Announcing the opening of the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester and the Acquisition of Over 300 Works by Folk Artist Kacey Carneal
The Cook Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester on June 13, 2023 and the acquisition of more than 300 works and artifacts by Kacey Carneal (1935-2022), a self-taught naïve folk artist who painted at her home in Gloucester every day for nearly fifty years. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to Kacey’s daughters, Vicki Henderson and Susie Mains, for their collaboration and generosity.
The opening exhibit is a Carneal retrospective entitled “Back Home” featuring 90 works spanning the 1970s through 2020, with Carneal’s last completed work “They have suffered a great something and yet stood proud.” (2020)
The acquisition of her œuvre includes oil on wood and canvas. Her folk-art style is characterized by her painting of the frames as extensions of the works themselves. Also, included in the acquisition are artifacts and objets d'art the artist painted. Carneal’s works are documented in the American Folk Art Museum and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, has a personal record of Carneal in its archives.
The Cook Foundation’s Founder and President, Adrianne Ryder Cook Joseph, PhD, said “Art and our response to art helps us understand the world around us and how we relate to ourselves and to others. Kacey’s work welcomes one and all, residents, visitors, children, and adults. She reminds us in every work to look inside our hearts for the essence of life and love. Art, and particularly Kacey’s art, is a cultural touchstone where we can express our identity, feel a deeply connected sense of community and pride of place. “
Carneal’s daughters, Vicki Henderson Susie Mains, spoke about their mother and her art. “Our mom said ‘It is my hope that by seeing my work, you will know who I am.’
“We are beyond excited that this exhibit will give everyone who didn’t know Kacey, that opportunity and for those of us who did, it serves as a beautiful and comforting reminder of her deep love of humanity and her soulful and whimsical perspective on life. We are thrilled about this living legacy, and we are especially grateful to Adrianne Ryder-Cook Joseph as it is her special soul connection to our mom that drove and inspired her to create this unique and beautiful Kacey Carneal experience.”
Media-only access will be provided at 11:00 AM on June 1, 2023 at 6894 Main Street, Gloucester, VA.
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The Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester is a project of the Cook Foundation, a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 54-1894579. Contact: Elizabeth Blackney, via phone at 646.818.0145 or via email: director@thecookfoundation.org.