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.  

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

MEDIA CONTACTS:          Ashley Elias
                                                Teak Media
                                                (213) 400-3402
                                                Ashley@teakmedia.com

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