Opening Reception: Tides and Currents
October 17 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, October 17 2024 | 5:30pm-8:00pm
Free and open to the public.
Coral Springs Museum of Art is presenting a new exhibition featuring Julia Zurilla, Michelle Drummond, Holly Hanessian, Evelyn Politzer, Sharon Lee Hart, & Aria Tan showcased in the Main & East Gallery.
Water is both a source of life and a force that shapes the fate of entire communities. Tides and Currents explores humanity’s complex and evolving relationship with water, as it serves as a vital resource, a pathway for migration, and a force of nature that demands both respect and adaptation. The exhibition introduces stories of migration across seas with the multimedia work from Julia Zurilla—where water becomes both a bridge to new opportunities and a perilous, unpredictable expanse. For many, the ocean is a symbol of hope and survival, but also a reminder of the risks and tragedies that define the refugee and migrant experience as they navigate dangerous waters in search of safety and a better life.
Alongside these stories are the urgent realities faced by communities with limited access to potable water, illustrated with the fabric art works by Michelle Drummond. In these communities, clean water is a luxury, and the struggle for its availability defines daily life. This scarcity highlights the inequalities that persist globally, forcing us to confront our own water consumption practices and the critical importance of environmental stewardship.
The exhibition also transports us to fishing villages, where life has long been intertwined with the rhythms of the sea. The paintings from Aria Tan from the body of work Fish Market showcase different scenarios of daily live from a fishing community. Here, water is more than a resource—it is a way of life. Yet even these resilient communities face new challenges, from dwindling marine stocks to the growing threat of sargassum blooms, which choke coastal ecosystems and disrupt marine environments by smothering habitats and entangling animals. In response, Sharon Lee Hart brings washed-ashore seaweed to her darkroom creating unique photographs that document its intricate structures.
As climate change accelerates, hurricanes and severe storms pose ever-greater threats, requiring preparedness and adaptation. Holly Hanessian presents Hurricane Emergency Art Kit, which focuses on sustainable water practices and is filled with hand-made porcelain objects to use while waiting out a storm. Her work considers the ways communities brace for these natural disasters, highlighting the resilience and resourcefulness of those living in coastal areas. Artifacts of hurricane preparedness underscore the importance of readiness in the face of intensifying storms. Featuring the beauty and fragility of the natural environment, Evelyn Politzer’s fiber art works reminds us on the importance of water conservation, and the delicate balance in nature.
In Tides and Currents, we are reminded that water—whether as a source of migration, scarcity, sustenance, or danger—defines our shared human experience. The exhibition challenges us to consider our role in preserving this precious resource, our responsibility in reducing consumption, and our need for solidarity with those most affected by water’s unpredictable power. Through diverse artistic expressions, the exhibition paints a picture of resilience, adaptation, and survival in a world shaped by water.
