If you’re looking to add some art to your summer routine of beach days, ice cream, and drinks on the patio, the North Shore offers some interesting options in August.
En Plein Air, Newburyport Art Association, Newburyport
Until 25 August 2024
Plein air art is an often dreamy and impressionistic style that involves capturing the light and color of an outdoor scene while working within the landscape itself. The Newburyport Art Association is exhibiting dozens of plein air artworks depicting scenes from Maine’s rugged coast to historic buildings in New England. The exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesday through Sunday each week.
For more information, visit newburyportart.org/naa-events/2024-pleinair.
Vessels of Slavery: Forget-me-nots, Cape Ann Museum Green, Gloucester
Until 1 September 2024
Artists Susi Ryan, Christle Rawlins-Jackson and IlaSahai Prouty collaborated on this outdoor installation of six large “sail quilts” inspired by the work of African-American quilter and Gloucester resident Doris Prouty. Each of these exhibits examines and illuminates the history of slavery on Cape Ann. The two-year process of creating the exhibits included in-depth historical research and community collaboration to better honor, recognize and mourn the enslaved and freed people of Cape Ann.
For more information, visit capeannmuseum.org/exhibition/vessels-of-slavery-an-outdoor-public-art-installation.
Women Artists on Cape Ann, Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester
Until 29 September 2024
Through early fall, the Cape Ann Museum is exhibiting works by 42 women artists active in the region from 1870 to 1970. The exhibition features the work of women from the decades when the art world was more open to women. The works on display are organized into the themes of portraiture, summer on Cape Ann, illustrators and authors, new visions and the spirit of collaboration. Delve even deeper with a guided gallery tour offered every Thursday at 2 p.m.
For more information, visit capeannmuseum.org/exhibition/women-artists-on-cape-ann-1870-1970.
Agustina Woodgate: Ballroom, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
Until 23 February 2025
In this innovative exhibition, the floor is littered with globes that artist Agustina Woodgate has carefully sanded down to remove man-made borders and nations. Visitors are invited to navigate between the spheres and reflect on how borders can connect or divide humanity. The installation is accompanied by a selection of navigational instruments from the museum’s collections, as well as a video in which Woodgate uses artificial intelligence to reconstruct images from an erased atlas.
For more information, visit pem.org/exhibitions/agustina-woodgate-ballroom.
