Whales become ‘Superheroes!’ in the new Santa Barbara Maritime Museum exhibit
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) has opened four new whale exhibits, and some of it was done with the help of children's art from throughout the country.
The exhibits connect the relationship between the ocean, people, marine creatures, and our environment.
Using a comic style approach with a target level of eighth grade, the "Whales are Superheroes!" concept is one of the key pieces to the exhibit.
It is all located within the museum at the Santa Barbara Harbor.
On a large scale, the presentations dive into the role whales play with climate change and their influence on the ocean ecology.
Maritime Museum Executive Director Greg Gorga says, "this one is part of an environmental alliance of 14 different museums throughout Santa Barbara County, we all wanted to do something on climate change, so this is our part of that."
Whales may have been overlooked in the climate change conversation but Gorga says, "you get to see see whales in our channel all year long and they are an important part of our eco systems."
Students locally have a showcased area for their work. Whale oriented art work from Laguna Blanca Middle School, Peabody Charter, Santa Barbara Charter, and Santa Ynez Elementary School is on display.
This week there will also be a special zoom presentation called, “Santa Barbara Channel’s Whales and Their Climate Connection,” with Holly Lohuis, a marine biologist, marine educator, and naturalist in the Santa Barbara area who has been instrumental in planning some of the new exhibits. It is free and registration is required on the museum's website.
Some of the artwork sent in from across the country has been converted into hanging foam board displays in the museum theatre. It gives the visitor the undersea experience through the work of the young artists.
"We made a call out to the community and it went as far as Virginia and Seattle we got some pieces we received well over 500 pieces from children kindergarten through sixth grade," said Gorga.
The art that was not showcased in special areas is still on display on a TV monitor on the main floor in a rotating cycle of images.
"It is just making kids aware of how important whales as a species are to our eco system and they are just right outside our door here," said Gorga.
The two adult featured artists are John Baran and Kelly Clause.
Baran said, “In my lifetime I have been fortunate to have been in close quarters with an abundance of sea life, none more memorable than the largest creatures on earth, the whale. I have spent hours in the water with humpback whales, and a fleeting 10 seconds with a pod of orca...," but too often, our oceans and whales are neglected. "My hope is that by representing whales in many different mediums, this whale exhibit will encourage the viewer to take even closer notice of these magnificent creatures and acknowledge their importance to the survival of the oceans, and in turn, the effects of global warming.”
Clause's images are unique and clearly demonstrate her spontaneity, style and whimsy. She depicts marine life—whales, turtles, fish, dolphins, lobsters and more—and plant life, including palms, kelp, and flowers. Her work can be seen throughout Santa Barbara including on the outside wall at the Bluewater Grill restaurant. According to Kelly, as she has talked about her work and her vision, "Nature cannot be contained, captured, or defined, yet I always find myself wanting to touch it, hold it, recreate it."
For more information go to the: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
