There is a photograph of me at 6 months old on the beach in Menemsha holding up seaweed, so you could say I have a long-term relationship with these enigmatic organisms. Of course, as a toddler, all I knew was seaweed was fun to play around with. Many decades later, I can tell you it’s something I try to avoid when splashing around in our waters, but a delicacy I love on my salad at night. Therefore, I was intrigued by the exhibit at the M.V. Museum, “The Secret Life of Seaweed.”
How could something so ubiquitous on our Island have a “secret” life? Walking through the show with the curator of exhibitions, Anna Barber, I began to grasp seaweed’s multifaceted role from an ecological, cultural, and artistic perspective. The show blends art, history, and science to give us a deeper understanding of how seaweed has influenced farming practices, inspired culinary traditions, and shaped artistic expression on Martha’s Vineyard.
This is no staid show. Students from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s community art class and their teacher, Tiffiney Shoquist, designed and fabricated the hanging seaweed installations, which infuse the space with colorful, textural creativity. In the center of the first gallery is an enormous please-touch tank filled with gorgeous examples of many different types of seaweed. The accompanying information helps us admire each of their special qualities.
The section examining the past abounds with examples of seaweed’s ubiquitous use in everyday items. An evocative black-and-white photograph shows Vineyarders gathering cartloads of seaweed for animal feed, bedding, food, and fertilizer to enrich their crops. Another image shows a whaling ship in port, with massive amounts of wet seaweed on the wharf in front, which was used to cover the casks of whale oil to prevent fire.
I was puzzled to see a piece of insulation stuffed with eelgrass, which is technically not a seaweed. Apparently, because it was lightweight — and rot-resistant —when dried and fired, eelgrass was used to insulate house walls, and stuffed around doors and windows for natural weatherproofing into the early 20th century.
We moved next to an area representing the intersection of art and science for women. The label speaks specifically about the role of women: “During the 19th century, seaweed collecting became a popular hobby — particularly among women — allowing them to engage in scientific exploration at a time when their opportunities in formal science were limited. Collecting and cataloging seaweed specimens for herbariums provided women with an accessible entry point into botany and marine biology … [and contributed] to the understanding of seaweed species, their habitats, and ecological roles.”
In addition to attractive seaweed-inspired wallpaper samples is a display of a platter, covered soup bowls, and plate painted with delicate seaweed motifs by Laura Jernegan Spear (1862–1947), who, when 6 years old, accompanied her family on a whaling ship that her father captained.
There is a black-and-white photograph of Rose Treat (1908–2011) creating her seaweed collages, and an example of a completed one. Treat first started using the organism as her medium on a 1959 visit to the Island, when she became captivated by seaweed drying on a rock at the beach. Treat continued to create seaweed-based artwork for more than 50 years. Hearing her voice in the oral histories of her experiences, process, and why she studied seaweed brings the display to life.
Looking at the present day, there is a fascinating display of seaweed products, including a dried seaweed snack, soap, scrub bar, hydrating hand cream, and even a bottle of alcohol.
Looking to the future, a label explains, “Martha’s Vineyard’s coastal waters hold potential for sustainable seaweed farming, a growing global industry with environmental and economic applications … Beyond its use in food, cosmetics, and biofuels, seaweed is emerging as a key ingredient in biodegradable plastics and packaging, providing eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based materials.”
In a display of local fishermen Greg and Dan Martino of Cottage City Oysters, we see how they have incorporated seaweed farming into their shellfish operations. The label gives us a sense of where we might be headed: “This regenerative approach produces sustainable food, improves water quality, and helps sequester carbon, contributing to the fight against climate change. The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is also exploring seaweed cultivation … to enhance local ecosystems, positioning the Vineyard as a model for sustainable aquaculture.”
The exhibition continues in two more rooms. The first is a small study space to sit and examine seaweed samples under a microscope. Then there is a delightful Seaweed Studio, dripping with all sorts of creative materials to create your seaweed-inspired art.
Before we leave, Barber hopes, the show will inspire us to appreciate this remarkable organism, and encourage us to incorporate more seaweed into our lives.
“The Secret Life of Seaweed” is on view at the M.V. Museum through Jan. 26. For more information, visit mvmuseum.org.
