Pelham Art Center Opens Tonight With "The Ocean Reglitterized"

The is kicking off its fall season Friday night with "The Ocean Reglitterized," an exhibition about the fragility and awe-inspiring nature of our oceans.

The opening reception takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free to the public. The exhibition, which will remain open until Oct. 29, features underwater photography by Edward Dorson, an installation by Jae Hi Ahn, photographs by Edward Burtynsky and sound work by Liz Phillips.

Visitors of all ages are also invited to to participate in a free art workshop that is be held in the art center’s studios. Titia Hulst, chairwoman of the Pelham Art Center’s Gallery Advisory Committee, is the organizer of the exhibit.

Below are brief descriptions of the artists involved and their works:


Edward Dorson: An  underwater photographer and a staunch activist for the oceans, presents a series of images that brings rarely seen ocean life up close and personal. His photographs are meant to provoke an understanding of the ocean as a fragile environment that supports incredible and essential life.  

Edward Burtynsky: Burtynsky uses his photographs to probe into the nature and visual result of the impact of human activity on the planet. His photograph of last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico inspires a sense of marvel at the majestic nature of the ocean while revealing the vastness of the spill itself.

Liz Phillips: An internationally renowned sound artist, Phillips, incorporates sound into sculptural installation. Sound is the primary descriptive material in her installations: it acts as a catalyst to reveal three-dimensional forms that vary in depth and time. Her sound installation Spectral Reservoir, which was created specifically for the Pelham Art Center, uses an open electronic sampling and synthesis system to recreate wave patterns in a pool of water in the gallery. The sound used by Phillips is harvested “live” from the Long Island Sound, supplemented by previous ocean recordings and the sounds produced by visitors to the exhibition. By interweaving these different sounds, Phillips’s installation reveals to us once more that everything is connected in our universe.

Jae Hi Ahns: Ahns created a site-specific installation for the exhibit using industrial materials such as PVC tubing, wire and plastic, which is a scourge for ocean environments. The materials are being reused by the artist to represent the intricate organic designs that are found in natural environments. Based on repetitive processes, such as those that can be found in coral reefs, her work is a tribute to the ocean's many wonders.