The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is located at 460 Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is the most attended art museum on Cape Cod. The museum's permanent collection includes over 2,500 objects, a number which continues to grow through donations and new acquisitions. PAAM mounts approximately forty exhibitions each year.

History

Origins

Prominent artists

Oliver Newberry Chaffee Oliver Newberry Chaffee Jr. (1881 – 1944) is an American Modernist painter and printmaker. He is known for his connections to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he help found the Provincetown Art Association. Biography Oliver Newberry Chaffe ...

, Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth,

Charles Hawthorne Charles Webster Hawthorne (January 8, 1872 – November 29, 1930) was an American portrait and genre painter and a noted teacher who founded the Cape Cod School of Art in 1899. He was born in Lodi, Illinois, and his parents returned to Main ...

, Oscar Gieberich,

William Halsall William Formby Halsall (March 20, 1841Gerrit Beneker, E. Ambrose Webster and several local business men and women established the Provincetown Art Association on August 22, 1914. For the first two years, the Association met monthly at members' homes or at the home of its first President, William H. Young, who was President of the local Seamen's Savings Bank. As lectures were incorporated, the meetings moved to the Church of the Pilgrims near Town Hall. The organizing artists donated works and mounted two juried exhibitions in the summer of 1915 at the Provincetown Town Hall, beginning a tradition of collecting and exhibiting the work of local artists. By this time, Provincetown had become a refuge of artists and expatriates returned from war-torn Europe. The town was firmly established as "The Biggest

Art Colony An art colony, also known as an artists' colony, can be defined two ways. Its most liberal description refers to the organic congregation of artists in towns, villages and rural areas, often drawn by areas of natural beauty, the prior existence o ...

in the World" (Boston Globe, 8/8/16). PAAM strengthened its role as the anchor of this art colony through the purchase of two plots of land, the Bangs property in 1919, and the adjoining house on the east side in 1920, with the latter plot forming the site of the current gallery building. The Association's first director was Harry N. Campbell in 1917, followed by E. Ambrose Webster and John "Wichita Bill" Noble. His son,

John A. Noble John Alexander Noble (1913–1983) was an artist known for creating drawings, paintings, and lithographs of ships and harbors around New York City. Early life Noble was born in Paris, France, in 1913. The son of painter American John Noble, he ...

, also became a prominent artist. John Cuthbert Hare was also a member who eventually became known as the "Dean of Cape Cod Artists"Artwork by John Cuthbert Hare
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Twentieth Century

PAAM's artist founders had come out of the

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

tradition and thus did not readily accept the new Modernist movement. Faced with aesthetic differences among its artist membership, however, the organization worked to maintain a balance in the work it exhibited. True to its mission, PAAM mounted separate "Modern" and "Regular" summer exhibitions between 1927 and 1937. In the "First Modernistic Exhibition" of July 1927, the Association exhibited for the first time Modernist artists such as

Jack Tworkov Jack Tworkov (15 August 1900 – 4 September 1982) was an American abstract expressionist painter. Biography Yakov Tworkovsky, more commonly known as Jack Tworkov, was born in Biała Podlaska on the border between Poland and the Russian Empi ...

Niles Spencer Niles Spencer (16 May 1893 – 15 May 1952) was an American painter of the Precisionist School who specialized in depicting urban and industrial landscapes. His works are in the permanent collections of several major museums including the Metr ...

, and George Ault, among others. Partial conciliation was reached between modernists and conservatives in August, 1936 when the Association voted to mount a combined exhibition in 1937 with concurrent exhibitions hung in the same gallery on opposite walls. File:The Art Student 1921.png , Bror Nordfeldt, "The Art Student", 1921 File:Minnie Rogers Steele Schooner "Sally Annie".jpg , Minnie Rogers Steele, "The Sally Annie", 1923 Margaretta Gratz Brown "Commerical Street".jpg , Margaretta Gratz Brown, "Commercial Street" The Depression years of the '30s and the war years of the early '40s were difficult times for the town and the Association. The Hawthorne Memorial Gallery was completed in 1942, and initially featured 12 paintings by Charles Webster Hawthorne, including "The Trousseau" and "The Family". Although annual shows were canceled, volunteers managed to maintain a reduced schedule despite the challenges created by gasoline rationing, conscription, blackouts and economic hardships during the World War II years. By 1947, the regular schedule of two summer exhibitions had been reestablished along with catalog printing, with new artists featured such as

Madeleine L'Engle Madeleine L'Engle DStJ (; November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including ''A Wrinkle in Time'' and its sequels: ''A Wind in the Door'', ''A Swiftly Tilting Plan ...

Howard Mitcham James Howard Mitcham (1917 in Winona, Mississippi – August 22, 1996 in Hyannis, Massachusetts) was an American artist, poet, and cook best known for his books on Louisiana's Creole and Cajun cuisines and that of New England, with an emphasis ...

Xavier Gonzalez Xavier Gonzalez (1898–1993) was an American artist. He was born in Almeria, Spain.Richard MeGra"Confronting Modernity: Art and Society in Louisiana" University Press of Mississippi (2008), pp. 82–89. . He lived in Argentina and Mexico for s ...

and Adolph Gottlieb. The rise of

Abstract Expressionism Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

—intensified by the location of

Hans Hofmann Hans Hofmann (March 21, 1880 – February 17, 1966) was a German-born American painter, renowned as both an artist and teacher. His career spanned two generations and two continents, and is considered to have both preceded and influenced Abstrac ...

's summer school here—again riffled the deep divisions within the arts community during the '50s. When PAAM celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1964 with a retrospective show of its major artists, the organization focused on gaining national attention for Provincetown's considerable contribution to

American art Visual art of the United States or American art is visual art made in the United States or by U.S. artists. Before colonization there were many flourishing traditions of Native American art, and where the Spanish colonized Spanish Colonial arc ...

. The effect was a boon for the organization. Activities increased, new galleries were added, the exhibition schedule expanded, a storage vault was built to house the expanding collection, and once again PAAM showed itself as the center of the local art world. As PAAM grew throughout the next three decades, the organizational structure of the museum continued to include strong representation from both the artist and lay communities. PAAM'S dual purpose of the organization—to be a collecting museum and a professional artists' association—has been consistently supported over the course of its history. The collection has been the basis for many exhibitions and has served scholars, researchers and other museums. Including close to 2,500 works from artists who have lived or worked on the outer Cape.

Recent

PAAM continues to acquire both historical and contemporary works. The galleries also offer accommodating venues for

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, dance and

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

performances. The new studio classrooms offer spaces for children and youth education programs, as well as for adult courses in the Lillian Orlowsky/William Freed Museum School at PAAM.

Timeline

Select art historical events in Provincetown over the past 100 years

Facilities

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum has five ground-floor galleries with rotating

exhibitions An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery An art gallery is a roo ...

on view throughout the year. Three

sculpture garden A sculpture garden or sculpture park is an outdoor garden or park which includes the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings. A sculpture garden may be private, owned by a ...

s surround the building. The Museum School facilities include second-floor

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

, painting, and print studios. The entire building is equipped with an all-season climate control system. A recent renovation and expansion of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum has dramatically improved the museum's ability to store and display art. In 2004, the federal-style Ephraim Cook House was restored. In 2005, the Hawthorne Annex from 1942 was replaced by the new Alvin Ross Wing, increasing the square footage of the facilities from 11,000 to and effectively doubling the museum's space. PAAM's physical plant has been awarded a Silver

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

rating by the

United States Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

to recognize PAAM's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The rating quantifies PAAM's environmental performance, and assures the public that PAAM's facility is designed and operated to help save energy and natural resources. The renovation project, designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates, has also received a 2006

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

Merit Award for Design Excellence, and recognition within the AIA's 2007 Committee on the Environment (COTE). The building is wood-frame construction over a concrete basement. The historical portion of the Museum, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, is clad with white cedar shingles; the new portion of the Museum is clad with custom Spanish cedar shingles and louvers. As such, the new addition and facade expresses the tension between tradition and modernism that the Association has long exemplified.

Collection

PAAM's permanent collection features artists who have lived and worked on the Outer Cape. Some artists represented in the collection include Varujan Boghosian, Paul Bowen, George Elmer Browne, Oliver Newberry Chaffee, Carmen Cicero, Ciro Cozzi, Charles Henry Demuth, Edwin Dickinson, Chaim Gross, Charles Webster Hawthorne, Robert Henry, Henry Hensche, Hans Hofmann, Erik Koch, Franz Kline,

Karl Knaths Karl Knaths (October 21, 1891 – March 9, 1971) was an American artist whose personal approach to the Cubist aesthetic led him to create paintings which, while abstract, contained readily identifiable subjects. In addition to the Cubist painte ...

, Blanche Lazzell,

William Littlefield William (Bill) Horace Littlefield (October 28, 1902 – July 5, 1969) was an American painter known for his figure studies of male nudes and in later life his large paintings in an abstract expressionist style. Early life Littlefield first deve ...

, Peter Macara, Ross Moffett, Robert Motherwell,

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, although his t ...

, John Singer Sargent, Jack Tworkov,

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

, E. Ambrose Webster, Mike Wright, and James R. Zimmerman.

Educational programming

The

Lillian Orlowsky Lillian Orlowsky (1914, New York City, NY - 2004, Provincetown, MA) was an American artist known as a member of the American Modernist vanguard of the 1930s. Her paintings spanned a 70-year career. Orlowsky was also a textile designer and served h ...

William Freed William Freed (1902–1984) was an American artist known for his role as a member of the American Modernist vanguard of the 1930s, his innovation as a central figure in Abstract Expressionism, and for his colorful abstract paintings. Freed's art ...

Museum School offers a range of classes and programs throughout the year. Over seventy summer studio courses are offered from May through September, including courses in drawing, printmaking, mixed media,

plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

painting classes with prominent local artists, and computer classes. Life drawing sessions are offered twice a week year-round, and the Museum School holds open print studio hours during the winter. Fall, winter, and spring courses include week-long master classes, multi-week workshops, and semester-long offerings. This exciting program exemplifies PAAM's commitment to year-round educational opportunities for absolute beginners, established artists, and everyone in between. In addition to adult courses, the Museum School also coordinates classes for children and teens. Art Reach, a 28-week after-school program created in conjunction with

Provincetown High School Provincetown Public Schools, also known as Provincetown School District, or Provincetown IB Schools, is the school district of Provincetown, Massachusetts, serving grades Kindergarten through 8. The district previously covered all grades, includi ...

, runs from October through May. PAAM also facilitates student curating sessions and offers children's art workshops in the summer. Studio workshops are supplemented by free educational lectures. The Fredi Schiff Levin Lecture Series runs from June through September, with additional lectures taking place periodically as well. Guest lecturers include artists, authors, and art historians who are brought in to discuss the history of the Provincetown Art Colony as well as its contemporary art scene.Provincetown Art Association and Museum Fall Newsletter. 2009.

Gallery

Image:Aa paam daytime 2.jpg, Visitors outside of the front museum entrance Image:Aa education collins drawing class.JPG, A life drawing course in session

References

External links

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum Official SiteMachado and Silvetti Associates PAAM renovationAnton Grassl PAAM portfolioProvincetown Arts Press, Inc. Official Site