Inspired by Cape Cod: The Artists Who Paint Its Light, History, and Character

Well before Jo Hay began Persisters her acclaimed series of large-scale portraits of women pursuing justice she turned her focus to one of Provincetown’s most revered artistic figures: Anne Packard. A luminary whose work and presence have shaped the town’s creative landscape for decades, Packard has long been regarded as one of Cape Cod’s most influential and beloved painters.
“I wanted to paint her because she is such an amazing force of a human being and a woman, particularly. It was like painting royalty from Provincetown,” Jo shared.
Hay completed the piece prior to enrolling in grad school at the New York Academy of Art in 2010, where she received her MFA. Measuring 66”x48”, the oil on canvas painting (Grande Dame Anne Packard) depicts a moment frozen in time, Anne in a chair in her living room that looks out onto Cape Cod Bay.

Jo Hay, Grande Dame Anne Packard, Lot 4 Estimate: $15,000 - $75,000

“She sat in the chair in a way that was breaking the rules and just unconventional. It’s not necessarily the way you’d expect a woman would sit,” Jo recalled. “That appealed to me.”
Hay has kept the painting in her collection because of who it depicts and what Anne Packard means to the arts and to our community. “I’ve always been enamored with Anne. There is a real gravitas to her,” Jo said. “I believe it comes from her life and what she’s lived through.”
At 92, Anne Packard stands at the intersection of the Cape’s storied artistic past and its vibrant present-her grandfather was the famed painter Max Bohm and she has shaped both through her distinguished career and through the next generation, with her daughter Cynthia continuing the family tradition.

Jo Hay and Anne Packard, Provincetown, 2010

In America’s oldest continuous arts colony where the ghosts of Charles Hawthorne, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Edward Hopper, and Hans Hoffman proudly linger over the Cape’s outermost community, it’s creatives like Anne Packard and Jo Hay who are continuing Provincetown’s legacy of self-expression through visual art.
That’s what makes the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s Deck the Walls auction-open from Black Friday through Sunday, December 14th-so special. It brings together the work of exceptional artists like Jo Hay and the Cape’s enduring artistic heritage.
Jo Hay’s homage to a renowned artist who embodies the creative talent that abounds here on Cape Cod is a reminder about the power of the arts to reflect the identity, character, and values of a place through its people, its history, and its landscape. This year’s auction displays that power through 18 distinct pieces by some of the Cape’s most prolific contemporary artists, including Jo Hay who is finally ready to give her one-of-a-kind piece, portraying Anne Packard, a new home.
“I love the feeling of creating something that moves people,” Jo said of what she loves about art. “Maybe they see themselves in a painting or they see their past in it.” Hay is represented by Carolyn Kramer Gallery, Provincetown, MA.

A Beauty Unlike Any Other
Also featured in this year’s auction is Cloudy Afternoon, a piece that captures what Provincetown artist Derek Macara does best-revealing the natural beauty Cape Cod is known for. Visitors may come for the beaches and the ocean, but for artists like Macara, it’s the light that inspires.
“There’s so much beauty here, and no shortage of compelling subjects,” Macara said. “The sunsets, the shoreline, the architecture-it’s all incredibly inspiring to paint.”

Derek Makara, Cloudy Afternoon, Lot 1 Estimate: $4,800 - $12,000

A self-taught painter, Makara has shaped a career around portraying the sea in all its forms-serene, turbulent, and everything between. Boats, lighthouses, clear skies, and darkening clouds all find their way into his work, each scene breathtaking in its own way.
He lets people into his creative process “I paint almost every day even if I’m not feeling inspired,” he shared-through videos he shares on social media where he has amassed over 370,000 followers on Instagram where you’ll find him @dmacara.

Sense of Place
Not only can the Cape’s beauty be witnessed by the water, but on land as seen in Don Beale’s Beech Forest which pays tribute to Provincetown’s popular walking trail.
“Painting from life forces me to be truly awake,” shared Beale, who has called Provincetown home for over 40 years. Beale is represented by Berta Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA.

Donald Beale, Beech Forest, Lot 5 Estimate: $2,200 - $6,800

Like Jo Hay, painter Paul Schulenburg’s contribution to this year’s auction, Young Fisherman at Rest, offers a glimpse at the people which shape Cape Cod for the better. With its proximity to the water, it’s no secret that fishing goes hand-in-hand with the region’s economy and its way of life.

Paul Schulenburg, Young Fisherman at Rest, Lot 2 Estimate: $1,500 - $3,800

An artist who has created illustrations and artwork for Fidelity, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, U.S. News, Cigna, and other major publishers and companies worldwide, Schulenburg has become a sought-after painter for collectors of fine art, representative of the
breadth and depth of creative excellence that fills this 65-mile-long peninsula. Schulenburg is represented by Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA.

Your Next Coveted Work of Art — All While Giving Back

As you explore the exceptional works in this year’s auction, know that your bidding not only offers the chance to acquire a treasured piece for yourself or someone you love, but also supports a 38-year-old nonprofit nurturing the next generation of artists those who will follow in the footsteps of Jo Hay, Derek Macara, Don Beale, and Paul Schulenburg and more.
A portion of the proceeds from this year’s auction will go to strengthen the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s work which nurtures artists, empowers arts organizations, and invests in meaningful arts programming on Cape Cod and the Islands.
“I think the Arts Foundation is a phenomenal institution, and its reach across our community is remarkable,” said Jo Hay. “Each year, its impact grows. I’ve been fortunate to be part of these auctions and events, and it’s clear the Arts Foundation’s support for regional artists continues to strengthen.”

Explore the full catalog and register to bid here.