Current Exhibits
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WET
Nautilus Gallery at North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
July 7 - October 31, 2025
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Sparkle, Splash, Ripple. The newest art exhibition at the Nautilus Gallery at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island is WET, an exhibition of stunning illustrations and paintings from the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators – Carolinas Chapter. The Aquarium is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
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Created in 2005, the Nautilus Gallery exhibits artwork that expresses the cultural influence of our natural world. Shows are quarterly and add another layer to the Aquarium guest experience, showcasing art that celebrates and demonstrates artistic connections to nature.
Regarding the significance of the Gallery, Larry Warner, director of the Aquarium said, “The Nautilus Gallery is a small but mighty space at our facility. We feel fortunate to present art exhibits that showcase artists from across the region, North Carolina, and the Outer Banks whose artwork inspires appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments.”
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The newest Gallery installation WET expresses “Water Sustains Life in All Things” and includes scientifically accurate illustrations of birds, botanicals, aquatic animals, and more, including examples of artist sketchbooks and materials that show creative processes. Contributing artists use watercolor, ink, graphite, acrylic paint, and digital media and are all members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators – Carolinas Chapter, founded in 1992. They are an active group of independent botanical and wildlife artists, professional scientific and medical illustrators, amateur artists, and students throughout North Carolina and South Carolina. The national Guild of Natural Science Illustrators is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 at the Smithsonian Institution.
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Past Exhibits
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Palustris: Celebrating Longleaf Through the Arts
Campbell House Galleries, Southern Pines, NC
April 6-30, 2021
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The longleaf pine ecosystem is among the most biologically diverse and among the most threatened. This exhibit celebrates a wide range of species of trees, plants, birds, mammals, fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians that are integral to the North Carolina Sandhills Longleaf Pine Ecology. Red-cockaded woodpecker, Sandhills blazing star, wire grass, pitcher plant, Sandhills spiny crawfish, and pine barrens tree frog are just a few of the species you will encounter in these artworks and illustrations. We also endeavor to showcase the broad range of artistic styles within the group, and the wide variety of media available to artists and illustrators in general.
