Artful Conversations: Sierra ‘Autumn’ Henries with her Father, Hawk Henries, 2024, by Matika Wilbur

Take a midday pause and experience one work of art in depth. 

Artful Conversations are informal, docent-led gallery experiences that invite visitors to slow down, look closely, and engage in thoughtful conversation. Each session features a work of art or object that is new to view—whether a recent acquisition or a work newly installed in the galleries. 

The program begins in the Education Room at our Downtown Campus with a brief introduction and visual context before moving into the galleries for an extended exploration of the featured work. Guided by observation, curiosity, and conversation, participants are encouraged to share ideas, consider different perspectives, and discover new connections together. 

This week for Artful Conversations 

In 2025, CAM acquired two 2023 photographs by Matika Wilbur as part of the Museum’s Native Initiatives, a project that culminated in a landmark exhibition of Wilbur’s work at the CAM Green. Wilbur’s work reshapes how Indigenous Peoples are represented across the United States, centering contemporary Native identity and celebrating the vibrancy of Indigenous culture today. 

Please join CAM docent Maggie Rosa for an engaging conversation as she reflects on what these photographs reveal—about the photographer, about the individuals portrayed, and about the evolving stories they invite us to understand more deeply. 

Born and raised in England, Maggie Rosa moved to the Chicago in 1968 to work as a research technician at the University of Chicago. During her eight years in Chicago, she married Joe and obtained her PhD. The two of them did post-doctoral research at Yale and then moved to Cambridge to join the nascent biotech world. They eventually built a weekend home in Gloucester. In 2001 they “saw the light” and moved here permanently to participate in this great community. Maggie is an active volunteer in local organizations, most recently the City Hall Restoration Commission, Gloucester Education Foundation, Cape Ann Museum, and Generous Gardeners. As a Cape Ann Museum docent, she serves as an ambassador for Gloucester by introducing visitors, especially cruise ship visitors, to Cape Ann’s history and culture. CAM’s Fresnel lighthouse lens is her favorite piece in the Museum because it exemplifies how science, technology and art were combined to address an urgent need in maritime safety.