A detailed inventory of artwork belonging to Addison Gilbert and Beverly hospitals is nearly complete, according to a statement issued by Northeast Health System, the parent corporation of both facilities.
"The hospital takes very seriously our stewardship of artwork donated to us during our many years of service to the community," read the statement, sent to the Times by Northeast Health System public relations associate Erin A. Doyle. "When we learned that some pieces may be missing, we immediately launched an internal investigation and subsequently began working with the Groveland police on their investigation of the matter. Both internal and external investigations are ongoing."
The announcement of the inventory effort comes after Groveland police raided the home of a former Beverly Hospital employee and recovered a number of artworks and antiques allegedly taken from Beverly Hospital and valued at more than $200,000. The works recovered from the home of Paul Galzerano, 56, included a seascape by Rockport artist Stanley Wingate Woodward (1890-1970). The incident has sparked concern among many in the Cape Ann arts community regarding the status of works that had once been displayed at Addison Gilbert.
Galzerano pleaded not guilty in Haverhill District Court to six counts of receiving stolen property. He remains free on $1,000 cash bail and is due in court Nov. 4. A former associate vice president of staff services, Galzerano oversaw a $60 million renovation of Beverly Hospital between 2003 and 2006, according to court documents.
Charles "Chip" Payson, vice president of external affairs for Northeast Health System, said earlier this week that the corporation has been "cooperating fully" with Groveland police and other officials. The items were taken four years ago, but the thefts were not initially reported to the Beverly Police and were investigated privately, officials have said. Hospital officials have now said that 28 paintings are missing, including the two seized during the Groveland raid, according to the police report.
"As part of our internal investigation, we simultaneously began a verification of the artwork in our care and focused on its location, security and control while confirming that it is in fact properly valued, insured and preserved," the Northeast statement issued by Doyle indicated. "Through this comprehensive effort, we have catalogued nearly all of the hospitals' holdings — or 99.8 percent — and have approximately $1,900 worth of artwork left to catalogue."
The Northeast press statement emphasized that officials consider the hospital collections to be "important to the history and heritage of our hospitals, as well as the Cape Ann and North Shore communities." Officials also intend to continue the tradition of making pieces accessible, as appropriate, to the North Shore through exhibits either at the hospitals and or community locations, the Northeast statement read.
According to some estimates, Addison Gilbert Hospital alone has been presented with some 300 pieces of artwork over the years. A longstanding Cape Ann tradition — at least until the time of the 1994 merger with Beverly Hospital into Northeast — held that artists or residents would donate artwork to the hospital as a thank you for services rendered, in memory of family member, or as a gift from an estate.
The jewel of the Addison Gilbert collection is a painting by 19th century Luminist painter Fitz Henry Lane of Gloucester, whose art sells for millions of dollars at auction. The scene is of Gloucester Harbor, which has been on loan to the Cape Ann Historical Museum for nearly half a century. In 2003, its value was estimated to be $3 million.
Members of the Cape Ann arts community and other residents — especially former hospital employees - have closely followed coverage of the recovered works.
One retired nurse called the Times to report that she is sure the Woodward painting recovered by the Groveland police hung in Addison Gilbert Hospital. She recalled in vivid detail her memory of it hanging in a first-floor hallway, between the Prentiss I and Steele wings.
"The sun would come up and shine through those windows and illuminate the whole corridor, and there would be that beautiful blue water painting that was so pretty hanging there," said the nurse, who worked at Addison Gilbert for 22 years, but asked to remain anonymous.
She also wondered whether the recovered grandfather clock also came from Addison Gilbert. She remembered there was an antique grandfather clock in the medical library 30 years ago when she was a nursing student; nursing students could study at Addison Gilbert Hospital at that time. That area was known as the French Center.
Ted Scharfenstein, president of Addison Gilbert from 1974 to1989, remembered that the hospital's development department kept a detailed inventory of all the artwork with intricate descriptions and photographs. He agreed that Addison Gilbert was rich in artwork — more than most hospitals — because of Cape Ann's extraordinarily rich artistic heritage.
"A lot of the art came from summer houses when they were being closed down and many people gave artwork or furnishings to the hospital," he recalled. "We acquired a lot of the older pieces that way," he said.
As for the paintings still missing, representatives of the Rockport Art Association said it would be helpful to know the titles of such artwork because those paintings possibly could end up at one of the annual art auctions.
Hospital officials said they are not releasing any more information at this time because the matter remains under investigation.
Gail McCarthy can be reached at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com
