ART in PROVINCETOWN
It was a beautiful sunny day in Provincetown, albeit a bit on the cool side. With the sun in full force, A. Paul & I set out to begin getting our lives a bit back to normal and start preparing the art studio and gallery for our new season.
A quick drive through Provincetown showed that the town was still awakening from winter but the hammers, saws, and clean ups readying businesses for the season has begun. Along the way to the art studio and gallery, we met up with well wishers and friends welcoming us home, which we appreciated greatly.
For those readers who have not had the opportunity to visit Provincetown, Ptown (as it is more informally referred to) is the oldest, continuous art colony in the country. Visual artists have long favored the light and landscape of Cape Cod, in particular the light of Provincetown the furthermost point of the Cape. Performing and literary artists discover a wealth of inspiration in the diverse population of this small seaside village. As such, Provincetown offers an array of both visual and performing arts. Included in these venues are the Provincetown Art Association & Museum PAAM) http://paam.org/, the Pilgrim Monument & Museum http://pilgrim-monument.org/, the Fine Arts Work Center http://fawc.org/index.php, nearby Truro Castlehill Center for the Arts http://castlehill.org/, and over 80 art galleries, art studios, art schools, and performing arts theaters.
Though the town slows to a quiet crawl in the late winter and early spring, the summer and fall swells with visitors taking part in the endless festivities the town has to offer, such as Carnival & Jazz Festival in August, June's International Film Festival, September's Tennessee Williams Festival, and the Spring & Fall Restaurant &Gallery strolls. There are several organizations you can explore to see these and other "happenings" in Provincetown. The Chamber of Commerce http://ptownchamber.com/; Provincetown Business Guild http://ptown.org/, Provincetown Tourism Office http://provincetowntourismoffice.org/ and http://www.provincetown.com/; all post a calendar of events for the town.
If you are looking for art and fine dining, you can also check the several art/dining guides published in town and online provincetownartguide.com/, provincetownmagazine.org/ , and provincetowngalleryguide.com/ . Of course, we hope that you will also plan a visit to Cortile Gallery and drop by to see the wonderful art of our artists or simply to say hello http://cortilegallery.com/ A short stroll down the street from the gallery, you can catch A. Paul in his studio which is always open to the visiting public during the season.
Regarding Cortile, we have an exciting calendar of exhibits planned this year. We will be opening for business mid-April and will have our first official gallery opening on May 20th. We are planning an Art Tour Across America exhibit in the early fall. Watch for our updated calendar and blog on our new website due to roll out next month. You can also stay in contact with us via Facebook by friending Cortile-Gallery Provincetown. If you would like to be added to our contact list for special announcements, feel free to email me and I will make sure to add you to our email list cortilegallery@comcast.net
As I bring the Art Tour Across America blog to a close this evening, I say goodnight but not goodbye. As A. Paul & I reflect upon all the landscape, venues, and people we met along our journey, we realize that this is not to be the last of our tours, but marks a beginning. We are hopeful to arrange an Art Tour Across Western Europe in 2013 and hope you will continue traveling and exploring the arts along with us.
Thank you to everyone for your hospitality, comments, time, and for sharing your arts & communities with us. It was an inspiring trip and it was fun to have you travel along with us. I close tonight with a few images taken at the end of the day and the sunset we captured on our way back home.
IMAGES of PROVINCETOWN, MA CAPE COD