“Dolliver’s Neck is a small arm of land pointing north off the western shore of the Gloucester’s Outer Harbor. It is the cradling arm that creates Fresh Water Cove, a small cove where Samuel de Champlain found fresh water on his first visit to Gloucester Harbor in 1606. It was named for Samuel Dolliver who came from Marblehead in 1652 and bought a farm there.
In Lane’s time there were a few fishing shacks visible in some of his paintings where onshore fishermen could put their boats in from the pebble beach and salt marsh and be out in the center of the harbor without the long row or sail from the Inner Harbor. Fresh Water Cove itself is not deep enough at low tide for larger vessels to moor there so it has retained its small scale and intimate feel down through the years.
In 1900 a Coast Guard lifesaving station was built and manned on Dolliver’s Neck and many lives were saved along that rocky and treacherous coast between Gloucester and Magnolia.”
From the Fitz Henry Lane Archives, Cape Ann Museum
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Last Chance! These must see 2019 shows are closing soon: Don’t miss ICA Watershed Purple (installation view above) closing September 2; DeCordova New England Biennial and the Provincetown Art Association & Museum’s 1945 Chaim Gross exhibition close September 15; and catch Renoir at the Clark before it’s gone September 22nd.
A few of the listed upcoming exhibitions to note: the NEW building and exhibits at PEM are opening September 2019; Homer at the Beach is on display at Cape Ann Museum thru December 1 (and catch a Richard Ormond lecture on John Singer Sargent’s Charcoals Sept.28 at Cape Ann Museum (ahead of the Morgan exhibition opening October); three new shows opening at MFA; Gordon Parks at Addison; and Alma Thomas at Smith. A Seuss-focused experience was pronounced destined for Boston, ahead of its TBD venue, by the LA entertainment company co-founders. Some shows I’ve already visited and may write about, mostly from a dealer’s perspective as that is my background. Exhibition trends continue to evolve and reveal new directions. A few patterns I see in the exhibition titles: what’s annointed for display and how it’s contextualized (corrective labels); immersive exhibits; revisiting colonial methodologies and themes; major solo surveys; women artists (and this upcoming season boost underscoring womens’ suffrage and 100th anniversary of the ratification of women’s right to vote); illustration; environment; and issues of humanity and migration. The list is illustrated with images of the sites. All photographs mine unless otherwise noted. Right click or hover to see info; click to enlarge. – Catherine Ryan
The guide – Massachusetts Museum Guide, Fall 2019
Note from author: The list below is alphabetized by town, and details upcoming exhibitions at each venue as well as some that are closing soon. Click the word “website” (color gray on most monitors) for hyperlinks that redirect to venues. For a list alphabetically sorted by venue, see my Google Map (with a Candy Trail overlay) “Art Museums in Massachusetts” hereand embedded at the end of this post. I pulled the map together several years ago. No apps to download or website jumping. Easy scroll down so you don’t miss an exhibit that’s closer than you think to one that you may already be exploring.A few are open seasonally (summer) or weekends only–call first to check before visiting. Major new architectural building projects are underway at BU (closed) and MIT. The 54th Regiment Memorial on Boston Common will undergo restoration. Get ready for close observation of conservation in process. – Catherine
AMESBURY
1. John Greenleaf Whittier historic Home and Museumwebsite
18. Boston Harbor Islands National and State Parkwebsite
(photos show info gateway on the Greenway near the ferry access to Boston Harbor Islands)
Summer 2019 public art: Boston Harbor [Re]creation The Project: Artists Marsha Parrilla; Robin MacDonald-Foley; Brian Sonia-Wallace more(Jury: Luis Cotto MCC; Lucas Cowan, The Greenway; Celena illuzzi, National Parks; Caroly Lewenberg; Denise Sarno-Bucca DCR; Courtney Shape, City of Boston; Rebecca Smerling Boston Harbor Now; Kera Washingon; Cynthia Woo, Pao Arts Center)
Unveiled 2019 – Super A (Stefan Thelen) Resonance, 2019, latex and spray paint
Note to Greenway (see photo notes below): food trucks by the stop should be relocated to other food truck areas (and maybe one tree) to optimize and welcome sight line to the Greenway and public spaces from streets, sidewalk, and South Station. There are pauses elsewhere along the lattice park links, and a generous approach past the wine bar. The temporary commissioned mural could extend verso (or invite a second artist) so that the approach from Zakim Bridge/RT1/93North is as exciting as the approach from Cape Cod.
Skip the app AI download– swamped my phone battery despite free WiFi on the Greenway.
See complete list of 2019 public art currently on view at The Greenway here
The Greenway packs a lot of punch in a compressed area; its lattice of dynamic public spaces and quiet passages are an easy stroll into the North End or along the HarborWalk to the ICA, roughly similar in size and feel as walking Battery Park and Hudson River Park in New York City.
Through September 15, 2019 BIG PLANS: Picturing Social Reformmore
Through October 20, 2019 Contemporary Art Joan Jonas: i know why they left more
Through January 14, 2020 Anne H. Fitzpatrick Facade Laura Owens: Untitled
October 17, 2019 – January 20, 2020 In the Company of Artists featuring Sophie Calle, Bharti Kher, Luisa Lambri, Laura Owens, Rachel Perry, Dayanita Singh, and Su-Mei Tse
Through September 28, 2019 Annual Regional Juried Exhibition 2019 Winners announced September 21, 2019. The 2018 gold winner, Leon Doucette of Gloucester, exhibiting again, and Melissa Cooper. more
Through September 2, 2019 at The Water Shed, ICA Boston John Akomfrah: Purplemore
What’s coming in 2020 to The Water Shed? Still TBA
Through September 22, 2019 ICA Less Is a Bore: Maximilist Art & Designmore
Nice installation with a few surprises and thoughtful connection to other exhibtions on view. (The LeWit and Johns selections triggered what about that work or artist? I wish May Stevens and Harmony Hammond were included and my list grew from there. That’s part of the fun of the exhibit.)
September 24 – February 7, 2021 ICA Yayoi Kusama: Love is Callingmore
September 24 – February 7, 2021 ICA Beyond Infinity: Contemporary Art after Kusamamore
October 23, 2019 – January 26, 2020 ICA When Home Won’t Let You Stay: Migration through Contemporary Artmore
Through December 31, 2019 ICA 2019 James and Audrey Foster Prize Boston area artists: Rashin Fahandej; Josephine Halvorson; Lavaughan Jenkins; Helga Roht Poznanskimore
41. Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon website
Through September 15, 2019 Under Pressure– Birds in the Printed Landscape: Linocuts by Sherrie Yorkmore
Through September 29, 2019 The Shorebird Decoys of Gardner & Dextermore
CAMBRIDGE
Harvard –
42. Harvard Art Museums (Fogg; Busch-Reisinger; and Arthur M. Sackler) website
Why do any of the Harvard museums charge an entrance fee?
Through January 5, 2020 Winslow Homer: Eyewitness (in conjunction with Cape Ann Museum Homer exhibition) University Research Gallery
Through January 5, 2020 Early Christian Africa: Arts of Transformation
Through January 5, 2020 Critical Printing
Through January 5, 2020 Crossing Lines, Constructing Home: Displacement and Belonging in Contemporary Art
Through November 14, 2021 On Site Clay — Modeling African Design
43. Harvard – Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts website
Through September 29, 2019 Anna Oppermann: Drawings
The Carpenter Center was closed for an event on the day I scheduled to see the Oppermann exhibition – good reminder to call first for the must see shows on your list.
Jonathan Berger: An Introduction to Nameless Love
Harvard Film Archive weekly film series
44. Harvard – ‘The Cooper Gallery’ / The Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art website
September 16 – December 13, 2019 The Sound of My Soul: Frank Stewart’s Life in Jazz photography, curated by Ruth Fine
the Gordon Park exhibition that recently closed was on my list of top shows for 2019
Through October 20, 2019 Wrestling With Angels Icons from the Prosopon School of Iconology and Iconographymore
November 15, 2019 – March 8, 2020 Emil Hoppe: Photographs from the Ballet Russesmore
CONCORD
64. Louisa May Alcott Orchard House 399 Lexington Road, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States (978) 369-4118 guided tours year round plus special events
Through October 20, 2019 Ship of State…Paintings by Robert Henry
Through December 21, 2019 Interpreting Their World: Varujan Boghosian, Carmen Cicero, Elspeth Halvorsen and Pual Resika
DUXBURY
71. The Art Complex Museum (Weyerhaeuser collection) website
August 18 – November 10, 2019 Steve Novick: Approximation
September 15 -January 12, 2020 Draw the Line
September 15 – January 12, 2020 Rotations: Highlights From the Permanent Collection Nocturne including Lowell Birge Harrison (American, 1854–1929), Suzanne Hodes (American, b. 1939), Kawase Hasui (Japanese, 1883–1957), George Inness (American, 1825–1894), Johan Barthold Jongkind (Dutch, 1819–1891) Martin Lewis (American, 1881–1962), and Henri Eugene Le Sidaner (French, 1862-1939)
November 17 – February 16, 2020 George Herman Found Paintings
EAST SANDWICH
72. Thornton W. Burgess Society Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen website *may join Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster to combine and become the Cape Cod Museums of Natural History
Through September 1, 2019 84th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft
Through September 1, 2019 Broad Strokes: American Painting of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries from the FAM collection
September 7, 2019 – January 5, 2020 Sage Sohier/David Hilliard: Our Parents, Ourselvesmore
September 21, 2019 – November 10, 2019 Adria Arch: Reframing Eleanormore
September 21, 2019 Daniela Rivera: Labored Landscapes (Where Hand Meets Ground)more
September 21, 2019 – January 12, 2020 David Katz: Earth Waresmore
Ongoing Evoking Eleanor; Discover Ancient Egypt; Thurston sculpture by Douglas Kornfeld
FRAMINGHAM
76. Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham State Univ. website
September 7 – October 13, 2019 Populux Steven Duede | Sean Sullivan on display in the works on paper gallery
September 7 – December 30, 2019 Dressed! Exhibiting artists include Catherine Bertulli, Jodi Colella, Merill Comeau, Mia Cross, Nancy Grace Horton, and Marky Kauffmann
September 7 – May 2020 Highlights from the Permanent Collection
Winslow Homer: Picturing the Tropics Illustrated talk and extended hours at the Cape Ann Museum
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (August 15, 2019) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present a special evening of programming on Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. This is the first in a series of four nights, throughout summer and fall, when the Museum will be open extended hours. In addition to galleries staying open for viewing, there will be illustrated talks, musical performances, artmaking opportunities, cash bar and more! Extended hours are free for CAM members or with Museum admission. There will be additional costs for special lectures or musical performances.
On Thursday, August 29 join Bowdoin College professor Dana Byrd for Winslow Homer: Picturing the Tropics at 7:00 p.m. The artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) is beloved for his moody representations of crashing surf against the rocky Maine coastline. The artist, however, was no recluse. He enjoyed traveling for pleasure and new painting subjects. During the last decades of his life, with box camera and painting kit in hand, he visited a number of tourist locales, among them, the Bahamas, Cuba and Florida. This talk will explore Homer’s varied depictions of the tropics, to revisit this important, yet little addressed aspect of his oeuvre. This lecture is $10 for CAM members; $20 nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Reservations are required and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com or by calling 978-283-0455 x10.
Highlights of the evening also include watercolor painting; a cash bar featuring Cuba Libres & rum punch; and a chance to see Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869 – 1880.
Dana E. Byrd is a scholar of American art and material culture at Bowdoin College. She received her PhD from Yale University in 2012. Her research engages with questions of place and the role of objects in everyday life. Her book manuscript, “Reconstructions: The Material Culture of the Plantation, 1861-1877,” examines the experience of the plantation during the Civil War through the end of Reconstruction.
This program is offered in conjunction with the special exhibition, Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880, which is the first close examination of the formation of Winslow Homer as a marine painter. The exhibition will be on view until December 1, 2019. The Cape Ann Museum will be its sole venue.
Tondo photo image credit: Winslow Homer. St. Johns’ River, Florida ca. 1895 pinhole (from an Eastman Kodak #1 camera) photograph Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine. Photo portrait courtesy of Dana Byrd. Homer watercolors various collections: Art Inst. Chicago, Harvard FOGG (completed with sections from Yale), National Gallery, Cummer
A sunset adventure aboard the Schooner “Thomas E. Lannon”
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (August 15, 2019) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present an evening sunset harbor cruise on Sunday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m. In celebration of the special exhibition Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869 – 1880, the Museum has partnered with the Schooner “Thomas E. Lannon” to illuminate Winslow Homer’s time in Gloucester. This program which includes a two-hour sail, light refreshments (wine, beer & snacks), a chance to watercolor paint and tales of Homer’s time in Gloucester is $60 for CAM members; $75 nonmembers. Advanced registration required. For more information visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10.
The exhibition, Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880, is the first close examination of the formation of Winslow Homer as a marine painter. The exhibition will be on view until December 1, 2019. The Cape Ann Museum will be it sole venue.
In 1869, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) exhibited his first picture of the sea. He was an ambitious New York illustrator—not yet recognized as an artist—and freshly back from France. Over the next 11 years, Homer’s journey would take him to a variety of marine destinations, from New Jersey to Maine, but especially—and repeatedly—to Gloucester and other parts of Cape Ann. It was on Cape Ann that Homer made his first watercolors and where he discovered his calling: to be a marine artist. And it was in Gloucester in 1880, at the end of these 11 years, where he enjoyed the most productive season of his life, composing more than 100 watercolors of astonishing beauty. Homer’s journey forever changed his life and the art of his country.
The Schooner “Thomas E. Lannon” was built in 1997 in Essex, MA. Berthed at historic Seven Seas Wharf at the Gloucester House Restaurant, Rogers Street, Gloucester, the Lannon offers two-hour sails and private charters from mid-May through mid-October. The “Thomas E. Lannon” is named for owner Tom Ellis’ maternal grandfather, who fished out of Gloucester from 1901-1943. On August 25 join the Cape Ann Museum and the Ellis family for a sail and imagine what it was like to sail on a fishing schooner out of Gloucester a hundred years ago.
Image credits: Winslow Homer (1836-1910), Sunset Fires, 1880. Watercolor on paper, 93/4 x 13 5/8. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Gift of the William A. Coulter Fund, 1964.36.
Steve Rosenthal The Schooner “Thomas E. Lannon” in the Harbor #1 2019. Archival pigment print. Cape Ann Museum. Gift of the photographer, 2019.
The Gloucester Sea Serpent is like a Massachusetts Loch Ness monster though an ocean rather than freshwater creature. Alleged sightings date back to 1638; see excellent research by Lise Breen for the HarborWalk marker #19 “The Sea Serpent”.
In 2017, the Cape Ann Museum (CAM) celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Sea Serpent’s peak folklore moment when hundreds of accounts were published in newspapers. (In comparison, the first written record of a monster in Loch Ness dates way back to 565, picks up popular speed by 1802, and on to global recognition by 1933). Swampscott and North Shore sightings surged as competition with Newport and other summer tourism hotspots increased. Sea serpent inspired art across media continued into the 20th and 21st centuries.
photo caption: Cape Ann Museum – street banners heralding Sea Serpent Exhibition 2017
Below: A Sea Serpent at Cressy Beach Stage Fort Park in Gloucester was originally painted by fine artist Robert Stephenson circa 1960 and is kept fresh by adoring community. Many moons ago, a free standing climber serpent was a favorite element at the Stage Fort Park playground. My photos in this post span years/seasons, roughly 2011-2019. Hover for descriptive details or double click & enlarge.
July 20, 2019
The new sculpture commission, Gloucester Sea Serpent, by Chris Williams at Cape Ann Museum was dedicated July 20, 2019, to honor Ronda Faloon, distinguished Cape Ann Museum Director (2006-2019) who retired in 2019.
Before
Look for the serpent’s nocturne visage: the Williams sculpture is the first one on museum grounds to incorporate light amidst its mixed media.
The Gloucester Sea Serpent at the entrance joins other sculptures on view in the Cape Ann Museum Courtyard and Sculpture Garden, a special public space dedicated to the memory of Harold Bell, President of Cape Ann Museum (1979-2003).
ALBERT HENRY ATKINS (1880-1951) Spirt of the Sea 1915 bronze [fun fact courtesy Alex Monell: architect (Cape Ann Museum & CAM board) Don Monell held this sculpture on his property until the best re-siting]
ROBERT AMORY, Reflection, 1970 gift of the artist
KEN HRUBYUneasy Crown, Uneasy Chair, Uneasy Piece, 1986 (cast 2008) Gift of Judith McCulloch in memory of Harold Bell
And dappled today, GEORGE DEMETRIOS bronze fountain, Spring
Across the street, the Cape Ann Museum sculpture park and gardens designed by Clara Batchelor, CBA Landscape Architect Principal, opened in 2011. Its centerpiece features
JOHN RAIMONDI sculpture, Dance of the Cranes
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Who Was Ben Butler? A series of presentations at the Cape Ann Museum
The Cape Ann Museum and Gloucester Stage Company are pleased to present Who Was Ben Butler? a special arrangement of speakers and performers on Saturday, July 27 at 2:00 p.m. This program will take place at 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester and is free for Gloucester Stage Company & Museum members or $10 nonmembers(includes Museum admission). Reservations are required. For more information visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10.
Benjamin Franklin Butler of Gloucester had many admirers and detractors as he helped shape the course of mid-19th century America. He won a seat in Congress while camping in Bay View, started the Cape Ann Granite Company, owned the yacht “America,” championed women’s suffrage, and changed the course of the Civil War, not through military skill but legal acumen. These accomplishments are among many achieved in a life spent in business, law, and the military.
In 21st century Gloucester, however, Butler remains a cypher.
The Gloucester Stage Company and the Cape Ann Museum are pleased to re-introduce Ben Butler to his adopted city.
Gloucester Stage will present the play BEN BUTLER August 2-25, and in anticipation of that, the Cape Ann Museum and Gloucester Stage will offer an opportunity to acquaint themselves with one of Gloucester’s most accomplished citizens. Professor Robert Forrant (U. Mass Lowell), a noted Butler historian, will join some of Butler’s Bay View descendants for a lively discussion, and actors from the play BEN BUTLER will make an appearance to give a hint at this fascinating and witty play.
Image credit: Alfred James Wiggin, Benjamin F. Butler. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum.
Mark your calendars! Cape Ann Museum announces super special exhibition and ancillary programs:
Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880
An Exploration of the Earliest Marine Works of Winslow Homer
On view: August 3 to December 1, 2019
GLOUCESTER, MASS. (June 2019) – This summer, the Cape Ann Museum will exhibit 51 original works by renowned American artist Winslow Homer. The exhibition, Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880, will be the first close examination of the formation of this great artist as a marine painter. The exhibition will include loans from more than 50 public and private collections and will be on view from August 3 to December 1, 2019. The Cape Ann Museum will be its sole venue.
In 1869, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) exhibited his first picture of the sea. He was an ambitious New York illustrator—not yet recognized as an artist—and freshly back from France. Over the next 11 years, Homer’s journey would take him to a variety of marine destinations, from New Jersey to Maine, but especially—and repeatedly—to Gloucester and other parts of Cape Ann.
It was on Cape Ann that Homer made his first watercolors and where he first developed an identity as a marine artist. And it was in Gloucester in 1880, at the end of these 11 years, where he enjoyed the most productive season of his life, composing more than 100 watercolors of astonishing beauty. Homer’s journey forever changed his life and the art of America.
This exhibition will include a remarkable variety of works by Homer and a broad range of period objects to reveal new aspects of the artist’s oeuvre, for the first time placing these paintings, drawings and even ceramic work in their rich geographic, cultural and historical settings, on the 150th anniversary of Homer’s first paintings of the sea. Period clothing, ship models, and historic photographs and prints will add context to the work. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue with 150 full color images and essays by prominent scholar John Wilmerding and by William R. Cross, curator of the exhibition.
As a companion to Homer at the Beach, the Cape Ann Museum will also display an exhibition by nationally renowned photographer Steve Rosenthal. Rosenthal has spent the last year walking in Winslow Homer’s footsteps, exploring the sites that inspired Homer and capturing them through the lens of his camera. Rosenthal’s exhibition will allow visitors to explore changes in the local landscape over the past 150 years and how it has stayed the same. Rosenthal will present a gallery talk on Saturday, October 19 at 9:30 a.m. A full schedule of related programming for Homer at the Beach appears below and will include a lecture series beginning on August 17 and a scholarly symposium to be held during the weekend of October 5, 2019. Companion walking tours and sailing experiences are also planned to add to the understanding of Homer’s work.
Homer at the Beach is curated by William R. Cross, a consultant to art and history museums and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. He has many years of leadership experience serving clients and managing teams in the investment management industry and serving museums and other non-profits. He has authored more than 200 articles and lectures, generally related to art, architecture and local history, and has a special passion for placing art in context, unveiling beauty and narrative meaning embedded – and often hidden – in objects. A graduate of Yale (B.A.) and Harvard (M.B.A.), Cross lives in Manchester, Mass.
Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880 at the Cape Ann Museum will run concurrently with Winslow Homer: Eyewitness at the Harvard University Art Museums, a complementary exhibition opening August 31st.
This exhibition has been supported by The Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Inc., as well as by four leadership gifts from generous individuals, and by 50 additional sponsors at varying levels who have collectively made this initiative possible.
Cape Ann has long been recognized as one of this country’s oldest and most important art colonies and the collection of the Cape Ann Museum contains examples of works by many of the artists who came to Cape Ann, including Marsden Hartley, Cecilia Beaux, Edward Hopper and John Sloan. At the heart of the Museum’s holdings is the single largest collection of works by early 19th century artist Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865). A native of Gloucester, Lane worked as a lithographer and a painter and his works on display at the Cape Ann Museum capture the town’s busy seaport in its heyday. The Cape Ann Museum is dedicated to illuminating the diversity of life on Cape Ann by collecting, preserving and presenting the interconnected stories of art and industry during the past 400 years. As such, the Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880 exhibition represents an important moment for the Museum as it seeks to build greater audiences and awareness of the institution regionally, nationally and internationally in anticipation of the Museum’s 150th anniversary in 2023.
Homer at the Beach Related Programs
Visit capeannmuseum.org for ticket information
LECTURE SERIES
Saturday, August 17, 10:30 a.m. Elizabeth Block, Metropolitan Museum of Art The Cape Ann Museum and Historic New England invite you to take a fresh look at Winslow Homer’s seaside paintings. Elizabeth Block, Senior Editor at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, presents Homer’s paintings within the context of women’s bathing, dress, and hair practices of the early 1870s and as an extension of the artist’s early magazine illustrations. (This program will be held at Coolidge Point: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 9 Coolidge Point, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.)
Winslow Homer: Picturing the Tropics Thursday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. Dana Byrd, Bowdoin College The artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) is beloved for his moody representations of crashing surf against the rocky Maine coastline. The artist, however, was no recluse. He enjoyed traveling for pleasure and painting new subjects. During the last decades of his life, with box camera and painting kit in hand, Homer visited a number of tourist locales, among them the Bahamas, Cuba and Florida. This talk will explore Homer‘s varied depictions of the tropics, to revisit this important yet little addressed aspect of his oeuvre.
Homer’s Wine-Dark Seas Saturday, September 14 at 2:00 p.m. Marc Simpson, Independent Scholar From 1873 to at least 1905, Winslow Homer made watercolors that figure among the most glorious of his achievements. “You will see,” he said, “in the future I will live by my watercolors”—and this has proven to be the case. But even in the context of these remarkable accomplishments, his views of sunsets and fireworks done in Gloucester in the summer of 1880 stand out. Consideration of them, and of a small cluster of later works, prompts reflections on both Homer’s spirituality and his heroism. These in turn, especially in the context of comparisons that have been made between Homer and his colleague James McNeill Whistler, raise questions about how we write art history.
Winslow Homer and the North Sea Saturday, November 16 at 2:00 p.m. Elizabeth Athens, University of Connecticut This talk examines the influence of Homer’s time in Cullercoats, England, on his portrayal of the sea. While his earlier works cast the coast more benignly as a place for leisure or industry, his later canvases present the sea as a site of struggle between humanity and the natural world.
SYMPOSIUM
Winslow Homer: New Insights Saturday, October 5
This full-day symposium will include presentation of scholarly papers, lunch and a closing panel discussion followed by a reception. Participants will include: Henry Adams (Ruth Coulter Heede Professor of Art History, Case Western Reserve University); Kathleen Foster (Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Curator of American Art and Director, Center for American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art); Ethan Lasser (incoming John Moors Cabot Chair, Art of the Americas, MFA Boston); Martha Tedeschi (Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director, Harvard Art Museums); and Sylvia Yount (Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator In Charge, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Papers will be presented by: Adam Greenhalgh (National Gallery of Art); Diana Greenwold (Portland Museum of Art); Judith Walsh (Buffalo State College); Asma Naeem (Baltimore Museum of Art); Ross Barrett (Boston University); Melissa Trafton (University of New Hampshire).
SAILS
Homer Sunset Sail Wednesday, August 7 at 6:00 p.m.
All aboard the Schooner Ardelle for a sunset cruise in Gloucester Harbor. Enjoy tales of Winslow Homer’s time on Ten Pound Island and beyond. Wine, beer and snacks included. $60 CAM Members; $75 nonmembers. Advanced tickets required.
Homer Sunset Sail Sunday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m.
All aboard the Schooner Thomas E. Lannon for a sunset cruise in Gloucester Harbor. Enjoy tales of Winslow Homer’s time on Ten Pound Islnad and beyond. Wine, beer and snacks included. $60 CAM Members; $75 nonmembers. Advanced tickets required.
WALKING TOURS
Homer in the City
Discover the geographical, cultural and historical setting where Winslow Homer lived and painted in the late 19th century. Offered on August 11, 18 & 24; also throughout the fall, dates TBD. $10 for CAM members; $20 non-members (includes Museum admission). Registration required.
e Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, three historic homes, a Library & Archives and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Visit capeannmuseum.org for details.
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 $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at www.capeannmuseum.org.
photo caption: Winslow Homer (1836–1910), Children on the Beach, 1873. Oil on canvas, 12 3/4” x 16 3/4”. Private collection.
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Cape Ann Museum’s beloved director Rhonda Faloon’s retirement celebration was held Saturday afternoon at the Cape Ann Museum. The Museum’s auditorium was filled to overflowing with friends and well wishers. Commendations and heartfelt speeches were given by Mayor Sefatia, Councilors Paul Lundberg and Scott Memhard (on behalf of all the City Councilors), Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante, and State Senator Bruce Tarr. Everyone spoke of the community’s deep appreciation for the outstanding work achieved by Rhonda during her tenure.
Thank you to Rhonda for all she has given to the Cape Ann Museum and to the community. She has touched so many and will be deeply missed by everyone she has worked with. We hope so much Rhonda enjoy’s her retirement, and Emma and Maggie, enjoy a non-museum themed vacation 🙂
Emma, Rhonda, Rob, and Maggie
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Recognizing Ronda Faloon’s dedication to Cape Ann arts, community connections, and her inclusive and inspiring leadership. The long goodbye is not long enough. “You will be missed, thanked and remembered.”
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Another sign of creative spring- the banners are up! Gloucester Public School 11th Annual citywide arts festival May 11, 2019 presented by Gloucester Education Foundation at Cape Ann Museum, City Hall, & Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library https://thinkthebest.org/
Schedule of events here
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GLOUCESTER, Mass. (April 10, 2019) –The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to participate in ARTWEEK 2019 by offering Yoga in the Gallery with Director of Library & Archives Molly Hardy, on Saturday, April 27 at 9:00 a.m. This program is $5 for Museum members or $10 nonmembers(includes Museum admission). Reservations can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com. Email info@capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10 for more information.
Molly O’Hagan Hardy is the Director of Library and Archives at the Cape Ann Museum. Dr. Hardy previously served as the Director of Digital and Book History Initiatives at the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester where she oversaw digital research and pedagogical projects, both in-house and in the larger scholarly community. Molly Hardy brings her passion of literature and history to her teaching of ashtanga-style yoga, and believes in the power of yoga to heal and to inspire. She started practicing five years ago to recover from decades of running and triathlon training, and to lift her spirits. She has completed Cape Ann Power Yoga 200 hour Teacher Training.
With support from a network of 150 statewide, regional, community and media partners, ArtWeek celebrates all forms of creativity in an affordable and accessible way for everyone who lives, works, plays and visits Massachusetts. It’s an award-winning, innovative festival that features hundreds of unique and creative experiences that are hands-on, interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to arts, culture and the creative process. ArtWeek events span the Commonwealth’s six regions—Greater Boston, North of Boston, South of Boston, Cape Cod & Islands, Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts—and roughly 70 percent of this season’s events are free, making the arts accessible to everyone across the Commonwealth. Visit artweekMA.org to view the full calendar of events by town, region, price or area of interest.
Image courtesy of Cape Ann Museum.
About the Cape Ann Museum
The Cape Ann Museum has been in existence since the 1870s, working to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum is one of the major cultural institutions on Boston’s North Shore welcoming more than 25,000 local, national and international visitors each year to its exhibitions and programs. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the maritime and granite industries, two historic homes and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Visit capeannmuseum.org for details.
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 $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. For more information please call: (978)283-0455 x10. Additional information can be found online at http://www.capeannmuseum.org.
Gloucester Historical Commission annual awards ceremony takes place at Cape Ann Museum
The 2019 Gloucester Preservation Awards Press Release from the Gloucester Historical Commission
The Gloucester Historical Commission invites the public to attend the annual 2019 Preservation Awards ceremony on Sunday, May 19, 2 to 4 pm at the Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant St. in Gloucester. The event features a slide show of winning projects and comments by recipients.
May is National Historic Preservation Month, and each year the Historical Commission recognizes outstanding cultural heritage preservation, restoration, and education projects.
This year’s award recipients are:
Bryan Melanson – Restoration & Rehabilitation, for his cooperation and responsiveness as a developer to historic preservation on the Back Shore.
Lillian Olmsted – Stewardship, for her research and vigilance as a citizen seeking to preserve the historic character of her neighborhood.
Magnolia Historical Society – Adaptive Reuse, for the rehabilitation of the Blynman School as their headquarters and a local history museum.
Bernadette Fendrock & Alan D’Andrea– Restoration & Rehabilitation, for restoration of an architecturally significant house at 24 Beach Rd.
1623 Studios – Education & Outreach, for their programming on the history and historic preservation of Gloucester and Cape Ann.
Manship Artists Residency + Studios – Adaptive Reuse, for their rehabilitation of the Paul Manship estate as working space for artists and sculptors.
James Ryan – Preserving Gloucester History, for his annotated hand-drawn maps of Cape Ann’s granite quarries and neighborhoods.
Richard & Kathy Clark – Stewardship, for their faithful volunteer efforts on the restoration of the Civil War-era Clark Cemetery.
Annisquam Yacht Club – Restoration and Rehabilitation, for their extensive rehabilitation of a historically significant recreational facility.
Meetinghouse Foundation – Education and Outreach, for its cultural programs and collaborative preservation of a historic church building.
Appreciation Award for Individual Lifetime Achievement– To be announced.
Certificates are awarded based on the following criteria:
Preserved neighborhood history through research, writing, or art
Preserved a property that is historically significant in age, style, or use.
Restored using traditional materials or methods.
Preserved historical integrity or appearance.
Protected from present threat or future harm.
Completed project within the past two years.
Accomplished by individual, family, group, or company, or through community advocacy or fundraising
Award categories include the following.
Archaeology
Adaptive reuse
Stewardship
Education and outreach
Landscape preservation
Restoration and rehabilitation
Local preservationist
Individual lifetime achievement
Documentation of Gloucester’s history
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Gloucester, Mass. A great teacher at Gloucester High School, Shaun Goulart, creates a local history scavenger hunt/trivia game for his 9th grade students that takes place weekly for 6 weeks.
ANSWERS TO SHAUN GOULART’S LOCAL HISTORY SCAVENGER HUNT TRIVIA WEEK SIX. THIS CHALLENGE IS THE FINAL WEEK IN THE SERIES. GO BACK HERE IF YOU WANT TO SEE WEEK 6 QUESTIONS ONLY.
The challenge Week 6 was to locate the historic map on Cape Ann Museum’s Fitz Henry Lane on Line and study it closely to comb through location prompts. This is a great family activity for all ages. It’s a bit eye spy or Where’s Waldo mixed with atlas map fun. The students were tasked with photographing the same sites as they appear today and creating a labeled presentation.
Visit CAPE ANN MUSEUM FITZ HENRY LANE ON LINE resource and scroll down to the correct map here
Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport (detail of Harbor Village) Henry Francis Walling (F. Walling)
1851
44 x 34 in. Henry Francis Walling, Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Essex Co. Massachusetts. Philadelphia, A. Kollner, 1851 Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive “Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts. H.F. Walling, Civil Engineer. John Hanson, Publisher. 1851. Population of Gloucester in 1850 7,805. Population of Rockport in 1850 3,213.” Map detail = segment of Harbor Village portion of map showing Lane-Winter property on Duncan’s Point.
Question – find on 1851 historic map
ANSWER- NOW (2019)
1
Duncan’s Point
Maritime Gloucester / Railways (former FG Low’s & Eli F. Stacy’s whf)
2
Five Pound Island
State Fish Pier
3
Front Street (present sign must be in picture)
Main and Short
4
Middle Street (present sign must be in picture)
Middle Street
5
High Street
School Street and Proctor
6
Fort Defiance
The Fort
7
Vincent’s Cove
West End Main Street and Rogers section all fill / Gorton’s, Americold, etc
8
Town House
Legion
9
Gloucester House
Brick building corner of Washington and Main (Puritan House)
10
Two cemeteries
1)cemetery next to Amvets on Prospect 2)St. Ann’s
11
Hospital
up Granite Street veers right to Blyman
12
Town Landing
Same (St. Peter’s)
13
Two bowling alleys
1)on Stacy Boulevard (see Cordage manufactury below)
2) on the Fort
14
3 schools
study the map!
1)by Univ Church and Eng H& School on Church off Middle on old map
2)looks like where Central Grammar is
3)Prospect and School where apartments are now
4)corner Washington and Gould Ct.
15
Train station
Roughly train platform now
16
Engine house
Beyond train platform- roughly where Stop & Shop is on RR Ave
17
Canal Street
Stacy Boulevard (Tavern side)
18
Cordage Manufacturing
Ditto
19
Beach Street
Commercial Street (behind Beauport Hotel back to water)
For six weeks I’ve been posting local history trivia questions from Shaun Goulart’s creative weekly scavenger project for his 9th grade history class at Gloucester High School one week behind the students’ pace.
This is the final week! The questions are posted today and answers posted Thursday. Good luck!
Mr. Goulart’s Local History Scavenger Hunt Week 6 (4/14)
OPENING RECEPTION Saturday, April 13, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Join artist Esther Pullman for the opening of an exhibition of her large-scale panoramic photographs. Reception is free for Cape Ann Museum members or with Museum admission. Shot over a twenty-year period, these large-scale panoramic photographs of greenhouses explore such universal themes as the passage of time, the cycle of the seasons, death and rebirth, and have also unavoidably become a metaphor for our threatened planet.
Pullman’s work is featured in two openings on Pleasant Street on April 13th and it’s easy to schedule both!
Pullman’s work is included in a group show, A Turning Poing: the Contemporary Landscape, at Jane Deering Gallery, which represents her work. The gallery is located next to the museum. The show is opening the same day:
Venue: Jane Deering Gallery, 19 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, Mass. Group show: A Turning Poing | The Contemporary Landscape Artists: Gabrielle Barzaghi, Paul Cary Goldberg, Tom Fels, Jacob Hessler, Jeff Marshall, Adin Murray, Esther Pullman, Steve Rosenthal and Erma Wheeler from New England; Nell Campbell, Gail Pine and Young Suh from California; Gail Barker, Neeta Madahar and Michael Porter from the United Kingdom Opening Reception: Saturday April 13, 4:00-6:00pm
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Cape Ann Museum members and the Cape Ann community are invited to a retirement celebration for outgoing director Ronda Faloon Saturday May 4, 2019 3-5pm
Ronda Faloon is retiring after an accomplished and beloved tenure at the helm as Director of Cape Ann Museum. She was an outstanding choice to lead this noble ship. How nice to have a chance to say thanks and be well!
2014 Cape Ann Museum renovation tour with Ronda Faloon Part 1 of 3 with Joey and I here
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Gloucester, Mass.- Great teacher at Gloucester High School, Shaun Goulart, creates a local history scavenger hunt trivia game for his 9th grade students that takes place weekly for 6 weeks. We’re taking the challenge one week after the students. Good luck!
ANSWERS TO SHAUN GOULART’S LOCAL HISTORY TRIVIA WEEK ONE
How did you do? Week one delved into the history of Cape Pond Ice. More than one player “had to call a friend”, Scott Memhard, owner of Cape Pond Ice and City Councilor. He kindly shared supplemental archival material included in this post. Stop here if you prefer to go back to see questions only from 3/10/19 Week One trivia questions
Continue to scroll for the answers.
1)In 1848 a blacksmith named Nathaniel R. Webster started a company by damming a local brook. What did the brook become known as? ANSWER. VETERANS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS
2)What did Webster’s company become known as? ANSWER. CAPE POND ICE
3)Take a picture at the present day location of the company
4)Take a picture of the street named after him with a member in it. ANSWER. WEBSTER STREET
5)What is in place of the brook today? MATTOS FIELD- ABOVE = FRAT CLUB AND BELOW EVENTUALLY LEADS INTO LITTLE RIVER AT GOOD HARBOR BEACH
6)Take a picture at the location of the old dam with a member in front. ANSWER. THE SCHOOL
PART II
7)A competitor to Webster named Francis W. Homans in 1876 created a 32 acre man-made lake. What is the lake known as? ANSWER. FERNWOOD LAKE
8)Submit a screenshot of a map of the lake (Google Maps or Google Earth)
9)What year did the two companies merge? ANSWER. 1908
Courtesy photos below from Scott Memhard, Cape Pond Ice, Cape Ann Museum
Courtesy photo from David Collins-
“My grandfather, Millard Collins, Sr., worked for one of the ice houses for a while. He died in 1918 at age 29 in the Spanish Flu pandemic. At that time he was working for LePages’s and had taken a leave of absence to care for his brother, Jacob, who had contracted the flu first. Jacob died October 17, 1918, and my grandfather died October 28, 1918…”
“I’m enclosing a picture of my grandfather and his horse-drawn ice wagon. You can see the word “ICE” faintly written on the inside back of the wagon. The youngster atop the horse is my father, who was born in July,1912, so I date the picture to about 1913 or so.”
“Brian Kennedy, the Toledo Museum of Art’s ninth director since its founding in 1901, will leave his post in June to lead the nation’s oldest continuously operating art museum.
Mr. Kennedy, who has been with the TMA since 2010, is moving to become the director of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., it was announced Thursday. His last day with the Toledo museum is June 30, and he admitted during an interview with The Blade in his office that the decision has a bittersweet quality.”
Image credit: Story time with Virginia Lee Burton, Gloucester, MA. Photo attributed to Barbara Erkilla for the Gloucester Daily Times, 1964. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum.
Delightful speaker inspiring topic – bound to be a great talk!
Virginia Lee Burton: Her Books, Her Legacy
Author, Publisher and Professor Anita Silvey discusses the legacy of Virginia Lee Burton
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (March 1, 2019) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present Virginia Lee Burton: Her Books, Her Legacy with Anita Silvey on Saturday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m. This program is offered in conjunction with the special exhibition The Little House: Her Story and in honor of National Women’s History Month. This program is free for Museum members, $10 nonmembers (includes Museum admission). Reservations required and can be made at camuseum.eventbrite.com. For more information visit capeannmuseum.org or call 978-283-0455 x10.
The author of 100 Best Books for Children and Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book, Anita Silvey has devoted 40 years to promoting books that will turn the young—and families—into readers. She has appeared frequently on NPR, The Today Show, 60 Minutes, and various radio programs to talk about our best books for young people. In a unique career in the children’s book field, Ms. Silvey has divided her time equally between publishing, evaluating children’s books, and writing. Her lifelong conviction that “only the very best of anything can be good enough for the young” forms the cornerstone of her work. Formerly publisher of children’s books for Houghton Mifflin Company and editor-in-chief of The Horn Book Magazine, she currently teaches modern book publishing, children’s book publishing, and children’s book author studies at several colleges.
Virginia Lee Burton was born in Newton Center, Massachusetts. Her father was the first dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her mother, a poet, was from England. When her father retired, the family moved to California, first to San Diego and then to Carmel-by-the-Sea. She and her sister studied dance, and Virginia took art classes in high school where she was awarded a scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. She attended for one year and then left to join her father who had returned to Boston. She worked as an illustrator for the Boston Transcript, then in the fall of 1930 she enrolled in sculptor George Demetrios’ drawing class at the Boston Museum School, and the following spring the two were married. They settled in Folly Cove on Cape Ann in 1932 and had two sons. In addition to forming and leading the Folly Cove Designers, Burton wrote and illustrated children’s books including: Choo Choo (1935), Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939), Calico the Wonder Horse (1941), The Little House (1942), Katy and the Big Snow (1943), The Song of Robin Hood (1947), The Emperor’s New Clothes (1949), Mable, the Cable Car (1952) and Life Story (1962).
Upcoming special event at Cape Ann Museum
Good Morning Gloucester 