The Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester will be increasing its programming and exhibitions at its CAM Green campus as the main downtown building closes for renovations from mid-October until spring 2026.
“For nearly 150 years, the Cape Ann Museum has created opportunities for people to explore, build community, be challenged, and inspired through discovery and learning,” says museum director Oliver Barker. “The museum is excited to continue this commitment and engage the community at CAM Green.”
The exhibitions slated for the campus during this period will feature the works of local artists including painter Umberto Romano, sculptor Walter Hancock, and photographers Michael Lafferty and Ernest L. Blatchford, as well as examinations of the Cape Ann granite industry and the craftsmanship of Gloucester-based C.B. Fisk Organ.
The site will also host regular and new events, including Gloucester’s So Salty (Jan. 25-26, 2025), Gloucester Juneteeth Festival (June 14, 2025), Indigenous Heritage Day (July 19, 2025), and Brazilian Independence Celebrations (Aug. 24, 2025). CAM Green will also host an outdoor Cape Ann student exhibition from April 12 to June 29, 2025.
Clorinda Romano Foundation, 2016
The CAM Green campus, which opened in 2020, was designed to provide state-of-the-art storage facilities for the museum’s collections of art and artifacts when they are not on display, as well as to create a new and innovative space for events and exhibitions. It includes indoor exhibition and programming space, a spacious lawn featuring permanent sculptures and temporary installations, and the historic White-Ellery House.
The renovations to the main building, time to coincide with the institution’s 150th birthday in 2025, are a response to the growing number of visitors the museum has been receiving. The work is expected to begin in December 2024 and will including lighting and climate control upgrades and a reimagining of the gallery space, including a revitalized educational space.
The renovations will be funded by the CAM150 campaign, which has so far raised more than $18 million of its $20 million target. The funds have supported the creation of CAM Green and will also be used to create programs promoting community and cross-generational engagement, and to fuel the growth of the museum’s endowment.
“We will be able to offer an even better experience for the community in the future through the CAM150 Campaign,” Barker says. “By raising these funds, the Museum will amplify its commitment to access, innovative programming and greater visibility of CAM’s important collections.”