The Cahoon Museum of American Art is an art museum located in Cotuit, Massachusetts. It features fine art, folk art and American art from the 1800s through the present. Public programs include a series of annual changing exhibitions, tours, artist's talks and workshops, and family activities.

History

The Museum's Historical building was completed between 1775-1782 by Zenas Crocker. Through its years it has been used as a home, a tavern, an art studio/ gallery, and renovated back into home. It is one of six Crocker homes situated off RTE 28 in present day Cotuit,MA. The museum was founded in 1982 by Cotuit art collector, Rosemary Rapp. In 1945, artists

Ralph Cahoon Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr. (1910 - 1982) was an artist and furniture decorator. Early life Cahoon was born in Chatham, Massachusetts in 1910 to a family directly descended from the first Dutch Settlers of Cape Cod. Growing up close to the Atlantic ...

and Martha A Farham Cahoon bought the house, and used the lower level of their home as their gallery and studio . The couple had one child in 1935 whom they named Franz. The Cahoons rose in popularity in the 1950s and credited their fame to Joan Whitney Payson, an American heiress, businesswomen, philanthropist, and art collector. In 1982 Rosemary Rapp bought the property located at 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit Ma. In 1986 the Cahoon Museum was opened. The museum was extensively expanded and renovated in 2014–2015. The Museum reopened in May 2016.

Collection

The museum hosts an array of exhibitions each year including contemporary artists, as well as historical exhibits. The museum's collection of art continues to grow through donation and purchase. The collection includes work by Cape Cod folk artists

and

Martha Cahoon Martha Cahoon (Jan. 11, 1905 – Dec. 7, 1999) was an American artist. She was the wife and business partner of artist, Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr. Early life Martha Farham was born in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood to Swedish immigrant parents, ...

, 19th century paintings by Ralph Blakelock, William Bradford,

James Buttersworth James Edward Buttersworth (1817–1894) was an English painter who specialized in maritime art and is considered among the foremost ship portraitists in the United States of the nineteenth century. His paintings are particularly known for the ...

, John J. Enneking, Alvan Fisher,

Levi Wells Prentice Levi Wells Prentice (December 18, 1851 – November 28, 1935) was an American still life and landscape painter. Prentice was associated with the Hudson River School. Prentice grew up on a farm in Lewis County, New York By 1872, Prentice had tr ...

and

William Matthew Prior William Matthew Prior (May 16, 1806 – January 21, 1873) was an American folk artist known for his Portrait painting, portraits, particularly of families and children. Biography The son of Captain William, a sea captain, shipmaster, and Sarah B ...

, 20th century paintings by Margaret Patterson, Daisy Hughes,

Scott Prior Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

and multiple contemporary artists.

References

External links

Cahoon Museum website
{{authority control Museums of American art Museums in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Art museums and galleries in Massachusetts Massachusetts Museums and galleries Entertainment venues in Massachusetts Museums in Massachusetts ...

1984 establishments in the United States Art museums established in 1984