THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 – THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025

​​Ships of the Sea will unveil Sea of Ink: Savannah Maritime Tattoos, an extraordinary exhibit showcasing the art and cultural significance of tattoos. Featuring more than a dozen Savannah-area tattoo artists and over 30 maritime tattoo collectors, Sea of Ink highlights tattoos as a meaningful art form and cultural movement.

With one-third of American adults having at least one tattoo, this visual language is rich for exploration. Sea of Ink presents the tattoo not just as body art, but as a powerful instrument for storytelling. Tattoos tell stories that often are deeply meaningful to the collector, and are a result of an artistic understanding between the tattoo creator and the collector.​​

Experience the Exhibit:

• Cultural Insight: Explore tattooing as a visual language and art form.

• Artistic Appreciation: Admire the intricate designs and craftsmanship.

• Stories: Learn about Savannah’s history of maritime tattooing.

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Exhibit Elements:

Savannah-based photographers Thomas Sanders and Mike Schalk bring the exhibit to life:

• Thomas Sanders photographs tattoo collectors, showcasing their maritime tattoos.

• Mike Schalk captures tattoo artists in their creative environments.

Drawn from Telfair Museums’ permanent collection, Primary: Artists Working in Red, Yellow, and Blue explores how artists have utilized primary colors in adventurous ways to elicit brilliant experiences. Featuring works by Roy Lichtenstein, Ellsworth Kelly, and Joan Miró, these energetic and dynamic compositions introduce viewers to the expansive possibilities of a simple palette.

‘Tideland’ is an exhibition of black and white photographs by Savannah-based photographer Parker Stewart (b. 1992). Taken between 2020 and 2024, these evocative photographs document the coast of Georgia by transporting the viewer into the visceral and primordial atmosphere of the barrier islands and inland waterways.

The SCAD Museum of Art is proud to honor our U.S. service members by participating in the annual Blue Star Museums movement. In collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America, SCAD MOA welcomes active-duty military personnel and their families with complimentary admission starting on Armed Forces Day, May 17, through Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2025. We look forward to presenting our latest exhibitions to these brave responders.

The SCAD Museum of Art joins world-renowned cultural institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; the de Young Museum, San Francisco; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; and the Dallas Museum of Art as a Blue Star Museum participant.