Read Gail McCarthy article “Local group buys, plans art residency for sculptors’ estate” from the Gloucester Daily Times.

American artist Paul Manship (1885–1966) was internationally renowned since the 1920s. He maintained multiple homes and studios: two in the Unites States (New York and Gloucester, MA); Paris; London; and three in Italy. This very special purchase–the only one in the world of a Manship property– Starfield, in the Lanesville section of Gloucester, MA, was made possible by the incredible generosity of the Manship heirs, YOU- Gloucester and MA residents (City of Gloucester & the Commonwealth of MA monies were allocated to this initiative), foundations, businesses and private donations. Congratulations to Rebecca Reynolds and all involved. Early supporters included: the City of Gloucester; Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund (MassDevelopment in collaboration with the Massachusetts Cultural Council); the Boston Foundation; Essex County Community Foundation; McDonagh Family Foundation; Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation; National Trust for Historic Preservation; Massachusetts Cultural Council; New England Biolabs Foundation; and Essex National Heritage.

Read more about the funding here

Now that the property is purchased, there will be ongoing fundraising to maintain the property and its mission.

If ever there was a forever endowment match sought, this prestigious Manship opportunity would be one to grab!

Follow this link to see rare, original art by Paul Manship, John Manship and Margaret Cassidy that was recently made available FOR SALE to help raise money for this endeavor. Join to support the cause by donating on line through the website, Manship Artists Residency and Studios (MARS). Eventually the historic property will be open to the public and community, and will support working artists.

There are more than 15,000 historic house museums across the county, and just a few that were artists’ home and studios. One of the most influential is the Pollock-Krasner house in East Hampton, Long Island, established in 1988.  A welcome recent addition is the Winslow Homer property in Portland, ME. Here’s hoping the Manship estate is a member on this Historic Artists’ Homes & Studios (HAHS) map soon. Currently, the Massachusetts sites include Daniel Chester French’s Chesterwood in Stockbridge, and the Frelinghuysen Morris home in Lenox.