Rocky Neck Art Colony
Esteemed Emeriti of the Board of Trustees
Members who have served six-plus years on the RNAC Board.
(Current Board of Trustees)
Kathleen Gerdon Archer (Board member 2012-2022)
Following a 17-year real estate career, Kathy Archer changed paths to attend Montserrat College of Art, graduating in 2003.
A former member of The Kingston Gallery and The Copley Society in Boston, she joined Rocky Neck Art Colony in 2006 and opened White Bird Gallery, on Rocky Neck Avenue. She later co-founded FLOAT Gallery, on Madfish Wharf.
Kathy has served in many capacities at RNAC before becoming President in 2017.
Pat Conant (Board member 2012-2020)
Patricia (Pat) Conant’s family has been renting lodging to artists for almost 100 years.
She has seen many changes come to Rocky Neck and is pleased watch the growth of opportunities and expansion of support for contemporary artists through the efforts of the members of the Rocky Neck Art Colony.
Ramona Faherty (Board member 2012-2020)
A lifelong resident of Gloucester and a member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony since 1992. Past Treasurer of the Art Colony for many years.
After leaving banking as a loan officer in 1987, purchased with her husband Michael a small hotel on Rocky Neck. Today Mona manages and owns two hotels and several rental properties in Gloucester.
Karl Frank (Board member 2012-2020)
Karl Frank started his art life at 10, with lessons from a neighbor. In light of the scarcity of nude models in suburbia, Karl recreated on paper the nakedly organic shapes of old shoes. When he later studied at the Art Students League, he was pleased that the old-shoe substitute was not necessary in the big city.
Karl can be found still engaged in art, photography and furniture-making in his East Gloucester home and studio.
In view of his amateur status, some are surprised to learn Karl did get training in painting, photography and woodworking, and even, for one year, made his living drawing pictures (specifically renditions of furniture, cabinets and buildings, drawn in perspective from dimensioned plans).
Brenda Malloy (Artist Member, 2018-2024
A commercial helicopter pilot for over 12 years, Brenda settled in Gloucester after travelling the US solo.
Her love of Gloucester was sparked by summering here since childhood. She has owned IMAGINE Gallery, at 43 Rocky Neck Ave., since 2002, and started showing her own work there in 2006 when she took up painting. Prior to that, IMAGINE was stocked with handicrafts, clothing and accessories from her winter sojourns to Nepal, Bali, Thailand and India.
She enjoys supporting the Rocky Neck Art Colony, and still finds time to volunteer at various community organizations, dance and enjoy life.
Mary Ann McCormick (Board member 2014-2021)
Mary Ann had a 30+ year career in financial services before starting a gourmet cookie company, Lark Fine Foods.
Now retired, she stays busy teaching Mah Jongg, cooking, volunteering at the animal shelter, and working with RNAC on the Nominating, Development/Event, and Membership committees.
She lives on Rocky Neck with her husband, John, and Lyla, their cat.
Ann Clark McKay (Board member 2012-2019)
My ancestors arrived in Gloucester in 1650 and I have lived on Rocky Neck since 1980.
I am proud to have been part of a hard-working group of artists and their neighbors in an organization that, among other things, saw the birth of Gallery 53, published a scholarly book honoring Rocky Neck artists, created an Historic Art Trail and purchased a beautiful old building.
Barbara Moody (Board member 2017-2023)
Having earned master’s and doctorate degrees from Harvard University, Barbara served as a Professor and Dean at Montserrat College of Art for more than 40 years.
She’s an accomplished artist whose work has been exhibited in many solo and group shows in Boston as well as corporate collections and commissions. She co-founded FLOAT Gallery at Rocky Neck in 2019. Barbara’s Website.
Barbara served as secretary of the Board and a member of the RNAC Finance and Residency committees. A resident of Beverly, she hopes to move to Gloucester at some point in the future.
Ruth Mordecai, Artist Member (Board member 2012-2021)
Current member of the Goetemann Artist Residency (GAR) Committee, where she served as Director from 2008 to 2015. Ruth also created the Distinguished Artist/Teacher and Gloucester Invitational programs for GAR.
Presently co-leader with Kat Masella of an ongoing Artists Conversation/Crit Group, Ruth taught for many years at the DeCordova Museum School, the Harvard University Ceramics Department and Boston University School for the Arts.
She is represented by Matthew Swift Gallery, and her work is found in major collections including Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Cape Ann Museum; website www.RuthMordecai.com. Ruth has lived with her psychotherapist husband, Ed Powers, on Rocky Neck since 1999.
Jeffrey Newell (Board member 2017-2024)
A graduate of Montserrat College of Art, in Beverly, Massachusetts, Jeffrey has served as Director of Admissions at Montserrat as well as Director of Enrollment Management at Shore Country Day School in Beverly. He joined the RNAC board in 2017, and served on the Goetemann Artist Residency, Development, Membership and as Vice President on the Executive Committee.
While trained as an artist, Jeffrey is now focused outside the studio, whether helping other artists connect through RNAC or working with the next generation to meet its full potential with admission application materials and portfolios.
Jeffrey has lived on Cape Ann for more than 20 years.
Judy Robinson-Cox (Board member 2012-2020)
After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a BFA in painting and photography in the 1970s, Judy ran a fine-art leather craft business in Woodstock, NY for seven years. She studied graphic design at Philadelphia College of Art in the ‘80s and worked for 20 years as a graphic designer/marketing communications executive in high tech. She left the corporate world in the 90s to start her own design and fine art photography business in Gloucester.
Judy became involved with the Rocky Neck Art Colony in 2005, and was elected manager of Gallery 53 in 2009. She served as RNAC Marketing Manager for several years.
Amy Bell Ross (Board member 2012-2020)
In the inimitable words of her inimitable father, Amy Bell Ross spent the first part of her career “doing” (as a marketing and merchandising executive) and the latter part “teaching” (as a college professor and dean of undergraduate school of business).
A lifelong Gloucester resident with strong ties to Rocky Neck, she has long been an RNAC booster and Board member. Her inclination to foster the cultural preservation of what is indeed a very special place inspired her work with other RNAC volunteers over the last decade to develop and publish the RN Historic Art Trail.
Today, she serves on the Finance and Membership committees.
Karen Ristuben (Board member 2012-2021)
Having served as RNAC President for 10 years (2007-2017), Karen remains deeply committed to the Rocky Neck arts community as a Board member.
She serves as Program Director for Essex County Community Foundation’s “Creative County Initiative,” a multi-year investment to strengthen and support the arts and culture in communities of Essex County.
From her house overlooking Gloucester Harbor and Rocky Neck, Karen plays a little music and makes art, but her main interest is in creating conditions to support other artists.
Martha Swanson (Board member 2012-2020)
Martha Swanson served as the Artistic Director of RNAC for eight years. In addition to enjoying a career as an award-wining art director and graphic designer for books and magazines, Martha spent a number of years in the non-profit sector as President of the Cambridge Art Association and managing director of CENTER in Santa Fe, NM.
On relocating to Cape Ann in 2010, she fell in love with Rocky Neck, the history of the art colony and the fabulous historic building that would become the Cultural Center.
It should be mentioned that she also found time to draw, paint and exhibit her work. See Close Up: Sketchbooks by Martha Swanson.
