The Cotton Pickers  by Christopher Pothier (Bowersock Gallery, August 14 – September 2)

The Annual Guide to the Gallery Season in Provincetown

by Rebecca M. Alvin

With everything open and the weather looking better and better, the Friday evening gallery stroll in Provincetown is alive and well. It’s a season like any other, with works focused on this particular moment in time, work from past moments in Provincetown’s storied artistic history, and new ways of seeing old themes, old techniques, and old systems. What follows is just a heads up about the art scene in town and is not at all comprehensive. Most of the galleries mentioned here have full schedules, many overflowing into the shoulder season or even up until New Year’s Day. Therefore, it is wise to pick up the magazine each week to see what’s opening when and where, as we hope to guide you throughout the season, beyond this brief collection of highlights for the 2026 season.

What’s New?

Each year we both mourn the loss of galleries we loved and celebrate the opening of new galleries in town that reinforce this notion of artistic resilience in a town that is increasingly difficult to prosper in for any business, let alone an art gallery. On the east end of town two galleries have popped up. ShowQueen Gallery, featured recently in this magazine, has a special collection of works created by people in show business, making it an unusual gallery on the east end, but it also offers work in a variety of mediums that celebrate pop and theater icons, such as Liza Minnelli and Dolly Parton. Farther out is Tillie’s Art & Provisions, a gallery and gathering space founded in the wake of numerous artists finding themselves without a gallery, according to owner Thomas Biggert, in a historic east end space. Their opening exhibition this past spring was packed and we eagerly await the next one.

Over on the west end of town, Gallery 193 is a collective gallery created by numerous artists, many of whom were formerly represented at Cortile Gallery, who got together to open a space to show their work. They have a schedule of exhibitions featuring gallery artists as well as some special guests throughout the season, such as the currently featured artist Jen Kelly, whose show, A Touch of Whimsey (Through June 25) is followed by The Shape of Air: Color and Light (June 26 – July 9) featuring works by Syd Hale and Rob Longley.

And in the center of town, the former Stewart Clifford Gallery has been replaced by Ali Gray Gallery. In this new configuration, some of the artists that had been showing with the previous gallery continue to show in the space, such as the very popular nautical-themed work of Christopher Roddick opening this week (June 19 – July 2).

But even galleries that have remained the same, each year add new artists with new work to their rosters. For example, this year, Rice Polak Gallery introduces us to the work of two new artists on their roster, in group shows this season. Emmanuel Gillespie shows with Robert Goldstrom and Julie Levesque (July 30 – August 12) and Tyler Berry shows alongside Olga Antonova and Robin Winfield (August 13 – 26). While Gillespie’s Love and Joy series feature subjects in bright white clothing against backgrounds of bold shades of blue and purple, painted in acrylics, Berry’s portraits harken back to European masters with deep, muted tones in oil on linen paintings.

At Four Eleven Gallery, there are also some new faces. Of particular note is Valerie Isaacs, whose image Howland Wild West graces the cover of the magazine this week. Isaacs will have a solo show (September 11 – October 1) featuring her vivid landscapes and town scenes painted on the Outer Cape.

Gallery owner and artist Greg Salvatori is certainly not new in town. But well known for his paintings and especially his photographs of the male figure, this season, he plans to exhibit work in a different medium: ceramics. The show, entitled Odd Socks (July 3 – 17) features paintings and photographs alongside ceramic pieces depicting that most humble of all clothing, the sock.

Meanwhile, at Studio Lacombe, gallerist/artist Gaston Lacombe introduces us to the work of Melissa Wilkinson (July 31 – August 6), an interesting watercolorist who is inspired by found imagery gleaned from disco culture, old Hollywood films, vintage photographs, and online archives, often pertaining to the tomboy image that informs her own identity. With these influences she makes paintings that question heteronormativity, gender roles, and body image in new ways.

And while not a new gallery, painter Andrea Sawyer’s Cad Red Studio is now in its second season at the former space of other artist-run galleries, most notably the late Harvey Dodd’s. The gallery features work by Sawyer and her husband, photographer Brian O’Malley, but also spotlights other artists with Provincetown connections every week in rotating exhibitions, including Agnes Collis (July 2 – 16) and Joe Trepiccione (August 27 – September 10) this season.

Here And Now

There are competing notions about art in particularly virulent political moments. In one way, art can feel removed from reality and out of touch with what the zeitgeist calls for. And in another way, it can feel absolutely essential, whether or not it directly addresses the crises that are on the minds of all of us. In some ways, making art is a rebellious act in and of itself, regardless of what it looks like. To make art and to experience art is to open oneself up to seeing the world through a specific lens and to share it with other people.

That being said, artists are human beings like the rest of us, and therefore, they are affected by fascism, bigotry, and climate change in their personal lives. And while they do not bear any greater responsibility than the rest of us to talk about these sociopolitical ills, sometimes they feel they have to. This season, we are bound to have many conversations about the current state of affairs in the U.S. and the world, the excesses of AI technology, and Mother Nature’s rapid response to environmental destruction and inattention to ecological essentialisms. Several exhibitions in town feature artists attempting to directly open up such dialogues.

Galeria Cubana is perhaps affected more directly than other galleries by our current administration’s deteriorating relationship with other countries. As the only gallery in town to exclusively focus on Cuban artists, the gallery run by Michelle Wojcik, is intimately knowledgeable about the situation in Cuba. Artist NOA Luis Rodriguez returns this season with a show about how Cubans are coping with the increased hardships this year. The show, Resiliencia (July 30 – August 10) features his street-art-inspired, colorful paintings that bring together words and images in unique compositions. The Gallery features many artists who live in Cuba and offers a way to connect with the Caribbean island through witnessing and supporting its contemporary artists.

For artist duo Kahn/Selznick, the controversial impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the creative world is a focus in their upcoming exhibition at Schoolhouse Gallery. Not political per se, their project, Arch, on view at the Schoolhouse Gallery (August 14 – September 1), investigates the surrealist properties of AI prompts and “conversations” between artists and what they call “The Robot.” The result of their tireless experimentations is an unbound book featuring arches with images and “text concerning the associated gods set in a panel surrounded by a border displaying the ruined city seen from above on the versos,” according to their artist statement. The work will be shown in the gallery along with works by Adrian Fernandez, James Leake, Sarah Lutz, and Richard Saja.

More directly political, Christopher Pothier’s work will be shown in a group show at Bowersock Gallery, Constructed Worlds: (August 14 – September 2) with fellow painter Alan Ammann and sculptor Neil Grant. The paintings put together incongruous elements to reflect on America’s present and past, inviting speculation on how these time periods and cultural representatives connect, or don’t, in the reality of the public sphere today.

At William Scott Gallery, Glenn Daidone shows new work in The Current Administration (August 28 – September 2) and it’s quite a departure from his usual photography. In a statement from Daidone provided by the Gallery, he explains his departure from beachy landscape photos: “My photography has long been rooted in the observation of coastal and desert landscapes—and attempting to convey the peace and stillness some images invoke. However, the current political climate has necessitated a departure from passive observation toward active interrogation. This new series is an attempt to translate personal frustration, outrage, and disillusionment into a visual language. By repurposing the idealized aesthetic of mid-century modern and 1960s Americana—the period alluded to in the phrase ‘Make America Great Again’—I am examining the dissonance between the promises of the past versus the very different realities of the present. These works are not merely collages; they are a confrontation with the cultural myths we have inherited.” The images in the show are digital collages, placing familiar objects and environments in jarring juxtapositions to reflect the chaos of the moment.

Provincetown’s Past

At over 100 years old now, the Provincetown artist colony has changed drastically. But we are lucky enough to have a number of galleries and institutions that take us back to other times in our artistic lineage, which is often an inspirational adventure as we find artists and their subjects from Provincetown’s past. At Bakker Gallery, we are often shown works by both familiar Provincetown icons and artists that are less well known. This season, Bakker brings us the work of Sharli Powers Land (July 10 – 26), an early Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) fellow, with fellowships in 1969 and 1970, she also served on the board of trustees and was chair of the visual arts committee for the program at FAWC throughout the 1970s. Unfortunately, she died quite young at 52 years of age. A wife and mother as well as an artist, her work celebrates what Keith Althaus called “the dailiness of life” in the catalog for her 2012 FAWC show. This is a rare opportunity to rediscover a talented Provincetown artist.

At the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, there is a season-long exhibition in three parts called A Town That Worked. The first installment (through July 5) is focused on the resilience of the Provincetown community after the Portland Gale of 1898, which required rebuilding from the devastating storm damage. Part two is called Makers, Workers & Risk-Takers (July 16 – September 7) and focuses on images and artifacts relating to the service worker community here and the spaces where people have gathered over the years, such as restaurants, bars, and galleries. It will be followed by the final installment, Change Is the Only Constant, at a date in September to be announced soon.

The Berta Walker Gallery is a key player in keeping the legacy of the Provincetown artist colony alive. This season, they feature a show of works from the Long Point Gallery, a legendary artist cooperative founded by an amazing group of artists, including Fritz Bultman, Varujan Boghosian, Paul Resika, and Robert Motherwell. Saluting Long Point Gallery Artists (July 31 – August 22) does just what its title suggests.

Of course, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is the art museum of record out here and as such, it makes it its business to present Provincetown’s rich artistic heritage every day of the year. A slate of shows this summer continue that mission. Of particular note, are their current show, Avital Sagalyn (through August 2) and a Midge Battelle retrospective, Love Letter to a Dream (August 7 – October 25). The former introduces us to a little-known artist whose works have mostly never been seen outside of an exhibition in Amherst, Massachusetts, shortly before she died in 2019. The highly accomplished painter left a rising career in Paris and New York to raise a family and apparently didn’t look back until her son found her artwork late in her life. This exhibition focuses on work done in the late 1940s in Provincetown. The latter exhibition spans Battelle’s career from 1986 to the present and is curated by fellow Provincetown artist Pasquale Natale.

Potential Futures

Previously Gallery Voyeur, for decades now, Gallery 444 has been an open space that artists, and even other galleries, can rent out in order to share their work with the Provincetown gallery strollers throughout the season without necessarily being affiliated with a gallery here. This season is no different, with Matthias Lupri, who has come every year now for several exhibitions each season, returning this week for a show through July 7 and then another one August 5 – 25, as well as artist John Williams, who will bring his unique visions to the gallery August 26 – September 10. And keep your eye out for artists coming in the fall, as this gallery continues its schedule into November.

Provincetown has also always been a place where art can be found both in and out of the galleries. Many restaurants in town have art on their walls available for purchase, but Spiritus Pizza also has solo shows, often with work that the average person can afford to buy, putting the prospect of local art finding its way into your home, that much closer to reality. They don’t publish a schedule of exhibitions, but it’s always worth walking in to have a look.

But the idea of a gallery space that can be adopted show by show rather than as an ongoing commitment to one slate of artists has some merit to it in difficult economic times. The Commons, located on Bradford Street, is a really interesting model for this possibility, with studios artists can work in, classes, special events, and exhibitions that are scheduled by members of its community, who decide the details, curation, and timing of events. For those of us hoping to see art we’re less familiar with, this is a special place to stop by on Friday nights, where you will always see something different. This season, look out for a show by husband and wife painters Chip Brock and Jeann Fogg-Brock called Surface Tensions (August 5 – 16), which features mixed media collage, assemblage, and paintings. And opening Labor Day weekend, Sian Robertson brings her map-incorporating collage art to the Commons in One World (September 2 – 13)

Traditional gallery spaces still flourish here with work in a variety of media. Egeli Gallery features the work of its namesake, Arthur Egeli, but also plans its annual exhibition of works by John Clayton (July 17 – 23). On Center Gallery brings us shows by familiar faces, including photographic mixed media artist Joey Brock (August 7 – 13) followed by the origami-inspired metal sculptures of Kevin Box and nostalgic mixed media paintings of Tucker Eason (August 14 – 27). But before that, they will hold a solo exhibition for Daniel Angeles (July 31 – August 6), featuring original artworks and prints by Daniel Angeles that narrate his new children’s book Belle and Her Missing Heart as a Family Week special exhibition. 

Alden Gallery continues to show work by its roster of artists, with openings every other week throughout the summer, including an exhibition of prints by Paul Kelly and Mike Wright’s sculptures (July 1 – 24) and a special exhibition of drawings by Larry Collins from his forthcoming book later in the year

And finally, Gary Marotta Fine Art will spend it’s last season in its current space exhibiting works by artists Manual Pardo (through July 9), Maggie Simonelli (July 10 – August 13), Kimberly Witham (July 31 – September 3), and Milton H. Greene’s photographs of Marilyn Monroe (August 14 – September 17), among others, so be sure to pay this gallery a visit before it moves to new, as yet undetermined, digs next year.

Galleries Mentioned
(listed here in alphabetical order): 

Gallery 193 • 193 Commercial St. • gallery193artspace.com
Alden Gallery • 423 Commercial St. • aldengallery.com
Ali Gray Gallery • 338  Commercial St. • aligraygallery.com
Bakker Gallery • 359  Commercial St. • bakkerproject.com
Berta Walker Gallery • 208 Bradford St. • bertawalkergallery.com
Bowersock Gallery • 371  Commercial St. • bowersockgallery.com
Cad Red Studios • 437  Commercial St.
The Commons • 46 Bradford St. • commonsptown.org
Egeli Gallery • 382  Commercial St. • egeligallery.com
Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) • 24 Pearl St. • fawc.org
Four Eleven Gallery • 411  Commercial St. • fourelevengallery.com
Galeria Cubana • 357  Commercial St. • lagaleriacubana.com
Gallery 444 • 444  Commercial St. • gallery444ptown.com
Gary Marotta Fine Art • 162  Commercial St. • garymarottafineart.com
Greg Salvatori Gallery • 366  Commercial St. • gregsalvatori.com
On Center Gallery • 352  Commercial St. • oncentergallery.com
Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum • 1 High Pole Hill Rd. • pilgrim-monument.org
Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) • 460  Commercial St. • paam.org 
Rice Polak Gallery • 430  Commercial St. • ricepolakgallery.com
Schoolhouse Gallery • 494  Commercial St. • galleryschoolhouse.com
ShowQueen Gallery • 432 Commercial St. •  showqueengallery.com
Studio Lacombe • 237  Commercial St. • studiolacombe.com
Tillie’s Art & Provisions • 512 Commercial St. • tillies512.com
William Scott Gallery • 439 Commercial St. • williamscottgallery.com