Cape Ann is home to both America's oldest seaport and oldest working art colony. Two centuries of a strong maritime tradition and creative artistic visions have produced a unique, provocative and stimulating community. The combination of the region's natural beauty and the democratic and free-thinking attitudes of its people have nurtured artists with both traditional and contemporary visions. Composed of individuals who embrace a full range of intellectual and stylistic genres, the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts is a coalition of artists, art lovers, cultural institutions, businesses, and municipal organizations, all working together to improve the economic base for the arts and the larger Cape Ann community.