Tides and Depth
On View
Sunday, September 7 – Saturday, October 25

Above Image: Detail of 'Two Swimmers' by Michael Walden

The sea has always carried a dual role in our imagination: a place of memory and mystery, of danger and wonder, of immersion and transformation. Tides and Depths brings together artists and a poet whose work explores these layered associations, inviting viewers to linger at the edge of water and meaning.

For some, the sea is deeply personal, tied to childhood memories, mythic narratives, and visionary realms. For others, it is ecological and material—a source of belonging, a site of ancestral connection, or a place to witness change and resilience. Some works are informed by lived experiences on the water itself, recalling years at sea or careers in marine environments. Others draw inspiration from literature, from the epic sweep of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick to contemporary poetry, bridging the currents between word and image.
The visual work spans many approaches: bold color and stylized form, layered textures crafted from natural fibers and seaweed, compositions that reframe invasive plants, and paintings that echo both fantasy and field study. Collectively, these works embody the sea’s capacity to shift between the intimate and the immense, the symbolic and the physical.

At the heart of the exhibition is the poem “What the Sea Told Me” by Vivian Eyre, from her collection Ishmael’s Violets. Eyre’s voice, poised between endurance and surrender, becomes a touchstone for the show. Her imagery of seawalls, chair rocks, and slate-gray waves resonates with the artists’ explorations of presence, vulnerability, and transformation.
Together, the artworks and poem create an immersive conversation about what the sea continues to tell us: of fragility and resilience, of fantasy and memory, of shifting ecologies and inner depths. Tides and Depths asks us not only to look outward, but also to consider how the tides rise within us.