Ghosts of the Coast:
A Virtual Art Experience
Welcome to the Virtual Gallery + Exploration
Over the last 6 months, artists of the Eastern Shore and scientists of the VCR LTER have been collaboratively exploring ghost forests along our coast.
You can see the process of our explorations on the Ghosts of the Coast Facebook page.
Wander the gallery of works created by 10 Eastern Shore artists.
Discover ghost forests of the Shore as envisioned by local artists. Hear their perspectives. Glimpse science of the changing coast.
Click to enter the gallery, then use your mouse and cursor to explore the gallery.
Select the dots to learn more.
You can visit the show in person through November 20th at the Barrier Islands Center in Machipongo, VA.
The art from this project is available for purchase from each artist.
Embark on your own exploration of a ghost forest.
Make your own discoveries while exploring insights from our artists and scientists.
This tour explores a ghost forest at The Nature Conservancy’s Brownsville Preserve in Nassawadox, VA.
Meet the Participating Artists and Scientists
Works by the following artists are featured in the show.
Each work of art displayed in the virtual gallery is for sale by the artists (click to connect).
Laura McGowan
Miriam Riggs
Maurice Spector
moespector@verizon.net
Thelma Peterson
Albert “Buck” Doughty
Hélène Doughty
Donna Stufft
paintedstitches@aol.com
Carole Boggmann Peirson
Barbara Hennig-Loomis
Marty Burgess
Researchers from the University of Virginia, George Washington University, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science contributed to this project
Keryn Gedan
Elliott White
Alex Smith
Ezra Kottler
Emily Goetz
Will you take a moment to tell us about your experience?
Find a Forest Near You
Use the Map below to find a ghost forest near you on the Eastern Shore.
If you visit one of these forests, please be sure to respect private property.
News About Our Work
New York Times: As Sea Levels Rise, So Do Ghost Forests
TIME: Ghost Forests Are Visceral Examples of the Advance of Climate Change
Atlas Obscura: The Haunting Ghost Forests of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Virginia Public Radio: Artists, Scientists Capture Ghosts of the Coast
This project was made possible by enduring partnerships between UVA, The Nature Conservancy, and the Barrier Islands Center.
This is a project of UVA’s Coastal Research Center and the VCR LTER program, which is supported by National Science Foundation grant DEB-1832221 and is part of the U.S. Long-term Ecological Research Network.
This project was, and all studies by the VCR LTER are, conducted on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Accomack & Gingaskin people. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that led to the current conditions of these lands. Some were brought here against their will, some chose to leave distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted.
We acknowledge the generations from around the world who contributed to making the history that led to this moment on this land.
