Press
A little serendipity at the Bumpus Gallery
May 31, 2026 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
There was a large turnout of artists and those who love art at the opening reception of Helen Bumpus Gallery’s first juried show, “Serendipity,” on May 8. The gallery is housed on the main level of the Duxbury Free Library. The show runs through June.
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Take a break at the Bumpus
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
The Helen Bumpus Gallery offers an opportunity to step back, take a breath and unwind, even for just a few minutes. The current exhibit, "Shared Realities," includes whimsical and wistful paintings by Cape artist Kerry W. Buckley.
“I do not try to capture reality, but a mood, the fleeting light of a solitary moment,” Buckley said.
The exhibit ends Jan. 5, and will be followed by “Fantastic Plastic,” the work of Donna Goes.
The gallery is located on the main floor of Duxbury Free Library, opposite the Circulation Desk.
Helen Bumpus Gallery: multi-tasking, but better
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
We all love crossing things off our to-do list. Knocking off two at once is even better. And doing something that expands our minds too? That's a winning trifecta. If you're looking for that kind of dopamine, come explore the Helen Bumpus Gallery, the independent art gallery located within the Duxbury Free Library that has been helping residents maximize their exposure to the arts since 1968.
Think of it as two-for-one creativity: Come see colorful garden abstracts by a talented local painter and get a book on gardening on your way out. Or pick up a telescope from the Library of Things and spend a few minutes immersed in watercolors of local sites.
Bumpus endowed the creation of the gallery to encourage the development of art in the community. Over the course of its 57 years, some 350 artists have displayed their work on its walls. A wide range of media have been represented, from photography to traditional watercolors to free hooking.
And while the gallery might be modest in square footage, it's big on talent. Well-known author and illustrator Brian Lies displayed his work in 2024. All his pieces sold, most on the first day. The late Jane Collins, a nationally known, Emmy Award-winning courtroom artist, exhibited her work in 2010, featuring acrylics and watercolors instead of felons and attorneys.
New exhibition coming to Bumpus Gallery
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
Just as the lazy days of summer are ending, so is HEAT WAVE—Helen Bumpus Gallery’s light-hearted exhibition by multimedia artist Laura Harvey. There’s less than a week left to catch this smile-inducing art show full of whimsy, nostalgic imagery, and sheer fun.
Starting Sept. 2, the gallery will exhibit “Salt Air” featuring work by the South Shore’s Barbara Chaisson, an award-winning acrylic painter and mixed media artist who enjoys painting all things coastal New England with an upbeat sense of color and design.
On Friday, Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7 pm, all are Invited to a free gallery reception to meet the artist and enjoy her “Salt Air” paintings. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. The Gallery is located on the main floor of Duxbury Free Library at 77 Alden Street.
Cool Game at Bumpus Gallery
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
During HEAT WAVE, Helen Bumpus Gallery’s light-hearted summer exhibition, multimedia artist Laura Harvey invites visitors young and old to play her gallery-specific interpretation of the cool guessing game, I Spy.
Just like tradition I Spy challenges, Harvery’s Version encourages observation skills and Vocabulary development, making it a fun and Educational activity for various age groups.
All answers in her I Spy picture identification game can be found within TIME OUT, the largest piece on display in the Gallery, which is located on the main floor of Duxbury Free Library.
Gallery hosts free reception amid lighthearted art show
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
Helen Bumpus Gallery is hosting a free reception to celebrate local award-winning artist Laura Harvey and her lighthearted summer exhibition, HEAT WAVE on Friday, July 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. All are invited to meet the artist amid her lively mixed media artwork and to enjoy light refreshments and beverages. The Gallery is located on the main floor of Duxbury Free Library.
As a mixed media artist, Harvey creates intricately layered collages on a variety of surfaces – from canvas and traditional birch panels to hollow-core doors.
Scholarship Winner - Duxbury Clipper
Lucy Frazier (DHS ’25) was selected by the Board of Directors to receive this year’s Helen Bumpus Gallery art scholarship.
Each year the Gallery awards a $500 grant to a graduating Duxbury senior to encourage continued study in the visual arts.
Lucy, who excelled in a variety of art classes throughout high school, will pursue further study in art and architecture.
Oil Paintings at Bumpus Gallery
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
Helen Bumpus Gallery is pleased to present “Town and Country,” an exhibition of oil paintings by award-winning South Shore artist Bob Beaulieu through the end of June 2025. “Cottage in Duxbury” is one of 24 original oil paintings in the exhibit demonstrating Beaulieu’s ability to capture detail, atmosphere, and light, whether his subject is a storefront in Boston or a waterfront cottage in Duxbury.
Primarily a plein air painter, Beaulieu often drives around the region in his MG with a painting easel strapped to its hood as he seeks his next subject – be it dynamic afternoon light falling on a building or the play of angular lights and darks.
Gallery celebrates art by Duxbury Rug Hookers
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - DUXBURY CLIPPER
“On the Wall and Underfoot,” the Helen Bumpus Gallery exhibit featuring traditional and contemporary art by Duxbury Rug Hookers opens Monday, March 3, followed by a free opening reception with the artists on Friday, March 7, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The show, which runs through May 3, will be one of Duxbury Community Collaborative’s Out-to-See-Duxbury town-wide events that day.
Bumpus Gallery Honors Artist with Annual Award
Helen Bumpus Gallery’s Board of Directors recently honored South Shore artist Tony Andrade with the 2024 Conant Award in special recognition of the exemplary artwork he exhibited in the Gallery last summer. "Real and Imagined--Paintings by Tony Andrade” featured two distinct bodies of work: realistic landscapes and whimsically abstract, imagined gardens.
The annual award – which includes a personalized plaque and honorarium – was established by a donation from Esther Conant in honor of her friend and gallery namesake, Helen Bumpus.
For additional information about the Conant Award and past recipients, please visit helenbumpusgallery.com.
View a list of Conant Award recipients over the past 43 years.
