Outside @ Manship

In March 2020, as Massachusetts locked down and COVID-19 took hold, many cultural organizations shuttered across the state. However, Manship was able to remain open by hosting an essential worker - who also happened to be an artist. Despite the pandemic, Manship continued to serve its mission - just one artist at a time.

In late April, when more was known about the coronavirus, we began to consider how we might safely serve the larger art community. We realized that we had an asset that could be utilized during COVID - the grounds at Manship. If we were careful, and limited the number of artists coming to the site, then we could provide solitude in a tranquil place to artists living and working on Cape Ann for a little while. We worked with the City of Gloucester, which agreed that our plan for the next phase of reopening exceeded local and state COVID standards. 

Outside @ Manship was birthed on the morning of June 15, 2020 when four artist members of Rockport Art Association & Museum arrived at Manship. Over the course of the summer and fall, members of Rocky Neck Artist Colony and the North Shore Arts Association also came to Manship. The artists showed up, masked, carrying in everything they needed to work. They were greeted, confirmed that they understood the program guidelines, and then left alone to spend  time away from everyday concerns. 

In all, eighty-two (82) artists participated in Outside @ Manship. After each session, we surveyed the artists, and asked for a photo of any work they had produced. The work was moving, bold, personal. 

Manship has been a place where artists have gathered for more than eight decades. It is a place where the past and the present are very much alive. We are launching this exhibition to honor the past and the present in spite of uncertainty, to honor the constancy of the work made by artists on Cape Ann and beyond, who create memory and beauty. 

Landscape work is both evocative, soothing and deeply engaging. It is an invitation to see a place in a new way, again and again. You will find that here. This site is an abundance of creativity. Enjoy!

Meri Jenkins, Manship Artist  + Advisor