Rocky Neck is one of the oldest continuously operating art colonies in the United States. Located on a rocky peninsula within Gloucester's working harbor, Rocky Neck is known for its quaint neighborhood, geographic beauty and many art galleries and studios. Artists including

Winslow Homer Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters of 19th-century America and a preeminent figure in ...

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

, and many others working on Rocky Neck in the 19th and early 20th centuries inspired the

Cape Ann Cape Ann is a rocky peninsula in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Essex, Man ...

style of

American Impressionism American Impressionism was a style of painting related to European Impressionism and practiced by American artists in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. The style is characterized by loose ...

. Artists still work and display their art in the many Rocky Neck galleries during the summer months. It was also frequented by well-known writers such as

Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Good Wives'' (1869), ''Little Men'' (1871), and ''Jo's Boys'' ...

and

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

. Judith A. Curtis published a book title
Rocky Neck Art Colony 1850–1950
which features more than 130 photos of artwork, artists and the location, and was designed by Stephen Bridges, in 2015. Rock Neck Art Colony publishes a
informative newsletter
Gloucester Marine Railways, located at the very end of Rocky Neck, was established in 1859,Gloucester Marine Railways History
/ref> making it one of the oldest working shipyards in the country. The Rocky Neck area was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2017. Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) continues to accept members. The organization’s website host
information and registration on RNAC memberships

References

{{reflist

External links

Rocky Neck Historic Art TrailRocky Neck Cultural DistrictRocky Neck Art ColonyOcean Alliance, Rocky Neck
Gloucester, Massachusetts Artist colonies National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts Historic districts in Essex County, Massachusetts