April 1 to November 30, 2009
Curated by Laurel Guadazno and James Bakker

The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) is pleased to announce an
exhibition of Paintings and Prints from the Collection of Helen and Napi Van Dereck
presented with objects and photographsfrom the Collection of the PMPM. The exhibit,
Around the Town, uses more than 20 pieces of artwork from Van Dereck’s large collection
of town-related art combined with objects from the Museum’s collection to give depth to
the subject portrayed in the paintings.

The curators have concentrated on several iconic town buildings along Commercial
Street: The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, the Center Methodist Episcopal
Church (now the Provincetown Public Library), the Western School that was once on
Tremont Street and one of the oldest shops on Commercial Street.

For instance, etchings by Albert Edel and Elizabeth Warren Lindenmuthas well as
paintings by Laszlo DeNagy and Ellie Roberts all depict the Christopher Wren Tower on
the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House. They are paired with objects related to the
meeting house: a copy of The Life of the Reverend John Murray, preacher of Universal
Salvation, the book that led to the founding of the church, and artifacts belonging to a
minister of the church, Reverend John Bovee Dods. Souvenir manufacturers as well as
artists were inspired by views of Provincetown. Several pieces of souvenir china whose
subjects match those in paintings on exhibit illustrate the popularity of certain views and
are shown next to paintings of the same view. Lillian Meeser’s The Flower Shop, once
the office of the Advocate Newspaper and considered to be the Oldest Shop in town is
hung above the sign once attached to the shop. Together, the artwork, photographs,
souvenir china and personal objects tell a more complete story of early Provincetown
then the paintings and etchings could tell alone.