"Drawn to the Sea: Maritime Stories From Savannah" Exhibition

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum in Savannah, Ga. dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Drawn to the Sea: Maritime Stories From Savannah,” an exciting new sequential art exhibition and comic book featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by four contemporary artists. The exhibit will run through January 31, 2027, showcasing original art designed to interpret the historic voyages of the iconic Savannah ships Anne, SS Savannah, Pulaski and Wanderer.

Featured “Drawn to the Sea” artists include Lucy Bellwood, Avery Hick, Rich King and Sharon Norwood.

Lucy Bellwood, a professional adventure cartoonist based in Ojai, Calif., focuses on the Anne, the legendary vessel that carried James Edward Oglethorpe and the first group of English colonists to Georgia in 1733.

Avery Hick, a SCAD graduate and Level Ground Comics Executive Editor, explores life aboard the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, marking a bold turning point in maritime history.

Rich King—who has published five books about the ocean, including Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick, Ocean Bestiary and Sailing Alone—drew inspiration from the Pulaski, a luxury steamship that suffered a catastrophic boiler explosion off the coast of North Carolina in 1838, killing approximately 130 people. He is an accomplished author and illustrator who is based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Sharon Norwood, a Jamaican-born interdisciplinary artist who lives in Savannah, Ga., takes a deep dive into life aboard the Wanderer, one of the last ships to illegally transport enslaved Africans to the United States. In 1858, more than 50 years after the transatlantic slave trade had been outlawed, the vessel secretly carried more than 400 captive Africans across the Atlantic, landing near the coast of Georgia and sparking international outrage.

In addition to the exhibition, there is a special “Drawn to the Sea” comic book available for purchase at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Gift Shop. The comic book was designed and published by Lee Heidel, owner and managing partner of Neighborhood Comics in Savannah, and Tania June Sammons, curator at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.). Tickets are $17.50 for adults; $14.50 for students, seniors 65 , active-duty military and veterans; and free for children ages 5 and under. Discounted family and group tickets are also available. Additional information is available at shipsofthesea.org.