CAPE ANN, MA
DESTINATION CAPE ANN, MA
Dancers from the Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre performing Quarry Dance 7 in a private Lanesville Quarry in 2018. Photo: Lisa Hahn.
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or more than a century, America’s most celebrated artists have trekked to Cape Ann, on Massachusetts’s north shore, inspired by its varied and dramatic landscape. Artists of all styles, from marine painters Winslow Homer and Fitz Hugh Lane to modernists Edward Hopper and Marsden Hartley to Ashcan artists John Sloan and Stuart Davis, flocked to the region to escape the confines of their urban studios in Boston and New York. Many painted outdoors, refining their skills and experimenting with new techniques. Comprised of four towns— Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport—Cape Ann offers an opportunity to experience the same views from the perspective of an artist: working harbors, ocean vistas, granite quarries, quaint towns and more. Begin exploring the region in Lanesville, on the northern tip of Cape Ann in Gloucester, home to the Manship Artists Residency and Studios (MARS). Open to the public only for special events, this estate, dubbed “Starfield,” was the summer home and studio of sculptor Paul Manship, who created the Prometheus Fountain in New York City’s Rockefeller Center (Manship’s
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son, John Manship, an accomplished painter, and daughter-in-law Margaret Cassidy, a sculptor, are also part of the estate’s legacy). This idyllic 15-acre property, encompassing two abandoned granite quarries as well as five acres of forest, has been preserved as an artist residency and cultural center. “Our first resident artists were here in May,” says Rebecca Reynolds, president of Manship’s board of directors. “Prior to that we had visiting artists and arts professionals working on site during the day.” Artists living and working at Starfield during July are community arts organizer Miranda Aisling, whose newest creation, a tiny house called Aubergine, will be on site; Lara Lepionka, an inter-disciplinary, community-based artist; and augmented reality artist Will Pappenheimer, a founding member of the artist collective Manifest.AR. Artist/scientist Daniel Jay is in residence during August. Public events include The Sky Tonight, a presentation and stargazing event, held with the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club on July 6; and, on July 20, special ticketed tours of Starfield from 10 am–noon. Continue south via scenic Route 127 to the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, in the
Celebrating 40 Years!
rural community of Pigeon Cove. Windhover was established more than 50 years ago as a girls’ performing arts camp by Ina and Herb Hahn. Their daughter, Lisa, now operates Windhover, presenting all types of performance from dance and music to theater. From July 26 to 28, the center presents one of its most popular productions: Quarry Dance VIII, a week-long outdoor dance performance featuring the Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre. The New York-based company choreographs and performs an original production in one of Cape Ann’s famed granite quarries. “We use a site-specific quarry as a stage,” says Hahn. “The location changes every year.” The company also leads a summer intensive for area dance students. During July and August, Windhover hosts summer yoga retreats; and the Taylor 2 Dance Company, a six-person troupe from the famed Paul Taylor American modern dance company, performs in early September. Take Route 127 south for two miles into picturesque Rockport. A good starting point to explore this vibrant community is downtown at the Rockport Art Association & Museum (RAA&M). Hard to miss, with its sunny yellow exterior
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