New banners installed on façade of Cape Ann Museum Green’s James Center

Works of art represent Museum’s growing collection

Banner rendition; actual banners were hung Nov. 5.

GLOUCESTER, MASS. (Nov. 5, 2020) – The Cape Ann Museum Green campus is now showcasing seven new banners on the exterior wall of the Janet & William Ellery James Center, featuring works from the Museum’s collection after they were installed today.

The installation of banners is an integral part of the Museum’s bold vision behind the creation of the new Cape Ann Museum Green (CAM Green). The nearly four-acre campus is also home to the White Ellery House (1710), an adjacent Barn (c. 1740), and the Babson-Alling House (c.1740). In recent weeks, the Museum welcomed visitors to see CAM Green and view the exhibit produced in collaboration with The Open Door Food Pantry, entitled The Porch-Rait Project

The 12,000-square foot James Center provides critical state-of-the-art storage for the Museum’s expanding collections as well as community space for education and art installations. Adding the banners builds on important landscaping improvements this spring and summer with the planting of dozens of trees, shrubs, and flowers alongside the campus’s notable fieldstone wall, constructed by local artisans from stones found throughout the property. Earlier this summer, the Museum held a “Call to Colors” flag raising ceremony by nine Cape Ann children, honoring Cape Ann veterans and most recently conducted a ceremony for those Cape Ann Artisans who were instrumental in the creation of CAM Green.

“These new banners at the James Center reflect the wonderful breadth of the Museum’s collections, highlighting key works that celebrate the history and remarkable contributions of Cape Ann to the cultural enhancement of our community and the world at large,” said Oliver Barker, the Museum’s Director. 

Works featured in the banners are:

  • Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865), View of the Babson and Ellery Houses, Gloucester, 1863 
  • William McGregor Paxton (1869-1941), (portrait of) Jackie Hudson (undated) 
  • Winslow Homer (1836-1910), Boy Hailing Schooners, 1880 
  • Peter Vincent (1947-2012), (portrait of) Howard Blackburn (undated) 
  • Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Rock Doxology, 1931 
  • Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942), Jimmie (Henry Parsons King, Jr.), 1905 
  • Jane Peterson (1876-1965), Smith’s Cove, East Gloucester (undated) 

Barker said the Museum has faced the challenges of 2020 with great resolve and the clear message to the community that “Storms Rage and Gloucester Endures.” He said they pursued a wide range of innovative and community-focused initiatives during its closure this past spring and summer from honoring frontline heroes through the In Gratitude Road Rally, preparing meals for homeless residents and engaging them in a self-portrait art-making activity in concert with Action, Inc., launching the new virtual programming series CAM Connects, celebrating the incredible contributions of Gloucester Harbor to the American art story afloat with more than 70 vessels and 350 friends during our first ever CAM Culture Cruise, and delivering on the bold and exciting vision behind the creation of the new CAM Green campus.  

“With the Museum’s two campuses open and new exhibitions at 27 Pleasant Street, we are looking toward 2021 to continue our focus on this community and together engage and inspire,” Barker said. 

For more information about the Museum, its programs, exhibits, and collections, visit www.capeannmuseum.org.

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, three historic homes, a Library & Archives and a sculpture park in the heart of downtown Gloucester. In June 2021, the Museum will officially open the 12,000 square foot Janet & William Ellery James Center at the Cape Ann Museum Green. The campus also includes three historic buildings – the White Ellery House (1710), an adjacent Barn (c. 1740), and the recently acquired Babson-Alling House (c.1740), all located on the site at the intersection of Washington and Poplar Streets in Gloucester.  

The Cape Ann Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, operating hours have been reduced to better protect the safety and well-being of visitors, staff and volunteers. The Museum is currently open Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Timed tickets are required for all visitors at this time and can be reserved online at www.camuseum.eventbrite.com. Admission is $12.00 adults, $10.00 Cape Ann residents, seniors and students. Youth (under 18) and Museum members are free. Cape Ann residents can visit for free on the second Saturday of each month. For more information please call (978)283-0455 x110 or visit www.capeannmuseum.org.  

For a detailed media fact sheet please visit www.capeannmuseum.org/press.

MEDIA CONTACTS:           Diana Brown McCloy
                                                Teak Media
                                                (978) 697-9414
                                                Diana@teakmedia.com

Meredith Anderson
meredithanderson@capeannmuseum.org
(978) 283-0455 x115