THE ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO COLLECTING FINE ART IN CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
The Art Lover's Guide to Collecting Fine Art in
With summer in full swing, collectors flock to Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard to not only beat the heat but also to explore the abundance of arts and culture throughout the region. Its connection to American art history includes Provincetown being the oldest continuous art colony in the United States and famed artists such as Edward Hopper and Charles Hawthorne setting up permanent homes on the Cape. Cities such as Provincetown, Orleans, Wellfleet and Osterville, as well as the islands, have continued to build the art hubs with galleries, museums and yearly events and exhibitions.
One of the major areas for the arts in Provincetown is Commercial Street, which boasts dozens of galleries located within walking distance of one another. Along the stretch is the Provincetown Art Association & Museum, which hosts its yearly Members’ 12x12 Exhibition and Silent Auction from June 29 to August 26. The museum also holds an annual Consignment Auction featuring the work of late regional artists, which will take place this year on September 22 at 7 p.m. A preview of the sale runs September 7 to 22. Orleans, located on the Lower Cape, is one of 34 communities in the state that has been designated as a cultural district by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The area is walkable, with studios and galleries exhibiting the works of local, regional and national artists.
Along with the museum in Provincetown, there are others throughout the region that collectors can visit for exhibi-
tions and annual events. Artists founded the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis in 1981, which has a focus on the Cape’s artists and its artistic identity. It is surrounded by the sculpture garden of the Cape Cod Center for the Arts, which has seven galleries, a shop and a film screening room. Through August 5 at CCMoA is Modernists Out of the Mainstream, concentrating on 20th-century artists. The Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit features 19th-century to contemporary art, while celebrating “the creative spirit of Cape Cod folk artists Ralph and Martha Cahoon.” August 17 to October 28 at the institution is Herman Maril: The Strong Forms of Our Experience.
Festivals and art fairs are another draw of the Cape Cod cities. The seventh annual Hyannis Arts and Craft Festival, July 21 and 22, will feature more than 100 booths of photography, pottery, paintings and more. Sponsored by the Creative Arts Center in Chatham is the 47th annual Festival of the Arts, from August 17 to 19, while the Creative Arts Centers’ sixth annual September Invitational features pieces by invited artists from across the Cape.
Located a short ferry trip or plane ride across the mainland are the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, which are home to dozens of art galleries and events. The Artists Association of Nantucket offers a number of special events each year. Among its highlights are the Summer Art Auction & Gala, held this year at the Great Harbor Yacht Club on July 7; Wet Paint / Fresh Works on October 7, with a silent auction and live auction preview at 3 p.m. and a benefit dinner at 5 p.m.; and the six-day Plein Air Nantucket, which happens every June. The Nantucket Art & Artisan Show, at Bartlett’s Farm from July 19 to 22, will feature 40 artists and a ticketed preview party on July 19.
Among the galleries and artists found in Cape Cod and the Islands are Abby Lammers, Addison Art Gallery, Aries East Gallery, B. Léger, Gallery 31 Fine Art, Kiley Court Gallery, Quidley & Company and The Gallery at Tree’s Place.