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: Cape Ann Museum prepares to open its doors again in June with big plans
By Gail McCarthy | February 23, 2026
Cape Ann Museum is preparing to open its doors on Pleasant Street once again this June, after more than 18 months, following a $9 million renovation of its downtown Gloucester campus.
The construction phase is complete but museum staff now have the enormous job of repopulating the galleries with its collections and preparing the ground-breaking special exhibition, “Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea.”
This national exhibition opens June 30, and is the first time in Cape Ann Museum’s 151-year history that one of its exhibition will travel to Washington, D.C., to the The Phillips Collection, which partnered with Gloucester’s museum to showcase the exhibition more widely to new audiences.
In 2023, coinciding with Gloucester’s 400th celebrations, Cape Ann Museum had record-setting attendance due to its special exhibition “Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape,” with works by the celebrated American artist.
For more than 150 years, a “who’s who” of American artists have flocked to Gloucester to paint, attracted by it bustling working waterfront and scenic beauty, and their artworks stand testament to their time spent here.
The success of CAM-150
The renovations were funded by a $23 million capital campaign, CAM-150 — so named to honor the 150-year history of the museum — which exceeded its initial goal of $18 million.
Museum Director Oliver Barker, who led CAM-150, explained that the money was intended for three initiatives, one of which was the creation of the 4-acre satellite campus at CAM Green, home of the Janet and William Ellery James Center, at 13 Poplar St. in Gloucester. In fact, the creation of the 12,000-square-foot James Center allowed for storage of the museum collections during the downtown renovations. The James Center, which opened in the fall of 2020, also served as the museum’s base of operations during the construction phase.
The third area targeted to benefit from the fund-raising campaign was the museum’s modest endowment, said Barker, in order to better position operations moving forward.
“It’s a collective effort that is making all this possible and I am humbled by that support and excitement for what is to come,” Barker said. “This is literally a new chapter for the museum. With overwhelming community support and a deep commitment to our mission, we’ve achieved a major milestone. We are fortunate to steward a world-class institution that celebrates both internationally acclaimed artists and Cape Ann’s rich history.”
The upgrades to the downtown campus allow the museum to honor that legacy and confidently look to the future, he said.
The renovations
The museum closed in the fall of 2024, and construction began in early December 2024. The upgrades targeted for the project covered more than 40% of the 44,000-square-foot main campus.
As Gloucester is famed as the nation’s oldest seaport, it is fitting that the redesigned suite of three Fisheries Galleries are part of the project.
The comprehensive renovation included state-of-the-art temperature and humidity controls, enhanced security, lighting upgrades and an enhancement of the visitor experience focusing on user-friendly connections and flow among the galleries and spaces. The project also featured a refurbished auditorium and a reimagined atrium courtyard, an improved education studio and improved visitor amenities.
While most of the collections were moved out during renovations, a few items stayed at the museum because of their massive size. Those items included Howard Blackburn’s Great Republic and Alfred Johnson’s vessel, both which sailed from Gloucester across the Atlantic Ocean. A 10-foot First Order Fresnel lens, once housed in one of Thacher Island’s twin lighthouses, also remained as did the iconic statue of Our Lady of Good Voyage.
When the galleries reopen, the collections will be enhanced because of the upgrades to climate control, meaning artworks that may not have hung in certain galleries, can now be on view in a way that relates to the subjects of the gallery.
“Given their size, the vessels will be shown in the same galleries but the presentation will be quite different,” Barker said. “We will be able to show some great examples of new acquisitions that have come to the museum, great works by Homer, Gifford Beal, Milton Avery, and other great works of art inspired by the fishing industry. They will be able to be seen together because of the climate control. And Fitz Henry Lane can be shown in those galleries now. Our ability to better tell these rich stories is going to be amplified. I’m thrilled at these opportunities that come with the renovation.”
A capstone to 150 years
The museum’s CAM-150 campaign was aligned with the institution’s 150th anniversary in the year 2025, and was chaired by museum board members Henrietta Gates, J.J. Bell and Caroline Hovey. The effort was launched with a lead gift of $4 million from Janet and William Ellery James of Rockport, along with five additional seven-figure gifts, according to a museum statement.
Gates, chairperson of the Board of Trustees, also wanted to highlight the gifts from hundreds of households, as well as support from private foundations and grants.
The 2026 opening marks an “extraordinary moment” in the museum’s history, she said.
“This project represents not only a physical transformation of our campus, but the collective belief of our community in the power of art, history and education,” Gates said. “We are profoundly grateful to our donors and partners whose generosity has made this vision a reality.”
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