When you think of paintings by John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth, or decorative objects by Limoges and Tiffany, seaweed may not be the first thing that springs to mind.
But these artworks are all part of a seaweed exhibit at the New Bedford Whaling Museum that opens the viewer’s eyes to the undulating beauty of the marine plants that continues to inspire artists to this day.
Co-curated by Northeastern professor Maura Coughlin, the exhibit titled “A Singularly Marine & Fabulous Produce: the Cultures of Seaweed” runs until Dec. 3 and features 125 works including paintings, ceramics, scrapbooks, photography, prints, textiles and metal art from the late 18th through the 21st centuries.
“Seaweed continues to inspire people in the arts because it’s so lovely but it also has a really appealing material quality,” Coughlin says.
For many coastal…
