The Cape Cod Museum of Art has 2 very interesting local film events scheduled for April.

The first is the film Women of Faith by Rebecca M. Alvin. It’s a documentary that explores the relationship between the Catholic Church and the women who serve or have served in the church. The women profiled include 3 Maryknoll sisters, 2 Poor Claire Nuns, Donna Heitzman (Provincetown resident and ex-nun), and the Rev. Marie David (Harwich resident and ordained Roman Catholic womanpriest). The director will be present, as may some of the women profiled in the film, to participate in a discussion after the showing.  It will be held on Thursday, April 16, at 7 pm. Admission $10.

The second is a mini film festival, called A Critic’s Choice: Cape Cod Short Films. Join Cape Cod Times Film Editor, Tim Miller, for an afternoon of short films by Cape Cod film makers. Many of the film makers will be present and I’m sure there will be a great discussion. This event will be held on Sunday, April 19, from 1 to 5 pm. Admission is $10.

If you’d like more info on these events call the Cape Cod Museum of Art at 508-385-4477.

Maritime Art by Mike Mazer will be on display at the Cape Cod Museum of Art from March 21 to May 10. Mazer has had over 370 of his maritime paintings juried into national and maritime art exhibits and has received over 80 major awards. He is an elected or signature member of 34 national art societies, including 2 terms as president of New England Watercolor Society. Serving in that capacity he was pivotal in setting up the Society’s Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston.

Two of his paintings have been included by North Lights Books’ Splash 9 (2006) and Splash 10 (2008). These publications list the top 100 American contemporary watercolorists.

Mike Mazer retired in 1998 from a 36-year career as Chief of Cardiology and Nephrology at several Greater Boston hospitals. He was also a LCDR, US Navy retired.

Admission to the Cape Cod Museum of Art is only $8.

Leo and I have friends coming in on April 18 and 19 for the Woods Hole Model Boat Show and I’m going to suggest that we visit the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, as well. They’re staying for a few additional days so we’ll have time.

CLICK HERE, if you’d like to learn more about Cape Cod art and maritime history shown in our local museums.

Model boat enthusiasts make sure you save some time on April 18 and 19 (Patriot’s Day Weekend) for the Woods Hole Model Boat Show.  Over 125 model boats, both static and radio-controlled will be on display. The demonstrations and races are my favorite part. There will be radio-controlled boat races on Eel Pond both days. (If you get hungry, be sure to stop in at the Captain Kidd, which overlooks Eel Pond, for some fish and chips! I think they have the best on Cape Cod!)

Workshops, demonstrations and talks will also be given on both Saturday and Sunday. You’ll love watching how craftsmen create ships in bottles. If you’re wondering what a boat  or maritime item is worth, a boat appraiser will be available to evaluate your things. Commercial exhibiters will sell completed models, kits and equipment for building models.

On Saturday morning you’ll be able to visit the stately  Nobska Lighthouse and the Woods Hole aquarium.

This whole shebang is just fun stuff. It’s also a fundraiser for the Woods Hole Historical Society.  Admission is $12 for Adults, $5 for Children over 5. Families get a flat-rate of $25.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Maritime Museums on Cape Cod

The Sandwich Glass Museum exhibition of  contemporary glass engravers Edward and James Poore will end on March 31, 2009. Their Crystal Workshop is located on Cape Cod in Sagamore (a village of Bourne).

Edward Poore has over 35 years experience as a glass engraver, sculptor, and cutter. He trained at the Pairpoint Glassworks. He is known for his paperweights. James Poore (Edward’s son) began working in the Crystal Workshop at the age of 20. In 2000, he left the Crystal Workshop to establish his own business in glass antiques. But in 2004 he returned to actively working in glass.

The Sandwich Glass Museum has mounted a beautiful display of their artisanship. Any glass art lover should make an effort to see the work of these contemporary glass artisans Edward Poore and James Poore.

Click Here for more information on the Sandwich Glass Museum and other Museums on Cape Cod.

The Cahoon Museum of American Art has two exhibitions planned for March. The first, L.I.FE. in the Abstract, celebrates that all persons regardless of emotional or physical abilities can express themselves through the spontaneous and intuitive nature of abstract art. The second exhibition gives us a chance to get to know six local painters from Cotuit through their art and words.

L.I.F.E. in the Abstract (Feb. 3 through Mar. 8th) An Exhibition Benefiting Living Independently for Ever. Eight contemporary artists - Peter Arvidson, Vivian Bower, Karen Coill, Reese Inman, Mike Landis, Sky Power, Helen Shulman, and Mike Ware - join with students from L.I.F.E. to affirm that all persons have the ability to express themselves through abstract art.

Pearls of Cotuit: A Community Celebrates its Artists. (Mar. 10 through Apr. 23) The Cahoon Museum celebrates the talent of some of the most talented Cape Cod Artists. In addition to exploring the paintings, participants will be able to listen to the individual artists. All artist presentations will be at 11 am on Thursday. Mar. 19 (Jack Ahlin), Mar. 26 (Anne Gilson Haney), Apr. 2 (Liz Kelner Possen), Apr. 9 (Anne Doyle), Apr. 16 (Anne Boucher), Apr 23 (Sandy O’Connor).

If you’re wondering what to do on Thursdays in March. Plan a day trip to Cape Cod. Sit in on one of the speeches by a local artists and check out the rest of the Cahoon Museum. It’s a wonderful way to connect with a local artist community and learn something new! Then go out to lunch and make a day of it.

Admission to the Museum is only $5, Seniors and Students $4. Members and children under 12 free. The museum is closed in January.
Learn more about Cape Cod Museums.

During March, the Cape Cod Museum of Art, in Dennis will present local artists and musicians. It will continue its tradition of delighting all of our senses by joining with local restauarnts on Artful Thursdays.

On March 2 Barrett Keating, antiques conservator, will speak at 1 pm. Keating is a well-respected figure in the field of fine furniture preservation. He’s clients include historical societies, and both State and Federal agencies. Keating is a Cape Cod native and his furniture conservation business is now located in North Falmouth, MA. Keating graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and spent 5 years at sea. Keating’s love of the sea and woodworking lead him to open his business in the 1980’s specializing in boatbuilding and wordworking. Tickets $15 non-members and Free for Museum Members.

On March 5 several Cape Cod potters will demonstrate ceramic finishing techniques. Nancy Craemer - Colored Clay; Ron Geering - Sgraffito and Slip Trailing; Denny Howard - Brushwork; Tessa Morgan Sgraffito; Ron Dean - Burnishing and Smoking; and Gail Turner - Wax Resist. Wine and light refreshments, admission by donation.

The Cape Cod potters demonstration is part of Artful Thursday, when admission is by donation all day (10 am to 8 pm). Artful Thursday has morning talks by exhibition artists or curators and afternoon tours by docents to help us appreciate the rich art heritage of Cape Cod. Two local restaurants join the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Artful Thursday by offering 10% discounts. Enjoy lunch at the nearby Mercantile or lunch and dinner at the Blue Moon bistro.

On March 27, pianist Lynne Weber will perform in the Tea and Music series from 2:30 to 4 pm. You’ll enjoy popular music and tea and cookies. Admission for Cape Cod Museum members is free for others $4.

The Sunday music series continues in March. Performances are at 2:30 pm. Tickets for Museum Members $15 for everyone else $18.
March 1 Katie Lynch and Laura Smolowitz: Song of the Lark. Explore nature and art through music.
March 8 Martha Whatley and Peter Earle (with Chris Morris at piano): The Best of Broadway
March 15 Grace O’Conner (with Doug Hamner at piano and Bruce Abbott at saxaphones and flute): Broadway and Beyond.
March 22 Bobby Wetherbee: Cabaret. Mr. Wetherbee is known for his performances at the famed Copley Plaza.
March 29 Jenifer and Julian Jackson and Sonny Barbato: Together in Time. Jazz and American Standards.

Leo and I have a family membership at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. It’s only $75 a year. We love getting to know local artists, listening to the music, and meeting fellow art lovers. The Cape Cod Museum of Art is located in Dennis off of Route 6A.

The Cape Cod Children’s Museum has some great educational programs. Our neighbors have enrolled their little guys  in Miss Mary’s science class. Miss Mary has a private eye puppet named Sylvester “Sly” Sleuth who helps her. The class allows children to perform experiments, role play, and get really engaged with science learning. The little guys next door are always running across the driveway to excitedly tell us what Miss Mary and Sly taught them.

It’s really whetted their appetities for science and experimenting. When I’m out working in the garden, the little 5 year-old comes over and wants to know all about the plants and how they grow and how much water do they need. Why do you have a composter? It’s yukky! How DO those green beans become fertilizer?  What’s fertilizer?

The class has less than 10 children and meets once a week for 10 weeks. The program costs $85 for Cape Cod Children’s Museum members and $110 for non-members. It’s designed for 4 and 5 year-olds.

But you don’t have to signup for class to experience the learning opportunities at the Cape Cod Children’s Museum. For example Leo and I  watched our little neighbors as they went on their way this morning to learn how to make catapults. As Leo said do we really want to teach little boys how to launch rocks! Well we may be ducking for a few days. But I bet Leo the engineer will be out playing with them later today, showing them how to improve their catapults.

The Cape Cod Children’s Museum is located in Mashpee, just 2 miles from the Mashpee Rotary on Great Neck Road.

It’s open from 10 to 3 Tuesday through Thursay - 10 to 5 on Friday and Saturday - Noon to 5 on Sunday. If you’re not a member, admission is $6.00. Membership for a family of two to four is $75. Each additional family member is $10.

The Cape Cod Maritime Museum is a great place to learn about the history of Cape Cod. We always need to remember our cultural roots and for us on Cape Cod, those are linked to the ocean in many ways. Most of us “natives” have relatives who were or are fisherman, scallopers, whalers, boat builders, or those who worked in the subindustries that supported marine related businesses.

One of the most interesting displays at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum is the Sparrow-Hawk. It is the ONLY remaining example of a 17th-century ship that crossed the Atlantic to bring people here. Yes, you can see the original timbers. What will really amaze you is how small it is. I would have thought twice before I got in that to cross the Atlantic. It is only 40 feet long and about 36 tons. The famous Mayflower was about 180 tons. Now don’t go expecting to see the entire boat with full sails. It is the remains. But still, it’s pretty impressive.

There’s also the catboat Sarah based on the famous 1886 Crosby catboat. The catboat was originally used by fishermen and over the years the use has changed to recreational boating and racing. It will be used to teach students firsthand about scalloping, fishing, and how hard those jobs truly are!
There are classes and events that are usually free or given at very low cost.  Admission for adults is only $5, Students and Seniors are $4, children under 6 are free.

Leo and I are seriously considering going to the Wreck Scene Investigation Seminar on Thursday, Feb. 19.  Where we’ll learn to examine and excavate the ‘remains’ of a shipwreck. Map, record and identify the objects found, then use this information to find out more about the ship and her crew.” That’s the description given on the museum’s website. And the cost is free!