COMMUNITY EVENTS
As part of South Coast Artists mission to to deepen the region’s understanding and appreciation of arts and culture, we offer and ever-growing number of free and low cost educational programs throughout the year.
Upcoming events:
South Coast Artists Second Annual Distinguished Lecture:
Georgia O’Keeffe
What her example might teach us about how to live an intentional and creative life
Presented by Cody Hartley, Ph.D.,
Director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
6 - 8 pm
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
at Round the Bend Farm
92 Allens Neck Road
South Dartmouth, MA 02748
Subsidized Tickets: $7
This public program is part of SCA’s mission to deepen the region’s understanding and appreciation of arts and culture. South Coast Artists, Inc. continually strives to present a wide-variety of high-quality education programs for our community, to remove barriers to participation in arts activities. By subsidizing ticket prices, we make the arts accessible to all, enhancing the overall quality of life in our region.
ABOVE: Georgia O'Keeffe. Bella Donna, 1939. Oil on canvas, 36 1/4 x 30 1/8 inches. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Extended loan, private collection. © Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. [L.1997.3.3] Photo: Tim Nighswander/IMAGING4ART
ABOVE: Cody Hartley, Director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:
Cody Hartley has served as Director of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum since May 2019.
Prior to his role as Director, he was the Museum’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, its Senior Director of Collections and Interpretation, and Acting Director. Hartley has been a respected and innovative senior member of staff at the O’Keeffe since 2013, leading a division of departments that included curatorial, conservation, and education teams, as well as the library, archives, research center, and historic properties. In that time, Hartley supported numerous exhibitions, including a blockbuster international retrospective Georgia O’Keeffe at the Tate Modern. He was the key architect behind an effort to create a significant acquisition endowment which has enabled the museum to purchase numerous masterpieces for its collection. Hartley has also transformed the O’Keeffe’s approach to digital literacy, expanding the team dedicated to innovative uses of technology.
Raised in southwestern Wyoming, the son of a coal miner and an artist, Hartley completed his undergraduate education at the University of Wyoming before going on to earn an MA and PhD in Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to settling in Santa Fe, Cody worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. At the MFA, he served as curator of American paintings during the installation of its Art of the Americas wing, and directed its Gifts of Art program. He was previously on the board of the Association of Art Museum Curators, as the Vice President of Finance, Fundraising and Audit, and is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors.
When not at the museum, Cody spends his time among the piñon and ponderosa forests of northern New Mexico, within view of Cerro Pedernal. He is helping to raise two children, 8 and 13, who inspire his conviction that education is the key to New Mexico’s future
ABOUT GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
One of the most significant artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” O’Keeffe’s images—instantly recognizable as her own —include abstractions, large-scale depictions of flowers, leaves, rocks, shells, bones and other natural forms, New York cityscapes and paintings of the unusual shapes and colors of architectural and landscape forms of northern New Mexico. She is renowned for her contributions to American Modernism. Her unique artistic vision was a brave counterpoint to the chaotic images embraced by the prevailing trends of the art world. So did her carefully cultivated, distinctive personal style of often wearing black or white and appearing as an abstract form herself against the minimalist backdrop of her work and environments. Her paintings are celebrated for their keen observation of nature and have inspired generations of artists and art lovers. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe is dedicated to her life and art.
ABOVE: Mary Nichols. Georgia O'Keeffe in Abiquiu Patio, 1980. Chromogenic print, 10 x 7 15/16 inches. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. © Mary E. Nichols. [2006.6.953]
ABOVE: Alfred Stieglitz. Georgia O'Keeffe, 1935. Gelatin silver print, 8 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. [2003.1.23]
ABOUT THE O’KEEFFE MUSEUM
Since 1997, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum has celebrated the art, life, and independent spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe with visitors from around the world. With sites located in Santa Fe and Abiquiú New Mexico, the Museum offers a comprehensive experience to share the artist’s story in the landscapes that inspired her.
The Museum’s collections of over 3,000 works comprise 140 O’Keeffe oil paintings, nearly 700 drawings, and hundreds of additional works dating from 1901 to 1984, the year failing eyesight forced O’Keeffe into retirement. Throughout the year, visitors can see a changing selection of these works. In addition, the Museum presents exhibitions that are either devoted entirely to O’Keeffe’s work or combine examples of her art with works by her American modernist contemporaries.
ABOVE: Georgia O'Keeffe. My Front Yard, Summer, 1941. Oil on canvas, 20 1/16 x 30 1/8 inches. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. © Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. [2006.5.173] Photo: Tim Nighswander/IMAGING4ART
OUR THANKS TO
This presentation is made possible by a generous grant from the Westport Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust and Administered by Bank of America; and by generous donations from members and friends of South Coast Artists. South Coast Artists programs are supported, in part, by grants from the Dartmouth Cultural Council and the Westport Cultural Council, agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional services have been provided by Round the Bend Farm. We are deeply grateful to these generous supporters for allowing us to present this extraordinary event to the public
Past events:
Andrew Wyeth. Christina's World. 1948. Tempera. Collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Copyright 2024 Andrew Wyeth/Artists Rights Society (ARS)
Andrew Wyeth. Master Bedroom. 1965. Watercolor. Private Collection. Copyright 2024 Andrew Wyeth/Artists Rights Society (ARS)
Andrew Wyeth:
An Intimate View of an American Icon
Sign up today to experience an extremely rare and exciting peek into the art, private life, and creative process of one of America’s most beloved painters, Andrew Wyeth!
This 90-minute FREE presentation will be presented by Wyeth’s only grandchild, Victoria Browning Wyeth, who has been surrounded by art throughout her life. Her mother, Jane, is an art advisor who was trained as an art historian, while her father, Nicholas, is a private art dealer. Her great grandfather was the legendary illustrator, N.C. Wyeth, and her uncle is contemporary realist painter Jamie Wyeth.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 5, at 2:00pm in the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s spacious and comfortable Harbor View Gallery. Following the presentation, Ms. Wyeth has agreed to stay for a meet and greet reception, where attendees will have the opportunity to meet her, ask additional questions, and take a few “selfies” with her.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740, and is fully handicapped accessible. While the event is free, advance reservations are highly recommended.
Victoria Wyeth
Ms. Wyeth has curated exhibitions including Andrew and Jamie Wyeth: Selections from the Private Collection of Victoria Browning Wyeth for the Bates College Museum of Art, and Andrew Wyeth at 100: A Family Remembrance, for the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
She has carefully created a truly fascinating, 90-minute PowerPoint slide presentation for us. Her presentation manner is lively and engaging. Unlike others who talk about the work of Andrew Wyeth, Ms. Wyeth’s years of conversations with Andrew Wyeth about his work give her talks a unique perspective. She will present an unforgettable lecture on Andrew Wyeth, his life and work, which will include unpublished family photographs and works of art from the family’s personal archives. These images and stories are not available on-line. In fact, because of personal stories and the inclusion of family photographs, the presentation may not be recorded.
About Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth (July 12, 1917- January 16, 2009) is one of the best-known American painters of the 20th Century. Son of painter and legendary illustrator N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth began painting under the tutelage of his father at a young age, and over the course of his career received many awards and frequent acclaim.
Painting mostly subjects and scenes near his homes in Chadds Ford, PA, and Cushing, ME, his masterpieces of realism have captivated audiences with their strong connection to place. The haunting hillsides, stonewalls, trees, coastal scenes and farmland views resonate with residents of the South Coast.
This FREE presentation of Andres Wyeth: An American Icon is made possible by generous grants from The New Bedford Whaling Museum and Bay Coast Bank and by donations from individual South Coast Artists members. This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Dartmouth Cultural Council and the Westport Cultural Council, agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. This program is also underwritten by a major grant from the Westport Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust and Administered by Bank of America. We are deeply grateful to these generous funders for allowing us to present this extraordinary event free to the public.
Westport Film Series
Once again, we were excited to partner with the Westport Cultural Council to help present two films during their summer film series. The first film of the season began on Wednesday, July 17th with Troublesome Creek, followed by two other films, In the Whale and The Power of Stone, detailed below.
A sell-out crowd gathered with us at picturesque Weatherlow Farms in Westport to enjoy these powerful films. These events are always free, but tickets are required to reserve your seats.
Demonstrations During Open Studio Tours
During two weekends each summer, South Coast Arttsts Open Studio Tour gives access to the work of visual artists living and working in Westport and Dartmouth MA, and Tiverton and Little Compton RI. Approximately 75 artists participate and open their studios to the general public, discuss their art in the environment in which it was made, and offer family-friendly scheduled demonstrations and art education at no cost to participants.
Ongoing Community Events
From time to time throughout the year, SCA offers hands-on community activities, such as encouraging young artists to be creative at SCA community art activities taking place in May as part of ArtWeek SouthCoast events.