Cape Ann Museum seeks donations to acquire Morgan Faulds Pike’s plaster model of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial
Morgan Faulds Pike, Scale-model for The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, 1999-2001, painted plaster.
GLOUCESTER – Cape Ann Museum Director Oliver Barker is appealing to the community for final donations in the Museum’s quest to purchase the plaster cast model of the Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives Memorial by Rockport artist Morgan Faulds Pike. The purchase will be made possible by past and ongoing contributions to the Museum’s Collections Fund.
The acquisition of Pike’s Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial model will be a crucial addition to the Museum’s collection, which celebrates both Cape Ann’s maritime history and the women who shaped it. When the Museum re-opens its Downtown campus in Spring 2026 after extensive renovations, the sculpture will be prominently displayed in the Museum’s reimagined fisheries galleries.
“Among the most prominent public sculptures on Cape Ann is Morgan Faulds Pike’s Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial on the Boulevard looking out over Gloucester Harbor,” says Museum Director Oliver Barker. “It’s a true honor to have the plaster cast in our collection. The sculpture stands as an extraordinary tribute to the women who have long stood on these shores looking out for their loved ones to come back from sea. It is a symbol of resilience and community.”
Commissioned by the local group, the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association in 1991, the larger-than-life bronze memorial permanently installed on Stacey Boulevard was designed to honor the generations of women who played an integral, though often underrecognized, role in the fishing industry.
In modeling the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, Pike turned to fellow sculptor Walker Hancock for guidance and, not surprisingly, was greeted warmly by him. The advice and encouragement that Hancock gave Pike strengthened her work and has had a lasting impact on her career.
Pike holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the School for the Arts at Boston University and has worked as a sculptor since 1981 doing commissioned pieces as well as her own independent work. Prior to that time, Pike was employed by C. B. Fisk, Pipe Organ Builders, as a draftsman, cabinetmaker and sculptor. In addition to her model for the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, Pike is also represented in the Cape Ann Museum’s collection by a plaster relief model commemorating the first English settlement on Cape Ann in 1623; her finished bronze is installed at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester.
The Museum is seeking the public’s help to complete the final phase of this acquisition. Donations, which can be made directly by visiting the gallery Janet & William Ellery James Center at CAM Green where the work is on display, can also be made via the Museum’s website. Contributions of any amount are encouraged and will help to secure this significant piece of Cape Ann’s history for future generations. To make a contribution, please visit the QR code below.
Over the years, the Museum’s Collections Fund has facilitated the acquisition of important works such as Paul Manship’s bronze Tortoise; a suite of landscape drawings by contemporary artist Adin Murray; and enabled the preservation of key items, such as Triton, a bronze fountain by Walker Hancock; as well as a 19th-century lithograph of Gloucester’s harbor.
The fund allows the Museum to purchase artwork, artifacts, and archival materials, and enables professional conservation of objects to ensure long-term preservation. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Museum’s founding. Cape Ann Museum remains eager to strengthen its Collections Fund in support of its mission.
Starting April 12, Pike’s Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial model will be on view at the Janet & William Ellery James Center at CAM Green (13 Poplar Street, Gloucester) for Breath of Life– C.B. Fisk, Designers & Builders of Pipe Organs, a new special exhibition spotlighting Gloucester-based C.B. Fisk Organ company.
For more information on supporting this initiative, please contact Kathleen Maiorana at (978) 283-0455 ext. 115 or by emailing kathleenmaiorana@
The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875, exists to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the area and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum’s Downtown campus, which is closed for renovations through spring 2026, remains a major cultural institution on Boston’s North Shore that has welcomed 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 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 which includes a flexible exhibition and community programming space designed to reach broader audiences with new exhibits and public programs. CAM Green also features three historic structures: the White Ellery House (1710), the Babson-Alling House (c.1740), an adjacent Barn (c.1740), a Contemporary Art Wetu (2023-2024) and a Mush8n (mi-shoon) (2023), an eastern woodlands boat.
General admission to the Cape Ann Museum Green campus is free. Due to limited parking, timed parking reservations for vehicles are recommended.
More information can be found on www.capeannmuseum.org or please call (978)283-0455 x110.
