Gems from the Permanent Collection

Provincetown is the oldest continuous art colony in America. What does this mean?

Since 1896, artists have traveled to the farthest reaches of Cape Cod to take a class, bask in the light and get carried away by their own creativity and desire to learn. As the only art museum in Provincetown, PAAM is the anchor of that history, and the keeper of its traditions. Through collecting, exhibitions, programs and classes, PAAM upholds the history of Provincetown as place, and continues to educate students about its historical importance, while providing a safe space for all contemporary artists to make their own marks on history.

Provincetown has welcomed, nurtured and inspired artists from all over the world – not just to create, but to connect with the town and its people. Only here could this unique relationship between artists and community members become the defining experience of this fabled, outermost point of Cape Cod. Life in Provincetown has been charted by the interactions between destitute artists trading paintings for lodging from owners of local homes or guesthouses, to fisherman offering a share of their day’s catch to provide a meal for an artist who might otherwise go without in exchange for simple kindnesses. Art and everyday life, constantly mixing and connecting. PAAM honors its friends and neighbors whose support of its member artists has been their lifeblood.  We welcome all to join in and share their experiences of art and community, as vibrant and essential today as it was when PAAM was founded in 1914.

The permanent collection is an important measure of any museum’s value. At PAAM, the holdings of local and regional art is extensive and dynamic, comprising nearly 5,000 works by over 900 artists who have worked in Provincetown and on Cape Cod.  As an actively collecting museum, PAAM receives on average nearly 100 new works each year, and these exhibitions allow us to proudly display a selection of those works, some of which represent the first works by an artist in our permanent collection. We extend our deepest gratitude to our new and continuing donors.

Image: Edwin Water Dickinson (1891-1978), Provincetown Harbor, Railroad Wharf in Rain, 1928, oil on canvas, Gift of Daniel W. Dietrich II Trust in Honor of Helen Dickinson Baldwin