If you’re interested in adding some art to your summer rotation of beach days, ice cream, and drinks on the terrace, the North Shore is serving up some intriguing options this August.
En Plein Air, Newburyport Art Association, Newburyport
Through Aug. 25, 2024
Plein-air art is an often-dreamy and impressionistic style focused on capturing the light and color of an outdoor scene while working in the landscape itself. The Newburyport Art Association is exhibiting dozens of plein-air pieces depicting scenes from rugged Maine coastline to historic New England buildings. The exhibition is free and open to the public Tuesday through Sunday each week.
Learn more at newburyportart.org/naa-events/2024-pleinair.
Vessels of Slavery: Forget Me Not, Cape Ann Museum Green, Gloucester
Through Sept. 1, 2024
Artists Susi Ryan, Christle Rawlins-Jackson, and IlaSahai Prouty collaborated on this outdoor installation of six large “sail-quilts,” informed by the work of African American quilter and Gloucester resident Doris Prouty, each interrogating and illuminating the history of slavery on Cape Ann. The two-year process of creating the displays included in-depth historical research and engagement with community to better honor, acknowledge, and grieve the enslaved and freed people of Cape Ann.
To learn more, visit capeannmuseum.org/exhibition/vessels-of-slavery-an-outdoor-public-art-installation.
Women Artists on Cape Ann, Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester
Through Sept. 29, 2024
Into early fall, the Cape Ann Museum is featuring works by 42 women artists who work in the region from 1870 to 1970. The exhibit highlights the work produced by women during the decades in which the art world was opening up more to women. The works on display are organized into the themes of portraiture, summer on Cape Ann, illustrators and authors, new visions, and the collaborative spirit. Immerse yourself even further 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
Through Feb. 23, 2025
In this innovative exhibit, the floor is scattered with globes artist Agustina Woodgate has painstakingly sanded to remove manmade borders and nations. Visitors are welcome to navigate among the spheres, contemplating the way boundaries can connect or divide humanity. The installation is accompanied by a selection of navigation tools drawn 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.