Behind the Scenes of Waves of Wonder
An Exhibition at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum in Savannah, Georgia
Last summer Molly Taylor, the new director of the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, hired me to serve as curator. Soon after she asked me to consider curating an exhibition about maritime tattoos. “I like it,” I told her. “Let’s make it Savannah-specific.” She agreed and I got started researching (that exhibition, called Sea of Ink: Savannah Maritime Tattoos, opens September 19, 2024). She also asked me to curate an exhibition for the summer of 2024.
Around that time artist Jennifer Nolan reached out to Molly about showcasing her work at the museum. Jen depicts coastal creatures using watercolors, acrylic, and other media like gold and silver. She conjures up connections to humans with relatable titles such as Mommy and Me for a work featuring an alligator and her offspring, and Self Reflection for a work featuring an ibis seemingly gazing at itself in water.
Jen’s a 2023 grant recipient of the Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers and Scholars program, an initiative that supports “fresh perspectives on our coastal and marine resources.” As an award requirement grantees must share their work with the public. Jen asked if we would help. I liked her work, and I liked the concept of the program, but I wasn’t sure we had the right space. Jen’s five paintings would not fill the exhibition space (the museum’s atrium). I told her I would think about it. She gave me a file with information, and directed me to the program’s website.
As I read about the ten funded projects, I knew I wanted to feature them all. Molly concurred. I shared my idea with Georgia Sea Grant Asssociate Director Mona Behl in Athens, who connected me with their Public Relations Coordinator Emily Kenworthy in Brunswick. They both loved the prospect and offered support. Georgia Sea Grant Director Mark Risse gave us a small stipend for the opening reception. Emily and her public relations team Trey Cooper and Shanon Wise led media relations. Trey designed the exhibition logo.
Emily introduced me to all the artists, writers, and scholars via email. I asked about their interest and willingness to participate given our shoestring budget. To my surprise everyone agreed, even dancer/choreographer/filmmaker Autumn Eckman and composer/sound designer Peter Van Zandt Lane.
Autumn’s mesmerizing abstract film (a)shore includes an accompanying original score and plays on a 10-minute loop in the museum’s upstairs stairwell. Peter’s site-specific piece uses coastal sounds moving from the ocean to inland woods (and reverse), and electronic sounds to indicate changes in the salinity and temperature of coastal waters. His sound installation runs on a 20-minute loop. Peter used these same recordings for his grant project, a composition created “to explore concepts of ecological thresholds and resiliency in the face of environmental disturbances.” The Georgia Tech Orchestra will debut the piece in November.
The artists, writers, and scholars and I communicated via email and phone, and I made several studio visits. I learned details about their work—from practicalities like dimensions and hanging methods to conceptual ideas. I loved how each person earnestly considered their subject, and was impressed by their love of the Georgia coast and commitment to sharing their work with others.
I also learned interesting and influential biographical details. For example, Peter’s father is a retired marine biologist and his grandfather was a sailor who circumnavigated the world on the ship Joseph Conrad, now moored at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Artist Dana Montlack’s background included processing x-rays at her grandfather’s doctor’s office. Now, as I look at her photo collages, I envision her working in an old-fashioned doctor’s office (with avocado green furniture) developing x-rays.
Slowly (actually quickly given the timeline) the exhibition design formed in my mind’s eye, and other pieces fell into place. For example, Brent Tharp and Courtney Meihoff at the Georgia Southern Museum helped with the exhibition panels. In particular, Courtney’s adept graphic design skills were crucial in making sense of all the information gathered in Kurt Knoerl’s and Julie de Chantal’s projects. Their documentation of African American maritime connections on Georgia’s coast was produced in collaboration with their students, and generated a lot of data.
Nearing the installation phase in late May and early June, the artists began delivering their work. Throughout I collaborated with consulting preparator Milutin Pavlovic, an artist who has a great eye and all the practical skills necessary to install a show—he’s as quick with a math calculation as he is with a tape measure and tying a wire knot. Milutin and I worked together for 17 years at Telfair Museums, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to do so again.
Others who helped launch the exhibition, opening, and Family Day event include Ships of the Sea staff Amanda Fournier, Michelle Riley, Jax Ellis, John Lutz, Jim Dunigan, Bobby Hughes, Julian Churchill, Caroline Berry, and Nicole Elliott.
Waves of Wonder opened to a crowd of hundreds on June 5, 2024, and will be on view until September 1. Please visit if you are in Savannah. You are sure to be WOWed by the individual projects, as well as the collective installation. Most certainly you’ll walk away thinking differently about the Georgia coast. There’s some buzz about future iterations of this exhibition elsewhere in Georgia—stay tuned! To learn more about Waves of Wonder and the featured artists, writers, and scholars here.
Waves of Wonder presents beautiful plein air paintings of coastal scenes; meticulous illustrations of endangered species; clay and algae ceramic oyster beds; photographic collages and mixed media pieces featuring microorganisms and maps; stunning depictions of plankton and carbon cycles in metal; vertical, panoramic photography that contrasts natural habitats and human encroachment; “a dance film that explores environmental awareness;” human situations and emotions revealed through nature and art; and an overview of the Georgia coast’s African American maritime landscape. While viewing all these wonders, echoes of Autumn Eckman’s commissioned musical score by composer Dan Myers (performed by Myers and the Kaia String Quartet) floats through the air upstairs, mingling with Peter Lane’s Coastal Portrait II downstairs. In total, the experience evokes the imagination and creates feelings of awe about the world around us.
As always, Tania, you did a fabulous job with this exhibit and the opening event! It was a delightfully warmish evening in the beautiful setting of Ships of the Sea Museum. The large crowd was respectful and interested. I enjoyed engaging with some of the artists and of course viewing and viewing again their works. The lovely part was the diversity of the works. As a marine biologist I appreciated the sculptures of the metal microscopic marine fauna and flora. I appreciated the paintings and clays and oh heck, all of the works were terrific! I look forward to seeing another exhibit like that. I am also looking forward to seeing the tatoo exhibit. The date is noted on my calendar. :)
The usual museum- goer has no idea , when visiting an exhibition, of the many hours of research and preparation that are behind the show they are enjoying- Tania certainly has opened that door for us!
This is a beautiful exhibit, show/casing our Georgia coastline and environs.
Thanks ,Tania, for our behind the scenes peek!
Onnie Duffie