As Cape Ann Plein Air celebrates its milestone 10th anniversary, the organization is thrilled to welcome Courtney Richardson as its new Executive Director, a leader whose deep roots in Cape Ann's arts and education communities make her uniquely suited to guide Cape Ann Plein Air into its next decade.

Courtney first came to Gloucester in 1999 to teach social studies at Gloucester High School, arriving as a newcomer who knew little about the city beyond childhood memories of Wingaersheek Beach. What she found was a community unlike any she'd experienced, one defined by people looking out for one another, and a city that struck her as vast, diverse, and beautiful from every angle. A colleague's prediction that "once you cross that bridge, you'll never go back" turned out to be true: twenty-seven years later, Courtney can't imagine living anywhere else. Along the way, she met her husband, a Gloucester native whose love for the city, despite having traveled the world, helped seal her own devotion to it. Today, she treasures walks through Ravenswood and along Good Harbor Beach with her husband, their son, and their two dogs.

Courtney holds a BA in History & Education from Boston College and an MA in History from Salem State University. Her career has been dedicated to education and the arts on Cape Ann: ten years teaching social studies at Gloucester High School, twelve years as Director of Education and Public Programs at the Cape Ann Museum, three years as Director of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, and ongoing work as an education consultant for Essex Heritage over the past decade.

Courtney's connection to Cape Ann Plein Air runs deep, she has served the organization before, as both advisor and board member during her tenures at Cape Ann Museum and Rocky Neck Art Colony, drawn each time by Cape Ann Plein Air's commitment to collaboration within the region's broader arts community. She's especially energized by Cape Ann Plein Air's work with schools and student arts programming, and by the way plein air artists carry forward nearly 200 years of artistic tradition on Cape Ann, offering fresh eyes on a place she knows and loves.

Though not an artist herself, Courtney carries a small travel watercolor set in her bag, pulling it out in quiet moments by the water to see the world through a different lens, a habit that began years ago, painting alongside her son as he grew up exploring the world with her.

As Cape Ann Plein Air marks ten remarkable years, Courtney is looking forward to spending time alongside their many artists, volunteers, and supporters celebrating this major accomplishment.