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President of the Board Jamie Webb poses in the new exhibit

About

Hours stretched on like the endless open sea with nothing to stave off the boredom. And there it was! A solution to the problem: a tear in a shirt, a hole in a net, a spare piece of cloth that could be turned into something more.

Life at sea meant long periods of isolation with no one to rely on but those on board. Necessity bred both ingenuity and creativity; the skills that kept sailors alive could also keep them entertained. Out of this rose a culture of making new from old and mending what they had. Everything that was used could be repaired and reused. Scraps could be carved or embroidered, repurposed into art to be brought home to a loved one.