The SHED gallery in Gloucester is hosting Charlestown resident Joe Caruso’s exhibit, Rockbound, now through August 2. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 11 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Joe will be at the SHED on July 19, July 26 and August 2, 2-4 p.m. Other hours by appointment at 917-902-4359. The SHED is located at 18 Arlington Street in Gloucester.
Joe Caruso ffers these remarks: Several years ago, I attended a memorial service for a dear friend which was held on the rocks of Gloucester Harbor across from the beautiful Dahlia Garden on Stacey Boulevard. My friend had described the rocks to me many times, although I paid little attention.
After the service concluded, I turned and “took in” the extraordinary shapes and colors that lay before me. I became fascinated with the rocks and visited and photographed them during the different seasons and decided to make a series of charcoal drawings of them.
The rocks of Gloucester Harbor have been part of legend and lore over the years and appear in many classic seascapes. A famous rock formation called
Whale’s Jaw resembled an open whale’s mouth and was a popular landmark in the old Dogtown settlement of Cape Ann. And as early as 1638, there was a sighting of a sea serpent coiled on a Cape Ann rock. The rocks have also generated tales of maritime disasters, including “ The Wreck of the Hesperus,” made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Even though rocks have a permanence, weather, salt and water carve them into very interesting shapes. Draped with seaweed and covered with barnacles, they resemble exotic creatures capable of moving across the sand. Although not alive, they host living things and are important to the coastal eco-system.
Rocks are symbols of strength, durability, stability, longevity, patience and comfort. They are often associated with the divine and eternal and sometimes serve as sacred markers. There is something very compelling and mesmerizing about them.
Joe Caruso holds a Bachelor of Science from Boston University, an MA from Columbia University, and a Doctor of Education from Columbia University. He has exhibited widely throughout New England. In 2024 he was artist-in-residence at La Ceiba Grafica, Coatepec in Vera Cruz, Mexico; and in 2025, artist-in-residence at Officina Stamperia del Notaio in Tusa, Sicily. This is his first solo show with Jane Deering Gallery at the SHED.