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Cape Ann Plein Air Gala, October 9, North Shore Arts Association
October 14, 2026 | No. 161 | Cultural Outlook
Dear Masked and Unmasked,
For a little delving into the dark cosmos, a few local temptations…
SCARY SPOOKY
Not in Salem, now fully booked by the devilish. Stay local and indulge your monster urge with Frankenstein, the National Theatre of Great Britain production screening at Cape Ann Community Cinema. To ponder a disturbing, unsolved crime, The Rockport Murder Mysteries screens at Shalin Liu Performance Center on October 27, with authors Robert Fitzgibbon and Wayne Soini and producer Kory Curcuru joining the conversation afterward. Rockport Mysteries
And if you simply want to go full costume and altered identity, the Beaux Arts Ball on Rocky Neck is your creative project for the month. Mystery, glamour, make-believe—a delicious cauldron of possibilities. Beaux Arts Tickets
MANCHESTER SPECIALS
Cross the Atlantic with Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum director Matthew Swindell as he recounts his journey through England and return aboard the Queen Mary 2, October 15. His trip echoes a Manchester traveler’s voyage a century earlier. Tickets. Also in Manchester, Gladstone celebrates its 15th anniversary with 15% off contemporary and designer jewelry throughout October. Gladstone
. LAST STOP FOR HOCKNEY
Final weekend for Hockney Reproduction(s), October 16–18, at Manship Artists Residency. Curator Bing McGilvray gives his final talk Friday, October 16 | 6 pm. (SOLD OUT). With an intentional nod to Hockney, Cape Ann Collectors opens Affirmation of Life, celebrating the vivid color of Nell Blaine and other historic Cape Ann artists, October 17–18.
ANOTHER BOSTON TREK
Yes, another compelling reason to head across the bridge. Last edition it was the MIT Museum’s Oceans program; this edition it’s the Boston Art Book Fair, November 13–15, at the BCA Cyclorama. Expect a feast of artist books, zines, experimental publications, and printed matter from local, national, and international creators. Public admission is free Saturday and Sunday. Boston Art Book Fair
CLASSICS, REIMAGINED
For a winter journey to the Galápagos, where Charles Darwin’s finches helped illuminate evolutionary science, National Geographic Explorer Sarah Knutie brings wildlife and field research to the Shalin Liu on November 13. Closer to home, Gordon College offers a very different kind of classic: Not So Faust!, a playful commedia dell’arte treatment of the famously solemn bargain with the devil. Faust Tickets
CHANGEOVER AT COSMOS GALLERY
At COSMOS Gallery, we are reimagining another historic tradition. COSMOS Salon opens October 30 with a densely hung selection from seven regional contemporary artists, including Robert Mace Bent of Greenfield in his first featured Gloucester gallery appearance. Artwork will be joined by vintage books and collectibles, with prices intended to welcome new collectors. We look forward to sharing this year-end mix of good cheer, art, and holiday spirits. Cosmos Gallery
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ART | COMMUNITY | PERFORMANCE | MUSIC | FILM
HISTORY | LITERATURE | SCIENCE | REVELS | CULTURE SCENE
David Hockney, Water Lilies in the Pond with Pots of Flowers, Salts Mill Normandyposter.
Art Exhibitions
HOCKNEY REPRODUCTION(S)
Manship Artists Residency, Gloucester October 16, 17, 18 Gallery Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday | 1 – 5 pm Feature Articles:Hockney COSMOS
The exhibition for world-renowned artist David Hockney (1937–2026) will conclude after this weekend. In addition to over 90 rare posters, the show includes prints, fax collages, many books and catalogues, photos, movies, and a variety of other media. Curator Bing McGilvray will give his final talk on Friday, October 16 | 6 pm. (SOLD OUT)
Since Hockney knew that most people would only see his work in reproduction, he took great care assuring his imagery would be of the highest graphic quality. The show will please design connoisseurs as well as those who love the inimitable style of Hockney. Hockney Reproduction(s)
RAA&M NATIONAL JURIED SHOW
Rockport Art Association & Museum November 14 – December 31 Gala & Awards Reception: November 13 | 6 – 8 pm
Rockport Art Association & Museum’s annual National Juried Show brings together contemporary and traditional fine art selected from artists across the country. Garin Baker serves as Juror of Selection and Awards Judge, with more than $26,000 in cash and merchandise awards, including a $5,000 Grand Prize. The exhibition opens November 14, following the Gala & Awards Reception on November 13. Early-bird gala tickets are $80 through October; full-price tickets are $100 and include a $100 credit toward qualifying exhibition artwork. View work online at RAA&M National
AFFIRMATION OF LIFE
Bold Color Fields and Kindred Spirits
Cape Ann Collectors, Gloucester Opens October 17 – 18 | 1 – 5 pm
Cape Ann Collectors opens its autumn show as an intentional nod to Manship’s HOCKNEY REPRODUCTION(S), extending the region’s current celebration of intense, joyful color. Nell Blaine, who described herself as “defiant in joy,” anchors an exhibition that places her work alongside Theresa Bernstein, William Meyerowitz, Ethel Louise Paddock, and Erma Wheeler. Like Hockney, Blaine pursued new ways of seeing, feeling, and creating through vivid color and graphic force. Fifty-five works are on view. Cape Ann Collectors
GO, FIGURE!
WaterFire Arts Center, Providence, RI October 15 – November 8 Opening Reception: October 15 | 6 – 9 pm Go, Figure! brings together six artists working in two- and three-dimensional media, each exploring the human condition through the figure. Featured artists are Gabrielle Barzaghi, Lesle Fry, Claudia Olds Goldie, Zhexing Huang, Jazzmen Lee-Johnson, and Entang Wiharso. Curated by Judith Tolnick Champa, Founder and President of the Providence Biennial for Contemporary Art. The opening reception includes a lecture-performance by Hyperion Yvaire. Go Figure
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Dale Emmart, Debate. Oil on paper (20x16).
Art Exhibitions
CORDAGE | DALE EMMART
Gladstone, Manchester-by-the-Sea Through November 14
Artist Dale Emmart brings a new collection to Gladstone, with works on paper presenting studies of tangled ropes in suspended masses. Ropes are both ancient and contemporary tools. Working with nautical and agricultural varieties, the artist’s interpretations render ropes in many forms. Dale Emmart attended The Cooper Union for a BFA in printmaking and drawing, and RISD for an MFA in painting. She works as a painter, printmaker, and paper and book artist in her studios in Northeastern Pennsylvania and New York City. For nearly forty years, she has been an art educator at RISD, The Parsons School of Design, Fordham University, Brooklyn College, and independent schools in New York City. Cordage Exhibition
JACK EVANS | PAINTINGS & WORKS ON PAPER
Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester November 7 – 29 Opening Reception: November 7 | 4 – 6 pm
Gloucester artist and record-store proprietor Jack Evans presents paintings and works on paper at Jane Deering Gallery. Evans is also the proprietor of Mystery Train Records on Main Street, a Gloucester destination specializing in rare and collectible vinyl across musical genres. Mystery Train Records was once Jon Sarkin’s daily destination for collecting “free records,” whose album-cover backs he used as canvases. The exhibition offers another view of a familiar local creative figure, shifting the focus from the thousands of recordings that fill Mystery Train to Evans’s own visual work. Jane Deering Gallery
COSMOS SALON
COSMOS Gallery, Gloucester
October 30 – December 29, 2026
COSMOS Gallery concludes its exhibition year by reimagining the historic salon tradition, bringing together a rich display of work by seven regional contemporary artists. Among them is Robert Mace Bent of Greenfield, Massachusetts, exhibiting for the first time in a Gloucester gallery. In keeping with the gallery’s mission since opening in February 2025, the exhibition welcomes collectors at all levels, with artwork priced from $100 to $4,500. A curated selection of vintage books and other collectibles introduces expanded retail offerings. COSMOS Gallery
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Fitz Henry Lane statue, Gloucester, "From the Deep" promotional video (YouTube)
Art & Discourse in the Community
FROM THE DEEP | A DOWNTOWN GLOUCESTER ARTS PARTY
Harbortown Cultural District, Gloucester November 7 | 11 am – 5 pm
Downtown Gloucester dives into a day of free art and cultural activity with gallery openings, live artmaking, poetry readings, and other programs across the Harbortown Cultural District. COSMOS Gallery will extend its hours from 11 am – 6 pm for its end-of-year Salon of Art & Collectibles, with some participating artists present during select hours. Visitors can use the district schedule to plan a walk through the city’s participating cultural destinations. From the Deep
FROM CLAY TO BRONZE, THE MAKING OF THE SEATED CAT
Cape Ann Museum, Downtown Campus October 24 | 2 – 3:30 pm CAM Members $5; Non-Members $30, including General Admission | Registration Required
Sculptor Robert Shure discusses the making of Seated Cat, his newly installed bronze in the Cape Ann Museum courtyard. The sculpture enlarges Katherine Lane Weems’ 1941 work of the same name. Shure will reflect on his earlier work with Weems, the artistic dialogue between the two cats, and the demanding process of translating sculpture into bronze. Founder of Skylight Studios in Woburn, Shure brings more than 40 years of experience creating and restoring monumental sculpture and architectural ornament. CAM Talk Registration
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Image source: Hammond Castle Museum.
Performing Arts
THE NORTH SHORE’S OWN RENAISSANCE FAIRE
Hammond Castle Museum, Gloucester November 7 – 8 | 9 am – 5 pm; rain or shine
Hammond Castle Museum transforms its medieval setting into a weekend of Renaissance culture, fantasy, music, armored combat, storytelling, and family activities. On Saturday, James B. Jones and Shelley Wolfee of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum appear as Honorary King and Queen from 11 am – 2 pm. Curatorial Director John Leysath will present on medieval arms and armor. Cosplay is encouraged; weapons are prohibited. Off-site parking at Stage Fort Park includes complimentary shuttle service to the Museum. Renaissance Faire Tickets & Information
NOT SO FAUST!
Gordon College | Margaret Jensen Theatre, Wenham
October 30 – November 8
Performances at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; dates and times vary
The Faust legends of Goethe and Marlowe tell of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge. Not So Faust! takes a considerably lighter approach. Director Jill Rogati reimagines the familiar tale through commedia dell’arte, the Italian theatrical tradition of masks, physical comedy, and playful improvisation. Instead of brooding over humanity’s complexities, this production invites audiences to laugh at human ambition—and perhaps themselves. Consult the ticket schedule for individual performance times. Not So Faust!
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Chris Isaak
Music
CHRIS ISAAK
Rockport Music | Shalin Liu Performance Center November 30 | 7:30 pm
Platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated singer and actor Chris Isaak comes to Rockport with a career spanning more than three decades, thirteen studio albums, and twelve charting singles. His breakthrough album Heart-Shaped World produced the enduring hit “Wicked Game,” while his music has appeared in films including Eyes Wide Shut, True Romance, Wild at Heart, and Blue Velvet. Isaak has also worked extensively in television and recently received an Americana Honors Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. Chris Isaak Tickets
BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND
Off Cabot, Beverly October 23 | 8 pm; doors open 7 pm
High-energy rock ’n’ roll, rhythm & blues, soul, and jump blues take over Off Cabot when Barrence Whitfield fronts an all-star lineup of North Shore musicians. Joining him are Sal Baglio, Seth Papas, Milt Reder, Jeff Giacomello, and Dean Cassel. Whitfield has built an international reputation over four decades as an electrifying roots-music performer, bringing powerhouse vocals and raw stage energy to audiences in the U.S. and Europe. Barrence Whitfield Tickets
Montserrat College of Art
Experience the heart of Beverly’s creative scene at Montserrat College of Art. Beyond our ten BFA concentrations, we invite you to explore public galleries, join adult workshops, or enroll in youth programs. Don’t miss our annual auctions and community events! montserrat.edu.
National Theatre — Frankenstein
Film
FRANKENSTEIN | NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREAT BRITAIN
Cape Ann Community Cinema, Rockport Starting October 23
Captured live on stage in 2011, the National Theatre production of Frankenstein became an international cinema sensation. Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, the sold-out production has been seen by nearly one million cinema audiences worldwide. Cape Ann Community Cinema brings the acclaimed stage production back to the screen in Rockport for multiple screenings; consult the cinema schedule for additional dates and times. Cape Ann Community Cinema
1623 Studios Presentation
THE ROCKPORT MURDER MYSTERIES
Shalin Liu Performance Center October 27 | 6:30 pm; doors open 5:30 pm
1623 Studios premieres the newest installment of its award-winning Timeline: Cape Ann documentary series, The Rockport Murder Mysteries. Based on the book Murder in Rockport, Massachusetts: Terror in a Small Town by Robert Fitzgibbon and Wayne Soini, the film revisits the unsolved 1932 murder of tailor Arthur Oker and the murder of Augusta Johnson the following year. A post-screening conversation features producer Kory Curcuru with Fitzgibbon and Soini. Proceeds benefit 1623 Studios. Rockport Murder Mysteries Tickets
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Zig Zag Journeys
History
ZIG ZAG JOURNEYS IN ENGLAND AND THE QM2
Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum | First Parish Community Hall October 15 | 6 – 8 pm
Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum director Matthew Swindell recounts a 2026 journey through southern England and a return Atlantic crossing aboard the Queen Mary 2. His trip echoes a journey made a century earlier by Manchester Cricket leader Isaac May Marshall, who recorded his 1926 travels in Zig Zag Journeys in Classic Lands Abroad. With photographs from Brighton, London, Bath, Salisbury, and the voyage home, Swindell connects two Manchester travel stories separated by 100 years. MBTS Museum Event
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BCA Cyclorama, Boston’s South End November 13 – 15
The Boston Art Book Fair returns to the historic BCA Cyclorama for three days devoted to contemporary art publishing and book-making. Presented by Boston Center for the Arts and Boston Art Review with co-founders and co-curators Randi Hopkins and Oliver Mak, the fair brings together artist books, zines, catalogs, experimental publications, comics, and printed matter from local, national, and international creators. A Friday Preview Party opens the weekend; public admission is free Saturday and Sunday. Boston Art Book Fair
Galápagos Land Iguana
Science & Nature
DISCOVERING THE GALÁPAGOS
National Geographic Live | Shalin Liu Performance Center November 13 | 7:30 pm
National Geographic Explorer and disease ecologist Sarah Knutie takes audiences into the Galápagos, where Darwin’s finches became enduring evidence in the development of evolutionary science. Their varied beaks and adaptations helped illuminate how closely related species could diverge in response to different environments. Knutie, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut, studies how invasive parasites affect the finches and has worked in the islands since 2010. Her live presentation combines field science, photography, and encounters with giant tortoises, sharks, and other remarkable wildlife. Discovering the Galápagos Tickets
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Revels
ANONYMOUS ART PARTY
Montserrat College of Art October 24 | 6 – 8:30 pm
The Anonymous Art Party centers around an anonymous art sale of 6" x 6” works, featuring pieces by local artists as well as Montserrat faculty, staff, and students, all sold for $100, with artist names not revealed until after the purchase. In addition to the art sale, guests will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes of Montserrat, exploring classrooms and studios while enjoying music, food and drink, and live artmaking by Montserrat students. All proceeds will support scholarships for Montserrat College of Art students. Anonymous Art tickets
BEAUX ARTS BALL HALLOWEEN BASH
51 Rocky Neck Restaurant October 24 | 7 – 10 pm; doors open 6 pm for silent auction
If past Beaux Arts Balls are predictive, this will bring together one of the most creatively attired groups of Halloween celebrants—and offer a rare chance to dress with glamour, mystery, or whatever your inner being wants to express! Besides the adorned entertainment, the evening will include live music, appetizers, cash bar, silent auction, and cash prizes for the best costumes. Beaux Arts tickets
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Culture Scene & Seen... Photos of recent events happening around the
North Shore of Boston.
October 9, 2026, CAPA Gala & Art Sale, North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester. The CAPA Gala & Art Sale, one of the most entertaining events on the cultural social circuit, caps off the week of plein air painting. The fresh artwork created by 36 juried plein air painters was viewed on the walls, with sales and prize decisions revealed. The competition was sorted through by juror and local artist Jeff Weaver. Many collectors went home with very fresh art, painted in the best week of October colors.
Upper left clockwise: 1) artist Kari Ganoung Ruiz of Interlaken, New York, with painting Tide Reflection. Kari won Best Seascape for a different painting, Life Amidst Granite, 2) First prize winner Tim Kelly with Rush Hour, 3) Second prize winner Mark Andersen, with Dory, Dory Halleluiah, 4) Third place winner Richie Vios with new owner of his award-winning artwork.
Three friends, Ollie, withartists Morgan Dyer and Vanessa Michalak. Background watercolor by Jeff Steiner.
Upper left clockwise: 1) Matt Genta, Board of Trustees Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum, 2) Memory Layne, CAPA social media/design with Courtney Richardson, CAPA Executive Director, 3) Pat Alto CAPA Co-President, 4) and piano player added his pizzazz to the room!
CAPA artist Fred Jackson, Rocky Neck Dory.
The artist's home base is King of Prussia, PA, from where he travels to major, national plein air events. ""Painting outdoors is where I come alive -- whether in the hush of nature or the pulse of the city.... Through each painting , I strive to transform common places into vibrant new interpretations, reimaging the ordinary and presenting it in an energetic, renewed light," - Fred Jackson
October 10, 2026, Winburn Farm in Ipswich, a group of Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) enthusiasts traveled north into Ipswich horse country to enjoy Peggy Schrage’s hospitality. Their shared passion for art, combined with the elegant country setting, abundant food, and drinks, created a social gathering reminiscent of another era. The Marblehead Art Association has earned its devoted following, and few have supported it more generously than patron Peggy Schrage. Some people truly do make a difference.
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Enjoying the soiree, Michael Wheeler, Founder & CEO of Reality Lab, and Christen Mailler, artist and MAA Board Member.
Left to right: Jim Murphy, photographer, Nina Taggart, photographer, Heather and Julian Borenstein, pursuing painting and photography respectively.
Patron, hostess, collector -- the kind and ebullient Peggy Schrage, of Winburn Farm, Ipswich.
COSMOS No. 161 Finis
COSMOS Social Media
For those culture enthusiasts who seek more COSMOS between the biweekly newsletter issues, follow us on Cape Ann COSMOS Facebook page, where we post frequently. While the content is tangential to the newsletter listings, it is often expansive and varied, Cape Ann COSMOS Facebook.
Image: At the opening CAPA reception, Mike Storella, CAPA advisor, and Jan Charles, CAPA host, enjoying the kickoff event..!
NOTE TO ORGANIZATIONS
To submit cultural events, news, openings or other related topics for COSMOS consideration: capeanncosmos@gmail.com. Newsletter content is selected for editorial criteria, COSMOS readers' interests, conformity to our select categories, and regional boundaries.
The Cape Ann COSMOS Vision celebrates and honors our regional community of artists, writers, scientists, dancers, filmmakers, aficionados, newcomers, theaters, galleries, museums, and patrons. Their contribution to life on Cape Ann creates the second wonderful source of beauty in this spectacular region of the world.
As a digital platform, the COSMOS website, newsletter, and social media publishes content for the Nine Muses: Art, Dance, Film, History, Literature, Music, Revels, Science, Theater
Contributors Christiane Munkholm, Publisher & Editor in Chief Meredith Anderson, Director of Design & Technology Paul Erickson, Science Editor Catherine M. King, Copy Editor Bing McGilvray, Feature Writer & Illustrator Jerry Ackerman, Advisor Joy Buell, Correspondent
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