The U.S. art scene migrates around the country following weather patterns, just like birds and their human counterparts do. A favorite destination during the peak summer months is New England—a cluster of states that include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire—and since this is where the action is in July, American Art Collector is there too.
New England, with its history dating back to Colonial times, has an arts legacy with deeper roots than anywhere else in the country. Established by some of the most renowned artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, the region is home to the nation’s oldest art colonies—in Gloucester and Provincetown, Massachusetts; Old Lyme and Cos Cob, Connecticut; Dublin, New Hampshire; Ogunquit and Monhegan, Maine, among them—many which are still active today in the form of institutes, schools, museums or simply as hotbeds of creativity.
A sunset view near Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
In the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts, art lovers will find an incredible variety of art to experience, from the avant-garde Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), one of the country's largest centers for modern visual and performing arts, in North Adams; to the Clark Institute, just north in picturesque Williamstown, which houses Renaissance masterpieces, an exquisite ceramic collection and historical photography. Another spot to check out in Williamstown is the Williams College Museum of Art. There you will find works from all over the world, including pieces by the groundbreaking photographer Diane Arbus (1923-1971).
Nestled in the Berkshire Mountains, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the world’s liveliest centers for making and enjoying cutting edge visual and performing art.
On the other side of the state, closer to the coast, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, always has a selection of world-class exhibitions to explore, but it’s summertime, and the place to be is Cape Cod and the surrounding islands. On your journey along the peninsula, take a pit stop in Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, and visit the Sandwich Glass Museum, where you can explore three centuries of glassmaking history and catch one of their hourly glassblowing demonstrations. Enroute to Provincetown, make a point to visit Truro—both are flourishing art hubs where the cultural offerings and abundance of galleries are only enhanced by the quintessential, coastal New England experience. Don’t miss the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill and the Fine Art Works Center in Provincetown.
Childe Hassam (1859-1935), Oyster Sloop, Cos Cob, 1902, oil on canvas, 243⁄8 x 223⁄8” , signed lower left: ‘Childe Hassam 1902’. Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, courtesy National Museum of Art.
Connecticut also has a thriving art scene. Some of the most artsy towns to have on your radar include gallery-packed Kent; Ridgefield, the state’s first designated Cultural Arts District; Norwalk, known for its colorful street art; New Canaan, where you can enjoy art in close proximity to nature; Essex, dubbed “the perfect small American town;” and of course, where it all began in Old Lyme.
If you find yourself further north, art-rich locales in Vermont can be found in Brattleboro, Manchester and White River Junction, to name a few highlights. In New Hampshire, take in the cutting edge art scene in Portsmouth, before heading to Manchester and the tiny hamlet of Dublin, where Monadnock Art upholds the area’s creative legacy. Finally, go to Maine and experience for yourself why the remote and rugged state has inspired masterpieces by artists like Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth and Georgia O’Keeffe, now in the collections of the most prestigious institutions in the country.
No matter where you spend your New England art adventure, an abundance of art is always within reach—enjoy!
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Janis Sanders
(978) 535-1242
info@janissanders.com
www.janissanders.com
“Salt air, salt spray, the sweet smell of summer grass, a verdant marsh, an old house at the water’s edge, wind in your hair, sun on your face…these elements draw me outdoors, to the grassy dunes of Truro, the calm marshes of the North Shore, to the rugged cliffs of Maine,” says artist Janis Sanders.
Highland Light, oil on panel, 24 x 48"
Many of his paintings are done in plein air, as spontaneously as possible, with only minimal blocking in of forms.
“I begin each painting with the sky, which to me is the most important element,” says Sanders. “The sky is light, some days slightly purple, sometimes hazy cream, clear aqua, rosy, peach, celadon—we are immersed in it. Sky is the key to determining the entire atmosphere of the painting and provides the backdrop for other objects in view. My self-assigned task for each work, is to convey the ethereal thing of light in paint, as the sun casts its breath on the world.”
Sanders paints vigorously and expressively, applying paint with a palette knife in blocks of color, smoothing and blending minimally to keep the paint fresh and capture the essence of his subject.
Beach Path, oil on panel, 30 x36"; Reflections & Roses, oil on panel, 24 x 24"
“I take tremendous joy in the attempt, and the subsequent sharing of the result with my viewers,” he says.
In addition to the three Maine galleries that represents Sanders, his work can be found in Massachussetts at the Threadneedle Gallery in Newburyport; Alpers Fine Art in Rockport; and at Chatham Fine Art in Chatham.
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Provincetown Office of Tourism
330 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657
tourism@provincetown-ma.gov
www.ptowntourism.com
(508) 487-3298
Provincetown is a welcoming, free-thinking and celebratory beach town, the bastion of American LGBTQ+ life. Yet it’s also America’s oldest continuous art colony, a wondrous community 60 miles out to sea that originally attracted artists with its remarkable clarity of light.
Painter Charles Hawthorne arrived in this fishing town in 1899 and established the Cape Cod School of Art, now the Cape School of Art, which continues to welcome artists to this day. It originally beckoned plein air painters to the incredible dunes, ocean scenery and white picket fence town. Yet the beauty and growing bohemian lifestyle also appealed to the leaders of abstract expressionism, from Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hofmann and Franz Kline to Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell and Jackson Pollock. Other notable American painters who embraced the area included Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell and Milton Avery.
Clockwise from top left: The Provincetown Art Association and Museum celebrates works by historic and contemporary regional artists. Photo courtesy Provincetown Office of Tourism; A happy collector goes home with a painting by Ric Della Bernarda. Photo by Ric Ide, courtesy Provincetown Office of Tourism; A view of the Provincetown Public Library and the arts district along Commerical Street. Photo courtesy Provincetown Office of Tourism.
The town’s artistic bona fides go so deep that Provincetown is officially a Massachusetts cultural district. It boasts the Fine Arts Works Center as well as the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM), established in 1914, which has an ongoing roster of exhibitions and a permanent collection that includes nearly 100 drawings by Hopper.
Provincetown has a thriving art scene today, thanks to dozens of contemporary painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists who live or summer in the area. There are 50-plus independent galleries along Commercial Street, and the town’s friday night gallery strolls are legendary—a social meet and mingle, a time to sip wine and discover new work. It is all part of an artistic legacy that makes Provincetown a unique, historic and an extraordinary haven for artists of all stripes.
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Sandwich Glass Museum
129 Main Street, Sandwich, MA 02563
(508) 888-0251
www.sandwichglassmuseum.org
The Sandwich Glass Museum’s mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of town history, emphasizing the contribution of the glass industry to the local community, the nation and the world.
Mid-19th century Pressed Glass Gallery located within the Sandwich Glass Museum; Glass by Hoogs and Crawford will be on view in the Sandwich Glass Museum’s Contemporary Gallery from July 7 through November 2.
Located in the heart of historic Sandwich, Massachusetts, the museum is a must-see destination for anyone interested in the art and science of glassmaking. With exhibits spanning over three centuries of glassmaking history—from the earliest days of glassmaking in the United States to contemporary glass artists—you’ll discover the beauty and versatility of glass like never before.
Step back in time as you explore our galleries filled with beautifully crafted glass pieces from local artisans. The museum’s gift shop features unique handmade glass from contemporary glass artists.
Visitors also have the opportunity to watch live glassblowing demonstrations and learn about the various techniques used to create these stunning works of art.
The Sandwich Glass Museum is hosting a special exhibition featuring artists Carl Lopes and Bob Dane from July 21 through November 2.
Stay up to date on special events, programs, lectures and seasonal events on the Sandwich Glass Museum website. —
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