Persistent Curiosity: Charting the Rippled Fabric of the Sea | The Center for Coastal Studies 50th Anniversary

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Center for Coastal Studies, PAAM presents an exhibition celebrating the convergence of Provincetown’s natural and artistic worlds.

Curated by PAAM CEO Christine McCarthy and CCS Scientist/Artist-in-Residence Mark Adams, the exhibition draws on contemporary artists with a long connection to Provincetown’s marine history as well on works from PAAM’s permanent collection, including many donated by the late Napi and Helen Van Dereck. According to the curators, works were selected because they resonate with the show’s themes of whale biology, marine ecology, coastal landforms and working life by the sea.

Adams writes: “The artists on view in this exhibition have created visual metaphors for sand, tides and currents, the lives of whales and plankton, and the seaworthiness of our harbor towns, evoking a rich maritime half-century and a changing ethos about how to live by the ocean.”

Given Provincetown’s rich history and culture shaped by the sea and the coastal environment, the collaboration between PAAM and the Center for Coastal Studies makes sense. Moreover, observed Adams, “the eye of the artist mirrors the eye of the scientist, posing questions and gathering experience.”

“Not all artists are naturalists, but many celebrate what nature does. Each depiction of a whale or a continent is a lens directing our gaze. One job of the artist is to point and see – as in the poignant watercolors of beached whales by Joel Janowitz and the passionate doryman of Paul Stopforth,” said Adams.

Christine McCarthy writes: “Both the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and the Center for Coastal Studies are rooted in a shared love for the Outer Cape. Celebrating their 50th anniversary through this exhibition is a meaningful way to honor that legacy and bring our community together through art, science, and a commitment to protecting our coastal environment.”

“PAAM and CCS are Provincetown institutions with much in common. We tell the story of the Outer Cape through both art and science. An exhibition like this reminds us of the critical relationship between scientists and artists. Artists are inspired by the natural world we study, and in turn, they communicate its value through their creative imagery,” said CCS Executive Director Anne-Marie Runfola.

John (Jack) Kearney (1924 – 2014), Whale Entangled, bronze, PAAM Collection, Gift of the Murphy-Godinez Collection, in memory of Glenn Stuart Berman, 2020.