August is Art Appreciation Month in Falmouth Village.

Falmouth Village, steeped in history with its quintessentially New England village green and historic buildings, has long had an appreciation for art demonstrated in award winning museums, shops and B&Bs.  Visits to two historically significant museums, B&Bs filled with the works of local artists and nearby galleries, translates into one Cape Cod destination where art aficionados will find plenty to explore.  During Art Appreciation Month in August, Falmouth Village museums and businesses roll out the red paintbrush with everything from fiber and environmental arts to more traditional mediums and workshops.  August in Falmouth Village; what a perfect time for a summer getaway for art-lovers!

Museums on the Green, Palmer Ave, Falmouth Village

Museums on the Green have a number of exhibits highlighting artworks from yesteryear and today.  Starting with their present collection, CIRCA 1870 – The Victorian Age in Falmouth, the components of this exhibit are assembled largely from the Museums’ own collection. This exhibition imagines late 1800s/early 1900s Falmouth as it may have been–at the end of the Victorian age, coming back to life with the breath of fresh visitors stepping off the train and strolling down Main Street on their way to see the ocean for the first time. “We have amazing collections of Victorian objects, textiles and accessories that have not been exhibited recently, if ever.  It’s really one of the highlights of our collections,” said Amanda Wastrom the curator of the Museums on the Green.

Additionally, The Museums on the Green invited different artists to the campus and gave them free rein over the collections and grounds to create an exhibit that interprets their findings.  Each artist brought their own work, aesthetic and interests.  The exhibits present the collection’s objects and stories in new, surprising contexts.  Info:  museumsonthegreen.org/.

Highfield Hall & Gardens, Highfield Drive, Falmouth Village

This beautifully restored home offers a stunning setting for a wide array of indoor and outdoor exhibits throughout August. 

A Cut Above: Art from the American Guild of Paper Cutters (Through  Sept 2)

Curated by the Guild especially for Highfield Hall, this exhibition of over 50 works features the country’s best cut paper artists and highlights the diversity of this extraordinary medium. 

Collaborations in Clay: An International Exhibition (Through Sept. 7)

This exhibition features the work of potters who collaborate on an individual artwork. Curated by clay collaborators Hollis Engley and Kim Medeiros, these new works highlight the diversity of the medium and the inspiration that artists can offer each other. Featured artists include: Hannah McAndrew of Scotland and Englishman Doug Fitch; Allison Coles Severance and Blair Meerfeld of Maryland; Maria Bosch of Spain; Bruce Martin of New Zealand; Steve Murphy of Boston; Patty Griffin of California; Maureen Mills of New Hampshire. 

Portals and Passageways: An Environmental Sculpture Exhibition (Through Sept 7)

The show begins on Highfield Drive with the Technicolor Dream Trees and continues throughout the house and grounds.  Twenty four regional artists have created environmental art works utilizing Highfield Hall’s building, grounds and gardens, and the adjacent pathways of Beebe Woods which surround the property.  Works are large scale, experiential and in keeping with the Portals and Passageways theme of transporting the visitor visually, physically, intellectually or emotionally into an unexpected place.  The exhibition is appropriate for families, and a tour map and guidebook to the art and artists will be available for $5.00. This exhibition is supported by the Lovell Charitable Foundation.

Into the Woods: Photocollages by Amy Ragus (through Sept 7)

This exhibition highlights Amy Ragus’ large scale photocollages inspired by her visits to Beebe Woods, Walden Pond and her contemplations on the work of Henry David Thoreau.

Chafin Fine Art Gallery at Treasure Chest Gifts, Main Street, Falmouth Village 

Chafin Fine Art Gallery will host an opening reception for “Cape Cod Moments” on Saturday, August 9, 2014 from 5 to 9pm. Works will be presented by the South Cape Artists, featuring a special exhibit of art inspired by the poem “Alone on Sage Lot Pond.” The poem was written exclusively for the event by local poet, J. Lorraine Brown. The reception is open to the public and the exhibit will be displayed until the end of September. The South Cape Artists group is made up of award winning artists: Betsy Payne Cook, Bill Noble, Candice Ronesi, Eleanor Appleyard M A, Fred Luconi, Linda S. Young, Mary Jane Conary, Rebecca O’Donnell and Susan J. Sigel.  Chafin Fine Art Gallery is located within the Treasure Chest Gift Store.  Here is one place where you can purchase a work of art and the outfit to wear to the next art opening all in one place! 

VagabondView Photography, Palmer Avenue, Falmouth Village

Vagabond Treasures and View Photography have merged into one studio and gallery located on the Queens Buyway, just steps from Falmouth Village’s Main Street.  Both a photography studio and a retail shop, the space is filled with unusual gifts, jewelry, photos and artworks that mirror the artistic tastes of the two women owners, both graduates of New England School of Photography.  Presently, the gallery walls are filled with photos created for The Locket Project, a celebration of the special bond between mothers and daughters captured in touching portraits with poignant quotes captured from interviews during the photo shoots.

Cape Gallery Framer, Main Street, Falmouth Village

This gallery receives the longevity award for its four-decade tenure on Falmouth Village’s Main Street.  Beyond the framing part of their businesses, this gallery provides space for a number of local artists from Upper Cape Cod to show and sell their work.  Look for a wide range of styles from expressionist to realistic and landscapes to printmaking.

Additionally, two of the region’s award-winning inns feature artworks from local artists.  The Palmer House Inn features artwork by Annapolis artist, P.L. O’Connell, a paint-brush name for innkeeper, Patricia O’Connell.  Her works of art can be found featured throughout the inn.  Additionally, the original oil painting “By the Palmer House” created by Falmouth artist Hillary Osborn hangs in the lobby.

The Captain’s Manor Inn is proud to showcase a number of works from local artist Karen Rinaldo. Karen studied with Boston Artist Robert Dougless Hunter and briefly with Claude Crooney. Her artwork is rich in landscapes and seascapes of  Cape Cod and she has been commissioned for a number of projects including the first historically accurate painting of The First Thanksgiving/1621 for Plymouth Plantation. Paintings of several iconic Falmouth locations are represented in the art hung on the walls of the two grand foyers at The Captain’s Manor Inn. Items of Karen’s that are available for purchase at the Inn include packets of Falmouth scene notecards, original oil paintings, original pen and ink art and pen and ink giclee prints, color giclee prints, and ceramic tiles featuring a color painting of the Inn.

For art lovers and admirers of history and beauty preserved, Falmouth Village offers an ideal getaway.  Steeped in historic significance, the Village’s Main Street district offers a collection of locally-owned, eclectic shops, restaurants, spas and salons overflowing with unique apparel, gift items, and cuisine.  Visit during August and take in every form of art from portals to passageways, and more.   For more information, visit www.FalmouthVillageAssociation.com.