Castagnacci: Notes from a Quarry

July 23, 2022 — Oct. 20, 2022

This summer, the Cape Ann Museum presents a special exhibition of works by contemporary artist Vincent Castagnacci. Notes from a Quarry focuses on Castagnacci’s drawings and paintings from the mid-2000s to the present, pulling in earlier works that reflect the strong influence Cape Ann has had—and continues to have—on the artist. 

Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Castagnacci studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and with George Demetrios in Boston and Gloucester in the early 1960s. In 1964, he earned a BFA from Yale, and two years later an MFA from the same institution. It was through his work with Demetrios that Castagnacci came to know and love Cape Ann. For the past 40 years, the Castagnacci family has owned property on the backside of the Cape. The neighborhood, from Folly Cove’s rugged shoreline, out to Halibut Point and up into Dogtown, has provided Castagnacci with boundless inspiration. 

Castagnacci began teaching art while a student at Yale, working at Southern Connecticut State College. He moved from there to Old Dominion University and since 1973 has served on the faculty of the University of Michigan. He has received numerous citations and awards over the course of his career including from the American Academy in Rome (1980). Castagnacci is currently Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design.

Related Activities:

Castagnacci: Notes from a Quarry Member Opening
Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Downtown Campus, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA
Free for CAM Members

CAMTalks: Exhibition Series
Notes from a Quarry with Vincent Castagnacci
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 2:00 pm
CAM Auditorium, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA
Free for CAM Members, $10 for non-members
Livestreamed on Facebook and Vimeo

CAMTalks: Exhibition Series
Quarry Dance X
with Lisa Hahn, Executive Director of Windhover
Friday, September 9, 2022 at 4:00 pm
CAM Auditorium, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA
Free for member, $10 for non-members

Second Saturdays: Sugar Cube Quarry Sculptures
Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Downtown Campus, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA
Free for Cape Ann Residents

Photographs of the installation are available here

Vincent Castagnacci, Halibut Point Variation #9, 2016. Acrylic/ash on cotton duck, 30 x 40 in. Promised gift to the Cape Ann Museum.