Visual Arts

The Town of Barnstable recognizes the importance of arts and culture as part of any economic revitalization, and continues to establish Hyannis as a regional center for creative and performing arts.

Prior to recently establishing THE HyArts DISTRICT, Barnstable first introduced the Harbor Shanties and Harbor Your Arts (HyA) program in the summer of 2005 as a key component of the downtown Hyannis revitalization initiative to support the creative economy and foster economic growth. The shanties are a welcome addition to Hyannis Harbor.  The artist shanties provide a unique, affordable harbor-front location for our local artists to create and sell their work. The program has been well received by Cape residents, visitors and the arts and culture community.

In 2006 the program expanded to include the performing arts, providing free family entertainment at Aselton Park, a beautiful waterfront location on the Harbor, near the artist shanties.

Be sure to take a stroll along the HyArts DISTRICT Walkway to the Sea. The Town has actively pursued and initiated the installation of various public art pieces in the downtown and waterfront areas of Hyannis. For example, currently, visitors to Hyannis harbor can enjoy the seasonal public art installation, Buoyed Coasts, which consists of 50 lobster buoys mounted on 12’-19’ poles in ornamental grass beds. The buoys frame the harbor and create a display of color, light and kinetic motion drawing activity and attention to Aselton Park. Buoyed Coasts was awarded the Honor Award by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.

The Town’s visual arts program has continued to expand over the years, including a campus of town-owned properties at the corner of Pearl and South Streets in Hyannis. In 2007 the Town acquired two run down properties on Pearl Street and converted them to artist live and work space. From this humble beginning, a campus of buildings that provide living, work and gallery space has been developed as part of the Shirley Blair Flynn Center for the Creative Arts. The campus includes the historic Guyer Art Barn, artist-in-residence Sarah Holl’s ArtSpace and  HyArts work studios. Pearl Street is located between bustling Main Street and the harbor front, where the popular HyArts Shanties are open throughout the summer, offering artists and artisans space to create and sell their work.

The Town offers an "artwork on loan" program for local artists to temporarily display their work on meeting room walls around Barnstable Town Hall has begun. Currently, photographer Roberta Anslow’s work is featured on the walls of the Selectman’s Conference Room and the Town Hall Hearing Room. The pieces are for display only artwork will not be sold on Town property. Information on the artist is provided for those wishing to obtain further details. For more information on the program email melissa.hersh@town.barnstable.ma.us

Those visiting and using the meeting rooms will now find an inviting and culturally rich environment. This program provides an opportunity for our local artists to benefit from this exposure to so many who pass through town hall every day. Spreading the love of art one wall at a time-it’s a wonderful opportunity to see local art! Arts and culture programming is one component of our overall economic strategy.

Roberta Anslow, current featured artist
in Town Hall Hearing Room & Selectman's Conference Room:

Roberta Anslow is the first artist to participate in this program. “As an artist it is always exciting to exhibit work in a new venue. My affinity and involvement with the Harbor Your Arts program makes being the first artist selected to exhibit in Town Hall especially rewarding.”

The body of work highlights Roberta’s love of the Cape and the waterfront. For this exhibit she chose two award winning shots of orchids to hang in addition to a selection of her favorite Cape-scapes and harbor-scapes. Roberta will also be a displaying her work at the Hyannis Harbor artist shanties this August and September.
www.robertaanslow.com