Cape Ann is one of the most important places in the history of American art and industry.

2020 has been a year unlike any other in our 145 year history. Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, we have made tremendous progress on our mission to enhance the cultural life of our entire community. None of this would have been possible without the financial support of members like you.

Please consider making a gift to the Dotty Brown Annual Fund today. Here are some of the ways your gift will add to the CAM story both today and tomorrow:

• $50 pays for art supplies used in CAM Kids art making kits that ten families can take home following their visit to the Museum


• $150 pays for the rights to use an image in an exhibition catalogue or brochure


• $300 pays for a CAM Educator to join a K-12 group of students for a virtual art making class


• $500 pays for a meal with associated art making and cultural programming for disadvantaged residents of our community


• $1000 pays for the production of a 15-minute video conversation with a nationally acclaimed scholar speaking Cape Ann is one of the most important places in the history of American art and industry

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps the Cape Ann Museum cover utility expenses, hire exceptional staff, install and update galleries, mount special exhibitions as well as offer our services to the community throughout the year. ■

Thank you for your support!

After announcing our closure due to COVID-19, CAM encouraged our membership to support a social service organization of their choice. These efforts raised over $25,000 from our membership for The Open Door which helps to alleviate the impact of hunger in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester, Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Boxford and Topsfield. This was also the launch of CAM Connects, an innovative electronic communication program that connects our membership with curated selections and stories from our community and collection. ■

In an effort to boost the city’s spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cape Ann Museum presented a CAM Contemporary exhibition involving the projection of an illuminated, multi-lingual message on the side of the historic White-Ellery Barn (1740) located at CAM Green. This exhibition was created by Harbor Voices and LuminArtz Art Events. Over 150 cars gathered together in May to show their solidarity and to thank our frontline heroes. ■

There are few annual events in Gloucester that are more celebrated than St. Peter’s Fiesta. This year, Fiesta was cancelled in response to COVID-19. CAM invited Fiesta leaders Jeanne Linquata, Vito Giacalone and Joe Palmisano to join Director Oliver Barker and Board members Charles Esdaile and Nina Goodick for a conversation about the traditions of Fiesta, why they matter to our community and how they were being kept alive in 2020 despite the cancellation. ■

A socially distanced ribbon cutting was held in June to celebrate the completion of construction at the Janet and William Ellery James Center at Cape Ann Museum Green. This state-of-the-art facility with over 10,000 square feet of curatorial space and 2,500 square feet of exhibition space will provide CAM with the ability to better care for our collection and connect with our community for generations to come. ■

In August, over 70 vessels joined together in Gloucester Harbor to take a journey through American art history - right in our backyard. In one of the most highly attended events in the history of the Cape Ann Museum, we celebrated the stories of Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Cecilia Beaux, Edward Hopper, Jane Peterson, Milton Avery, Mark Rothko and more. It was an amazing day and the start of a new annual tradition! ■

In honor of the inaugural flag raising at CAM Green, Adam Curcuru, District Director of Cape Ann Veterans Services and Vee Chipperini, District Veterans Benefits Coordinator, both spoke about what being a Veteran means to them and the meaning behind the American flag. The flag was then raised by some of the youngest members of the Cape Ann Museum community while local bugler Jim Dalpiaz played. CAM Board Member and Veteran David Porper then performed America the Beautiful on his piano and led the children and crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. ■

In September, we hosted the inaugural exhibit at the James Center at CAM Green. This exhibit was a continuation of CAM’s partnership with The Open Door and brought many members of our community through our doors to experience the new facility in person. The New Possibilities Gallery at the James Center will be used to showcase contemporary art, serve as an expanded educational space and a venue for community programming going forward. It is an exciting new chapter in CAM’s history! ■

Following a 6 month closure due to COVID-19, CAM was anxious to welcome visitors back to the galleries at 27 Pleasant Street. During the closure, curator Martha Oaks and her team entirely reimagined CAM’s celebrated Fitz Henry Lane Gallery. It now features contextual and archival materials presented alongside of some of his finest paintings, including two paintings of the land that is now CAM Green. Visitors were also recently welcomed to CAM (Re)Connects, an exhibition featuring a wide variety of fine art and archival materials that have been featured in issues of CAM Connects throughout the COVID-19 crisis. ■

A dedication ceremony was held to honor the local artisans that skillfully recreated the stone wall and gates at CAM Green. These installations were inspired by the Fitz Henry Lane painting of the site. Three generations of the Giordano family were on hand to celebrate this dedication along with other key contributors. We also thanked the Natti family for their generosity in providing the “Natti Rock” from Blood Ledge Quarry that greets visitors as they enter CAM Green on Poplar Street. ■

Seven banners representing the museum’s collection were chosen and installed as large-scale images on the Route 128 side of the James Center. These banners are meant to remind passersby of Cape Ann’s rich artistic and cultural history and increase awareness of the quality and diversity of CAM’s collections. ■