Submerged, 2023
An Underwater Exhibition of Bioceramic Artwork
As part of World Ocean Day on June 10, Georgia Southern University faculty and students displayed sculptures in 16 exhibit tanks at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium in Savannah. The pieces were part of an exhibit at the aquarium titled “SUBMERGED: An Underwater Exhibition of Bioceramic Artwork.” The sculptures were designed by students and faculty of Georgia Southern’s Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, and supported by the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
The pieces are made using algal biomass produced from Algal Turf Scrubbers®, which are designed to remove nutrients from the water and enhance water quality. The algae are harvested from the Skidaway River, ground into a powder and mixed with regional Georgia Lizella clay to make artwork. The bioceramic sculptures range in subject matter from realistic ocean species, such as octopus and sea turtles, to abstract sculptural forms that were created to engage with the aquarium fish in a new and interesting way. The students were encouraged to consider the coastal environments of Georgia but also to interpret the exhibition however they felt inspired by the material. The exhibition was part of the ongoing research that Casey Schachner is in collaboration with the Department of Biology professors Dr. Jennifer Zettler, Dr. Anthony Siccardi, and Dr. John Carroll as part of the Henry David Thoreaux Foundation grant and the Georgia Sea Grant for Artists, Writers, and Scholars. Participating students include Nina Samuels, Zoe Fulkerson, Haylee Workman, Chiloon Chang, Kya Kelly, Patricia DeWilde, Amy Pinzon-Luciente, Darius Newman, Alicia Aguirre, Jordie Tayler, Mac Critzer, Mady Critzer, May Critzer, Ansley Foil, Rae Moore, Tali Heydinger and Zarteria Battle.
Location:
UGA Marine education center & aquarium, skidaway island, savannah, ga
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