Old Dominion University’s Barry Art Museum produced the "Message in a Bottle" exhibit to examine Hampton Roads' past and present maritime culture.
“We began to observe how many artists were talking about maritime themes; that's why the museum decided to concentrate on this exhibit,” said Sara Woodbury, curator of the Barry Art Museum.
The exhibit uses a collection of early 19th-century maritime art while also displaying conceptual pieces from contemporary artists.
“Both sides of the show are thinking about maritime culture but in different ways,” Woodbury said.
The art exhibit is divided into two sections: one containing 19th-century artwork that tells the story of life at sea and the lives of sailors and soldiers, and the other showcasing the repercussions of maritime global trade and industrialization using conceptual art pieces.
“The contemporary side of the show looks at the repercussions of the past. What happens when we get these types of global trade networks?” Woodbury said.
Several ODU professors contributed to the contemporary side of the art show, displaying pieces depicting global warming and other effects of maritime culture, asking “whether or not globalization is making the world larger or smaller,” Woodbury said.
The new works reflect on the irreversible effects of maritime culture on modern life, displaying shipping routes that support current globalization, city layouts and world trade's impact on global warming.
The exhibit gives an in-depth look at the history of each piece, the perspective of each artist, their work process and their background.
The historic side of the art exhibit showcases different themes of Hampton Roads in the 19th century, from displays of technological advancements to detailed pirate wars.
“Hampton Roads was far from isolated; it was connected to the world at large through trade and the military,” Woodbury said. “So we ended up showing the kinds of activity that would have been happening in this era.”
"Message in a Bottle: Picturing Maritime Culture in Hampton Roads" exhibit is on display until Jan. 5, 2025 at the Barry Art Museum. Admission is free.
