Three Voyages To Paradise

An ambitious project has been undertaken by the Maritime Museum of San Diego, one that will draw plenty of visitors for a variety of reasons. The imaginative exhibition, which opens on May 27, has a title that will resonate with many adventurous people. Cook, Melville and Gauguin: Three Voyages To Paradise is inspired by the likely visions of voyagers to the Pacific Islands, in this case Captain James Cook in the 18th century, author Herman Melville in the 19th century, and impressionist painter Paul Gauguin. Content of the exhibit is drawn from the Kelton Foundation in Santa Monica.

See the show aboard the ferry Berkeley and the HMS Surprise on Harbor Drive. The vessels provide unusual venues for content that would ordinarily be displayed in a traditional museum. They offer atmosphere far more conducive to sensing times on high seas. View rare paintings, including 61 by Gauguin comprising the largest collection of three-dimensional Gauguin art seen anywhere in the world. A newly-found Gauguin woodcarving will be shown to the public for the first time in America.

There will be original paintings created by official expedition artists, William Hodges and John Webber, on Cook’s second and third journeys. Navigation and scientific instruments used during Cook’s lifetime and some of his personal effects and memorabilia will be displayed, along with charts, Pacific artifacts, and engravings. (619/234-9153, info@sdmaritime.org)   DARLENE G. DAVIES