The traditional clamming skiff crafted by students and the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum will be on display at The Bower in Beverly. PHOTO BY JOHN ANDREWS

New exhibit at The Bower at Montserrat showcases a decade of supporting artists, public art and connection

Beverly, MA – A new exhibit at The Bower at Montserrat will offer a chance for the public to experience how a decade of philanthropic support for arts and culture impacts local communities.

Free public tours of “A Decade of Impact,” will be available at 248 Cabot St., Beverly, on select days and times from Nov. 6 through Nov. 13. Over 100 objects – from photographs to 3D installations – will be on display. The objects will tell visitors the story of the Creative County Initiative, Essex County Community Foundation’s (ECCF’s) $5 million, multi-year investment in the arts, culture and creative sector of Essex County.

“Over the last decade, ECCF has supported artists, creative partnerships and public art that has literally transformed local cities and towns,” said CCI Program Manager Karen Ristuben, who will conduct the public tours of the exhibit. “We are so excited to tell this story and represent this incredible journey in such a visual way.”

Highlights of the exhibit include:

• A traditional clamming skiff, crafted by hand through a partnership between local students and the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum.
• A life-sized replica of a bus shelter that includes public art from artist Jenn Houle, who was tapped to install her bird and butterfly murals on Merrimack Valley Transit Authority (MeVa) bus shelters throughout the Merrimack Valley to educate the public about the local ecosystem and create a sense of place.
• The Lynn Hop-Hop Wall of Fame, a community-driven mural to commemorate the talented hip-hop artists from Lynn and support the long history of Lynn hip-hop culture.

Objects from nearly every corner of Essex County – from Amesbury to Lynn and Methuen to Rockport – will be on display.

“Essex County residents will definitely recognize their communities in this exhibit,” said Ristuben. “Our hope is that they’ll connect with a piece of art or spot a photograph from a local arts festival or community event and have that ‘a-ha’ moment: that arts and culture are all around us, they matter, and that they’ve experienced it right here in their own back yard.”

“We also want visitors to walk away with a better understanding of the critical role that philanthropy, community partnership and collaboration play in keeping arts and culture accessible and alive for our communities,” she added.

ECCF’s Karen Ristuben will lead public tours of ‘A Decade of Impact’ on Nov. 6 from 10am to 1pm; Nov. 9 from 1-4pm; Nov. 11 from 1-4pm and Nov. 13, from 10am to 1pm. Visit eccf.org for more information about the Creative County Initiative.