De Hirsh Margules, Mother Ann Lighthouse, Eastern Point, Gloucester, 1946. Gouache on paper. Gift of Jean M. Horblit, 2002. [Acc. #2002.004.002]
Gloucester Daily Times: Around Cape Ann: New exhibit showcases sculptor Walker Hancock in his studio
By Gail McCarthy, January 9, 2025
Cape Ann Museum presents a unique exhibit at its CAM Green campus where visitors can view photographs by Michael Lafferty of the renowned sculptor Walker Hancock at work in his Gloucester studio nestled in the woods of Lanesville.
Hancock (1901-1998), served in the U.S. Army as one of the celebrated Monuments Men during World War II. He also designed the Air Medal, awarded for “meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight.”
This medal was the spark that led to Lafferty’s photographic journey in which he documented the artist at work in his home studio over 18 years, from 1978 to 1996.
“(Lafferty) met Walker and Saima Hancock at St. Mary’s Church in Rockport and soon learned that Hancock had designed the Air Medal for the government in 1942, a medal he had been awarded several times during the war. When Lafferty asked Hancock about it, he invited him to his studio. From that time on, he was welcomed to visit and photograph Hancock’s artistic process as his projects progressed from concept to completion,” according to an exhibition statement.
The free exhibit,”Portrait of a Sculptor: Walker Hancock & Michael Lafferty,” features 28 of Lafferty’s photographs and 19 works by Hancock, including plasters, bronzes and a piece in fiberglass. The exhibit opens this Saturday, Jan. 11, at CAM Green, at 13 Poplar St., Gloucester, and will be on view through March 30.
“The inaugural exhibition at CAM Green for 2025 will invite visitors to experience Hancock’s studio as insiders and eyewitnesses to his creative process,” Museum Director Oliver Barker said. “Thanks to the generosity of Hancock’s family and other individuals, the museum is presenting a dynamic new group of Hancock’s works, including a recently gifted model of Abraham Lincoln, which Hancock was commissioned to create in 1978 for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.”
Lafferty’s interest in photography gained momentum when he bought a camera in 1967, while stationed in Saigon with the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.
“Over the next five years, I saw the countries I visited in a completely different vision through the lens of that camera,” Lafferty said in a prepared statement.
Lafferty moved to Gloucester when he was stationed in Boston as a pilot for Eastern Airlines and discovered that the community “was perfect for creative spirits.”
The exhibition is made possible thanks to Lafferty’s donation of nearly 600 negatives that document his visits to Hancock’s studio. The images have been scanned as part of the museum’s ongoing commitment to ensure that its collections are accessible globally. They can be viewed at this link: https://capeannmuseum.quartexcollections.com/explore/all-collections/list/collections/227.
Related programming includes two opportunities, on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to observe conservators Robert Shure and Lisa Benson of Skylight Studios as they conserve Hancock’s plaster maquette, or model, of Abraham Lincoln. On Feb. 6 at 2 p.m., there will be a gallery talk with Lafferty. Space is limited and reservations are required.
Free family programming, led by a museum educator, will be offered on Saturday mornings on Feb. 1 and March 1 to learn about sculpture. During these programs, families are invited to take part in art-making activities, take a scavenger hunt into the gallery, and walk the CAM Green to see the historic houses and Contemporary Art Wetu. For information and schedules, visit www.capeannmuseum.org/programs.
CAM Green offers free general admission, with time-ticketed vehicle reservations recommended. To reserve a spot, visit www.capeannmuseum.org/exhibition/portrait-of-a-sculptor.
See the original article on Gloucester Daily Times’ website.
