Wendy Klemperer: Artist at Sea

EXTENDED INTO DECEMBER!

August 30 - December 10, 2021

In 2019, Wendy Klemperer joined Dr. Jennifer Miksis-Olds, Director of the Center for Acoustics Research and Education, University of New Hampshire for a unique three-week artist residency at sea as part of a project focused on the development of the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON). Her pencil sketches of the crew members highlightthe collaborative nature of scientific researchand her watercolors of the sea and ocean-life celebrate the scientific and experiential rewards of conducting environmental fieldwork. For most of her artistic career, Klemperer has welded steel fragments into naturalistic-looking wildlife sculptures, two of which are on the grounds of the Paul Creative Arts Center. The time aboard the R/VNeil Armstrong reawakened her enthusiasm for painting, leading to a series of marine life watercolors inspired by observations of the bio-diversity of the Atlantic ecosystem. The watercolor sketches of waves and the AEDON equipment painted during her residency become bolder and more colorful in subsequent paintings of tropical fish and eels as Klemperer’s dormant skills and color sensibilities return. Artist in Residency programs that team artists with scientists create fertile ground for cross-disciplinary engagement, highlighting the exchange of observations and ideas, and inspiring new ways of thinking. Sponsors of AEDON include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, The Department of the Navy, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Oceanographic Partnership Program.