The historic Rocky Neck Art Colony has a lot to celebrate with its successful season and a recent anonymous donation of $200,000.
This donation is the largest the organization has received in its history.
“It’s an exciting time on Rocky Neck,” director Courtney Richardson said. “…This donor was keen to support the art colony because of its ongoing work to provide opportunities for artists, its efforts to maintain the history of artistic creation in the neighborhood, and the hope that he would encourage others to support these efforts.”
Calling itself the oldest continuously operating art colony in America, Gloucester’s tiny Inner Harbor peninsula has been attracting artists since the late 1800s. The non-profit organization, Rocky Neck Art Colony, was established in 1973 and the area continues to attract artists and art lovers with its thriving creative community.
The nonprofit, which is run primarily by volunteers, had a vibrant season with five major exhibits at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center, attendance at weekly Culture Splash events this summer, and historic walking tours. He opened the Salted Cod Arthouse Gallery at 53 Rocky Neck Ave., and it continued with the Cove Gallery at 37 Rocky Neck Ave., along with a slate of workshops and lectures throughout the season. Additionally, the Goetemann Artist Residency brought two artists to Gloucester this summer.
As a bonus, the Massachusetts Cultural Council recently announced that the Rocky Neck Art Colony will receive $20,000 from its Cultural Facilities Fund to help with capital maintenance at the cultural center, which opened in 2014 at 6 Wonson. St.
End of season show
The Colony’s latest exhibit is a chewable exhibit, along with an array of related events.
“This final show of the year exemplifies what we do here at the Cultural Center, a themed exhibit curated by volunteers that showcases the work of our members, accompanied by interdisciplinary programming for the diverse interests of our community. , while celebrating a festive event. time of year,” Richardson said. “It is this synergy and relevance that attracts donors to support our organization.”
Inspired by the approaching holiday season “after two years of social starvation,” the Rocky Neck Art Colony invites all to view the members’ jury exhibit, “Feast: The Art of Dining Together.” It features works of art as well as handcrafted tableware, tools and decorative items.
“The tradition of feasting, both pagan and sacred, is long and rich, from the vigorous bacchanalia of the Greek gods to the Christian Last Supper and the Native American potlatch. Images of food, drink and feasting have been ubiquitous in art throughout history. Artists and artisans captured the sensory qualities of food, drink and the well-appointed table, while revealing the customs, tastes and business patterns of the time,” according to a statement from the exhibition. “This show is a banquet for the eyes, the mind and the senses.”
The show celebrates that community spirit that sustains and nurtures the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Richardson noted.
The work was judged by Michelle Law, artist and exhibition director for the Cotuit Center for the Arts on Cape Cod. The artists in the exhibition are: Susan Alvey, Lisa Angelini-Adams, Christine Barensfeld, John Bassett, Christine Bobek, Rebecca Borden, Paula Borsetti, Kyle Browne, Michele Champion, Yhanna Coffin, Terry Del Percio, Loren Doucette, Danette English, Beard Ennis, Paige Farrell, Alice Gentili, Seth Goldfine, Susan Guest-McPhail, Leslie Heffron, Richard Honan, Pyre Klein, Tobi Klein, Barbara Littlefield, Mary Mandarino, Andy Matlow, Judythe Meagher, Paula Morgan, Brian Murphy, Hans Pundt, Mary Rhinelander, Judy Robinson-Cox, Tom Robinson-Cox, Gabrielle Rossmer, Lynne Sausele, James Seavey, Diane Slezak, Juni VanDyke, Karen Watson and Jodi Wright.
Upcoming programs related to the exhibition include: “A Teachable Feast: The Festive Tavern in 17th Century Holland” on November 13 with a lecture by independent art historian and Gloucester resident Kimberlee Cloutier – Blazzard. She will examine how several Dutch and Flemish artists have used humor in the context of celebration to galvanize communities. There will be a festive public community feast on November 16 and a foraging program with herbalist Iris Weaver on December 3.
The exhibition runs until December 18. For more details, visit www.rockyneckartcolony.org.
