Judges Selected for Gloucester 400 Medal Design Competition

Gloucester, MA – September 19, 2019 – Gloucester Celebration Corporation, the official organizers of Gloucester, Massachusetts’ 400th-anniversary celebration, today announced the official panel of judges for Phase I of the Commemorative Medal Design Competition. The panel is tasked with selecting three finalists from over three dozen designs submitted in Phase I of the competition. Design entries were received from artists worldwide, including Italy, the U.K., and Canada, as well as U.S. artists from California, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Maine, and many from Gloucester’s own vibrant art community.

“We are tremendously grateful for the response to our call for entries,” said Ruth Pino, tri-chairperson of the Gloucester 400 steering committee. “The depth of talent, variety of style, and richness of interpretation among the artists’ designs are remarkable. Our judges have their work cut out for them.”

The judging panel is led by Mr. Roger Armstrong, a longtime civic leader and champion of the Arts in Gloucester. Mr. Armstrong is also an owner of the State of the Art Gallery in Rocky Neck. Serving alongside Mr. Armstrong are the following distinguished members of Gloucester’s artistic community:

• Ms. Joy Dai Buell – Dedicated artist and art educator, Ms. Buell maintains a studio in Gloucester and teaches at the deCordova Museum, where her insightful instruction has been sought-after for 15+ years.
• Ms. Janice Carragher Charles – A lifelong artist, art educator, and gallery owner, Ms. Charles and her family own and operate the gallery, Charles Fine Arts, in downtown Gloucester.
• Mr. Leon Doucette – Born and raised in Gloucester, Mr. Doucette is an international award-winning artist and has served as a respected member of the curatorial staff at the Cape Ann Museum since 2011.
• Mr. Ken Hruby – Celebrated sculptor, educator, and military veteran, Mr. Hruby’s work is included in many collections, including the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum and Gloucester’s own Cape Ann Museum.

“It is our great pleasure to be part of this project and contribute to this Gloucester tradition,” said Mr. Armstrong. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to help bring this time-honored practice to life and contribute to our 400th in a way that will live on as a legacy among friends and neighbors for generations to come.”

Phase II of the Competition

The panel of judges for Phase I of the competition will review all the entries and select three finalist designs that will move to Phase II. The Phase I finalists will be announced on October 1, 2019. In Phase II, the final medal will be chosen by a second panel of judges from 3-dimensional renderings of each of the three semi-finalist designs. The final design will then be minted in bronze and silver versions for purchase by Gloucester residents, collectors, and numismatists worldwide.

The first minting of the 400th anniversary medallions will be available in the Spring of 2020. Proceeds from their sale will provide the chief source of funding for Gloucester’s 2023 celebrations and will provide residents with a memento of the Quadricentennial, help the city capture the priceless stories of its 400-year history, and create new memories for storytellers to come.

History We Can Hold in Our Hands

The theme of the 2023 quadricentennial is Gloucester: Our People, Our Stories™. And, like the city itself, Gloucester’s traditional commemorative medal has a story of its own. Commemorative medals have been a time-honored part of Gloucester’s historic celebrations for over a century, including the city’s 350th and 375th anniversaries. Residents bequeath their medals to children and grandchildren; and collectible medal and coin aficionados around the world are already looking forward to Gloucester’s upcoming quadricentennial medal.

“Our goal is to identify and produce an outstanding commemorative medal – one suitable to represent the true significance of our Quadricentennial,“ said Bob Gillis, tri-chairperson of the Gloucester 400 steering committee. “We are fortunate that so many gifted artists and our exceptional judges have lent their time and talent to help us make this goal a reality.”

Gloucester resident George Manuel Aarons was one of the world-renowned artists who designed past medals celebrating Gloucester’s milestones. In 1972, Aarons created a special treasure for Gloucester when he designed the uniquely elegant commemorative medallion for Gloucester’s 350th Anniversary.

Twenty-five years later, Gloucester’s 375th anniversary commemorative medal was designed by sculptor Daniel Altschuler, another Gloucester resident and a protege of Walker Hancock. Daniel Altschuler soon became a highly acclaimed sculptor in his own right, with pieces on permanent display in the White House, at Dartmouth College, and in the collection of former Mayor of the City of New York, Michael Bloomberg.

“It was Walker Hancock himself who recommended Daniel Altschuler for the commission,” explained Bruce Tobey, tri-chairperson of the Gloucester 400 steering committee and mayor of Gloucester at that time. “Today, thousands of residents can literally hold exquisitely-designed pieces of the city’s history and artistic tradition in their hands as a result of Aarons’ and Altschuler’s talent and love for this city.”

Start Making History – Get Involved

Want to be part of Gloucester’s history? Please join the Gloucester 400 steering committee for its next public input session on November 16th in City Hall at 11 a.m. Over 10 committees with topics including Community Outreach, Culture and the Arts, and Waterways need your help and insight. For more information visit https://www.gloucesterma400.org/sub-committees.

Gloucester’s 400th Anniversary: “Our People, Our Stories™”

Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest seaport, will be “400 years young” in 2023. To celebrate its past, honor its people, and welcome its promising future, the city has begun preparations for celebrating this historic milestone and organizing the year-long celebration of its anniversary. The theme of the quadricentennial is Gloucester: Our People, Our Stories™ and focuses on celebrating Gloucester’s history through the stories of the people who lived, sacrificed, rejoiced, worked, built, and innovated together – at times risking everything -- since 1623. Gloucester Celebration Corporation, is the steering committee established to guide the efforts to create a momentous city-wide celebration among the people and businesses, and facilitate an exceptional year of festivities.

To provide the latest information about Gloucester400’s many activities and opportunities, Gloucester Celebration Corporation has launched a website that will be continuously updated with news, fun, and useful information. Visit www.gloucesterma400.org for more information.