Oliver Barker

There’s a distinct rumble in the air—and by the sea. On the peninsula of Cape Ann, the rumble is stronger of late. Here the ground is physically breaking in the expansion of the region’s cultural footprint, offering a sense of increased movement and momentum.

Cape Ann perches comfortably and peacefully against a dramatic Atlantic coastline. Historically recognized, renown really, for its artistic heritage and as a working waterfront, the region—comprised of the towns of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex, and a mere hour’s drive north of Boston, MA—has thrived as a two-, two-and-a-half season destination. Underappreciated (especially in the off-season) and less trendy than the other Cape, this modesty has served the area well—to a point. For years the struggle to find balance between marketing vigorously for more visitors and maintaining the integrity of the region stalled forward momentum. And yet with each passing season, the rumble of activity grew, often with art leading the conversations. On the eve of Gloucester’s 400th anniversary in 2023 and the Cape Ann Museum’s 150th anniversary in 2025, Cape Ann now seems to be aging backwards. Never has it felt more young and alive.

In the midst of this rumble of progress and at the center of some of the most exciting developments in the arts on Cape Ann, is the Cape Ann Museum (CAM) itself, in Gloucester, MA. At its helm is Oliver Barker whose presence has galvanized the Museum’s agenda, building upon the exemplary 13-year tenure of his predecessor Ronda Faloon. Barker is funny, brilliant, and most assuredly in the right place at the right time. For a region that has wrestled with growing pains, his leadership, scholarship, and fresh perspective have allowed the vision of a world-class museum agenda to take form and accelerate. And he’s doing so with a rock-solid respect for the community. It is all about the community, and “trying to make sure that people understand that this is their resource, we are their resource, and we want them to feel welcome and we want that to be authentic. We are genuinely interested in making sure this institution represents everyone in our community,” Barker explains.

His background—spanning almost ten years in Venice, Italy at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to curator and projects director for the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation to, most recently, manager of foundation, government, and international relations at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as well as the MFA’s cultural diplomacy protocol officer—has instilled in him an understanding of the human psyche and his ability to build and nurture relationships has already made an impact on Cape Ann. And yet beyond his academic résumé, Barker’s humility and affability shine through. As witty as he is intelligent, Barker’s laugh is disarming and down to earth. What better skillset in diplomacy than being a pleasure to work with.

Not everyone feels comfortable in a museum or understands its potential to bring joy. Nor does everyone understand a museum’s capacity to unify a community, promote inclusivity, and, in the case of 2020, heal amidst a crisis. Who could have predicted that less than a year after Barker’s April 2019 start date, museum-going (and life) as we knew it would halt. Over the past 12 months, CAM’s initiatives have reached those experiencing hunger or homelessness; grief; and disconnectedness. The speed and alacrity with which Barker, CAM’s staff and its board of directors responded was heartfelt. Experiencing a museum out of context, in this case through the lens of a pandemic, has undoubtedly brought new appreciation for these buildings and expanded pre-conceived notions of what a museum “is” beyond being a quiet or intimidating space to view art. The art of empathy and giving has been on display at CAM and will continue to be long after the pandemic passes. One can even argue that the upside to all the downside of COVID has been the ways in which both CAM and CAM Green have been utilized to bring the community together, including “Storms Rage, Gloucester Endures” utilizing a work by Gloucester’s Fitz Henry Lane as a backdrop printed on banners gracing the facade of the Pleasant Street Campus; a CAM Culture Cruise on Gloucester Harbor with more than 70 boats in attendance; a CAM Contemporary exhibition where an illuminated, multi-lingual message “Thank You Frontline Heroes” was projected onto the side of the White-Ellery Barn on CAM Green created by Stephanie Benenson of Harbor Voices, a socially engaged public art collective; and most recently CAM Memorial, the temporary installation honoring Cape Ann residents who were lost to COVID, consisting of a video art installation (CAM partnered with contemporary artist Pamela Hersh), the Cape Ann Cairns Memorial, and the Gloucester Memorial Quilt.

As we recover as a nation from the pandemic, there has never been a greater emphasis on the arts and its power to communicate, heal, and to cheer. On the eve of the Cape Ann Museum’s long-awaited opening of its extended campus, CAM Green—a stunning example of merging past and present—Barker becomes giddy. He can talk the proverbial blue streak regarding every detail of the new 12,000-square-foot Janet & William Ellery James Center, its three historic buildings, and the “green” itself, which will evolve into a sculpture park. Not to mention its educational goals and the importance of a state-of-the-art storage facility. CAM Green’s main room, which Barker calls “a gallery of new possibilities” is ideal for contemporary art and gatherings. Its big roller door creates “a continuous indoor/outdoor campus.” It’s “coming full circle,” Barker says, “from being small with minimal resources and minimal space and now we’re so far ahead. It’s really quite a trajectory.”

Barker’s fond of saying “wow” when describing CAM Green’s collections, storage, and cataloging area, “the museum within the museum,”
he says. He makes the new shelving system sound exciting (actually it is) and boasts of the viewing area where students and visitors can watch a Marsden Hartley painting of nearby Dogtown emerge before their eyes on rolling racks. “I’m a firm believer, as a painter myself, that nothing replaces seeing the actual work of art.” At CAM Green, every material was chosen with meticulous attention as well as “a real commitment to green space” and artisan involvement—including an artist of the past. “We have used two paintings by Fitz Henry Lane that he actually made of this site as our guide in recreating the campus.”

Barker’s energy is its own electrical source, his presence a must for parties. And while his passion fuels his goal of elevating CAM to “one of the finest regional museums in the United States” he’ll do so with respect to the traditions and values Cape Ann was built upon. Not to mention the region’s distinct heritage, which is often undervalued, “Cape Ann being one of the most important places in the history of American art and industry,” Barker reminds. “We’re in an exciting and pivotal moment.”

The inaugural exhibition at the Janet & William Ellery James Center at CAM Green, opens June 18, featuring the works of Essex sculptor Brad Story and Ipswich photographer Dorothy Kerper Monnelly. The work centers around the Great Marsh, a natural resource that includes more than 20,000 acres of saltmarsh, barrier beaches, and estuaries extending from Cape Ann to the New Hampshire border.

As the ground continues to rumble on Cape Ann, keep an ear also toward the inimitable sound of waves crushing against Cape Ann’s exquisite coast where artists have captured the light, the crests, and Cape Ann’s spirit on countless canvases over the years. In Barker’s words, “We only exist to preserve the cultural heritage of this particular place.”