Gloucester Main Street’s newest mural officially dedicated
A group of some of Gloucester’s leading women gathered on Gloucester’s Main Street on Saturday afternoon to dedicate formally the newest mural in the Court House area—the Iconic Women of Gloucester mural.
The mural is a representation of 250 years of women’s contributions to society and the arts who were either from Gloucester or lived in Gloucester. The installation of the mural was a part of the Cook Foundation’s 25th anniversary celebration.
“I want to say how really wonderful it is to be a part of this,” said Mary Shipko, an aviation pioneer and one of the eight women honored in the mural. “I hope going forward that it does encourage and inspire young women of the future to do great things. There are many, many things to still achieve and I want to say how honored and thrilled I was that I was asked to be in the mural.”
“It’s been really moving to have so many people reach out to us and tell us how important it was to be able to see themselves in the mural and to be able share these exceptional stories that are from here in Gloucester, not just somewhere else,” said Cook Foundation executive director Elizabeth Blackney. “You can be extraordinary anywhere.”
Blackney shared the story of the women depicted in the mural. Also present were Bridget Cimino of Baltimore, the artist who created the work, and Suzanne Tunner Hudson, daughter of the late Margaret Ann Tunner, a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) during World War II also depicted in the mural. The Iconic Women of Gloucester adorns one side of the building that houses the art studio/living space ARTWORK in the Village. The other side of that same building has another Cook Foundation mural, the one depicting Gloucester lawyer, teacher and civil rights leader T.C. Walker.
In addition to those two works of art, other Cook Foundation murals that grace Gloucester’s Main Street include Main Street Beecycles, Narcissi, Life & Legend of Pocahontas, and Watermen, Waterfowl. Information about each of the murals can be found at https://thecookfoundation.org/murals.
From the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal
Pictured: RUBY WILLIAMS / GAZETTE-JOURNAL Iconic Women of Gloucester, the newest Cook Foundation mural, was formally dedicated on Saturday afternoon.
