Montserrat College of Art alumna Sarah Dineen displays her exhibit “Protection” at the Hammond Castle Museum

Published: February 8, 2022

The work of alumna Sarah Dineen will be featured in an exhibition at Hammond Castle, Gloucester in March. Read the story about her work and influencers in the Ipswich Local News.

GLOUCESTER — Montserrat College of Art alumna Sarah Dineen will display her exhibit, “Protection,” at the Hammond Castle Museum this March.

The exhibit consists of nine large-scale sculptures and 32 paintings and can be found in the Great Hall. 

“Sarah’s vision and interpretation of how the fragility of the human body can impact pieces of armor is such a different view of how we traditionally think of arms and armor,” executive director Linda Harvey said.

“Bringing art from the community into the museum is such a wonderful way to continue to meet our mission and offer the museum as a venue for cultural arts,” Harvey added. 

Based in New York City and Cape Cod, Dineen holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York and a BFA from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. 

She has displayed her work across the United States and throughout Germany.

Dineen celebrates the physicality of painting and its capacity to echo the properties of protective coverings like metal and bark. Themes of protection, personal power, love, and connection run throughout the work.  

Inspired by the “Arms and Armor” collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dineen has incorporated similar themes into her “Protection” exhibit this March.

“I was struck by the beauty of the intricately carved metal surfaces and the deep, dark space of each helmet where a human life had once been,” Dineen said. “In my own set of armor, I use a recurring circular pattern from my previous paintings to adorn each piece. Using just three colors and repeating them throughout, I paint the surfaces to look like a combination of distressed metal and warm skin.”

Dineen will host two free receptions that are open to the public. Her opening reception will take place on March 19 from 5 to 8 p.m., followed by a closing reception on March 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Her work was also be featured in The Cricket. To read more Click Here

The display will run from Saturday, March 19 through Wednesday, March 30. All of Dineen’s artwork will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will support Hammond Castle Museum. More information on the exhibit and castle is at hammondcastle.org.