Arts & Culture
The natural beauty of Cape Cod calls to visitors and residents alike, including the many artists and art admirers who pass through Provincetown each year.
Inside the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
“Ptown is such an artist community—and there is no artist in me—but the minute your feet touch the ground here, you are an artist.”
Arts & Culture
America’s Art Colony
Provincetown is a designated Massachusetts Cultural District.
The natural beauty of Cape Cod calls to visitors and residents alike, including the many artists and art admirers who pass through Provincetown each year. Provincetown is America’s oldest continuous art colony mixed with a flourishing contemporary art scene. It has welcomed artists for over a hundred years through its galleries, museums, and art houses.
The Provincetown Art Association and Museum, which expanded in 2006.
Provincetown Art Association and Museum & Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center
The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is over 100 years old and open year-round. PAAM has cemented itself as a cultural institution and must-visit destination for local and regional art. The permanent collection at PAAM includes over 3,000 works by more than 700 artists, including hundreds who have called Cape Cod home. Friday nights are free after 5 pm.
The Provincetown Fine Arts Works Center is a cornerstone for contemporary art in Provincetown with a focus on developing and encouraging emerging artists and writers. From readings and art talks to exhibitions there are tons of opportunities to meet the artists and learn more about their work. The center has residencies aimed at artist development and holds scheduled talks and numerous programs focused on writing and visual arts.
The Rice Polak Gallery on the East End of Commercial Street.
Art Galleries
Provincetown and art have been in a relationship for over one hundred years. Many art galleries feature the work of local artists and beyond. CNN Travel took notice of Provincetown’s art scene and status as America’s oldest continuous art colony.
East End & Commercial Street
Provincetown’s East End section is known as the gallery district due to the high concentration of art galleries in the area. A walk down Commercial Street will reveal over 40 art galleries to peruse for local art. Not to be missed are the weekly Friday night art openings—a perfect setting to meet the artists and gallery owners. Kick back, relax, sip some wine, and enjoy all Provincetown artists have to offer, now and all year round. For a full list of galleries, see the Provincetown Gallery Guide.
The Pilgrim Monument beneath the glow of a daytime moon. Photograph by Angela Russo.
The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum
The Pilgrim Monument stands as a symbol for the Pilgrim’s arrival and subsequent stay at Provincetown before going to Plymouth. The Pilgrim Monument has a Town lighting every November to remember this moment. Provincetown Museum has exhibits on Provincetown’s overall history and the actual building of the Pilgrim Monument.
A half-scale model of the Rose Dorothea, which spans more than 66 feet at the Provincetown Public Library. Photograph by Paul.
Provincetown Public Library
The Provincetown Public Library is free and worth a visit. It used to be a church back in 1860. It was turned into a museum around 1960. The museum didn’t pan out, but the Town wouldn’t let the former church-turned-museum fade, so it was made into a library. On the 2nd floor of the library features a replica of the Rose Dorothea, a schooner that won the Lipton Cup back in 1907. It’s encouraged to catch a view of the Rose Dorothea from the library’s mezzanine level.
An old Provincetown Theatre sign displayed on the beach.
Theaters & Performances
The Provincetown Theater is known as the birthplace of the American Theater. This is due to the Provincetown Players theater group making their impact in the early 20th century, eventually setting the foundation and launching the careers of modern American theater pioneers Eugene O’Neill and Susan Glaspell. The Provincetown Player’s impact led to the birth of the Provincetown Playhouse in 1918, which is located at Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.
Explore Provincetown Events
View more events on the Events Calendar
The Provincetown Film Society Cinema
Cinema & Independent Film
The Provincetown Film Society (PFS), which began as the Provincetown International Film Festival in 1999, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to showcasing new achievements in independent film and honoring the work of emerging as well as acclaimed directors, producers and actors.
Our mission is articulated through three primary activities: the annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF); the Water’s Edge Cinema; and our Gabrielle A. Hanna Provincetown Film Institute for film and media artist residencies and conferences. A substantial contributor to the economic and creative vitality of America’s oldest art colony, PFS is dedicated to becoming a sustainable, year round cultural organization that brings film education, genre-specific festivals and cultural partnerships to the outer Cape.
Center for Coastal Studies
Center for Coastal Studies Spinnaker Exhibition
The Center for Coastal Studies is home to the fully preserved skeleton of an 11-year old humpback whale named Spinnaker.
The Spinnaker Exhibition highlights the strength of collaborative research and response efforts and is a remarkably detailed example of the life of whales in the modern world.
The Center for Coastal Studies is located at 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown. Visit their website for hours.
The Provincetown History Preservation Project
100+ Years of Arts History
The Provincetown History Preservation Project is an incredible resource featuring hundreds of images, letters, and publications documenting the history of the arts in Provincetown. The below images are a small selection from the online archive.
An image from a 1940s tourist guide showing a young artist at work in Provincetown.
A page from the magazine Inside Provincetown, which published one issue.
The 1970 season of the Provincetown Playhouse, featuring a young Richard Gere.
The 1966 cover of Inside Provincetown, which published only once.
