Exhibit part of ongoing efforts to highlight diverse, local artists inside Governor's office

Boston - Governor Healey, in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council, is exhibiting work by artists living on the Cape and the Islands to showcase the rich history and natural landscape of more than 1,500 miles of Massachusetts’ coastline. The art exhibit displays the work of Julia Cumes of Brewster, Jay Critchley of Provincetown, Jacqui Hawk of Centerville and Andrew Moore of Martha’s Vineyard and will be displayed inside the Governor’s Reception through the September 15.  

This is Governor Healey’s fourth exhibition this year in an effort to bring the work of local artists to the State House for public display. In February and March, to celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History month, Governor Healey displayed the artwork of four local Black women. In April and May, Governor Healey displayed climate-related art to celebrate Earth Month. Also, to celebrate Pride Month, Governor Healey displayed the work of LGBTQ+ artists.  

“The State House is the People’s House. Tens of thousands of visitors from across the world come here to experience our rich culture and history, so it was important to us that we incorporate a range of inclusive voices and art to help tell our shared Massachusetts story,” said Governor Healey. “I am thankful to these local artists for letting us display their beautiful works of art which have brought great joy and vibrancy to our reception space.” 

“This exhibition has brought the captivating coastline of Massachusetts right here to Beacon Hill,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This administration has made it a priority to support the arts and give local artists the space, support, and resources they need to thrive.”  

“I’m grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and their team in the State House for continuing to highlight Massachusetts artists in the Governor’s Office,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “This latest exhibit spotlights artists from the Cape, putting the Commonwealth’s coastal beauty front and center. These pieces showcase the importance of the seashore for Massachusetts, serving as a true engine of innovation over the course of many generations.” 

Since taking office, Governor Healey has sought to expand diverse art on display in the Governor’s Executive Office Suite by adding “Black Tie” by Robert T. Freeman and “At the Tremont Street Car Barns” by Allan Rohan Crite that are on loan from the Musuem of Fine Arts. The office also has on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Early Summer by J. Appleton Brown, Spring Hillside by J. J. Enneking, George Washington by Francis Alexander, Landscape by Leslie Prince Thompson and Showery May Morning, by J. Appleton Brown. 

About the artists:  

Andrew Gordon Moore 

Andrew Moore is a realist painter working mainly in oil, watercolor and pencil. As a fisherman, sailor and self-taught naturalist, the world on the sea and afield lies at the center of many of his paintings. Additionally, he paints people involved in island trades or that are simply part of his year-round life on Martha's Vineyard. His paintings, along with his daughter Hannah’s and son Gordon’s ceramics, can be seen in person at the Moore Family Gallery in Oak Bluffs. The gallery and the work can also be viewed online at www.moorefamilygallery.com.  

Two of his works, The Rigger and Into the Blue, are both on display in the Governor’s reception area. The Rigger (egg tempera with oil glazes) depicts boatwright Gary Maynard working on the rigging of Alabama, a ninety-foot-long sloop moored in Vineyard haven Harbor. Into the Blue (oil on linen) depicts a walking path worn through the beach grass covered barrier dune, leading to the ocean. Here the beach grass is interspersed with September’s blossoming goldenrod. Hand painted monarch butterflies adorn the frame, pointing out the symbiotic relationship between these migrating butterflies and the fuel rich goldenrod nectar. Andrew is pleased to be part of this exhibition and to represent the numerous skilled painters living and working on the Cape and Islands. 

Julia Cumes  

Julia Cumes, a photographer from Brewster, MA, is known for capturing story-telling moments and expressive portraits that explore significant societal issues like gender inequality, climate change and more. Her work, Wild Harvester, Wellfleet and Nature’s Cathedral, are featured in the Governor’s office. Wild Harvester portrays Sonya Woodman, a wild oyster harvester, highlighting her deep connection to the sea. Nature’s Cathedral captures a young boy standing on the last chunk of ice after a cold winter, bathed in light, symbolizing a profound spiritual connection to nature. These aluminum-framed photographs reflect the strong ties between people and the coastal landscape of Massachusetts. 

Jay Critchley

Jay’s visual, conceptual and performance work and environmental activism have traversed the globe. A longtime Provincetown resident, he utilizes the town, landscape, harbor, beaches and dunes as his medium. Mr. Critchley has taught at the Museum School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and has had residencies at Harvard University, AS220 in Providence, Rhode Island, Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Real Art Ways in Hartford, Connecticut and Milepost 5 in Portland, Oregon. Critchley directs the annual Provincetown Swim for Life on September 7 and will have an exhibition at Monserrat College of Art in January. 

His work, Above Water, is on display in the Governor’s office. This piece, a digital pigment ink print, contrasts a blue pool with a man swimming mirrored by a striking orange trapezoid. Mr. Critchley utilizes the town, landscape, harbor, beaches and dunes as his medium.   

Jacqui Hawk  

Jacqui is an experiential artist, impacted by a deep visceral connection to her soul and the innate desire to depict her intimate feelings and views onto the canvas in a spontaneous, raw and abstract self-expression. She works mainly in acrylic and mixed media, including wax, pearlescent powders, gesso of different consistencies, stained glass pieces, collages, gold/silver leaf, and unusual objects she finds washed up on the beach. Jacqui was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and moved to Massachusetts in 1994. She has lived on Cape Cod since 2020. 

Her work, Wind Beneath My Sails, is on display at the Governor’s office. An acrylic-based painting, Jacqui showcases a sailboat riding the waves of the sea with an abstract dot-like background to encapsulate the range of colors in the sky. By mixing the landscape and abstract elements of the work, Jacqui is able to add a joyfulness to the ocean to represent the sense of freedom and peace that blows the sail forward.