Unseen and Unknown: Staten Island and its Islands by Accra Shepp Will be on View from April 9 through June 4

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden will open a major photographic exhibition on Saturday, April 9 at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art on Snug Harbor’s 83-acre campus at 1000 Richmond Terrace. Unseen and Unknown: Staten Island and its Islands is an impressive survey of waterways and lesser islands surrounding the borough of Staten Island. It is part of a larger project exploring more than 40 islands that make up New York City by acclaimed photo-based artist Accra Shepp. Curator for the exhibit is Gabri Christa, Snug Harbor’s Artistic Director. The exhibit will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. There will be an official opening ceremony at 2:00 PM. Admission for the opening day is free.

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Accra Shepp’s Eltingville, 2012“

 

Snug Harbor and the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art are extremely pleased to be able to bring this unique and remarkable exhibition to Snug Harbor,” said Snug Harbor CEO Lynn Kelly. “The work of New York City resident Accra Shepp has been exhibited extensively in the United States as well as abroad. We are happy that it will now be available for the enjoyment and edification of the residents of Staten Island and surrounding communities.”

In an artist statement, Shepp writes, “In The Islands of New York I am rediscovering New York City’s maritime nature. In a city of over 40 islands the waterfront has been until recently all but invisible. By photographing all the islands and the people who live and work there I hope to address the relationship between the urban and a degraded wilderness. I want to explore how we understand the water and its integral role in New York City.” Accra Shepp’s work is included in a variety of collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Victoria and Albert, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Accra Shepp has been associated with a variety of academic institutions, including a visiting artist residence at Bowdoin College and posts at Princeton University, Sarah Lawrence College, Wellesley College and Columbia University. Unseen and Unknown: Staten Island and its Islands will be on exhibit at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art until June 4. The Newhouse Center is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Regular admission is $5.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is one of the largest ongoing adaptive reuse projects in America. It consists of 26 historical buildings, numerous distinctive botanical gardens and 10 acres of wetlands on a unique 83-acre campus. Formerly Sailors’ Snug Harbor, a home for retired sailors built in the 1800s, Snug Harbor is now a distinguished arts center where history, architecture, visual and performing arts, environmental science, agriculture and horticulture provide dynamic experiences for all ages. Snug Harbor is also home to the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children’s Museum and the Staten Island Museum. Snug Harbor is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate.