Tickets: $50. Click here to purchase tickets and learn more. All ticket fees and additional donations are tax deductible. Proceeds support Backyard Growers’ programs connecting low- to moderate-income households to fresh produce through school, backyard, and community gardens.
Join us for a LIVE virtual cook-along and fundraiser for Backyard Growers with Ken Duckworth. Ken is a renowned local chef and restaurateur. Since landing in Gloucester from Boston 16 years ago to open Duckworth’s Bistrot, Ken and his wife Nicole have created community at their restaurant through their relationships with their customers and partnerships with local farmers, fishers, and makers.
In this interactive cooking class, Ken will demonstrate how to prepare fish cakes with remoulade sauce inspired by Gloucester’s seafood traditions and the freshest ingredients.
Cook alongside Ken at home and enjoy a question and answer session with this seasoned chef. You will not need any fancy, specialized equipment or prior experience to take part in this interactive class. Attendees will receive a link to join the class as well as recipes and an ingredient list. Please consider shopping for your ingredients at Common Crow (200 Eastern Ave., Gloucester), a generous Backyard Growers partner.
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (February 17, 2021) – March 10, 2021 marks a year since the Commonwealth of Massachusetts declared a State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cape Ann Museum, in partnership with the City of Gloucester and LuminArtz, is presenting a temporary public art memorial from March 10 – 14 to acknowledge this important anniversary and commemorate the 35 individuals from Gloucester, 55 individuals from Cape Ann, and over 2,000 individuals from across Essex County who have died from the pandemic.
The Cape Ann Museum COVID-19 Memorial is comprised of three parts: a video art installation from LuminArtz, the Cape Ann Cairns Memorial, and the Gloucester Memorial Quilt. These interconnected projects seek to simultaneously humanize the unfathomably large number of deaths in the past year, place the deeply felt local losses in the broader national conversation, and provide a space for visitors to take steps on the long process of grief and healing. In recognition that the pandemic still continues, this memorial takes place outside at the Cape Ann Museum Green and is a temporary installation.
On Wednesday, March 10 at 6:00 pm, the Museum is presenting a Live-Streamed Virtual Memorial Ceremony that can be seen live on Facebook and YouTube. This virtual ceremony will serve as an opening for the Cape Ann Museum COVID-19 Memorial and a vigil for those lost. Due to current gathering restrictions, visitors will not be allowed onsite during the ceremony. Instead, they are encouraged to watch from home and visit the memorial in person afterwards.
The virtual ceremony will be comprised of local political representatives, community members, and artists including Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Senator Bruce Tarr, poet Caroline Harvey, musicians Brian King and Nathan Cohen, the Associated Clergy of Cape Ann, and representatives from the Cape Ann Museum.
Digital rendering of the LuminArtz Video Installation by Pamela Hersch
About the Cape Ann Museum COVID-19 Memorial
The three simultaneous projects that make up the Cape Ann Museum’s COVID-19 Memorial recognize the local, regional, and national realities of the pandemic in unique yet interconnected ways. Visitors can reserve free, timed entrance to see the memorial at the CAM Green from Wednesday March 11 – Sunday, March 14 between 12:30 – 8:00 pm.
The Gloucester Memorial Quilt was coordinated by the Cape Ann Museum and Roseanne Cody, Board Member on the Gloucester Council of Aging, at the request of Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. This quilt memorializes the 35 Gloucester citizens who died as part of the COVID-19 Pandemic, some remain anonymous and others are personally identified by request of the families. The names were embroidered by Monograms by Diane out of Gloucester and the squares were quilted together by Ingrid Schillebeeckx-Rice, a member of the Burlington Quilters Guild. There is a long-standing tradition of quilts used to memorialize and comfort, most significantly the AIDs Memorial Quilt which was displayed for the first time in 1987 and continues to this day.
To commemorate the 55 individuals lost from across Cape Ann, Miranda Aisling, CAM’s Education Manager, will work with volunteers to build 55 cairns out of Cape Ann Granite in front of the White Ellery house. By request, the Museum will put small markers in front of a cairn to designate it for a specific individual who died of COVID-19. Unless personally requested, the cairns will remain anonymous, holding space for all those who have been lost from the region. The Museum encourages visitors to bring tokens of respect, traditionally small stones or flowers, which can be left on the cairns.
The Cape Ann Cairns and the Janet & William Ellery James Center will be illuminated by LuminArtz, a nonprofit that brings art to light collaborating with local artists, businesses, and the community to transform streetscapes into vibrant installations. Pamela Hersch, a Boston-based, multidisciplinary artist originally from Mexico, will create a video art installation that places the local COVID-19 deaths within the regional, state, and national context.
“Observing social distance practices to keep each other safe has left many of us wondering how we can process and acknowledge the tragic losses experienced locally, regionally, and internationally this past year,” says Oliver Barker, Director of the Cape Ann Museum. “Art and cultural institutions, so devastated by this tragedy, have a central role to play as we reopen in telling these stories and providing ways for all of us to grieve, remember, and heal. It’s our sincere hope that this memorial will help start that long process.”
The Cape Ann Museum encourages anyone who would like their loved one to be memorialized in these projects, or who would like to take part in constructing the Cape Ann Cairns on March 5 and 6, to reach out to Miranda Aisling at by email at education@capeannmuseum.org or by phone at 978-283-0455 x125. Family members and friends are asked to provide the name of the deceased as well as their town so that the Museum can make sure they are included in the applicable levels of the memorial.
LEAP for Education is offering a FREE 2021 Summer Internship Program for Gloucester Youth and Young Adults, and those from surrounding towns!
Work virtually on a project with a mentor/company where you will gain important workplace skills.
Receive school credit and a salary or $500 stipend for 9 hours of work per week for 6 weeks.
Start to build a resume for college and future endeavors – examples of projects include website design at a communications company; working on a Luminartz Labor Day light show event; marketing projects with a Vice President of marketing or local businesses; teen council/community representative for local nonprofits, positions at the Sawyer Free Library, teller positions at BankGloucester, internships at Halyard apartments, and many more.
Attend regularly scheduled Zoom workplace skills workshops on topics such as job interviewing, job hunting, and resume writing.
For more information, to set up an interview to discuss your interests, or to register, please email JoAnn Leavitt, Program Coordinator, at jleavitt@leap4ed.org
The Maritime Gloucester 2021 Winter Lecture Series goes virtual every Tuesday this March! This year’s roster focuses on the iconic vessel that defines our heritage and captures our hearts: The Schooner. With discussions of design, glimpses from past harbors, tributes to the fishing fleet and the men that drove it, and current legends that carry on the tradition…this lecture series goes in-depth with five entertaining and informative sessions.
We kick off the series on March 2, 2021 with Maritime Gloucester’s own Justin Demetri presenting Evolution of the Schooner: A Story in Half Hull. Presentation and Q&A to follow.
Get a team together and join the Sawyer Free Library Local History Librarian on Zoom for a fun night of Gloucester Trivia on Thursday, March 11 from 6:30-7:30pm! Sign up at here! Teams can be 1-5 members!
Celebrate Rockport’s rich cultural history as a quarry town while enjoying passionately prepared food, sourced from nearby fields and waters at Feather and Wedge Restaurant and Bar. Offering takeout, dine-in, and delivery options, visit their website www.featherandwedge.com for their hours or to place an order online. Before returning home, stop across the street to La Provence, proud importers of authentic French tablecloths to set your table for an elegant dinner. Visit their website for additional details and an array of other curated French imported products www.laprov.com. Rockport has several local restaurants and retailers to choose from; head out this week to support your favorite! If you are interested in participating in this initiative as a restaurant, retailer, or sponsor, contactSara@capeannchamber.com today!
Join Backyard Growers for the virtual garden workshop “How to Start Seeds Indoors” and learn how to start your own seeds this spring. In this workshop, you’ll learn the benefits of starting seeds indoors, what you need to be successful at starting your own indoor nursery, and how to care for your seedlings from seed to garden. The event includes an interactive Q&A and demonstration.
When: March 11, 7 – 8pm
Where: Zoom
Tickets: FREE for Backyard Garden Program participants. $15 general admission. Ticket sales support Backyard Growers’ school, community, and backyard garden programs. Click here to reserve your spot or purchase a ticket.
Rebecca Robison, Karla Kaneb, Stacey Csaplar and Anastasia Dennehy join staff
GLOUCESTER, MASS. (February 2021) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to welcome four new staff members: Rebecca Robison as Executive Assistant, Karla Kaneb as Collections Move Coordinator, Stacey Csaplar as Visitor Services Representative, and Anastasia Dennehy, also in Visitor Services.
Robison brings 15 years of museum administrative experience to her role as Executive Assistant. Prior to joining the Cape Ann Museum, she skillfully managed administrative duties and board relations as the Executive Assistant and Board Liaison to both the Chief Philanthropy Officer and the Director and CEO at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM). Before working at PEM, she was the Project Manager for more than a decade at White Oak Associates, Museum Planners and Analysts.
“The Cape Ann Museum is truly a love letter to the beauty, history and cultural heritage of Cape Ann,” says Robison who is a native of upstate New York and holds a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University. “The Museum gallery spaces are contemplative and inviting. I appreciate how they encourage the visitor to slow down and engage in these works of art that celebrate the region.”
Kaneb is overseeing the transfer of the museum collections to the new state-of-the-art Janet & William Ellery James Center. Kaneb holds a master’s degree in Museum Studies with a concentration in Collections Management from the Harvard University Extension School.
Kaneb shared that “Professionally, the Cape Ann Museum offers the unique opportunity to work with a significant and diverse collection of art and historical objects within the context of a region that continues to attract and support a noteworthy arts culture to this day. On a more personal level, being part of a museum that is so dedicated to reflecting the spirit of the community that it serves is very fulfilling.”
Csaplar will be welcoming visitors at the front desk in her new position at the Museum. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Sweet Briar College and a master’s in education from Wheelock College. Csaplar is currently a certificate candidate in Museum Studies at Harvard Extension School.
“The antique homes that are part of the Cape Ann Museum collection are close to my heart,” says Csaplar. “They each hold the stories of the people who they sheltered and have only whispered of all the secrets they keep.”
Dennehy recently graduated from SUNY Geneseo and will also join the Museum as a Visitor Services Representative. Prior to joining the Cape Ann Museum, Dennehy worked as a tour guide in Virginia.
“Although I enjoy many pieces in the Museum, my favorite piece in the collection is the sampler stitched by Mary Davis in the Captain Elias Davis House,” says Dennehy. “It is a great example of how the CAM is
not only interested in the overall history of Cape Ann, but also the individual lives of the people who have called Cape Ann home.”
The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875, exists 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 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.
GLOUCESTER, MASS. (February 2021) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to welcome Miranda Aisling as the new Education Manager. Her mission is to reconnect art to daily life, a purpose she brings to her new work developing programs for the Museum including a new virtual lecture series this month.
“As a practicing artist and community organizer, I believe that creativity is an innate human skill,” says Aisling. “Some people suppress it, others develop it, but everyone has it. In my new role at the Cape Ann Museum, I’m excited to create avenues to celebrate and amplify the incredible creativity in this community, both past and present.”
Among one of her first initiatives, in response to the continued state-wide limit on large gatherings, is to bring the Museum’s gallery talks online with the CAM Virtual Lecture Series. The first such event was held on January 29.
Up next on Friday, February 26 at 1:00 pm, as part of Black History Month, the Museum will present “African Americans in Essex County” with Dr. Kabria Baumgartner, University of New Hampshire, and Dr. Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello, Salem State University. These two scholars have spent the past two years visiting historic repositories throughout Essex County, including the Cape Ann Museum, to collect, compile, and catalog the rich history of African Americans in this area. Their report, African Americans in Essex County, was funded by the National Park Service and will be released later this spring.
“Miranda has hit the ground running, developing two timely virtual presentations in her first month on the job,” says Oliver Barker, Museum Director. “I look forward to working with Miranda and the rest of our dynamic staff to bring exciting, new programming to the Cape Ann community and beyond as we continue to navigate these historic times.”
Aisling previously built and ran a non-profit called Miranda’s Hearth with the mission of
building community through creativity that is approachable, affordable, and accessible. She also worked as the Director of Visual Arts & Operations at The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, Mass., and was an educator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She holds a master’s of education degree in community art from Lesley University and a bachelor’s of art degree in painting and pottery from Mary Baldwin University.
The Virtual Lecture Series is free for CAM members; $10 for nonmembers. Registration is open online. For further details or information, please call (978)283-0455 x110 or email info@capeannmuseum.org.
The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875, exists 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 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.
Cape Ann Community 