In collaboration with artist Jane Baldridge and photographer Jay Fleming, the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park (AMM) will host Oceana Phenomena, a new temporary exhibit opening July 14, 2022. This unique exhibition focuses on using the power of art to bring awareness to the mounting threats of flooding and sea level rise with the goal of inspiring our community to unify in solving these issues.
“If you do not go out on the ocean and witness its power and beauty, you won’t understand the rushing water borne on a storm. Currents, tides, and runoff change the land. This can manifest into the magic of an ox-bow forming in a river or a beach house undermined and falling into the ocean.” Jane Lawton Baldridge. The greater threat of sea level rise has exacerbated tidal flooding around the world. The sea level around Annapolis, Maryland has risen by 10” since 1950. Nuisance flooding and frequent storm surges are familiar occurrences for Annapolis, impacting the low-lying areas around City Dock and areas of Eastport including the AMM’s Museum Campus. The Museum suffered losses in the recent flood in October 2021 but bounced back quickly with the help of the community. Oceana Pheonomana uses the artist’s eye to create greater awareness of this increasing problem. The exhibit will feature:
- Paintings that inspire a respect for the beauty of our oceans, bays, and rivers and raise awareness around these precious natural resources.
- Sea Level Messengers – bodily forms overlaid with nautical charts, shown with waves climbing from the floor to represent the mounting threat of sea level rise.
- Photography by Jay Fleming – showing the realities of sea level rise in our community.
The full display of Sea Level Messengers will be shown through opening weekend, July 14th through 17th. Afterward, a reduced display will be available for viewing. AMM will host the exhibit in its Bay Room Art Gallery until November 13, 2022. Admission to the museum is available online (at www.amaritime.org) or at the door. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday year-round, 10 am – 3 pm.
“I have spent the past 20 years photographing the environment, culture, and landscape of Chesapeake Bay coastlines. My photographs on display in the Oceana Phenomena exhibit from Annapolis and around the Bay show changes that are happening within our communities and also reflect changes happening to coastal communities throughout the world.” Jay Fleming. AMM is pleased to host this exhibit with such a relevant and powerful message. AMM’s goal is to encourage the general public to cherish our maritime heritage and become lifelong stewards of the Chesapeake Bay. We must continue to support the current generation of people who love the Bay and engage and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and Bay savers.
