This retrospective exhibit honors the life and legacy of the renegade artist Jane McDonald, who painted on Cape Ann and Rocky Neck from the 1970s until her death in 2009. McDonald, a fiercely passionate artist who eschewed societal expectations, established her own studio/gallery at 77 Rocky Neck Avenue.
In the 1980s and 1990s, she collaborated with and inspired other painters Joan Frank, Eileen Mueller, Carol St. John, and Patricia Sullivan, generating a powerful female presence on Rocky Neck’s Madfish Wharf. Jane dedicated herself to supporting these artists, encouraging each to be true to her own vision. This exhibit reunites this dynamic group for the first time.
A genius of whimsical watercolors, McDonald’s spirit and influence echoes in the work of other Cape Ann artists: Patricia Sullivan’s strong colors and composition; Eileen Mueller’s bold brushwork and energy, Joan Frank’s combination of childlike vision and sophistication, and in Carol St. John’s playful, satirical watercolors. These works can be found in collections here and all over the world. These five artists join the long history of notable artists of Gloucester.
Joan Frank, Stone Barn; Patty Sullivan, Spring IV; Patty Sullivan, Laurel's House; Jane McDonald, Tulips; Joan Frank, Windy Hill; Jane McDonald, Iconic Gloucester Harbor; Eileen Mueller, Seagrass; Eileen Mueller, Cape Hedge; Carol St. John, Cocktail Party; Carol St. John, Remembering When