyneckartcolony.org,  The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, is the official Welcome Center for Rocky Neck and home of the Art Colony, which hosts exhibitions, workshops, meetings, lectures and cultural events of all kinds.