I am a graphic artist specializing in Photo Enhancement, Photo Retouching, Photo-Illustration and Design. I reconnected to my fine art roots when my wife Anna and I opened Cape Ann Giclée, Fine Art Printing and Gallery.
Cultural Center at Rocky Neck 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) invites the public to a special Gallery Talk on Friday, October 23, from 4 to 6 PM at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, celebrating YES!, the organization’s much-anticipated annual members’ exhibition.
Six exhibiting artists — Patricia Scialo, Donna Caselden, Juni Van Dyke, Martin Sorger, David Covert, and Helen Kamins — will share insights into their work, discussing the creative processes, techniques, and inspirations behind the pieces on display. Audience comments and questions are welcome, offering an opportunity for lively conversation and a deeper appreciation of the artists’ individual approaches and perspectives.
Featuring recent work by 74 RNAC artist members, YES! showcases the remarkable breadth and vitality of Rocky Neck’s artistic community. From bold abstracts to evocative realism, the exhibition celebrates the diverse styles, creative vision, and artistic passion that make Rocky Neck a vibrant center for the arts.
The Gallery Talk offers visitors a chance to connect directly with the artists, discover the stories behind their work, and experience the exhibition through the perspectives of those who created it.
A spirited night of costumes, live music, dancing, and 12 one-of-a-kind experiences up for bid
Get ready for an unforgettable night of Halloween fun, creativity, and Rocky Neck style! The Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) will host its third annual Beaux Arts Ball Halloween Bash on Saturday, October 24, from 6–10 p.m. at 51 Rocky Neck Restaurant.
This is not your ordinary Halloween party. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.
Guests are invited to come dressed to impress—or dressed to surprise—for an evening filled with live music, dancing, passed hors d’oeuvres, a costume contest, prizes, and plenty of creative Rocky Neck spirit. Artists, friends, neighbors, and art lovers will come together for one of the Colony’s most festive celebrations of the year.
And this year, the fun extends beyond the dance floor.
12 One-of-a-Kind Experiences Up for Bid
Adding to the excitement is a special online silent auction featuring 12 unique, one-of-a-kind experiences.
These aren’t your typical auction items. Each experience offers an opportunity to do, see, taste, learn, or enjoy something truly memorable—created especially for this year’s Beaux Arts Ball.
The auction will be open for viewing and online bidding, so everyone can take part, whether attending the Ball or cheering from afar.
“This is one of those evenings that captures the spirit of Rocky Neck—creative, welcoming, a little unexpected, and a whole lot of fun,” says Elizabeth Carey, Executive Director of the Rocky Neck Art Colony. “And the auction has some wonderfully unusual experiences that we think people will have a lot of fun discovering and bidding on.”
Come in Costume. Come to Dance. Come for the Fun.
The Beaux Arts Ball has quickly become a Rocky Neck fall tradition, bringing together the Colony’s artistic community and friends from throughout Cape Ann for an evening of celebration and connection.
So gather your friends, dream up your costume, and join the party!
Tickets are now on sale to the public.
Beaux Arts Ball Halloween Bash
Saturday, October 24, 2026 6–10 p.m. 51 Rocky Neck Restaurant 51 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester, MA
Online Silent Auction: Watch for the auction to open online and discover all 12 extraordinary experiences available for bidding.
Proceeds from the Beaux Arts Ball and silent auction support the programs and activities of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, helping sustain exhibitions, artist opportunities, education, cultural programming, and the historic Cultural Center at Rocky Neck.
About Rocky Neck Art Colony
Founded in 1973, the Rocky Neck Art Colony is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to nurturing excellence in the arts and celebrating the artistic history and culture of Rocky Neck. Through exhibitions, workshops, artist opportunities, cultural events, and community partnerships, RNAC helps sustain the creative spirit and cultural vitality of this historic art colony.
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Friday, October 2 at 6:00 PM Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA
Open Studio on Saturday, October 24 from 2-4 PM 51 Main Street (Rear), Gloucester, MA
Elizabeth Bish Closing Talk on Friday, October 30 at 6 PM 51 Main Street (Rear), Gloucester, MA
The Rocky Neck Art Colony invites the community to join Gloucester artist Elizabeth Bish for an intimate Artist Talk on Friday, October 2, at 6 PM at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck.
As the 2026 Gloucester Invitational Artist, Bish will share her artistic journey and process to date and how she’s looking forward to the Goetemann Artist Residency providing her with the time and space to explore new directions in her painting, pushing her familiar language of landscape and still life toward greater abstraction.
A longtime Gloucester resident and practicing chiropractor, Bish has devoted decades to the study and practice of painting. Working primarily in oils, her work encompasses landscape, still life, figurative painting, and abstraction. Her paintings are grounded in close observation while increasingly exploring the possibilities of color, shape, gesture, and abstraction.
Bish has exhibited throughout Cape Ann, including at the Rockport Art Association, North Shore Arts Association, and Patricia Sullivan Gallery. Her work reflects a deep connection to the Cape Ann landscape and a continuing curiosity about how that landscape can be translated through paint.
The Artist Talk is open to the public. For more information, visit the Rocky Neck Art Colony or contact the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck. RNAC.director@gmail.com.
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Annisquam Village Hall, 36 Leonard St, Gloucester, MA
This carefully curated show features 30 local artisans and fine artists, both returning favorites and some with us for the first time. They’ll offer Homemade preserves as well as hand-crafted jewelry, sea glass, beautiful purses, pottery, paper goods, ornaments, decoupage, hand painted shells, silk scarves, pashminas, candles, and cashmere mittens. The Gallery will showcase works in watercolors, oils and pastels.
Four artists explore the balance between what is shown—and what is left out
Gloucester, MA — September 2026 — Rocky Neck Art Colony is pleased to present a group exhibition bringing together four artists whose work explores the possibilities of abstraction through painting, printmaking, and sculpture.
On view September 24 through October 18, at Cove Gallery, 37 Rocky Neck Avenue in Gloucester, the exhibition features painters Willie Alexander and Martin Sorger, sculptor Joan Mullen, and printmaker Julia Talcott.
Though their mediums and methods differ, the four artists share an essential artistic negotiation: how much of the world to include, and how much to strip away.
Rather than treating abstraction as a fixed style or endpoint, More or Less considers it an ongoing process of decision-making. Each artist determines what is necessary, what can be suggested, and when an image, form, or structure has said enough. The result is a thoughtful conversation among four distinct artistic voices—one that invites viewers to look closely at what is present, as well as what is deliberately left unsaid.
The exhibition offers no single answer to the question of how much is enough. Instead, the works create space for viewers to consider the choices behind them: What needs to be shown? What can be implied? When does form and structure say enough? And what happens when an artist chooses to give us more—or less?
The public is warmly invited to meet the artists and celebrate the opening of More or Less at a Opening Reception on Sunday, September 27, from 4–6 PM at Cove Gallery.
Exhibiting Artists
Willie Alexander — Painting Joan Mullen — Sculpture Martin Sorger — Painting Julia Talcott — Printmaking
Exhibition Information
More or Less Cove Gallery 37 Rocky Neck Avenue Gloucester, Massachusetts
Exhibition Dates: September 24–October 18, 2026 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 27, 4–6 PM
More or Less is presented by the Rocky Neck Art Colony, a historic arts organization dedicated to nurturing excellence in the arts and celebrating the artistic history and culture of Rocky Neck.
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Location: The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA Exhibition Dates: September 24 – November 1, 2026 Opening Reception: Sunday, September 27, 4–6 PM Gallery Hours: Friday–Sunday, Noon – 5 PM
Gloucester, MA – The Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is thrilled to announce YES!, the much-anticipated annual members show. This dynamic exhibition brings together an exciting and diverse collection of recent works from 72 RNAC artists, offering a stunning reflection of talent, vision, and artistic passion. With pieces spanning painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more, visitors will experience a rich and varied exploration of contemporary creativity—from bold abstracts to evocative realism.
Celebrate with Us!
We invite the public to immerse themselves in art and community at our lively Opening Reception on Sunday, September 27, from 4 to 6 PM. Meet the artists, engage in conversation, and enjoy refreshments, drinks, and a welcoming creative atmosphere.
For details on additional public programs and special events accompanying this exhibition, visitwww.rockyneckartcolony.org for updates.
About the Rocky Neck Art Colony
The Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to nurturing excellence in the arts through exhibitions, workshops, artist residencies, and vibrant cultural events for both members and the public. Located in the historic Rocky Neck Cultural District of Gloucester, Massachusetts, RNAC operates three unique exhibition spaces, free and open to the public.
The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck (6 Wonson Street) – A hub for exhibitions and events. The Salted Cod Arthouse (53 Rocky Neck Ave.) – A collaborative gallery and Wine Bar, fostering artistic connections. Cove Gallery (37 Rocky Neck Ave.) – A seasonal space in the former studio of Gordon and Judith Goetemann, celebrating local artistic heritage.
Many people have never been exposed to “open studios” which was originated here on Cape Ann over 43 years ago. A recent post on the North of Boston Visitor’s and Convention Bureau website sums up the event in this way. “There’s something special about stepping inside an artist’s studio. You don’t just see the finished work—you experience the creative process, meet the artist, and discover the inspiration behind every piece. It’s one of the most memorable ways to explore Cape Ann, whether you’re visiting Gloucester, Rockport, or planning a North Shore getaway.” Various artists will also provide demonstrations during the tour.
This is also a critical time of year for the Artisans to welcome new applicants to join the Open Studios for 2027. The deadline for artists to apply is October 31, 2026. A new online application form and detailed information can be found on the “Join” page.
Brochures are available at the Cape Ann Chamber, via Discover Gloucester, the visitors’ centers, the 128-north kiosk, hotels, inns, and major tourist attractions around Cape Ann. You can also download the brochure and map from the Cape Ann Artisans website. While visiting artisans in their studios, you can participate in the grocery gift card drawing and also receive complementary copies of North Shore Magazine and New England Home on a first come, first serve basis.
The full list of Artisans and the 2026 tour route are shown below. New members are marked with an asterisk.
At Sprian Lodge’s pancake breakfast, guests have a great breakfast, enjoy the friendship of their neighbors, and pick up some delicious sweet treats at the Nordic bake table. Everyone is happy with their breakfast of Swedish pancakes, fruit cup, sausage, juice, and coffee.
The Lanesville Community Center is hosting the Lanesville Music Festival on September 19 from 11:00am to 7pm this year–the rain date is September 20 (if needed!).
Everyone is invited to this family friendly time–and admisson is just a donation of whatever amount you’d like to give. We have a cash bar, fun vendors selling good things, and tshirts for sale. We will be grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and the food truck from Meat and Sweet Foods will be there ❤️ The address is 8 Vulcan St, Goucester.
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Exhibition Dates: September 4 – October 11, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, September 4, 5:00–7:00 PM Artist Talk: Friday, September 11, 5:00 PM
COSMOS Gallery 20 Pleasant Street Gloucester, MA 01930 Exhibition website: Landings 3 Visions
THREE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS TRANSFORM THE ENDURING TRADITION OF PAINTING PLACE
For centuries, artists have looked to the landscape not simply to record the visible world, but to interpret it. From the idealized vistas of the Renaissance through Impressionism and abstraction, successive generations have reconsidered what a painting of a place can be. In contemporary painting, the landscape may remain recognizable—or become only the point of departure.
LANDINGS 3 VISIONS
The next exhibition at COSMOS Gallery in Gloucester, Landings 3 Visions, opens September 4 and features three accomplished New England artists: Tom Glover, Vanessa Michalak, and Jan Roy. Each is an accomplished contemporary landscape artist, and together their paintings explore the territory between observation and interpretation.
Land, sea, forests, rocks, harbors, boats, and the built environment provide the elements; their three visions explore what happens between seeing a place and making a painting of it.
Tom Glover explores the New Hampshire and Maine seacoast through its harbors, estuaries, docks, rocks, boats, water, and changing coastal light. Glover’s artistic interpretation of the natural scenery exists in the space between realism and abstraction. This practice reflects the longtime influence of painter John Laurent (1921–2005), an American painter renowned for landscapes along the Maine coast. Glover may begin with direct experience, photographs, and sketches, but then uses abstraction to distill a scene, finding its essential forms and colors. Artist website: Tom Glover
Vanessa Michalak, a Maine native and Gloucester-based artist, approaches the visible world with an exuberant vocabulary of color and expressive gestures. Forests, rocks, water, gardens, boats, and harbors remain recognizable in her paintings, yet observed forms become scaffolding for something more painterly: flattened shapes, unexpected color, energetic strokes, and rhythmic movement across the canvas. As Michalak explains, her paintings are often driven by her love of “expressive mark making versus subject matter alone,” with nature providing a continual source of inspiration. Artist website: Vanessa Michalak
Jan Roy takes the transformation of place further. Beginning as a silk-screen artist before focusing primarily on oil painting, Roy brings a strong graphic structure to landscapes, harbors, architecture, and other observed environments. Recognizable imagery may remain, but it is compressed, fragmented, and reorganized into interlocking planes of color and shape, bringing the landscape to the threshold of abstraction. Artist website: Jan Roy
Seen together, the three artists reveal how elastic the centuries-old tradition of landscape painting has become. Glover distills the physical experience of a place; Michalak releases its energy through color and mark; Roy reorganizes it toward abstraction. None abandons the visible world. Each makes something distinctly personal from it.
The title LANDINGS 3 VISIONS reflects that common ground. A landing can be a shoreline, an arrival, or a point of encounter. In these paintings, it also suggests the place where observation meets imagination—three artists arriving at three very different visual conclusions.
LANDINGS 3 VISIONS continues COSMOS Gallery’s focus on contemporary art by accomplished regional artists and on exhibitions that place their work within broader currents in art and culture.
The exhibition runs September 4 through October 11, 2026. The public is invited to meet the artists at the opening reception on Friday, September 4, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. An artist talk will be held on Friday, September 11, at 5:00 PM. Admission is free.
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Saturday September 12, 11am-9pm 19 Pleasant Street (courtyard)
Witness the transformation of the historic courtyard of Captain Harvey Coffin Mackay into a ship/stage where poetry, sound, visual art, ghosts and seagulls mingle and collaborate. The unfolding is co-created by CoCo Haze of Gallery RAG, K Prevallet of the Underverse, and Loren Doucette of Doucette Studio – plus special guests (TBA). The project is funded by the Harbortown Cultural District and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
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Discover the magic when individual objects, no matter how similar or different, are joined into an entirely new work at the Cove Gallery in Rocky Neck, August 27, 2026 – September 20, 2026 Cove Gallery. The opening reception is Thursday, August 27 from 5 to 8pm.
The act of assembly reveals, to the artist, new forms, new relationships of color and shape. Perhaps another unit can be placed over here, or a new piece added there, giving a fresh and unexpected whole. These works by five Rocky Neck members explore assemblage, in its broadest sense. Using materials ranging from wire, corrugated cardboard, reclaimed wood and hardware, to toy figures, rocks, and recycled flameworked glass the pieces become, in the hands of the contributing artists, surprising and delightful 3-D works.
The artists in this show include:
David Covert has been involved in art making for nearly fifty years. Basically self-taught, by virtue of continuing to draw, paint, and occasionally sculpt since the late sixties. Much of his work has been in the two-dimensional arts, dominated by drawing and painting and printmaking. His training has been mostly informal, interspersed with individual classes at Boston area art schools including the Museum School of the MFA, Mass College of Art, and the late DeCordova Museum school. For more information see https://www.davidcovert.art/.
Brian Murphy graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, then off to NYC honing agency skills. He settled in Beverly, Massachusetts, where he continues to work with ad agencies and individual clients. In-between he still finds time to create original artwork made from scrap materials. To learn more, visit https://brianmurphyartanddesign.com/.
Marion Powers is a mixed media artist and a painter who lives and works in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Her studio practice draws upon a lifetime of travel from the streets of Paris to the jungles of Borneo with her work inspired by the colors, landscapes and visual impressions of places she has experienced. Her assemblages incorporate objects collected during her travels. She earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work is held in private collections in New York City, Cape Ann and beyond.
Judy Robinson-Cox creates miniature shadowboxes, collages and small assembled sculptures using a variety of found objects and tiny plastic people. She creates these light-hearted artworks to make people smile and appreciate the world in which we live. She attended NYU School of Fine Arts and earned a BFA from the University of Connecticut and additional classes at Montserrat College of Art. For more information, see https://judy.robinson-cox.com/.
Beth Williams explores the qualities of glass and color. Using light and transparency in surprising ways along with layering color on color helps her to create unusual contemporary beads, jewelry and small sculptures. She gleans inspiration from her gardens, the ever-changing light on the ocean, the seascapes that surround her…anywhere colors collide in nature. To learn more, see https://www.bethwilliams.com/
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Visual artist Laurie ‘Sky’ Smith Vestøl and dance artist Christine Caldino Vik Bratvold will be at Gallery RAG, Rocky Neck from August 13-27th. Beautiful porcelain and aluminum works and dance performances at the beach – exploring water, change, transformation and the mysterious oceanic feeling. You don’t want to miss out! Special events on Thursdays at Culture Splash!
13th 5-7 PM Vernissage at the gallery followed by a walk to Oakes Cove 20th 6.30-7.30 PM Main event! Contemporary dance performance atOakes Cove 27th 5-7 PM Finissage. We invite everyone to Gallery Rag for a Norwegian skål (toast)
Location: Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester Show Dates: Thursday, August 13 – Sunday, September 20, 2026 August Gallery Hours: Thursday 12-7 PM Friday-Sunday, 12-5 PM September Gallery Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 12-5 PM
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is pleased to present Making an Impression: Traditional Techniques, Contemporary Vision, an exhibition featuring the work of 19 artists from Cape Ann and beyond exploring the rich and varied language of printmaking. Through both traditional and contemporary approaches, the exhibition showcases a diverse range of techniques, offering a thoughtfully curated selection that reflects the vitality and creative possibilities of the medium today.
For centuries, artists have developed innovative methods for creating multiple original impressions from a single matrix. In Making an Impression, participating artists employ a variety of printmaking processes, often combining techniques or incorporating additional materials to expand the expressive potential of their work. Together, these prints highlight the versatility, craftsmanship, and enduring relevance of printmaking as a contemporary art form.
The exhibition invites visitors to discover the many ways artists continue to push the boundaries of this historic medium while honoring its rich traditions.
The public is warmly invited to attend the Artists’ Reception on Sunday, August 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Guests will have the opportunity to view the exhibition, meet the participating artists, and enjoy light refreshments in the gallery.
Exhibiting Artists:
Lisa Barthelson (Boston area), Christine Beneman (Portland, ME), CoCo Berkman (Gloucester), David Brown (Rockport), Sandra Cardillo (Boston area), David Covert (Gloucester), David Curcio (Salem), Leslie Ann Eliet (Gloucester), Deborah Epstein (Cape Ann/Boston), Nina Fletcher (Cape Ann), Don Gorvett (Cape Ann), Barbara Grad (Boston area), Jane Keddy (Cape Ann), Catherine Kernan (Boston area), Denise Manseau (New Hampshire), Mary Rhinelander (Cape Ann), Julia Talcott (Cape Ann), Dorothea Van Camp (Boston area), Constance Vallis (Cape Ann)
About the Rocky Neck Art Colony
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, nurtures excellence in the arts through exhibitions, workshops, residencies and vibrant cultural events for its members and the public. On picturesque Rocky Neck in Gloucester, Massachusetts, RNAC operates three exhibition spaces, open to the public for free: The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck (6 Wonson Street); The Salted Cod Arthouse (53 Rocky Neck Ave.), a partnership gallery and café; and Cove Gallery (37 Rocky Neck Ave.), open seasonally in the former gallery of local artists Gordon and Judith Goetemann. Check the website www.rockyneckartcolony.org for hours, openings and special events. For more information, see the website or call 978-515-7004.
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