Cape Ann – which lies just north of Boston and includes the city of Gloucester and towns of Rockport, Manchester and Essex – has been a leading center for artists since the 18th century, a maritime powerhouse and the source of granite for many major building projects up and down the East Coast.

The Cape Ann Museum has a number of collections relating to this rich cultural heritage, including an extensive selection of maritime paintings and landscapes by American artists such as Fitz Henry Lane, Milton Avery and John Sloan.