Press Releases:
January 12, 2012
Chatham Historical Society Announces Summer of Centuries
CHATHAM - The Summer of Centuries press release is located on its own page.
Click here to view this press release.
September 15, 2011
Chatham Historical Society Announces Leadership Transition This Fall
CHATHAM - Executive Director Mark Wilkins announced that he will be leaving the Atwood House Museum effective October 31, 2011. Wilkins has accepted a new position at the Mystic Seaport Museum, fulfilling a life long dream to work with the organization. Although Mark’s talent and leadership will be missed, he is congratulated on this new opportunity to take the next step in his career.
The timing of this change will occur just after the Museum discontinues regular hours for the season on October 8th. Through the fall and holiday season, however, several weekend events are planned. The Museum will also continue planning for key events in conjunction with the Chatham 300 celebration in 2012. For the latest news, please visit the Atwood House Museum website at
www.chathamhistoricalsociety.org and watch for event announcements in the local media.
Operations and Museum affairs will continue normally through the winter, while a search is conducted to identify and appoint a new professional Executive Director. Effective November 1st, questions or concerns should be directed to Executive Board Chair John King, until a new Executive Director or interim Director is named.
About the Atwood House Museum:
As stewards of the regions’ history and culture, the Atwood House Museum - home of the Chatham Historical Society - strives to educate, inform and enlighten the public, bringing attention and enthusiasm to the Cape Cod community.
CONTACT:
John King, Executive Board Chair
(508) 945-2493
May 20, 2011
The Raptor’s Eye: The Natural World of Robert Verity Clem
Special Exhibit Opening June 14th at the Atwood House Museum
The summer season at the Atwood House Museum will open with a special exhibit commemorating
the life and work of artist Robert Verity Clem, who died in 2010.
A Chatham local for more than 60 years, many knew Bob Clem as a man that cared deeply about
the wild and natural world, but few knew him for his artistic skills. Bob’s watercolors captured the
undisturbed beauty of the natural world expertly through his artistic vision, scientific precision, and
true passion as a painter of birds in their natural surroundings.
Co-sponsored by the Chatham Conservation Foundation, the upcoming exhibit will honor and
preserve the memory of Bob Clem by exposing visitors not only to his art, but also to the man and
the poignantly beautiful Chatham environment that inspired him.
One corner of the gallery will
house a reconstruction of his studio, including the actual drawing board on which so many of his
masterworks were created. A model of his loved wooden double-ender boat will be also on display,
along with many other artifacts such as his signature hat, paintbrushes, and the binoculars he used so
often to observe nature quietly from afar.
The three major themes explored in the exhibit are conservation, raptors and shorebirds. On
display will be large-scale paintings, such as Clem’s “Island Three,” an iconic scene with playful crows
donated by the Chatham Conservation Foundation to honor his legacy. Also at the core of the
exhibit will be numerous other works courtesy of private collections, and smaller paintings and
studies that lend insights into his process and compositional approach. All of the works chronicle
Clem’s artistic development and thematic scope, and focus on his time living and working in Chatham.
The exhibit will run for two years, and includes an exciting supplemental educational program in partnership with the Massachusetts Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Highlights include “Birding in the Footsteps of Bob Clem,” a tour through the dunes, beaches and tidal flats to view the habitats that inspired Bob, “South Beach Birding,” a guided boat shuttle to see tens of thousands of migrant shorebirds roost and feed, and “Beach-tastic Birds,” a family-friendly game and storytelling hour held at the Museum itself.
Alongside the Clem presentation is the second and final year of Chatham to China: Acculturation,
Encounter and Trade, an experiential exhibit exploring the travel and trading activities of Chatham
sea captains during the 1800’s. The Atwood House Museum is located at 347 Stage Harbor Road,
Chatham. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students; members and children under 6 are free. Seasonal hours are
Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 508-945-2493,
or visit chathamhistoricalsociety.org.
About the Atwood House Museum:
As stewards of the regions’ history and culture, the Atwood House Museum - home of the Chatham
Historical Society - strives to educate, inform and enlighten the public, bringing attention and
enthusiasm to the Cape Cod community.
CONTACT:
Tracy K. Anderson
(508) 364-0850
tkamail@me.com
