Islands have a particular ability to capture the imagination of artists and explorers alike. Perhaps it is their remoteness that lends them a mythological air – promising enlightenment, rebirth, and transformation. Horn Island is no different and its inspirational pull has been felt by artists for generations. 

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Walter Anderson wrote in his Horn Island Logs, “My love was afar, the island.” For the past few years, seven painters from the Gulf Coast have ventured in the footsteps of Walter Anderson to experience the island and create works capturing its beauty and atmosphere. Written in the Sand is composed of twenty-three works by artists Billy Solitairo, Mary Monk, Jerrod Partridge, Louis Morales, Curtis Jaunsen, Diego Larguia, and Auseklis Ozols. Some works were completed on site, others were finished in the studio, but all were influenced by the island’s unique character.

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The works presented in this exhibition feature the unique landscape of Horn Island. However, each painting stands alone as it communicates a specific atmosphere and mood to the viewer. The artists of Written in the Sand have used color, technique, and composition to create individualized snapshots of their Horn Island experience. We invite you to encounter the island through the eyes of these artists and lose yourself in the sun, wind, and sand.