Rocky Neck in Three Dimensions: Art Colony, Marine Railways, and the Rudder

27 Pleasant Street,Gloucester MA 01930

11 September, 2021

Description

Six women with intimate knowledge of Rocky Neck as it was a few decades ago will share tales of their experiences in this special place. Speakers include Sally Bradshaw and Suzy O’Hara Kadiff, who as daughters of the painters Robert Bradshaw and Tom O’Hara spent childhood summers in and out of artists’ studios; Viking Gustafson, who managed the Gloucester Marine Railways for many years; and sisters Paula Parsons and Susan Baker, who ran the famous Rudder restaurant. They will be introduced by Judy Walcott, who will touch on her own youthful memories as well as the Rocky Neck connections of the writers Peter Anastas and Jonathan Bayliss. A short slideshow of Rocky Neck scenes will precede the one-hour program, which is free and open to the public. This program is offered in collaboration with the Jonathan Bayliss Society and the Rocky Neck Art Colony. It is free and open to the public. The Cape Ann Museum tells multiple stories, all relating to a single remarkable place. From its earliest days as a fishing and shipping port to its mid-19th century role in the granite industry, to its singular charms of light and sea that have attracted countless artists from the 19th century to the present, Cape Ann boasts a rich and varied culture of nationally significant historical, industrial, and artistic achievement. The Museum's fine art collection includes the largest grouping of works by native son and renowned marine artist, Fitz Henry Lane, as well as work by other prominent painters and sculptors who lived on, visited or were inspired by Cape Ann. The work of contemporary Cape Ann artists is also collected and exhibited. The permanent collection includes fine and decorative arts, and artifacts from the major industries of the area - the fisheries and granite quarrying.