Over the seven years that I have been on the Cape Ann Artisans Tour, one of the things that has impressed me the most is incredibly diverse set of visitors and local people that pop in to see our work. We rarely, if ever, get a chance to reflect on this other than taking a formal count as to the number of people. Our numbers vary greatly, what’s consistent is the quality and character of people that we meet. In terms of geography, many are within a four-hour drive, but plenty are from Cape Ann as well. We often get extended family of local people that are visiting during this period for graduations or family gatherings as well.
During the last tour, I took some notes after each discussion, just for the fun of it. Here are some of the actual occupations (some retired and some active) of the people that walked through my door. Two sets of scientists – one a lecturer on microchips the other in biotech; a music teacher and organ (as in instrument) builder, a landscaper driving through the neighborhood, a fashion professor and archivist, an entrepreneur with her own restaurant, machine tool biz, who also runs a dental office! Then there are always groups of nurses and teachers who are chilling out after stressful seasons. The behavioral psych nurse had much to say after the Pandemic. I had a former Boston Globe columnist stop in, then a retired judge, a public sector HR professional, a husband-wife software engineering team, nutritionist, dentist, a Chamber of Commerce executive from another area, a decorator/designer, financial consultant, optometrist, real-estate brokers, and retired executive – all in one tour!
What’s so heartwarming is to see small groups of friends that make this their annual “girls” trip and others who worked together and are now retired. Married couples also come with friends for a day’s outing. We also see fellow artists who are seeking some inspiration and giving us encouragement. What often happens is a fair amount of sharing of stories and experiences among the visitors themselves. The informal “networking” among the people in the studio adds to the fun and spontaneity.
As we host a second summer “Mini-Tour” I had to take a moment to share this rare and beautiful aspect of the Cape Ann Artisans. Adding a summer one-day event (especially on tax free weekend) also gave us entirely new vacationers in 2020 and we hope to do the same in 2021. The bottom-line is that ALL are welcome and it’s good to leave plenty of time to enjoy the full extent of this experience – whether you are looking for inspiration, to buy art, enjoy the beauty of Cape Ann or meet some new friends.
