Contemporary Art at the White-Ellery House

The Cape Ann Museum is pleased to present Preservation Memoir, a one day contemporary art installation by Veronica Morgan at the historic White-Ellery House on Saturday, August 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The 300 year old house is open that day for guided tours as part of 17th Century Saturdays, an Escapes North program. This program is free and open to the public.

Veronica Morgan is a local artist with a passion for historic buildings. She maintains a home and studio in a renovated commercial barn in Gloucester. A first career in architectural design and historic building restoration inspires her work in assemblage and collage, pen & ink drawing, printmaking and bookarts. She is a recipient of fellowships from The Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Palenville Art Colony, the Blanche E. Colman Award from Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co., and numerous awards for drawing and book arts. She is a board member of and exhibits internationally with the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media. She is also a member of the North Shore Art Association. In Preservation Memoir, she uses architectural salvage from local restoration projects in a mixed-media installation.

The White-Ellery House is one of a handful of surviving First Period buildings in Massachusetts. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites because of its design, materials, and workmanship, and its plank frame construction. The house was built in 1710 for the Reverend John White, Gloucester’s first settled minister, and exhibits an elegance and refinement commensurate with White’s esteemed position in the community. The second owner of the house was James Stevens, who kept it as a tavern until 1740, at which time it was sold to the Ellery family. In 1949, when plans were unveiled showing Route 128 traversing the Town Green, the house was taken by the City of Gloucester by eminent domain, turned over to the Cape Ann Historical Association, and moved safely out of the path of the highway.

The present location of the White-Ellery House is at 245 Washington Street.

Visit the Museum’s website, www.capeannmuseum.org, to learn about other programs celebrating the White-Ellery House’s 300th anniversary (1710 – 2010).

Funding for these programs was made possible through a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which promotes excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences, in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities.

The Cape Ann Museum is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Museum is closed during the month of February, on Mondays, and on major holidays. Admission is $8.00 adults, $6.00 Cape Ann residents, students, and seniors. Children under 12 and Museum members are free. The Museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information please call:

(978) 283-0455. Additional information can be found online at www.capeannmuseum.org.