Meet the Artist
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Meet the Artist
Derek Macara grew up in Provincetown, Massachusetts, a community long known for its artists. Surrounded by creativity from an early age, he studied at the Hawthorne School of Art as a child and went on to refine his skills through years of practice and self-study.
What began as a childhood interest evolved into a professional career over the past decade. His first show in a Provincetown pizza parlor marked the beginning of a journey that has since taken his paintings into galleries, private collections and homes around the world.
Derek’s oil paintings often feature classic Cape Cod scenes, but they also invite viewers into quiet, reflective spaces that feel both peaceful and full of possibility. Drawing from his own photos, sketches and imagination, he builds layered, dynamic canvases that capture the mood and movement of life on the coast.
Outside the gallery, Derek brings his creative process to life online. His TikTok, Instagram and YouTube videos showing blank canvases becoming finished coastal scenes have gone viral, connecting his art with millions around the world.
Still based in Provincetown, Derek continues to paint the imagery and atmosphere of his hometown, creating art that carries the spirit of coastal New England well beyond Cape Cod.
See more at derekmacara.com.
This year’s poem was written by Julia Meylor Simpson of Groton, Connecticut. Now retired, she worked in journalism, teaching and corporate communications, including 17 years at Amica as a writer and communications/public relations manager. Julia has written the poem inside Amica’s Thanksgiving card on multiple occasions, and her poetry has been published in regional and national literary journals.