The Fishermen's Wives of Gloucester
It’s hard to believe we are halfway into July, and with the summer moving along at a seemingly far too rapid pace, mfD is looking forward to it’s next project coming to the shores of Gloucester, MA in August. “Centuries in the Making: Gloucester’s Wives & Fisherman Shine On” is a collaboration bringing mfD back together with Luminartz and Hersch Visuals to honor the 20th anniversary of the unveiling of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, a contribution to this fishing community by the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association. The project will celebrate the tireless efforts of the women of this organization whose contributions include, “promoting the New England fishing industry, helping to preserve the Atlantic Ocean as a food supply for the world, and assisting active and retired fishermen and their families to live better lives.”
mfD is all about celebrating the contributions of women of any community, but why the fishermen’s wives of Gloucester? Lyn Burke of Luminartz, a resident of Gloucester, realized the women of this community and their memorial were overdue for a celebration worthy of their years of tireless advocacy on behalf of the area. The fishermen’s wives not only are a pillar of strength for their immediate friends and families, but they have often been directly responsible for advances in the fishing industry, working with local and federal government officials to affect change to international fishing law (including the implementation of the 200-mile limit in 1977, a ruling that would majorly impact the industry by limiting the harvesting of wildlife nearing extinction...go back in time and read all about it here!), as well as bringing awareness to issues such as environmental protection, education, and business and economics. Burke enlisted Maria and Pamela Hersch of Hersch Visuals to create an installation around the memorial that was first unveiled in 2001. The activation will feature projections of an animated quilt onto the statue, featuring a sound installation designed by Maria that uses recorded conversations with the fishermen’s wives themselves as source material.
Maria met with members of the Fishermen’s Wives Association recently to collect their stories. The women-- many of whom are of Sicilian descent or other immigrant families-- opened their hearts (and kitchens! It should not go unsaid that as wonderful hostesses, they made sure to not let Maria go unfed) and shared stories of their lives and their community, centered around themes of hard work, perseverance, family, endurance, and loss. The stories are those of hundreds of women who have embraced, celebrated, and promoted a grueling lifestyle and calling. “The wives know that this lifestyle is very hard, and yet it still calls to them. The sea calls to them, and they are called to this community, and as an artist, I understood this calling,” Maria said of her experience breaking bread and listening to the stories of these women.
Maria’s next task is to distill over an hour’s worth of recorded conversations into a 15 minute sound installation. “There isn’t just one story, there are hundreds of stories, and it felt like ‘cousin Maria’ coming over to listen to our stories. Everything they told me is very honest, very from the heart, and I want to make them proud because they brought me to their table, and that is exactly how they have held their community together, not through any one person being above anybody else, not about heroizing or overly worshipping any one person.”
Centuries in the Makingwill be presented on Thursday, August 5. An opening ceremony will take place at 7:30 at the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, followed by the light and sound installation from 8:30 - 10:30 PM. Following the opening, the installation will be moved to the Cape Ann Museum for four more days. The Fishermen’s Wives impact on their community is as vital as it is enduring, and by shining a light on their contributions and sacrifices, we hope that those who get to experience this installation will be able to reflect on how these women have helped make Gloucester the thriving and soulful community that it is.
