From time to time, ocean science runs squarely into art, literature, film, and more. From film previews to book signings, these activities are a relaxed and informative way to experience ocean and nature-inspired art and media.
Past activities include spectacular photographic shows, film previews, book signings and talks from authors, mixed media work as well as presentations. Join us for formal presentations or informal meet-and-greets with artists and authors throughout the year.
Gary Griggs Presentation and Book Signing
Our Ocean Backyard: Collected Essays, Volume 2
A new book by Gary Griggs
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
6–7:30 PM
FREE
Join us for a special evening with Gary Griggs. His new book, Our Ocean Backyard: Collected Essays, Volume 2, brings together 106 previously published articles from Gary Griggs’ popular column for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Written for anyone with an interest in the oceans, the essays draw upon our rich history of ocean exploration and discovery, shedding light on our past history and what we can expect in the years and decades to come.
Thank you to event sponsor:
This event is free to attend. Recommended for ages 12 and older. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served.
- No late seating (no entry after 6 PM)
- Doors open to the lecture hall at 5:30 PM
- Seymour Center opens to the public with lecture passes available at 5 PM
Below are examples of past events:
Artwork, photography, or exhibit openings
- Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom present: “Land of the Jaguars:
Wild Wetlands of South America” - A Whale of a Recycling Problem Student Art Installation
- A Perfect Day for an Albatross, Caren Loebel-Fried (illustrated children’s book)
- Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom present: Into Africa
- Running the Numbers, Chris Jordan (mixed media, traveling exhibit)
- Tiny Drifters, Laura Beach (educational and graphic presentation of diatoms)
- Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom present: Journeys to the Ends of the Earth
- Sea Otters from Bryant Austin (photography)
- Radiographs from the California Academy of Science
- Peregrine Falcons from Glen Nevill (photography)
- Underwater in Black and White, Art Hazeltine (photography)
- Whimsical Visions of Undersea Life, Ket Tom-Conway (watercolor paintings)
Film screenings, openings, or sneak previews
- Marine Conservation Biology Student Film Festival
- Straws, a Film by Linda Booker
- Of the Sea: Fishermen, Seafood, and Sustainability
- Coastal Clash
- A Seal’s Life
- Keiko, Beyond the Headlines
Book signings
- Gary Griggs, “Between Paradise and Peril: The Natural Disaster History of the Monterey Bay Region” (Thank you to event sponsors Dahlen Structural, Inc. and Eadie Consultants.)
- Kim Steinhardt and Gary Griggs, “The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California’s Coast”
- Terrie Williams, “The Hunter’s Breath”
- Todd Newberry, “The Ardent Birder: On the Craft of Birdwatching”
- Marc Shargell, “Wonders of the Sea”
- Lucy Spellman, “The Rhino with the Glue-on Shoes, and Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets”
Other special events and presentations
- Special Lecture—Leopard Seals! Participate in a conversation with a researcher in Antarctica, Dan Costa, PhD and Sarah Kienle, Ph.D. Candidate
- Fish Physiology: Can a Fish Drink Too Much?, Garfield Kwan
- In the Crosshairs: An Update on the Sea Otter Survival Story, Kim Steinhardt
- UC Santa Cruz Satellite Reef Crochet Circles
- Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake
Please check our calendar for current offerings.