Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods

Gloucester, like all of Cape Ann, is a community of neighborhoods. Lanesville and Folly Cove on the backside of the Cape; Portuguese Hill, the Fort and Governor’s Hill in the central part of the City; Magnolia and West Parish; Rocky Neck and Bass Rocks. Each neighborhood has its own landmarks and traditions, its own personality. Together, as Herbert Kenny observed in Cape Ann, Cape America, Gloucester’s neighborhoods endow the entire City with“integrity,” a harmony of parts that few other areas can claim.

On display in this exhibit were thirteen quilts celebrating Gloucester’s neighborhoods. Working under the leadership of artist Juni Van Dyke, they were designed and created by participants in the Art Program at Gloucester’s Rose Baker Senior Center. Together the quilts present a rich and vibrant portrait of a much loved community. They also, in the words of Van Dyke, “bear testimony to the truth that the gift of creativity resides within all of us.”

Above: “Downtown.” Quilt, mixed media. Linen backing made possible through grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Gift of the Art Program at Gloucester’s Rose Baker Senior Center, 2015. [Acc. #2015.033.13]

The Neighborhood Quilts