Here now, Curbed Cape Cod's updated map of public art across the Cape and Islands. Since our last roundup, a marble bust of Harvey Milk has been added to Barnstable High School's Cobb Astro Park and, just last week, a successful GoFundMe campaign raised enough to help restore PTown's "They Also Faced the Sea" exhibit on Fisherman's Wharf. That said, from Falmouth to Provincetown, indoors and out, over water and under the Shining Sea (Bikeway), here's our handy guide to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket murals, paintings, sculptures, statues, and more. If you know of any other public art we should include next time, feel free to hit the tipline.
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Mapping Public Art Across the Cape & Islands, 2015
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Shining Sea Bikeway Mural
Artist and West Falmouth native Jim Bowen completed this 20'x4' mosaic mural. Located under the Palmer Avenue overpass, the work shows a number of Falmouth landmarks.
WPA Mural
Located in the Falmouth Post Office, this WPA mural is a 1943 oil on canvas by Karl Oberteuffer titled "Recapture of Corn Schooner from British."
Barnstable High School
The public high school campus features a meditative memorial garden with labyrinth, plus a water feature with a rolling stone. In June 2014, students commemorated the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots by adding a marble bust of Harvey Milk to Cobb Astro Park's Pathway of Discovery, where similar tributes to Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. can also be found.
Hummingbird Sculpture
A gas station once stood on this Hyannis lot, now a walking garden that doubles as a nursery assisting in pollution control. The Hummingbird sculpture is by Donald Gerola.
JFK Statue
Designed by David Lewis, this statue of President John F. Kennedy walking barefoot through sand and grass is located in front of the JFK museum in downtown Hyannis.
Vernon Coleman Murals
Restored murals by the late Cape artists Vernon Coleman can be viewed in a number of public buildings in Barnstable, including this work at the town hall.
HyArts District Walkway to the Sea
Linking downtown Hyannis to its historic waterfront, the Walkway to the Sea features an apropos public art installation of lobster buoys.
Iyannough Statue
Fun fact: Hyannis was named for the leader of the Mattachiest (Mattakeese) tribe of Cummaquid, Iyannough. This statue of him watches over the village green.
Paines Creek Mural
Artist Karen North Wells completed this gifting mural for the Brewster Council on Aging in 2010.
Highlands Center
The Highlands Center at the Cape Cod National Seashore was conceived by AmeriCorps volunteers. The murals showcase natural resource management and volunteerism though art.
Provincetown Inn Murals
Don Aikens began painting murals throughout the Provincetown Inn in 1966. The scenes are based on old photographs and postcards that depict early 20th century life in Provincetown.
Town Hall Paintings & Murals
More than 30 paintings and murals, mostly produced during the first half of the 20th century, are on display throughout Town Hall.
They Also Faced The Sea
Originally installed in 2003 at the end of Fisherman's Wharf in Provincetown Harbor, "'They Also Faced The Sea' installation was designed to keep the spirit and the presence of Portuguese culture alive by Ewa Nogiec, artist, publisher of iamprovincetown.com and owner of Gallery Ehva, and Norma Holt, photographer." In May 2015, a GoFundMe campaign successfully raised donations to help restore the now iconic art installation.
Margot Datz Murals
The children's section of the Oak Bluffs Public Library features a number of murals by artist Margot Datz.
Gardiner's Corner Mural
Located at Gardiner's Corner (Main and Washington Streets), this Nantucket mural dates to the mid-1930s. A restoration project begun in 2006 brought the mural, subject of the documentary "Compass Rose," back to its former glory.
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