Carrying Giants

by Alyssa Reiser Prince

Artist Reception
Thursday, May 7, 2026
from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Artist Statement:

This body of work began as an effort to document a disappearing maritime forest on Pockoy Island, a heritage-at-risk site on Edisto Island, which has been studied by numerous scholars, researchers, and scientists across the State. Once I started working on-site, it became apparent that the paintings were not about holding a vanishing maritime landscape but about the sea itself. This work became about our ocean’s ability to generate life and carry the heaviest of weights, while also observing its ability to change and alter the life it supports.

The oceans and seas in these paintings, whether visible or only their traces, are active forces. The water can tumble oak trees and whales with ease, rendering them weightless until they are brought to shore. Things imagined as permanent (forest, shore, landscape) begin to collapse with fragility. There is a sense of awe and transcendence in both its beauty and grief.

As the work evolves, I have returned to older sketches and photographs from a summer residency on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada. Although distant from Pockoy Island, Gabriola shares a vulnerable ecological landscape. The newer paintings of this place are shaped by an awareness that was less present during my time there. These paintings reflect a lived experience of witnessing the constant change on Pockoy Island.

In all works, the paintings reflect an experience of what it can mean to stand at the intersection of time, histories, perception, and uncertainty.

To learn more about Alyssa and her work, visit her website: Alyssa Reiser Prince

This exhibit is FREE, and the public is encouraged to attend.

This exhibit will be on display until May 22, 2026.

This exhibit is on display in the Fort Gallery.