GLOUCESTER, MASS.- Building on the generous support of the Museum’s Board, donors, and supporters amid growing momentum for general Museum operations, Director Oliver Barker and Henrietta Gates, Board Chair, announced that the institution has generated over $18 million in campaign commitments. This significant support will fund renovations to its Downtown facility, provide upgrades to the CAM Green campus, enhance programming, and augment the Museum’s endowment.

“The growth of the Museum in recent years in particular has been breathtaking,” Barker said. “The Edward Hopper & Cape Ann show last summer tested us and our capacity to host such a nationally significant exhibition. While we excelled in welcoming an unprecedented number of visitors, we will be able to offer an even better experience for the community in the future through the CAM150 Campaign.” Barker also shared that “…by raising these funds, the Museum will amplify its commitment to access, innovative programming and greater visibility of CAM’s important collections.”

Barker added: “After decades of growth in collections, membership and programming, it is now time for the Museum to reinvest once again in our facilities. CAM-150 will fuel the institution’s commitment to broaden the Museum’s reach, strengthen our mission, and expand our community relevance. It will protect our valuable collections and allow the Museum to engage more deeply with the people who call this area home. Most importantly, the support secured and still sought for the CAM 150 Campaign will ensure that the distinct history of Cape Ann is shared with generations to come.”


Architectural rendering of renovated 20th and 21st century art gallery to be known as the James Gallery after construction. Courtesy designLAB & Cape Ann Museum


The CAM-150 Campaign, marks the 150th Anniversary of the Museum’s founding in 1875, and will:

• Revitalize the Downtown campus with world-class gallery space allowing the Museum to tell the story of Cape Ann’s rich history, culture, and artistic traditions.

• Create and expand the CAM Green campus to serve as a gateway to Cape Ann for the community as well as a place for collection care, storage and access.

• Amplify community and cross-generational engagement at both campuses, through K-12 education modules and programming that convenes community to engage, celebrate, question and learn.

• Fuel the growth of the Museum’s endowment, ensuring the efficacy of its collections, exhibits and programming for future generations.

To accommodate the renovations while the Downtown campus is closed from October 7, 2024, through Spring 2026, the Museum will pivot operations to the CAM Green campus starting on October 9, 2024. These activities will commence with the opening of a new exhibition at the Janet & William Ellery James Center dedicated to the work of artist and teacher, Umberto Romano.

Downtown campus renovations will begin in early December 2024 and are being overseen by Boston-based architectural firm, designLAB. With a focus on elevating the visitor experience, including HVAC and lighting system upgrades to over 40 percent of the campus, renovations will result in reimagined 20th and 21st century art gallery space, fisheries and archival galleries, along with a revitalized CAM Studio for Education. Designed to broaden access to the breadth of the Museum’s collections, renovations are focused on improving visitor accessibility and circulation between galleries.

The CAM 150 Campaign has been chaired by CAM Board members Henrietta Gates, J.J. Bell, and Caroline Hovey. During the leadership phase of the campaign, the Museum has been so grateful for the visionary support and donations from its Board, other volunteers, Museum members, and local and national philanthropic institutions. Impetus for the Campaign came from a lead gift of $4 million from Janet and Willliam Ellery James along with the support of five other donors at the seven-figure level. In addition to this private philanthropy, CAM has received significant support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council Facilities Fund as well as grants as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“It is quite humbling. Gifts have ranged from community members giving $50 to seven figure support from a nationally recognized foundation,” Barker said. “Each contribution is deeply important, demonstrating the wide support the Museum receives, not just on Cape Ann, but beyond. We hope others will be excited about the Museum’s plans and now join in supporting the CAM 150 campaign.”

Henrietta Gates, Chair of the Museum’s Board and CAM150 Campaign Tri-Chair, observed how much CAM has been spurred by growth and momentum: “It’s not the place it was just 10 years ago,” she said. “In the past four years, the Museum has become more accessible, inclusive, and recognized. From nationally acclaimed exhibits to extensive free programming events celebrating Cape Ann, there is always something to see and do at the Museum.”

Further details about the dynamic array of free exhibitions and related programming to be offered at CAM Green throughout 2025 will be forthcoming in late September 2024. In looking beyond the re-opening of the Downtown campus in early 2026, the Museum will inaugurate its next major loan exhibition, Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: A Close-Knit Trio (working title) in summer 2026. This exhibition, to be presented in partnership with Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., will place special emphasis on the inspiration that all three great American artists, Milton Avery (1885–1965), Mark Rothko (1903–1970), and Adolph Gottlieb (1903–1974) derived from visits to Cape Ann and from each other, an influence that continued to reverberate in the work of their later years.

State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, who along with other lawmakers, helped secure pandemic relief funding for the Fisheries Gallery renovation and expanded programming, said: “Cape Ann Museum sits at the heart of Gloucester’s Harbortown Cultural District and is a cultural treasure, not just to Gloucester but to Cape Ann and the Commonwealth as a whole. As the daughter and granddaughter of fishermen, I’m proud the Commonwealth is providing support for expanding the Museum’s ability to showcase the stories, art, and artifacts that tell the story of Cape Ann’s rich seafaring and artistic heritage.”

State Senator Bruce Tarr added: “Cape Ann Museum is a cherished resource for people on Cape Ann and for those who visit from across Massachusetts, our nation, and around the world. With visionary leadership and a committed team, this dynamic institution not only cares for and shares works of art and objects across a broad spectrum, it helps us to find our own understanding and appreciation of the people and the world around us. The organization’s demonstrated power to impact our lives in positive ways is worthy of state investment, and I’m pleased to work as a team with Rep. Ferrante to bring that investment to fruition.”