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.  

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