This spring, Cape Cod’s creative juices will be flowing!
From April 26 – May 5, the statewide ArtWeek festival features almost 600 special events in 125+ Massachusetts communities, including 100 Cape-based events in 20 communities.
More than just a calendar listing, ArtWeek is a once-a-year opportunity to experience arts, culture, and the creative economy with unique hands-on, interactive, behind-the-scenes, and learning-based events over ten days.
ArtWeek is a perfect excuse to let your inner curiosity “spring” into action while exploring creative communities across the Cape. Demos, workshops, panels, tours, classes, lessons, festivals, talkbacks, etc. … it is all there. And the best part is that 70% of all events are FREE.
Ready to get inspired? The Destination ArtWeek/Cape Cod and Islands page provides all the information you need including a master calendar that you can sort by date, genre, price, or town – or maybe just peruse the sampling below to see where this artful adventure might lead you!
Upper Cape (Bourne, Sandwich, Mashpee, Falmouth)
Plein air painting in a bog; paper art quilt mural making; needle-art workshop and talk; museum open house and special activities; art of antiquing talk; Bottle Project/public art installation; art center open house, demos, and special tours; glassblowing with a master; Hopper/Wyeth talk; Mythmaker art-making; a wood painter demo; healing drum circle experience; dance artist conversation; children’s flower power art; glass(blowing) and dining; Hans Hoffman film talk; inside publishing workshops; martial arts demo; Dr. Yale’s workshop talk/tour; trash shouldn’t splash art project; garden walks, talks, and crafts; and an outdoor traditional music stroll.
Mid Cape (Barnstable, Dennis, Yarmouth, Hyannis, Cotuit, Osterville)
50 Poets/50 Artists ekphrastic experience; symphony open rehearsal; the Wisdom of Children art project; the Unbound Festival; a Salvador Dali art–inspired dinner; an interactive Open Streets festival; Word on Water writer’s workshops; marathon author talk; Nat King Cole birthday celebration; Gorey gravestone craft; dance party lessons for seniors; addiction and recovery film event; charter school arts festival; sea captain walking tour; kids paint party; colored sand art workshop; Celtic history labyrinth art; make your own book; origami recycled community project; history of Ireland multi-media event; and a jazz history talk.
Lower Cape (Harwich, Orleans, Chatham, Brewster)
Historic house sketch session; a cultural center’s week-long celebration with workshops, demos, and more; the Eye Spy art tour; alcohol ink workshop; Arts for the Earth gallery celebration; high school arts behind-the-scenes peek; digital photo workshop; bird carving or bujo; Cool Blue make-and-take; author talk; encaustic demo; and silk scarf design workshop; Cape Verdean art event; clay animals demo; sculpture studio sneak peek; artist marketing classes; mandala workshops; mystery puzzle painting; art of sushi; creative economy/marina marketplace launch and tour; rug braiding; and an E.M. Skinner’s organ-inspired cultural experience.
Outer Cape (Eastham, Provincetown, Wellfleet, Truro)
New theater works staged readings; art beach sticker reveal; a lighthouse photo session; Ukrainian egg dyeing; private Van Derek Print Collection tour with museum director; plein air painting and lighthouses; lantern-making and historic marsh bridge twilight walk; American Roots concert and talkback; Arab and Middle Eastern film showcase; fantasy writing workshop; vocal lessons and talk; aromatherapy 101; and tapestry weaving.
For travel bugs, ArtWeek adventures abound off-Cape too, so don’t hesitate to make plans to go over the bridge. Discover why Marion, Franklin, New Bedford and Plymouth are nearby cultural hotspots … and/or make your way to the wonders of Worcester, or the artistry of Amherst in the picturesque Pioneer Valley on your way to explore the creative bounty of the Berkshires. ArtWeek’s Art of Food showcase and special lodging offers on the Destination ArtWeek pages make for an ideal getaway.
You are guaranteed to uncover something amazing during ArtWeek (April 26–May 5) so start planning now for a day, a weekend, a staycation, or a mini-vacation and watch the creative sparks fly!
