Drifting Cabinets: A Curious Portable Collection of Gulf Biodiversity

On Exhibit: October 9 – 26, 2018

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 6, 4 PM – 7 PM

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM

Atlantic Center for the Arts at Harris House, 214 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach, FL

Drifting Cabinets is a portable art/science collection dedicated to exploring biodiversity and ecological issues in the Gulf of Mexico. Collection holdings include biological specimens, art, illustrations, videos, scientific instruments, books, artifacts, and music—offering viewers a multifaceted portrait of life in the Gulf region.

In its entirety, this mobile collection functions as a contemporary cabinet of wonder. The collection is housed in a series of vintage sea trunks, each addressing an aspect of regional biodiversity—featuring invertebrates, fish, reptiles, and others. Trunks are refurbished with custom lighting and retrofitted with polished inlaid wood recycled from regional architecture and trees lost in Hurricane Irma.

Drifting Cabinets includes artists: Chip Lord, Kristin Lucas, Kevin Mahoney, Sean Miller, Dan Stepp, Bethany Taylor, Leah Floyd and Cristina Molina. Scientists include: Suzanne Fredericq, Verity Mathis, Joseph Ryan, Lisa Anne Taylor, and Thomas A. Webber.

Drifting Cabinets support includes: NSF Grant (Dr. Suzanne Fredericq, P-I), Ashton Biological Preserve, University of Florida College of the Arts, Lubee Bat Conservancy, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and Cherie Fine.  Exhibition schedule: seanmillerstudio.net

Sean Miller is the co-founder of SOIL gallery (Seattle, Washington) and founder of the John Erickson Museum of Art. He is an artist, curator, collector, and an Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s School of Art and Art History. Miller is based in Gainesville, Florida where he lives with artist and Associate Professor Bethany Taylor and their daughter. Sean Miller’s awards, and residencies include: National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Award (Co-PI), University of Florida Creative Campus Catalyst Fund (Principal Investigator), Flax Arts Studios Residency (Belfast), and Nelimarkka Museum Residency (Finland). Selected exhibitions include: National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Annual Conference Exhibition (2017), ACC Galerie (Weimar), Bob Rauschenberg Gallery (Ft. Myers Florida), Deitch Projects (NYC), Werkstadt (Berlin), National Museum of Ireland (Dublin), Indianapolis Museum of Art, Contemporary Museum (Baltimore), Golden Thread (Belfast), UICA (Michigan), CoCA (Seattle), Post (Los Angeles), Howard House (Seattle), Saltworks (Atlanta), Limerick City Gallery of Art (Limerick, Ireland), and Art Basel Miami Beach.