History of CCAC/Mission

Mission Statement

Our mission is to promote the creation and appreciation of visual art by providing a supportive environment for education and exhibitions.

CCAC History

In 1948 Dr. Fritz B. Talbot of Osterville, Cape Cod, along with four professional artists and local gallery owner, E.G. Colonna, got together to plan what is now the Cape Cod Art Center. Dr. Talbot was the Head of Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, a university professor, and an artist. Originally Cape Cod Art Association (CCAA), Talbot and his team wanted to fill the need for a centrally located art gallery on Cape Cod, with the goal of creating “the most democratic, forward-looking art society in the country.” During the first 22 years of its history, the Association moved three times within downtown Hyannis and evolved from a rented summer season gallery into a year-round organization with its own building. By 1970, CCAA would move to Barnstable Village, where it currently resides. The plan was to build a custom art gallery and teaching studio. Architect Richard Sear Gallagher, who resided in Barnstable Village, took on the project. The modern building’s unique features caused controversy and stood out amongst the other more historic looking buildings that were on Old King’s Highway.

In 2022 the building underwent a renovation making it more accessible, increasing the teaching studios and gallery spaces while respecting the original building design. The new studio building was named the Roberta Miller Art Education Center, after CCAC’s first Executive Director, who served CCAC through 2024.

As we welcome a new era of CCAC we are inspired by the leaders of our past who brought this wonderful community of artists together.

Talbot Gallery interior with artwork and orange chairs
1965 Cape Cod Art exhibition catalogue cover illustration
Partial view of a dark wooden building with arched window detail and a slate roof.
1954 photograph of the Cape Cod Art Association building and an art class in session outside a barn.
Group of artists in a classroom setting reviewing and discussing artwork on tables.
Older man presenting a certificate or award to a young woman in a striped dress.
Man and woman standing next to a framed painting of a sailboat displayed on an easel.
Oil painting of a rural Vermont landscape with barns, rolling hills, and a mountain backdrop by Fritz B. Talbot.
Two men reviewing large framed artworks leaning against a wall during a portfolio review.
Group of artists painting outdoors in 1954 surrounded by lush greenery and houses.

Interested in learning more about our history?

Visit Cape Cod Art Center and ask for a copy of our book At 70: Still learning, Still Creating, a commemorative history and portfolio of associated artists from 1948-2018.

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