The Cape Ann Museum is paying tribute to those who have died from the coronavirus with a temporary art installation.
Cape Ann Museum Director Oliver Barker said Tuesday on GBH News' In It Together that it was important for the museum to commemorate this loss through art.
"We felt that as a museum, we wanted to use our campus and our platform as a place around which people can engage and hopefully begin the grief and healing process as a community," said Barker
The memorial is comprised of three parts: the Gloucester Memorial Quilt, the Cape Ann Cairns Memorial and a video art installation.
The quilt was sewn locally and contains 35 squares, each representing one the 35 people who died of COVID-19 in the city. Some squares have names of the victims, others are blank by request of the families.
The Cape Ann Cairns Memorial is comprised of 55 stone statues called cairns, each dedicated to one the 55 people who died from the virus in the Cape Ann area. Some of the cairns have name tags denoting names of people who have died.
Wednesday night at 6 p.m., the Museum will be hosting a live-streamed virtual memorial ceremony and grand opening for the memorial. Because of COVID restrictions, no one will be allowed on site during the ceremony, but people can stream the ceremony on Facebook and Youtube.
Visitors can reserve free, timed slots to see the memorial in person Thursday through Sunday at capeannmuseum.org.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated where those remembered in the Cape Ann Cairns Memorial lived. It is dedicated to 55 people who have died from the virus in the Cape Ann area.
