A Patron’s Collection at the CCMoA
Donations from generous patrons are the lifeblood of regional art museum collections. A case in point is Ann F. Bengtson, a former Falmouth resident who donated 65 works by 17 artists over 21 years to the Cape Cod Museum of Art. “The Collection of Ann F. Bengtson: Patron of the Arts,” running through March 6 at 60 Hope Lane in Dennis, displays highlights.
Bengston’s collection began with a William H. Littlefield painting that she purchased at an estate sale in the early 1980s. From there, it grew as she immersed herself in Falmouth’s artistic community. The exhibition, curated by Benton Jones, includes works from all phases of Littlefield’s career. Other highlights include paintings by Jan Collins Selman, Lillia Frantin, and Claude Croney; sculpture by Ann Vaughan; assemblage and ceramics by Russie Wight-Waltman; and a bas relief by CCMoA founder Harry Holl. Admission is $10 at ccmoa.org.
‘Not Just Water’ With Mruk and Novik
The Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road, is showing the work of artists Brendan Mruk and Mike Novik through Feb. 28.
Both artists are members of the Eastham Painters Guild. Mruk creates still lifes and landscapes using watercolor, scratchboard, and egg tempera, aiming to “recreate the sense of serenity and calm that the Outer Cape provides.” His work is characterized by an earthy, tonal palette and unfettered simplicity.
Novik paints watercolors en plein air, amping up the color, contrast, and detail. His work, as luminous as it is illustrative, veers towards a folksy style of wobbly buildings and nestled boats. One might get lost in his depictions of beachgrass shimmering in dappled light.
Visiting Artists at FAWC
The Fine Arts Work Center, 24 Pearl St. in Provincetown, welcomes visiting artist Letha Wilson, who will be giving a talk in the Stanley Kunitz Common Room on Friday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. Brooklyn-based, Wilson captures photographs of the American West — specifically California, Colorado, and Utah — that she combines with steel or concrete. The resulting sculptures blur disciplinary boundaries, exploring the nature of photography, myth, and ways of seeing.
Visiting writer Sigrid Nunez will give a reading the following evening, Saturday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. Nunez has published eight novels beginning with A Feather on the Breath of God in 1995. It is partly based on growing up with a Chinese-Panamanian father and German mother. Her latest novel, What Are You Going Through, published in 2020, is about a woman helping her terminally ill friend transition to the other side. More info at fawc.org
Wellfleet Preservation Hall Presents Doc Days
Wellfleet Preservation Hall is screening A Walk in Her Shoes: A Homage to the Life and Legacy of Harriet Tubman through Jan. 28 as part of its virtual “Doc Days” film series. A 72-hour viewing window is $5.99 at wellfleetpreservationhall.org.
The 2020 documentary, directed by Selina Garcia, follows author and personal trainer Metra Lundy as she retraces Harriet Tubman’s 695-mile journey from Maryland to Canada in the 1880s. Covering 245 of those miles on foot, Lundy’s journey becomes a metaphor for personal emancipation and growth.
