Here’s a super easy and great opportunity to share what you do or help your friend’s work get noticed.  Crafters, artisans, makers, retailers, creatives: make sure to sign up before July 1, 2017 when it’s just $25.

Please share. Also, please encourage any under 30 Gloucester to showcase their work. Perhaps they’ll be designated next year’s ‘rising stars’. Participants & Events :: American Craft Week :: HOW TO JOIN  and check out their resource page- “PR power packet page”

Here’s why Gloucester won

It’s tough to match Gloucester for the range and depth of fall art fairs and events –including American Craft Week– and Gloucester’s heritage of artists and artisans of yesterday and today (more on the pioneers below.) Pauline Bresnahan participates and drummed up the vote: “Gloucester has always encouraged creativity, individuality and artistic expression. Honored to be able to participate and encourage others to take part in this celebration for everyone who has fallen in love with their art and craft that shows their creativity.”

October is BEAUTIFUL!

I’ve gathered special events and festivals that run annually each October/Fall in Gloucester and on Cape Ann.  Make sure to look into the monthly art gallery exhibitions, live music, performances, and readings going on in the many art and culture venues as well as non-traditional spaces, businesses, organizations, accommodations, and restaurants. Mind you this is only the fall (October!) listings:

Just in October

Founded in 2016-  Cape Ann Plein Air Note that Paint Essex annual Plein Air  (founded in 2012) moved from a summer slot to the fall to coincide with Cape Ann Plein Air in 2016

Founded in 2016- Look for Magnolia Sip and Stroll nights –  “Enjoy complimentary food, beverages and live music while visiting the wonderful shops on historic Lexington Avenue in Magnolia, MA”

Founded in 2015- Brace Cove 2nd Annual Art Market (one day only!) 1pm till dark.

Founded in – Oktoberfest at Cape Ann Brewing Company

Founded in 2010 /in Gloucester 2014 – Annual American Craft Week held in October Gloucester recognized as one of America’s top 10 towns for craft lovers | 2017 Annual American Craft Week October 6-15  Last year Pauline’s Gifts and Cape Ann Artisans participated. I think we can increase that list a bit! 

Founded in 2015 – Pumpkin Carving at Cape Ann Art Haven

Founded in 2012- Fall Fest at Mile Marker 1 by Bridge Cape Ann

Founded in 2009- the Annual DoctoberFest Documentary Film Festival curated by Cape Ann Cinema & Stage (estab.2008)

Founded in 2006- Cape Ann Farmers Market outdoor market Thursdays into October, also features artisans and makers.

Founded in 1984- Annisquam Arts & Crafts show Oct 8 & Oct 9, 10-5

Founded in 1984-  Annual Art Auction, Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library

Founded in 1983-  Cape Ann Artisans Studio Tour (the oldest continuous in the country) featured as part of Artweek Boston 2016

Founded in 1979- Gloucester Stage is world class professional American theater in our country’s oldest seaport. Look for fall Premiers

Founded in 1972- Annual Essex Clamfest October

VENERABLE ARTS  TRADITION

Start with a visit to Cape Ann Museum a world class American art museum with a not to miss fine art and archive collections founded in 1873. Just Go! Outsider art and fine craft maker high lights include Folly Cove designers repository,  1893 Columbian Exposition Chicago World’s Fair harbor diorama, Fiesta oars, and the Community of Neighborhoods quilt cycle.

In each and every decade, printed ephemera and guides capture Gloucester’s long proud cultural history. Guides matter. Here are a couple of pioneer examples with a craft emphasis from the 1960s and 1892. American Craft Week is the digital equivalent of a who’s who in the American craft scene.

1960s

“We are told in the print that the American public is hungry for art…untouched by the machine. Cape Ann craft workers can satisfy that hunger…given a chance.” Henry Bollman, 1961

Bollman a ceramicist volunteered to chair the crafts section VIII of the 10th annual Gloucester Arts Festival: Ruth Balch, leather sandals; Henry Bollman, ceramics; Harriet Curtis, weaving and trays; Doris Frankbonner, ceramics and jewelry; Folly Cove Designers, Block Printing; Heather Godfrey, furniture decoration; Max Kuhne, silver leaf; Morris Lubin, Metal work; Reina Martin, silver and gold; Robert Natti, Pottery; Ruth Powers, Rugs

1960 list craft exhibition: John Black (silk screen); Henry Bollman (Ceramics); Greg Burke (Mosaics); Doris Coleman (Rockport Beach Glass jewelry); Edward Coleman (Rockport Beach glass jewelry); Carol Creed (mosaics); Alfred Czerepak (wood sculpture); Otis Dana (old pine furniture); Preston Donn (stained glass); Anne Daukas (woodwork); Folly cove designers (printed fabrics); Hazel Gaudreau (pottery); Heather Godfrey (hand painted trays and furniture); Thelma Karr (fabric designing); Evelyn Krames (enameling); Sol Krames (enameling); Max Kuehne (silver leaf); Gene Lesch (pewter and soft metals); Moris Lubin (art metal work); Ada Maker (ceramic coffee table); Barbara Marshall (cabinetmaker); Reino Martin (gold and silversmith); Sandra Matheson (cermaics)

Detail from one of the maps indicating the “General location of artists residing in same place permanently or each summer.” This one shows Gloucester Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove area mainly painters and sculptors among them: Paul Manship, Walker Hancock, Leon Kroll, George Demetrios, Virginia Lee Burton, Folly Cove Designers

The Gloucester Arts Festival scheduled ancillary programming like Cape Ann Festival of the Arts guided hikes and arts and writing exhibitions and contests for Gloucester’s youth.

1892

The Art and Loan Exhibition for The Celebration of the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town of Gloucester held August 24-29   featured “a representation collection of the antique and artistic from the many homes on Cape Ann…In connection with the exhibit a souvenir silver scarf pin was sold representing a fishing schooner under full rig with the dates 1642-1892 in raised work, and found ready purchasers…A piece of room paper from the walls of the old Ellery House, the first wall paper used in Gloucester, is exhibited…an interesting bit of fancy work is a frame inscribed in letters worked in silk Hannah Masters her Sampler May 8 1768…Another piece of family work which shows evidence of much labor and painstaking is a Clark family tree worked in silk on canvas in 1832 by Mary B. Clark, mother of Mayor Andrews…” The loan and art committee were reimbursed  $1195.81; the souvenir pins inventory was $211.40. Thankfully the city published a “true and detailed account of the 250th anniversary observance and illustrated these Lane and Beach works. The 1817 view of Gloucester by Capt Beach was loaned by Asa G. Andrews, too. JB Foster was the one and only artist on the extensive exhibition checklist (321 detailed items) that listed his work for sale $100 “At the Wharf Gloucester Harbor”. James Pringle wrote the seminal digitized “History of the town and city of Gloucester, Cape Ann, Massachusetts” 1892.