A Special Exhibit Honoring Women’s History Month
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 22, 2025, 5-7:00 PM
Open to the general public.
RSVP appreciated. https://bit.ly/ByWomenForWomenRSVP
Exhibit Dates: March 22 to March 30, open daily from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Last admittance: 4:15 PM with the exception on Sunday, March 30 when the exhibit will host a closing reception from noon to 2 PM.
Two of Gloucester’s admired cultural institutions, Rocky Neck Art Colony and Hammond Castle Museum, proudly announce their collaboration on a special exhibition in celebration of Women’s History Month. Portraits of Women by Women will be on display in the historic Great Hall of Hammond Castle Museum.
This inspiring exhibit showcases recent portraits by distinguished women artists from the Rocky Neck Art Colony, including Elizabeth Bish, Janice Brand, Robin Colodzin, Susan Ellis, Elizabeth Gauthier, Janet Grover, Joyce Roessler, Amy Sudarsky and Helen Tory. The exhibition highlights the profound impact of portraiture in capturing the essence, strength, and diversity of women’s experiences.
Joyce Roessler is a Cape Ann-based painter and former glass blower whose award-winning work, spanning charcoal, pastels, oil, and watercolor, captures nature’s essence from her Annisquam studio.
Janice Brand is an editor and multi-disciplinary artist exploring media from Chinese ink painting to pottery, while also pursuing diverse interests like tai chi, fencing, and fly fishing.
Helen Tory is a lifelong artist who transitioned from printmaking to painting in 2020, deeply influenced by a self-portraiture class with Amy Sudarsky during the pandemic.
Robin Colodzin is a Gloucester-based artist and software engineer whose work examines the relationship between private and social identities, recently showcased in her solo exhibition Embodied.
Amy Sudarsky is a North Shore figurative painter, former college professor, and Artistic Director of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, where she continues to teach and exhibit.
Elizabeth Bish is a Gloucester-based chiropractor and painter who co-runs the Amend Bish Gallery, where she creates work ranging from landscapes to abstractions.
Elizabeth Gauthier is a Boston and North Shore artist and educator whose Gauthier Gallery serves as both a creative workspace and exhibition space for her paintings.
Janet Grover is a Gloucester artist who, after years away from art, has returned to her lifelong passion with the support of fellow artists.
Susan Ellis is a Massachusetts-based Master Pastelist whose work, inspired by North Shore clam diggers, is exhibited in Newburyport, Essex, Ipswich, and Cape Cod.
In addition to contemporary works, the exhibition will feature a copy of Winslow Homer’s The Lookout – All’s Well painted by Irene Fenton Hammond, wife of John Hays Hammond Jr., who resided at Hammond Castle Museum until her passing in 1959 and was a member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony.
Also on display will be a painting by Natalie Hays Hammond, the accomplished artist, playwright, and sister of museum founder John Hays Hammond Jr. Her painting, Costume Designs, Series B, No. 3, Medieval Abbess, is on loan from the Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem, NY, which Natalie founded in 1957.
This exhibit is open daily from Saturday, March 22 through Sunday, March 30 daily from noon to 5 PM and the last entrance is at 4:15 PM, with the exception on Sunday March 30 when the exhibit will host a closing reception from noon to 2 PM during which time purchased paintings may be picked up.
Attendees will have access to the small interior rooms leading down to the Great Hall and the Great Hall. The Museum will be closed to tours.
Admission: Children ages 12 and under are free with tickets. Teens and adults are $15.
Opening and Closing Receptions:
Opening Reception: (Open to the Public) Saturday, March 22, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Rocky Neck Art Colony and Hammond Castle Museum guests are invited to attend.
Closing Reception (Open to the Public): Sunday, March 30, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
The public is invited to attend the closing reception, during which time purchased paintings may be picked up.
Attendees of the opening reception will have the unique opportunity to meet the artists and experience the works within the stunning setting of Hammond Castle Museum. The closing reception offers a final chance to appreciate and acquire these exceptional artworks.
Hammond Castle Museum Executive Director, Linda Harvey said, “Being able to collaborate with our friends at the Rocky Neck Art Gallery as well as the Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden fulfills our mission to support and promote the arts as a STEAM Museum and a cultural arts hub for the community. We’re delighted to host this very special exhibit during our first winter season open for events.”
Historical Context:
The collaboration between Rocky Neck Art Colony and Hammond Castle Museum holds deep historical significance. Irene Fenton Hammond’s strong ties to the Rocky Neck Art Colony highlight the artistic heritage of the region and its enduring connection to the museum. Natalie Hays Hammond’s artistic legacy was honored in a special exhibition at the museum last fall, and her influence continues to resonate through this exhibition.
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