Author: James Eves

Annual Charles Olson Lecture Featuring Hettie Jones

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (October 13, 2016) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a talk by poet Hettie Jones, in collaboration with the Gloucester Writers Center and the Charles Olson Society on Saturday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. in the Museum’s auditorium.

Hettie Jones will discuss her first meeting with Charles Olson, her impressions of Gloucester, a few recent unpublished poems and a selection from Love, H: The Letters of Helene Dorn and Hettie Jones, her recently published book of correspondence with painter and sculptor, Helene Dorn. (Duke University Press Books, October 18, 2016) Love, H is available for purchase in the Museum’s gift shop.

Jones’ first collection of poems, Drive (Hanging Loose Press, 1997), was selected by Naomi Shihab Nye to receive the Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. She is also the author of How I Became Hettie Jones (1990) and several books for children. The former Chair of PEN’s Prison Writing Committee, she currently teaches graduate writing at The New School and workshops at 92Y and the Lower Eastside Girls Club Center for Community.

$10 donation suggested. For more information please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.

This program is accessible.

“Far Eastern Roads”

Photographs By Jintara Nutprasas
Public · Art · by Pastaio Via Corta

Friday, October 21 at 5 PM – 9 PM
65 Middle St, Gloucester, MA 01930-5737, United States

Please join us on the evening of, October 21st, for a one night only gallery opening at 65 Middle Street in Gloucester for photographs by Jintara Nutprasas. Prosecco & Snacks will be provided by Pastaio Via Corta & Mayflour Confections.

Voicing the Woods

An exhibition of Jeremy Adams’s organs and harpsichords

 On View at the Cape Ann Museum
October 22, 2016 through February 26, 2017

A public opening reception will be held at the Museum
on Saturday, October 22 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

(left) Jeremy Adams Organ, 1986. Annisquam Village Church, Gloucester, MA; (center) Adams doing restoration work on a Pleyel harpsichord; (right) Adams at work in his shop. Photographs by Paul Cary Goldberg ©2016.

 Voicing the Woods:  Jeremy Adams, Instrument Maker showcases the prodigious skills and artistry of Jeremy Adams, one of the most gifted musical instrument makers in New England. The exhibition, which will be held in the Cape Ann Museum’s 1,500 square foot special exhibitions gallery, will include a one-stop chamber organ, a demonstration organ chest, a 1995 clavichord and a selection of harpsichords, each built in its entirety by Adams in his Danvers, Massachusetts workshop. In addition to the instruments that will be shown in the gallery, a selection of Adams’s furniture will be displayed in the Museum’s 1804 Captain Elias Davis House, offering an interesting contrast to the period furniture in the House.

A keyboard player from early childhood, Jeremy Adams took his formal training with Roland Sturgis, Gregory Tucker and Melville Smith at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge. In the 1960s, an auspicious time for early music enthusiasts, Adams entered into a six-year apprenticeship at William Dowd’s Cambridge harpsichord shop, where he gained recognition for his skills as a musician and quickly developed his hand as a fine woodworker. (Dowd had established his workshop in the 1950s with harpsichord maker Frank Hubbard, engaging with the international movement to revive historic practices of performance and instrument building.) In the two years following his harpsichord apprenticeship, Adams honed his skills in reed voicing and tonal finishing in an organ building apprenticeship at the Gloucester workshop of Charles Fisk, working on signature instruments at Old West Methodist in Boston and Harvard University, among others. In 1969 Adams opened his own workshop on the North Shore.

Adams’s harpsichords, clavichords and pipe organs can be found in public and private collections around the world, including the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston; the Sapporo Episcopal Cathedral and the Kyoto Fukkatu Kyokai (Kyoto Episcopal Church) in Japan; Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, MA; the Waring School in Beverly, MA; Maple Street Congregational Church in Danvers, MA; and the Annisquam Village Church in Gloucester, MA. Restorations and expansions of existing instruments include work on Martha’s Vineyard and in Barbados.

The design and construction of Adams’s furniture and objets d’art evolved, in part, from the refined casework required by the musical instruments, and in part from a lifelong interest in painting and sculpture. The intersection of these elements has led to commissions from clients far and near, and to exhibitions with the Jane Deering, Found and Oasis galleries, as well as representation in a competition at the Wharton Esherick Museum in Pennsylvania.

Photographs by Paul Cary Goldberg complement the instrument exhibit and document Adams’s studio and work process, highlighting some of the exquisite detail and workmanship on individual pieces and underscoring the breadth and volume of his work. 

Flatrocks Gallery‘s fall show

We Need a Hero

The show runs from October 20th-November 20th.  All are invited to an artists’ reception on Saturday, October 22nd from 6-8pm.

Caption #1, 10/1/16, 10:50 AM, 8C, 6392×5217 (694+2719), 100%, Art 1, 1/20 s, R112.7, G82.7, B93.4

We Need a Hero celebrates the fine art of illustration, with eight artists rooted in design and animation. Though there is borrowing from popular culture, distinctly unique visual languages are being explored here. Elements of folk and pop art, abstract expressionism and realism are cleverly interwoven into deeply personal reflections of our modern world. The show features paintings by Mark Hoffmann, Michael Crockett, Andrew Houle, David Leblanc, Greg Orfanos, and book art by Sean Randolph, Kurt Ankeny, and Jess Semeraro.

77 Langsford St./Rt127 • Gloucester, MA 01930
978-879-4683 • www.flatrocksgallery.com

TWO PLEIN AIR EXHIBITS AT THE CULTURAL CENTER AT ROCKY NECK, AND A JUDITH CURTIS PRESENTATION ON THE HISTORY OF THE ROCKY NECK ART COLONY

Two exhibitions highlighting plein air to coincide with the Cape Ann Plein Air Festival will be on display at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck Oct 13 – Nov 13

Dual Receptions for both exhibits on Sunday, Oct 23, 3-5 PM

Plein Air – Here and Abroad

Montserrat College of Art Exhibition
October 13 – November 13, 2016

The Cultural Center Gallery at Rocky Neck
6 Wonson Street, Gloucester MA 01930

Artists Reception Sunday, October 23, 3:00-5:00 PM
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 12:00-4:00 PM

Fields #31 by Maria Malatesta

Landscape by Barbara Moody

Midcoast by Amanda Hawkins

Singing Beach by William Fusco

Montserrat College of Art will present “Plein Air — Here and Abroad” at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson St., Gloucester, Oct. 13-Nov. 13.  An opening reception with the artists will be held on Sunday. Oct. 23 from 3-5 pm and the public is welcome.

 The exhibit coincides with the first juried Cape Ann Plein Air Festival Oct. 10-16.

For nearly two centuries, Cape Ann (Massachusetts’ “other” Cape located 25 miles north of Boston) has been a destination for some of the finest painters who paint “en plein air.” Throughout its four picturesque seaside communities, Cape Ann Plein Air will host a week long plein-air painting celebration in October when the famous Cape Ann light shines at its very best.

Aritsts included in the Montserrat exhibit include former trustee William Fusco of Manchester, Founding Faculty member the late Roger Martin of Rockport, faculty Barbara Moody, Judith Brassard Brown and Ron DiRito;  alumni Susan Cottle Alberto, Colin Maguire, Loren Doucette and Amanda Hawkins, and current students. Programs highlighted through faculty work are the college’s Study Abroad programs in Viterbo, Italy and Mallorca, Spain, the continuing education division, offering views of the college’s activities through the art work created through them.

Montserrat College of Art is a four-year residential college of art and design located in Beverly, MA offering the bachelor of fine arts degree, continuing studies for teens and adults, study abroad opportunities and four public galleries offering free openings and lectures with artists and creatives from around the country.

Beyond Plein Air

October 13 to November 1, 2016 

The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck Studio Gallery
6 Wonson Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

Artist Reception: Sunday, Oct 23, 3-5 PM (Studio Gallery)
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 12:00-4:00 PM

RNAC member exhibition of non-traditional plein air paintings and photographs. The exhibit takes place at the same time as the Montserrat College exhibition “Plein Air — Here and Abroad” located in the Cultural Center Gallery.

Participating artists:  Matt Cegelis, Kathy Coakley, Anne Cowman, Ann Marie Crotty, Gail Gang, Kathleen George, Jan Goodwin, Dani Shirtcliff, Martha Wakefield

PRIOR TO BOTH RECEPTIONS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 at 1PM:

Judith Curtis, author of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, 1850-1950 will be giving an illustrated talk on the history of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, and the important American artists who have lived and worked on the peninsula.

Free and Open to the Public. If you wish to donate all proceeds of Judith Curtis’ talk will be accepted towards updating and expanding the Rocky Neck Historic Art Trail.

Meetinghouse event:
‘Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde’

Sunday, October 23, at 6:00pm

Gloucester Meetinghouse, corner of Church & Middle Street.
Accessible side entrance at 10 Church Street.

Silent horror film classic ‘Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde’accompanied by organist Peter Krasinski at the Gloucester Meetinghouse on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 6:00pm.

World-renowned sonic artist Peter Krasinski performs on the grand 1893 Hutchings-Fisk pipe-organ in the historic Gloucester Meetinghouse, improvising accompaniment to 2 silent film classics:  the Buster Keaton comedy, ‘The Haunted House’ and the scary main feature ‘Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde.’  Event opens with a fun costume parade and an impressive organ prelude.

COST:
$15 General, $12 Students & Senior (65+), kids under 12 free.

TICKET SALES BENEFIT:
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation Preservation Fund

 SPONSOR:
Cape Ann Savings Bank

Opening of the World Family Puppet Theatre!

We are announcing the exciting news of the opening of the World Family Puppet Theatre here in Gloucester!

The most recent venture of a continuous thread of multicultural arts programming for children for 39 years, since 1978, this endeavor seeks to instill in Cape Ann children a love for their world neighbors through engaging puppetry workshops which brings world cultures alive through their beloved folktales. Rob Newton, proprietor of the Cape Ann Cinema & Stage, has lovingly embraced the idea of a fun and educational puppetry experience at his theater at 21 Main Street in the West End of downtown Gloucester for the children of the Cape Ann area.

Know as “Dora the International Explorer”, Dora has brought an astonishing 35,000 programs, from International Festivals to Afterschool Programs to Teacher Trainings to Traveling Cultural Resource Kits to families, schools, libraries and the community of Cape Ann, and Massachusetts since 1978, earning her and the mother Ethnic Arts Center the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award from the City of Somerville.

On the forefront of multicultural programming for children in the Boston area, Dora has presented her programs to Cape Ann for the past twenty years, including the Spar and Spindle Girl Scouts, Rockport New Years Eve, and Essex, Beverly, Hamilton, Peabody, Rockport, and Gloucester schools, preschools, museums, and libraries. What motivates her to work with local children, is a “friendship based model” a “microcosm” of the world where children actively take part in a teamwork setting.  Ancient tales contain the truths of how a problem can be solved peaceably.  Creating and bringing alive puppets incorporates all the arts and proves that magic still exists.

Two puppetry classes-one for preschoolers and one for school-age children will be offered, beginning on October 12.  Cultural theme Birthday Parties will also be available, including the celebration of Sicily, and Finland, amongst other local cultures.  No child will be turned away due to financial constraints or special needs.

At no other time in our country’s history has such a need existed-to inculcate the love for our fellow man.  Dora cites three of her mentors who have influenced her the most: Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Ghandi, and Martin Luther King.  Here is a treasure tucked away in our intimate Cape Ann Cinema & Stage, just waiting for the local children to embrace.

Press the Puppetry button on the Cape Ann Cinema web page (capeanncinema,com) to register or pay.  Visit the Webpage of the Ethnic Arts Center at www.ethnicartscenter.org.  Take a photographic journey to the Facebook page of the World Family Puppet Theatre.  Call Dora Tevan at 978-546-3222 for more information.

Researching Your Italian Ancestry
With “Genealogy Roadshow” PBS Co-Host Mary M. Tedesco

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to welcome Gloucester native, Mary M. Tedesco, Co-Host / Genealogist on the PBS TV series “Genealogy Roadshow” (season 2 & season 3) and the Founder of ORIGINS ITALY, to speak on Saturday, October 8 at 1:00 p.m.

Do you have Italian roots? Come to the Cape Ann Museum on October 8 to learn about essential Italian genealogical records and how they are accessed. Italy and Sicily offer many records beyond birth, marriage and death. Onsite research in Italy and research by correspondence with repositories in Italy will also be discussed.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information please call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.

 Mary Tedesco speaks fluent Italian and travels often to Italy to conduct client genealogical research and visit family. She is the co-author of “Tracing Your Italian Ancestors” an 84-page Italian research guide published by Moorshead Magazines. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Boston University and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University’s Center for Professional Education. In addition to her Italian ancestry (Calabria, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Tuscany) on her father’s side, she also has deep American roots (German, Irish, Danish & English) on her mother’s side and is a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Tedesco is a native of Gloucester, MA.

I’ve a couple pieces in an interesting and big group show
at the Rockport Art Association, 12 Main St.

Hibbard & Maddocks Galleries
Experimental Group Exhibition – Unexpected #3

Sep 30 – Oct 12, 2016

John Bassett  www.basglas.com

The Sawyer Free Library will hold the Annual Art Auction on Wednesday, October 5, 2016. The Silent Auction will take place in the Matz Gallery from September 6 through October 3, to give visitors an opportunity to see the exhibit of paintings and bid early. The Vocal Auction will be held, at 7:00 PM. A preview party will precede the auction. Refreshments will be served and music by Jeannine Lynch and Peter Phillips. The auctioneer is Jack Good, who has volunteered  for over a decade. His humor and encouragement to bid adds to the delightful entertainment of the evening.

But the best part is the works of art, displayed in the Adolph Matz Gallery located in the main lobby of the library. Great interest is generated throughout the month as the bid book fills up. The final vocal auction is always an exciting event. This year there is seventy paintings in a variety of mediums, from oil, to watercolor, to collage; all original. The artists are all local and the subject is generally Cape Ann. It’s a great way to buy a small painting for yourself or as a gift to others. Noted artists such as Ray Crane, Jeff Weaver, Peter Tysver, Theresa Wonson, Carole Loiacono, Bob Blue and Don Gorvett are represented along with many artists who regularly contribute paintings. This year the quality of the artwork is awesome. Proceeds to the Art Advisory Fund provide scholarships, art supplies, art books and much needed supplies.This has been an important fundraiser for the library for many years, and its success is due greatly to the ongoing support by the contributing artists and loyal supporters.

So check out this year’s paintings and place a bid in the Silent Auction and then come to the live vocal auction to support your bid. If no one bids higher that your “Book” bid in the Silent Auction, your bid will be successful. But come to the live auction and enjoy the competition, food, music and find yourself a charming painting for a great bargain that will give you or a friend a lifetime of pleasure.

Beasts and Blooms, Elizabeth St. Hilaire-Collaged Paper Paintings, Martha Grover-Porcelain

Sept 23-Nov 27, 2016, Reception Sat Sept 23, 5-7pm
Lexicon Gallery, 15 Lexington Ave., #1, Magnolia, MA
www.LexiconGallery.com

Martha Grover, Pouring Vessels, Porcelain

Elizabeth St. Hilaire, “Percy Peacock,” Collaged Paper Painting

Whimsy is the theme at LEXICON GALLERY’S next show. “Beasts and Blooms,” combines Elizabeth St. Hilaire’s collaged paper paintings of friends from the animal world with Martha Grover’s functional porcelain flowery forms. Show dates are September 23, 2016-November 27, 2016 with an opening reception Saturday, September 23, 5:00-7:00pm.

Gallery 53 Features Tricia O’Neill with “ Sign Language”

A Narrative of Americana via Old Signs Along Route 1

The Rocky Neck Art Colony is delighted to welcome photographer, Tricia O’Neill as the seventh Summer Artistin the Rocky Neck Art Colony’s Summer Artist Series at Gallery 53 on Rocky Neck. Her photography exhibition, Sign Language, documents handmade and lettered signs, destined for extinction, along Route . O’Neill’s show opens on Wednesday, September 21 and continues to October 15 with the opening reception on Saturday September 24, from 6-8 pm.

ABC Vacuum, photograph by Tricia O’Neill

In Sign Language, O’Neill uses photography to preserve the traditions and histories of the art of sign painting. Paying homage to sign art and artists that came before her, she records those remaining manifestations of the dying craft of handmade, hand lettered signage that still line the historic national highway, US Route 1.

A fine art photographer working in the documentary tradition, O’Neill has been painting signs since her early 20s–executing murals, working with gold leaf, lettering trucks. In that time she saw a continuous change in the art of sign making. As Route 1 has diminished in importance, so too has the art of hand lettering. Because of today’s municipal ordinances, controlling size and structure, these old signs cannot be replaced as they exist today. What was once hand-lettered with brushes is now digitally printed or made of electronic parts. The remaining hand-painted signs continue to carry a deep resonance, displaying a narrative of Americana.

In this body of work O’Neill investigates what remains of this visual medium and the changing landscape of this historic road. Inspired by Berenice Abbott’s work in the 1950s documenting US Route 1 during its heyday–before being supplanted by Route 95, O’Neill is documenting today’s Route 1, now past its prime.

Tricia O’Neill has a fine arts degree at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts and studied both film and digital photography at the SMFA. She also studied the art of hand lettering at Butera School of Art and founded the company Signs Unique in 1986. O’Neill’s years behind the brush, painting signs and murals, informs her photography. Her work has been exhibited throughout the Northeast, in solo shows, juried shows, group shows and is in private collections.

For more information about the show call Gallery 53 at 978-282-0917.

The Rocky Neck Art Colony, 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. Long renowned for its luminous light, this harbor and coastal location has been a magnet for some of the most revered realist paintings in American art and a catalyst for the progressive ideas of artists from Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Milton Avery, and Nell Blaine, among many others. Today Rocky Neck continues to attract artists and art lovers to a thriving creative community. For up to date information visit rockyneckartcolony.org

Flatrocks Gallery is honored to present Robert J. Anderson, Cape Ann Modernist

September 22 to October 16
Opening Reception on September 24 at 6 pm.

Quietly but persistently, Bob Anderson (1934–2016) created an astounding body of work, mainly oil paintings on canvas and paper, in his Pigeon Cove home studio over a period of forty-six years. An exuberant, restless inventor, he was a deeply observant and technically gifted artist. Anderson’s roots were in the 1950s, a time of fertile experimentation in the arts. After attending the Art Institute of Chicago and winning the coveted Logan Art Institute Prize in 1957, he continued to paint and exhibit in the lively Chicago art scene until 1964, when he and his wife moved to New York City. In 1969 they came to Cape Ann to live. Anderson was influenced by the German Expressionists as well as by contemporaries such as the Chicago Imagists, but he sought tirelessly to develop his own ideas. “I guess I could be considered eclectic in that I’ve gone through so many phases in my work,” he said. Motivated always by the next discovery and the challenge of finding new ways of seeing, he used the formal elements of his discipline as a structure for experiments in expression. With meticulous attention to detail, he often produced works in series, pushing through the variations to the revelation. Anderson’s work, never static, made playful use of many materials. He created sculptures in wood and reliefs in concrete and paint, produced silkscreens on fabric, and incorporated stencils in his oil paintings. His keen sense of humor shines in his figurative paintings and ink drawings, where people with exaggerated features consort

commuters_1998_23x35

continuum_2001_34x34

fractal_2006_40x48

with pigs on a busy street corner, dogs dance with women, and figures morph seamlessly into machines and vice versa. Anderson’s independent spirit was obvious from the start. Early in his career he had a one-man show at Crown Hall, Mies van der Rohe’s landmark glass building at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, which ended abruptly because the administration found his paintings too shocking. Many of Bob’s oils are suggestive of the landscape he loved here on Cape Ann. Though not

representational, they make use of the forms and colors of the cracked and broken granite, the earthy tones of the woods, the light of the sea. “You can’t get it out of you,”

he remarked.  Bob Anderson’s art was his life, and this exhibition takes us through the many facets of that well-lived life. A beloved figure on Cape Ann, he will be missed by all who knew him. Anderson exhibited his paintings and sculptures at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago, the Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven, the Orphanos Gallery in Boston, Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, the School Street Gallery in Rockport, and the West End and Acacia galleries in Gloucester. His work is in the collection of the Cape Ann Museum, as well as in private collections throughout the United States.

Flatrocks Gallery is open noon to 5 Thursday – Sunday 77 Langsford St./Rt127 Gloucester [or by appointment 978-879-4683]

www.flatrocksgallery.com

Lanesville Music Festival & Dance Party

Saturday, September 24, 2016 – Gloucester, MA

The Lanesville Community Center (LCC), located at 8 Vulcan Street, Gloucester, MA, proudly presents its 7^th annual Lanesville Music Festival and Dance Party. This will be a fun-filled day and night for friends, neighbors, the Cape Ann community, featuring local talent, food, artisans and community partners, with activities for kids and beverages for adults, all supported by enthusiastic Lanesville volunteers.

Festival: non-stop music from noon to 7:00PM. Admission is by donation. Evening dance party from 8:30PM to 11:00PM featuring King Brown Mattacks and Gates (KBMG). Admission is $10 at the door. Rain or Shine. For full performance schedule visit: www.lanesvillecommunitycenter.org and www.facebook.com/LanesvilleCommunityCenter.

WHEN?  3-4pm (10 weeks) Each Tuesday, Sept 13th – November 15th

WHERE?  St. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 48 Middle St., Gloucester

WHO? Facilitated by Dr. “D” (DiPrima) for young adults – Ages 10 – 15

WHAT? Using proverbs from around the world, participants will explore meaning through a variety of dramatic forms – Theatre games, movement, music, dramatic play, Storydrama, Improvisation and Reader’s Theatre

COST? $100, need based scholarships available

Contact: Jay DiPrima 978-283-1708 or jay@stjohnsgloucester.org 

Fall Walking Tours at the Cape Ann Museum

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (August 31, 2016) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to announce its fall lineup of walking tours. Guided walking tours begin at the Cape Ann Museum at 10:00a.m. and are held rain or shine, lasting about 1½ hours; participants should be comfortable being on their feet for that amount of time. $10 members; $20 nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Space is limited; reservations required. Call (978)283-0455 x10 or email info@capeannmuseum.org for details.

Not a member of the Museum? Join now and get discounted tickets to all our events!

Manchester-by-the-Sea Architecture Walking Tour ~ Saturday, September 10

 The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present an architectural walking tour through historic Manchester-by-the-Sea in conjunction with its exhibition Design/Build: The Drawings of Phillips & Holloran, Architects on view at the Cape Ann Museum through October 9.

Join Manchester Historical Museum curator, John Huss and preservation consultant, Bill Finch as they highlight the diverse architecture forming Manchester’s historic downtown. This tour will begin at the Manchester Historical Museum at 10 Union Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10. Guided walking tours are held rain or shine and last about 1 hour; participants should be comfortable being on their feet for that amount of time.

Hopper’s Houses Walking Tour ~ Saturday, September 10

Take a leisurely walk past select Gloucester houses made famous by painter Edward Hopper. Hopper is known to have painted in Gloucester on five separate occasions during the summer months in the years 1912, 1923, 1924, 1926 and 1928. He began working in watercolor, capturing the local landscape and architecture in loosely rendered, light filled paintings. This special walking tour will explore the neighborhood surrounding the Museum, which includes many of the Gloucester houses immortalized by Hopper’s paintings.

Public Sculpture Walking Tour ~ Saturday, September 17

Get up-close and personal with the artwork you drive by everyday on this walk through downtown Gloucester. New to Gloucester? Then, this tour will give you a three-dimensional introduction to this historic city by the sea. From sculptures commemorating those who went to sea, to those who fought in war to those who changed the artistic landscape of Cape Ann forever—this walking tour will uncover the stories behind the public sculptures of Gloucester, including the unique processes of the artists who created them.

Fitz Henry Lane on Foot and Online ~ Saturday, October 1

Experience 19th century Gloucester history as this tour leads you through the neighborhoods and waterfront that inspired the artwork of native son Fitz Henry Lane. Learn how Lane rose from modest beginnings in the pre-Civil War era to worldwide recognition as a marine painter and why, even today, numerous artists journey to Cape Ann to capture its unusual light, so brilliantly captured by Lane.

Participants are encouraged to bring smart phones or tablets in order to use the rich sources of information on the newly released Fitz Henry Lane Online website. During this walk, you will connect specific locations to the paintings they inspired by accessing this online catalog of Lane’s work. Alternative visuals will also be available.

Hopper’s Houses Walking Tour ~ Saturday, October 8

Take a leisurely walk past select Gloucester houses made famous by painter Edward Hopper. Hopper is known to have painted in Gloucester on five separate occasions during the summer months in the years 1912, 1923, 1924, 1926 and 1928. He began working in watercolor, capturing the local landscape and architecture in loosely rendered, light filled paintings. This special walking tour will explore the neighborhood surrounding the Museum, which includes many of the Gloucester houses immortalized by Hopper’s paintings.

 The Cape Ann Museum celebrates the art, history and culture of Cape Ann – a region with a rich and varied culture of nationally significant historical, industrial and artistic achievement. The Museum’s collections include fine art from the 19th century to the present, artifacts from the fishing, maritime and granite quarrying industries, textiles, furniture, library/archives, and two historic houses. For a detailed media fact sheet please visit www.capeannmuseum.org/press.

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 $10.00 adults, $8.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (18 and under) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at www.capeannmuseum.org.

Artist Demonstrations on Rocky Neck

Gallery 53 on Rocky Neck
53 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930

Gallery hours
Sun – Thurs 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, Fri and Sat 10:00AM – 8:00 PM

 Gallery 53 on Rocky Neck is sponsoring a series of artist demonstrations for the 2016 season.

On Saturday September 3^rd, Ceramic artist Susan Hershey works with clay to create mostly functional pots. She will discuss making ceramic vessels and using a wood fire kiln, her preferred method of firing a pot, to complete the process.

For more information call 978-282-0917

Gallery 53 Showcases plein air artist Marilyn Swift 
with “This Side of the Bridge” Summer Artist Exhibition

The Rocky Neck Art Colony is delighted to welcome plein air painter, Marilyn Swift as the sixth Summer Artist in the Rocky Neck Art Colony’s Summer Artist Series at Gallery 53 on Rocky Neck. Her show titled This Side of the Bridge showcases a variety of Marilyn’s Cape Ann watercolors painted on Cape Ann. Marilyn’s show opens on Wednesday, August 31 and continues to September 20 with the opening reception on Saturday September 3, from 6-8 pm.

Quarry Ledge, Halibut Point, watercolor 14×14

Beacon Marine Boatyard, watercolor 14×14

Dry Dock, watercolor 14×21

Painters of the Light, watercolor 6×9

Much of Marilyn’s inspiration comes from painting en plein air. On location, Marilyn walks around with sketchbook in hand, making quick compositional value studies before beginning painting. Watercolor, more than other medium, requires thoughtful planning. Her goal is to capture the essence of the scene she is attracted to as well as the feeling of the day.

Best known for her watercolor paintings, Marilyn Swift’s work has been published in The Best of Watercolor; Watercolor Expressions; and Monhegan, The Artists’ Island. Marilyn’s pen and ink drawings illustrate two local cookbooks: The Taste of Gloucester, a Fisherman’s Wife Cooks and Culinary Motifs of Rockport.

Marilyn’s professional artist memberships include The Copley Society of Boston, The Rockport Art Association, North Shore Arts Association, New England Watercolor Society, Academic Artists Association, American Artists Professional League of NYC, Hudson Valley Art Association, Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society and the Rocky Neck Art Colony. Exhibiting widely over her forty year career, Marilyn has won numerous awards in all the above organizations. Marilyn’s paintings are included in prestigious private and public collections both in the USA and abroad.

For more information about the show call Gallery 53 at 978-282-0917.

Maritime Heritage Day

Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 ~ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
23 Harbor Loop Gloucester, MA 01930

Celebrate Gloucester Schooner Festival at Maritime Heritage Day on Saturday, September 3, 2016 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This year we are creating a busy, festive hub of traditional crafters, engaging community organizations in the First Ipswich Bank Pavilion, expert seafood demonstrations, foot stomping music with Old Cold Tater, impossible magic, schooner sails, and fun-filled family activities on Harbor Loop. Enjoy local fare at our food tents. Schooners will be docked nearby at Gloucester House restaurant and the Jodrey State Fish Pier. Admission is free to the event. The event schedule and list of event participants can be found at www.maritimegloucester.org/maritime-heritage-day.

Goetemann Artist Residency
Jana Matusz, Aug 28 – Sept 28

Opening talk:

Thursday, September 1 at 7:00 PM
The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck, 6 Wonson Street, Gloucester

Informal closing conversation:

Monday, September 25 at 7:00 PM
Goetemann Residency Studio, 51A Rocky Neck Ave. Gloucester

All artists talks are free and open to the public. We encourage you to join in the discussions.

The Rocky Neck Art Colony Goetemann Artist Residency is pleased to announce the next Resident, Jana Matusz. Jana will be staying on Rocky Neck from August 28 – September 28.

Invitation to a Hike by Jana Matusz

Ingraham Elements by Jana Matusz

Winter Houses by Jana Matusz

Jana Matusz received her B.A. summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Visual and Environmental Studies (Studio Art) from Harvard University and Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Massachusetts College of Art. Jana Matusz is a highly accomplished plein air painter. Her vast array of subject matter includes landscape, still life, city and townscapes, trucks, figurative work and portraits. Her pallet is vibrant and bold revealing her talent for design and color while highlighting her superb drawing skill. Jana has studied abroad and has shown her work internationally.

Jana Matusz draws and paints directly from observation, never from photographs. Almost all of her drawings and paintings are done en plein air, outdoors. She also paint alla prima, all in one sitting. This is an extremely challenging way to work, particularly given the rigors of New England weather. Jana states that she believes it gives her paintings authenticity, freshness, and immediacy.

Jana Matusz plans to work on paintings of the rocky coast, the quarries, and the town. She is particularly interested in the rocks and quarries, including Halibut Quarry and the State Park, but everything, from town to fishermen, is fair game for Matusz. For more information on Jana’s work, please see her website: http://janamatusz.com/

More information and schedule of artists talks:

http://rockyneckartcolony.org/residency/

Wednesday August 31, 7:30 p.m.
Gloucester Writers Center

A selection of works from the exhibition can be viewed at www.janedeeringgallery.com.

Cape Ann Plein Air Announces Plans for October 15 Grand Awards Gala

Celebration and Awards Ceremony Will Highlight Weeklong Outdoor Painting Competition Featuring National and Local Artists

August 29, 2016 – The organizers of this fall’s weeklong Cape Ann Plein Air (CAPA) national art competition have announced plans for a gala celebration and awards ceremony on Saturday, October 15, at the Rockport Art Association and Museum.

The Grand Awards Gala will offer the public an opportunity to view the work of artists who will be painting across Cape Ann that week as part of the region’s first national outdoor painting competition.

Guests who attend the gala that evening – which will run from 6pm – 10pm – can also mix and mingle with the artists who were chosen by the CAPA juror to compete in the program.

The gala ticket price — $60 in advance and $75 at the door – can be applied to the purchase of CAPA paintings.  For tickets, visit www.capeannpleinair.com/buy-gala-tickets.

The artists will compete for $16,000 in prizes and awards. There will be awards of $6,000 for first place, $4,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place, in addition to two $250 honorable mention awards.  Additional $500 themed-awards will be granted for Best Americana, Best Marine, Best Use of Light, Best Nocturnal and Best Perspective. There is also a $500 People’s Choice award. Up to 40 artists will be juried to participate in the competition.

Guests who attend the Grand Awards Gala will be treated to a celebratory cocktail, two drink coupons, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres prepared by Best of Boston award winner Vinwood Caterers.

 About CAPA

CAPA 2016 – which will run from Columbus Day, October 10, through Sunday, October 16 – will provide local artists the opportunity to compete with national artists who participate in other plein air events around the U.S. In addition to the Grand Awards Gala, the CAPA 2016 festival will include an opening artist reception at North Shore Arts Association on October 10; a Paint by the Sea event in Manchester-by-the-Sea on October 12; and a Paint Essex 2016 plein air event on October 15, with a reception, auction and sale on October 16.  Other events planned for the week include demonstrations, concerts, workshops and gallery events.

CAPA is being organized by the Cape Ann Community Foundation, seARTS, and Cape Ann’s leading arts and culture organizations.  It is the first national plein air competition in the region, with activities planned in each of the four Cape Ann communities — Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.

The founding sponsors are: The Applied Materials Foundation, Rockport resident Stephen Bell, By the Sea Sotheby’s International Realty, Gloucester resident Linzee Coolidge, and the Beverly-based law firm Glovsky & Glovsky.  The organizers continue to seek additional partners to support CAPA 2016, offering opportunities to sponsor events, awards and prizes.

The organizers are also working with the region’s many hotels, motels and B&Bs, restaurants, service providers and others across Cape Ann to offer special packages to participating artists and others visiting for the plein air competition and festival.

CAPA 2016 celebrates Cape Ann’s legacy of plein air painting and the continued presence of locally based and visiting artists who come to the region to paint “en plein air.”  A phrase borrowed from the French meaning “open (in full) air,” plein air is used to describe the act of painting where the artist reproduces the actual visual conditions seen at the time of the painting.

Award-winning plein air artist Colin Page will serve as CAPA entry juror, selecting the 40 artists who will participate in the competition.  Another nationally recognized plein air artist, Ray Hassard, will serve as the CAPA awards judge.

For more information, visit the CAPA website at www.capeannpleinair.com.

About the Organizers

Cape Ann Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, formed in association with the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. The Foundation has as its mission to support Cape Ann through regional promotion, economic development and education including jobs training and work force preparedness.

Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, the largest business organization on Cape Ann, is made up of members from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea, as well as surrounding communities.  The Chamber works to promote a strong local economy by supporting community programs, assisting area businesses and promoting the region and local education initiatives.  For more information on the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, visit www.capeannchamber.com.

seARTS , a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is a coalition focused on cultivating Cape Ann’s position as a world-class center for working artists.  Established in 2000, seARTS is working to help transform the region’s economy by bridging its maritime heritage and a future powered by the arts. For more information on seARTS, visit www.searts.org.

Essex Merchants Group, a 501(c)(6) non profit organization, represents the Essex business community and is instrumental in sponsoring and supporting many town events. Paint Essex originated in 2012 and has sold nearly $100,000.00 worth of art at its Sunday auctions since its inception Over one hundred artists participate each year. Check out our website www.VisitEssexMA.com for more information.