Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum 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 by Lucy Bellwood, Avery Hick, Rich King and Sharon Norwood, designed to interpret the historic voyages of the iconic Savannah ships Anne, SS Savannah, Pulaski and Wanderer.

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—an accomplished author and illustrator who is based in Santa Cruz, Calif.—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. 

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.

A special "Drawn to the Sea" comic book is also available for purchase at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Gift Shop. The comic book was designed and published by Lee Heidel and Tania June Sammons.

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.