Exhibitions 2010

Click here to see the exhibition schedule for

THE LITTLE GALLERY

DANCE OF LIGHT: Impressionist Paintings by Sam Barber

Sam Barber has lived on Cape Cod for some forty years, finding inspiration in women in their flower gardens; the harbor view from his Hyannis Port home; a rainbow of beach umbrellas at the shore; and the lithe forms of dancers. Any spot of beauty, really, may become the subject of one of his shimmering, sun-splashed canvases. Barber studied with Provincetown impressionist Henry Hensche in the 1960s and ’70s. Since then he’s become one of the Cape’s most successful artists ever, having sold some 1,200 paintings through the international firm of Wally Findlay Galleries since 1983.

Talks (both at 11 a.m.): 

      June 22: tour of the exhibition with Sam Barber

      June 29: demonstration by carver Douglas Amidon

CHASING THE MERMAIDS

We’ll celebrate the centennial of Ralph Cahoon’s birth with an exhibition tracing the development of his style and career over some thirty years (from his discovery by a Long Island art dealer in 1953 to his death in 1982). How did those mermaids come to be the heroines of most of his paintings? Why did hot-air balloons also ascend in importance? We’ll look at the increasing sophistication of Ralph’s technique as well as his growing ability to tell a story or make a joke that’s easy to read at a glance. Prepare to be charmed and amused by this tribute to Cape Cod’s most famous native-born artist.

GALLERY TALKS (all at 11am)

Aug 3 - exhibition curator Cindy Nickerson

Aug 10 - sailor's valentine artist Sandi Blanda

Aug 17- Ralph's daughter-in-law, Ruth Cahoon

Aug 24 - author Alexander Theroux (Ralph's friend)

Ralph Cahoon, Cape Cod Knitting, oil on panel

MOONSTRUCK

People have always looked up into the night sky and wondered at the moon. The ancients used it to mark the passage of time. The Greeks equated it with their goddess Artemis, the Romans with the huntress Diana. It’s been the stuff of love songs and nursery rhymes on one hand, the destination of space missions on the other. And for artists, it’s an always popular motif. For our second national juried exhibition, we’ll seek works in all mediums by moonstruck artists from all over the country. Come cast your vote for the recipient of the Visitors’ Choice Award.

If you are interested in entering your art work in this exhibition, click here for more information.

COTUIT'S OWN: Artist/Illustrator Reginald Fairfax Bolles

In the early 20th century, well before Ralph Cahoon moved into the village, Cotuit had an accomplished artist in Reginald Fairfax Bolles. He painted portraits of many area residents and also illustrated magazine stories and books. Well-known and well-liked in the community, he frequently coaxed his neighbors into serving as models for such characters as sportsmen, comely flappers and eccentric, but jolly old men. Gifted at capturing personality, he himself is a personality worth rediscovering.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

It was in 1910 that the beloved patriotic anthem “America the Beautiful” was first published, setting the words of a poem by Falmouth native Katharine Lee Bates to music by Samuel A. Ward. Eleven Cape artists and eleven Cape weavers are observing the song’s centennial by pairing up to interpret such lyrics as “purple mountain majesties” and “from sea to shining sea.” Some painters will interpret a weaving; some weavers will interpret a painting. In other cases, they’ll draw from the same imagery simultaneously.