Remembering a Moby Dick read-a-thon and whaling display with a school group, a program that brought literature and history to life. Visitors got to listen to the book’s narrative while seeing authentic pieces from our Collection.

The Story of the Ship is a story of life cycles. In this circa 1924 series by Harry Neyland, the artist uses 5 small oil on panel paintings to illustrate the creation, life, and demise of this vessel. But there are two life cycles directly associated with this series.

What our eyes and minds understand – at a distance- as literal, changes with each approaching step we take. What was the solid form of a fisherman in his boat, dissolves into thousands and thousands of fractals of light and color.

An overview of the development and career of USS Monitor from conception by John Ericsson, through a short career as a warship of the United States Navy, to its loss off Cape Hatteras, NC, in December 1862, and its subsequent discovery and recovery.

This episode is a pretty big departure from the normal “structure” of Beyond the Frame. This is for a few reasons, and I want to share those with you. I like to try to give extra context with these blogs when I can and this is an episode that I think deserves a little extra context.

Ships can be repurposed in many ways, some become museums, some get scrapped for parts. Dive into some of these ships and how their stories continue today!

Approaching any 6 and a-half foot tall by 10 and a half foot wide painting is an experience. The sheer magnitude leaves you wondering whether you want to get closer or step back. But when approaching a Thomas Skinner piece, like this one – “The Foundry”, we feel as if we can step in.

Robert Turner Ewell, a Coast Guard Veteran, a Shipbuilder, and a Norfolk, VA native was one who was inspired by the story of USS Monitor. In this episode of Beyond the Frame we'll explore the ways in which USS Monitor's story met aspects of Ewell's life and led him to create a work depicting the Ironclad in a style that is purely his own.

Year two of the B-WET grant program has been full of excitement. This year has been an extension of year one, engaging with local Newport News high schoolers, their teachers, and local environmental partners.