Catherine Ryan writes-

Hi Joey

Thank you Donna and Marty for your photographs documenting the City’s murals restoration! As FOBs we’re so lucky to be exposed to so many GMG artist photographers and their unique take. Donna your posts and photos are upbeat and you seem to be in more than one place at one time! Your recent photograph of Morgan Faulds Pike’s Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, heroic against our Gloucester harbor’s big sky, was a stand out for our public art. There is also a whimsy in your work–like the detail of today’s “behind the scenes” Peter Williams’ placard for his posted hours. Marty, it seems the conservators are channeling the artist, Charles Allan Winter, in their chosen attire and you, too, in the way you’ve framed them among the portraits! Your photos also highlight the scale–the conservators look as if they could walk right into the murals among the denizens and jobs featured.

Long standing CFTA member Dale Brown with help from committee members Roger Armstrong of State of the Art Gallery are the volunteers primarily engaged with the management of this conservation project. Chair Judith Hoglander, committee member Marcia Hart and many past committee volunteers have worked so hard to raise the funds to commence this cleaning. It’s a very exciting time. Dale is also setting up an account with another incredible Gloucester good egg, Barry Pett, of the Gloucester Fund so that people who want to contribute to the Committee for the Arts can do so!

Allegra Boverman and Marjorie Nesin of the Gloucester Daily Times and the Cape Ann Beacon have also covered this conservation project. The Gloucester Daily Times has documented them from their first unveiling and nearly every decade since. All this reporting of the mural conservation will be part of their history, too, and help us see them in new ways. The Committee for the Arts hopes that Gloucester residents will have a chance to look for themselves just as we were so lucky to do with the turbines. More art and science up close. Gloucester is not dull!