Opening alongside the Museum’s Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, new exhibitions explore other artists who found friendship and inspiration on Cape Ann
ALICE BEACH WINTER (1877-1968). Self-Portrait c. early 20th century. Oil on canvas. Gift of Elsa Marshall in honor of Andrew P. Ekblaw, Jane Beach Ekblaw, Cory P. Parsons and Joshua Winter Parsons, 2025 [2025.048.004].
GLOUCESTER, MA (July 2026) – The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to announce Among Friends, an exhibition celebrating the creative relationships that have long shaped the Cape Ann arts community. Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition features 21 works and will be on view at CAM Green (13 Poplar Street) from July 10 through September 27, 2026, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
This exhibition serves as a companion to Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea at the Downtown Campus, exploring how the lifelong bonds between Milton Avery, Mark Rothko, and Adolph Gottlieb were forged during their summers on Cape Ann, profoundly influencing their artistic trajectories.
“Cape Ann has always been a place where artists find each other,” said Oliver Barker, Director of the Cape Ann Museum. “Among Friends celebrates that tradition through works from our own collection, and alongside Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, it tells a larger story: the friendships formed here helped to shape the course of American art.”
When Milton Avery arrived in Gloucester in the early 1920s, followed a few years later by Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb, they joined an active artistic community where painters gathered to exchange ideas, experiment with new approaches, and exhibit alongside one another.
Among Friends features self-portraits dating from 1916 to 2011, offering a window into changing modes of self-expression among artists over the decades. The surrounding walls feature the work by an extended circle of artist friends who, like Avery, Gottlieb, and Rothko, learned from, inspired, and championed one another’s work.
Also on view at CAM Green, Reflections on Friendship presents work by Cape Ann middle school students who explored themes of friendship and color in response to Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea. Working with CAM educators, students from Gloucester’s O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Rockport Middle School, and Manchester Essex Regional Middle School developed expressive color palettes and created painted portraits of friends and meaningful figures on mirrored surfaces. A free opening reception for the exhibition will take place on Saturday, July 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the CAM Green. All are welcome.
Where the Water Wonders Live: Grade 2 Student Exhibition, 2026. Cape Ann Museum Downtown Campus.
At the Museum’s Downtown Campus, Where the Water Wonders Live showcases a collaborative installation created by second grade students from across Cape Ann. Developed in partnership with Cape Ann Public Schools, the exhibition explores the art, culture, history, and coastal environment of the region through imaginative, student-created works. The exhibition will be on view in the Archival Gallery and Education Studio.
On Saturday, July 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown campus, the Museum will host a free opening celebration for Where the Water Wonders Live. Participating students and their families, along with members of the public, are invited to enjoy art-making activities, gallery tours, and a Cassie Scavenger Hunt through the Museum’s galleries.
For more information about the Cape Ann Museum, visit capeannmuseum.org.
The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875, exists to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the region and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum’s Downtown campus is a major cultural institution on Boston’s North Shore, welcoming thousands of local, national, and international visitors annually to its exhibitions, programs, and community-led events. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the fisheries and granite industries, four historic structures, a Library & Archives, and a sculpture garden in the heart of downtown Gloucester.
The Cape Ann Museum’s Downtown campus is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester and, beginning June 30, 2026, will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for Cape Ann residents and seniors. Youth (under 18), students with ID, and Museum members are free. Cape Ann residents receive free general admission on the second Saturday of each month. During Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, additional fees apply and timed ticketing is required. Tickets go on sale June 1, 2026.
The Cape Ann Museum Green (CAM Green), the Museum’s campus off Grant Circle and Route 128 in Gloucester, is home to the 12,000-square-foot Janet & William Ellery James Center, built in 2020. The center includes a flexible exhibition and community programming space designed to reach broader audiences with new exhibits and public programs. CAM Green, which served as the Museum’s base of operations during the renovations, features three historic structures—the White Ellery House (1710), the Babson-Alling House (c. 1740), and an adjacent barn (c. 1740)—as well as a Contemporary Art Wetu (2023–2024) and a Mush8n (mi-shoon) (2023), an Eastern Woodlands boat. From July 10 through September 27, CAM Green will be open Friday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
More information can be found on capeannmuseum.org or please call (978)283-0455 x110
