CITY OF GLOUCESTER UNVEILS “IMAGINING GLOUCESTER’S FUTURE” PUBLIC ART PROJECT

Jennifer Loiselle of Methuen, MA begins a nautical scene on Laura and Company Hair Salon’s front window

GLOUCESTER, MA – Gloucester’s Main Street is becoming an outdoor art gallery this summer as eight local and regional artists transform storefront windows into vibrant public murals through Imagining Gloucester’s Future, a new public art initiative celebrating Gloucester’s identity, creativity, and future.

Developed by Miranda Aisling, Arts, Culture & Events Coordinator for the City of Gloucester, the project is presented in partnership with the 2025–2026 Making it Public Program and made possible through support from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

The project invited artists to imagine Gloucester’s future through themes such as community, art, fishing, tourism, and the city’s unique coastal landscape. By bringing original artwork into the heart of downtown, the initiative activates Main Street with engaging, place-based art that reflects Gloucester’s rich culture while encouraging residents and visitors to experience the downtown in a new way. Artists began installing the murals on July 30. All eight murals are expected to be completed by August 14 and will remain on display through the week of November 9.

Following a selection process led by the Gloucester Committee for the Arts, eight artists were paired with downtown businesses that volunteered their storefront windows as canvases:

• Mike Grimaldi (Gloucester, MA) – Saluti, 272 Main Street
• Eliza Jane Seastone (Ipswich, MA) – Nellie’s, 260 Main Street
• Dennis R. Darkeem (Bronx, NY) – Revive Wellness, 232 Main Street
• Jennifer Loiselle (Methuen, MA) – Laura and Company Hair Salon, 222 Main Street
• Bruce Orr (Beverly, MA) – Coastal Wave Salon, 220 Main Street
• Kirk Larsen (Hicksville, NY) – Local Colors, 121 Main Street
• Quest Nine (Lowell, MA) – Highliner Hotel, 108 Main Street
• Brian Murphy (Beverly, MA) – Imperial Insurance Agency, 1 Main Street, Unit 9

An interactive map of all mural locations is available here.

To celebrate the completion of the project, the City of Gloucester and the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce will host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 21, from 3:00PM to 4:00PM at Saluti, 272 Main Street. Following the ceremony, attendees are encouraged to walk Main Street and experience all eight murals.

The murals will also be featured during the Harbortown Cultural District’s second annual From the Deep festival on Saturday, November 7, from 11:00AM to 5:00PM, offering another opportunity for residents and visitors to explore the public art installation while enjoying the festival’s programming.

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Mayor Paul Lundberg
City of Gloucester