seARTS Art on the Rocks Opening Reception June 8

The Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (seARTS) proudly announces the seventeenth anniversary of its partnership with the Bass Rocks Golf Club for the Annual seARTS Art on the Rocks Program. This year’s show presents over 50 works by 35 artists from Cape Ann and beyond at its opening reception on Thursday, June 8, at 5:30 p.m. The opening provides a chance for seARTS members and the public to enjoy superb art in an elegant club setting overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  

The program is a year-round exhibition, showing and selling the work. The fresh and bold work of the 2023 show balances a body of returning artists with new ones.  

Among the newly enrolled artists (from Cape Ann unless otherwise indicated) are Jerry Ackerman, Christine Bobek (Newburyport), Geoffrey Teale Chalmers (Waltham), Cassie Doyon (Haverhill), Bruce Fieldman, Crissie Murphy (Marlborough) and Brian Murphy (Beverly).

Returning to the show from previous years are John Abisamra, Nancy Alimansky (Newton), Andrew Anderson-Bell (Ipswich), Joan Bediz (Essex), Heidi Caswell-Zander, Matt Cegelis, Michele Champion (Ipswich), Jan Charles, Katherine Coakley, Melissa Cox, Jeff Crawford, Rob Diebboll, Kristine Fisher, Christine Gauthier-Kelley, John Grant, Ann Guyer, Olga Hayes, Nancy Jarvis, Ken King, Jim Kociuba (Beverly), Patricia McCarthy, Charles McCarthy (Beverly), Jan Murphy, Judy Robinson-Cox, Debbie Shirley (West Boxford) Michael Storella and Juni Van Dyke, all from Cape Ann unless otherwise indicated. 

We are also planning to feature an online catalog of the juried artworks available for sale for those unable to attend the reception. Details will be announced soon.  

This year's jury is responsible for the show’s thoughtful and lively selection of art, consisting of Chuck Hayback, owner of Nor’east Frameworks, an art dealer and owner/gallerist of Gallery H2, and organizer of art events.  Chuck has also been a VP on the seARTS board for over a decade.  Our other distinguished jurors are Ted Charles, President of The Board Of Governors at Copley Society of Art, and Martha Sutyak, Designer/ Project Manager of the 1623 Studios office at 11 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, and owner of Smartly Staged, a real estate staging company.

We will also be honored to welcome a participating artist, award-winning Geoffrey Teale Chalmers, to present a still-life painting demonstration. Geoffrey’s work has been juried by the Copley Society of Art into their new exhibit “Through Hopper’s Lens,” (July 6-August 19), a collection of works inspired by Edward Hopper.  Geoffrey is a Boston-based plein air artist who has been an appreciative supporter of the Cape Ann Plein Air festival for years, where he has demonstrated outdoors twice on the terrace at the Beauport Museum. 

The jury will award honors that will be announced at the event.