Rocky Neck Art Colony Announces 2026 Goetemann Artist Residency Program
Three accomplished artists selected for distinguished residency opportunities that foster creativity, education, and community engagement across Cape Ann
Rocky Neck Art Colony (RNAC) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 Goetemann Artist Residency Program (GAR), a dynamic initiative that provides artists with dedicated time, space, and support to advance their creative practice while engaging with the Cape Ann community.
The 2026 residency cohort includes acclaimed painter Katalene (Kat) Masella as the Distinguished Artist/Teacher, interdisciplinary environmental artist Fiona Brehony as the Environmental Installation Artist, and Gloucester painter Elizabeth Bish as the Gloucester Invitational Artist.
Established to honor the legacy of artist and educator Gordon Goetemann, the residency program supports artistic excellence while creating meaningful opportunities for public engagement through artist talks, workshops, exhibitions, and open studios.
Distinguished Artist/Teacher: Katalene (Kat) Masella
Cape Ann artist Katalene (Kat) Masella is recognized for her large-scale oil and mixed-media paintings that blend abstraction, figurative elements, and art historical references into works that convey a palpable sense of energy and connection. Described by Forbes Magazine as offering overarching theme of connectedness; Masella’s paintings invite viewers into a deeply personal exploration of meaning, spirit, and shared human experience.
Masella studied at the Art Students League of New York, earned a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts from Harvard University, and is currently completing a master’s degree through Falmouth University in the United Kingdom. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is included in the corporate collections of Honeywell International and Bang & Olufsen.
As part of her residency, Masella will share her work with the public through a series of events that invite audiences into her creative process. Her artwork will be on view at Gallery RAG from August 2–9, with an opening reception on Thursday, August 6, from 5–7pm. She will then present an artist talk at the Cultural Center on Saturday, August 8, at 4:30pm, offering insights into her practice and the ideas behind her work. The residency culminates with a four-day workshop, presented in partnership with Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, from August 10–13, 10am–2pm daily, where participants will engage directly with Masella’s intuitive and highly physical approach to artmaking.
“Working spontaneously allows me to respond quickly in the moment, trusting the wisdom gleaned,” says Masella. “I pour my heart and spirit into the work, focusing on the bigger picture and meanings of life.”
Environmental Installation Artist: Fiona Brehony
Manchester-based artist and writer Fiona Brehony works at the intersection of geography, documentary film, sound art, performance, and ecological research. Her practice investigates waterways as living archives that embody histories of industry, extraction, resilience, and renewal.
Drawing upon techniques including hydrophone recordings, collaborative filmmaking, spatial sound installations, and community engagement, Brehony explores how people and places shape one another and how attentive listening can foster deeper relationships of care with the natural world.
Currently completing doctoral research funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the United Kingdom, Brehony has received commissions from institutions including the Whitworth Gallery, Oxford Brookes University, the Royal Northern College of Music, and High Peak Borough Council.
Developed in partnership with Ocean Alliance, Fiona Brehony’s residency explores Gloucester Harbor through sound, place-based research, and environmental storytelling. Drawing on whale song archives, she will create an immersive audio-visual installation examining the harbor as both ecosystem and human infrastructure, inviting reflection on our shared waters with marine life.
Brehony will present an artist talk on Thursday, September 10, 6–8 PM, at the Cultural Center.
The public is invited to Open Studio sessions at Ocean Alliance on September 17 and 24, 2–4pm, with a closing talk on October 1, 5–7pm, at Ocean Alliance.
Gloucester Invitational Artist: Elizabeth Bish
A longtime Gloucester resident and practicing chiropractor, Elizabeth Bish has devoted decades to the study and practice of painting. Working primarily in oils, her work encompasses landscapes, still lifes, figurative painting, and abstraction. She has exhibited throughout Cape Ann, including at the Rockport Art Association, North Shore Arts Association, and Patricia Sullivan Gallery.
Through the Goetemann Artist Residency, Bish will dedicate focused studio time to developing a new body of work that pushes her landscape and still-life paintings toward greater abstraction.
“The Goetemann Artist Residency will provide me with fully focused time to work every day on a new series pushing my still life and landscape paintings toward the more abstract,’ says Bish. “By working intuitively with a variety of materials, I hope to discover my own unique vocabulary of expression.”
Bish’s residency will include several opportunities for public engagement:
Artist Talk: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 6pm at the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck
Open Studio: Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 2-4pm at 51 Main Street (Rear), Gloucester
Residency Closing Reception and Artist Talk: Friday, October 30, 2026, at 6pm at 51 MainStreet (Rear), Gloucester
Through these varied residency experiences, the 2026 Goetemann Artist Residency Program reflects Rocky Neck Art Colony’s commitment to supporting artists at all stages of their careers while enriching the cultural life of Cape Ann through creative exchange, education, and public engagement.