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Return to Gulf of Mexico Region

‘On the Edge’ Inspires Stewardship Through Art

Barbara Branca
New York Sea Grant

July 27, 2009 — Colorful crabs and turtles, sparkling bays and curvaceous coastlines were just a few of the images on display this June at the “On the Edge” art show at the Sirens’ Song Gallery in Greenport, N.Y. — a town itself on the edge of the Peconic Estuary, near Long Island’s East End.

With works by internationally known artists, as well as college art students, the show’s goal was to create awareness about coastal habitat stewardship while benefitting New York Sea Grant and Cornell University.

New York Sea Grant — a partnership between NOAA, the State University of New York and Cornell University — is one of 32 Sea Grant programs nationally that helps citizens use their coastal resources wisely through research, extension, and education programs.

Gordon Taylor examines artwork at the Sirens’ Song Gallery in Greenport, N.Y., as part of the “On the Edge” art show and fundraiser for New York Sea Grant and Cornell University. Taylor, a professor of oceanography at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, is the recipient of numerous research grants under Sea Grant and NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health Initiative. Photo credit: Barbara Branca, New York Sea Grant.

Marine resources in the Peconic Estuary, including shellfish and their eelgrass habitats, have been declining as the region has seen an influx of people from urban areas. What better way is there to pique a community’s interest in conserving its marine habitats than by offering residents and visitors coastal-themed art?

“An important goal of New York Sea Grant is to engage the public in coastal stewardship,” says New York Sea Grant’s Interim Associate Director Robert Kent. “But simply providing written scientific information about coastal restoration may not motivate people enough to change how they maintain coastal properties. That motivation requires a deeper emotional response — one that can be achieved through the senses and through works of art.”

Enter artist and Sirens’ Song Gallery owner Caroline Waloski, who proposed the idea of offering a percentage of the sales from the show for youth education and demonstration projects aimed at furthering conservation. Waloski said that the Sirens’ Song call to artists brought in many well-known painters and sculptors who show their work regularly in New York City’s galleries.

“Like the mythological sirens, the gallery lures in people, not to the sea, but to see art,” said Waloski. “Having visitors learn more about how they can restore the edge of the sea is a fitting and noble outcome.”

Kent also enlisted the help of Patricia Phillips, chair of Cornell’s art department, who, as co-curator of the show, invited art students to participate.

“Issues of environment could not be more urgent, and artists can play a significant role in intensifying our understanding,” said Phillips.

“This is a perfect example of how Sea Grant is using creative strategies to provide lifelong learning for people of all ages that will enhance their understanding and respect for our treasured coastal areas,” added Amy Painter, communications leader for NOAA’s national Sea Grant office in Silver Spring, Md.

You can learn more about New York Sea Grant, by visiting their Web site.

Robert Kent (New York Sea Grant Interim Associate Director), Margery Daughtrey (plant pathologist, Cornell University), Caroline Waloski (Sirens Song Gallery owner), and Barbara Branca (New York Sea Grant communications manager) at the “On the Edge” art show, a coastal conservation-themed fundraiser for New York Sea Grant and Cornell University. Photo credit: Barbara Branca, New York Sea Grant.

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