Four months after completing a successful $18 million before its 150th anniversary, the Cape Ann Museum announced a new donation that will fund its first named staff position as an institution.
The donation, made by Henrietta Gates and Heaton Robertson, will endow the museum’s Chief Curator's position, a leadership role currently held by Martha Oaks.
Gates currently serves as chair of CAM’s Board of Trustees.
“We are inspired to recognize the excellent work that Martha Oaks has done and continues to do for the museum and ensure that CAM will be able to attract and retain top talent for this critical role in the future,” Gates said.
“Martha’s commitment to the museum, to excellence and scholarship has helped elevate CAM to one of the best regional museum’s in this country,” said CAM Director Oliver Barker. “It is such a fitting tribute that in recognition of her expertise that the inaugural named position for the museum is one now held and so expertly stewarded by Martha Oaks.”
The Chief Curator role was created in 2020 in honor of Oak’s multi-decade commitment to stewarding the Museum and the art and history of Cape Ann as a singularly unique place. Before 2020, Oaks served as curator of the museum from 2007 to 2019 and earlier from 1981 to 1990. In these capacities, Oaks organized numerous exhibitions exploring the history of Cape Ann and the artists who have lived and worked in the area including sculptors Walker Hancock and George Demetrios, and painters Marsden Hartley, Frank Duveneck, John Sloan, Milton Avery, Umberto Romano and Margaret Fitzhugh Browne.
She has also curated numerous thematic exhibitions exploring topics including the history of the Rocky Neck and Rockport art colonies during the mid-20th century; women artists of Cape Ann; the Folly Cove Designers; the lure of the family-owned fishing vessel; and the architectural firm of Phillips & Holloran. Oaks has also worked with many contemporary artists and artisans, curating exhibitions for painters Jeff Weaver, Roger Martin, Judi Rotenberg and Charles Movalli; printmaker Don Gorvett; organ and harpsichord maker Jeremy Adams; and furniture maker Jay McLaughlan.
“Henrietta’s and Heaton’s generosity is truly remarkable,” said Oaks. “I am honored to assume this new position and look forward to continuing to serve the museum.”
As chief curator, Oaks oversees the museum’s collections team and is responsible for the care, development and interpretation of the museum’s extensive collection including its library and archives and four historic colonial structures. Oaks has contributed to Fitz Henry Lane On-Line, a digital resource and catalogue raisonné focusing on American marine artist Fitz Henry Lane; and is currently overseeing the digitization of the museum’s collections.
With this new gift to endow the Chief Curator position, the CAM-150 campaign, named in celebration of CAM’s 150th anniversary, has raised more than $21 million. “I am proud of what my colleagues have accomplished and humbled by the generosity and support of our community,” said Oliver Barker. “CAM is where art meets life and life meets art and I sincerely hope that spurred by this momentum, others in our community will consider supporting this important campaign initiative.”
The CAM-150 campaign will allow the museum to undergo major renovations to its downtown facility, develop the four-acre Cape Ann Museum Green campus (CAM Green), and grow the museum’s endowment.
Currently, the downtown campus is closed with renovations work having commenced in early December 2024. All programming and exhibits have since transferred to the CAM Green campus at 13 Poplar Street in Gloucester. The target date for the reopening of the Downtown campus is the spring of 2026. In 2025, the Museum will celebrate its 150th anniversary and CAM-150, so named to celebrate this anniversary, is scheduled to wrap up in the spring of 2025.
