News Release

Paintings and Original Prints by Catherine Hess on display in August as part of Cape Cod National Seashore’s Perspectives series

Walking Great Island.

Photo courtesy Catherine Hess

News Release Date: July 31, 2023

Contact: Linzy French, 508-957-0710

WELLFLEET, Mass. – Cape Cod National Seashore’s Perspectives: Seeing Cape Cod National Seashore Through Art, exhibits the work of artists who have captured the essence of Cape Cod through a series of month-long exhibitions at the park’s Salt Pond Visitor Center. For the month of August, the park is pleased to host Wellfleet artist Catherine Hess, for her exhibit titled, Outermost Shores. Visitors can stop by Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham throughout the month of August to view Hess’ artwork on display. Hess will also host an artist reception on Saturday, August 5 at 3 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Hess’ work focuses on the ever-changing marshes, dunes, and shores of the Outer Cape. The show includes both oil paintings and monotype original prints, also known as “painterly prints”. Monotypes are painted on a plate, then run through a printing press once to produce an original print. Most of Hess’ oil paintings are done en plein air, or onsite, often using palette knives to create a texture that captures the movement in a scene.

Hess explains how she responds to the constantly changing Outer Cape landscape, “Hour to hour, day to day, season to season, year to year...sun, tides, and wind transform what I see around me. I am driven to capture moments in these movements, most often working onsite, or from my own photos.”

Hess has exhibited her work in juried, group and solo exhibits at art museums, organizations, and galleries on the Cape, as well as in the Washington DC area. She recently curated an exhibit of Musicians as Muses at Wellfleet Preservation Hall. More about her and her work can be found at https://www.catherinehessart.com/.

Monthly artist exhibitions will continue to take place through December 2023. Past exhibits have included historic images; landscape artwork developed by Nauset Regional High School art students; national seashore-inspired quilts; Wampanoag culture; and art and literature inspired by the beauty of the national seashore.