Joel Janowitz & Mark Cooper | Cape Ann : two visions

June 13 - July 12 . 2026 . extended thru August 16 . 2026

Opening Reception | Saturday June 13th . 4-6pm

Joel Janowitz and Mark Cooper—two Boston-based artists, each with an international reputation—share a friendship that spans decades. Their working studios are on the same Boston street; and as such, they often meet for lunch where the conversation invariably  focuses on art. They admire and encourage each other’s work, contrasting as it is, and relish the freedom to critique, which only a close friendship affords. Respect triumphs judgment. 

Cooper and Janowitz also share a long history of exploring Cape Ann. Each artist has been galvanized by the physical and ephemeral nature of Gloucester and its surrounds, and have spent years exploring and enjoying the beauty of Cape Ann. Their experiences are expressed in very different yet conversant artistic outcomes.

Cooper has been coming here for fifty years and writes — My creative efforts have always been idea based. … The beauty of the ocean, the giant stones, the quarries, the beaches, the sand, the grass, the birds, and the plants meld in my subconscious and are reflected in my art. … After so many visits, I still discover new things each time - a new quarry or flower as well as a new look at a familiar view.

Janowitz’s history in Gloucester and its vicinity spans more than thirty-five years. The region has served as one of the most important and influential motifs in his oeuvre. As he explains — I’ve explored and painted throughout Cape Ann, and worked directly on-site, painting oils and watercolors of the area’s abundant beauty. These on-site observations become my source material.

This exhibition is a look at how two renowned contemporary artists—and friends—uniquely interpret their shared reverence for and the inspirations they glean from Cape Ann.