- Guests will step into an immersive contemporary art exhibition connecting Anderson’s legacy to modern craft and the creative economy.
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) celebrated the opening of The Traveler, the Museum’s newest campus addition, during a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in partnership with the Ocean Springs Chamber and Jackson County Chamber, on Wednesday, May 21.
The Traveler provides a unique artisan experience, featuring a thoughtfully curated coffee shop, daily breakfast and lunch menus crafted with specialties from local sources, and pop-up events.
“The Traveler is a dynamic new space inspired by Walter Anderson’s adventurous spirit and his travels across the world and within his own Southern wild,” said Julian Rankin, Executive Director of WAMA. ”Housed in a century-old building directly behind the Museum, The Traveler has been reimagined as a coffee shop and restaurant, a cultural and community hub, and an immersive contemporary art exhibition.”
Like Shearwater Pottery, also nearly 100 years old, The Traveler champions creative economy, craftsmanship, and local sourcing. Almost everything at The Traveler, from furniture to native plantings to coffee cups, is designed, curated, or made by local artists.
“We’re so excited to introduce this vibrant new space where guests of all ages can relax, connect, and be inspired,” said Jeanette Wright, Manager of The Traveler. “With its artsy charm and welcoming atmosphere, The Traveler is the perfect spot to grab a coffee or quick bite, host a casual meeting, or unwind with friends over afternoon drinks.”
The revitalization of this historic space was shaped through design charrettes with volunteers, community members, landscape architects, and horticulturalists. The renovation also provided hands-on career training opportunities in collaboration with Women in Construction and the Pascagoula-Gautier School District’s College and Career Technical Institute. Supporters of this project include Mississippi Arts Commission, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, The Springs Hotel, State of Mississippi, and MS Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. Local partners also helped make the project a reality, including Cowart Architects, Architerra Landscape, Argus Building Company, and landscape construction led by Mark LaSalle.
Guests will step into an immersive contemporary art exhibition connecting Anderson’s legacy to modern craft and the creative economy. Some of the featured artists include: Leif Anderson (Walter’s daughter), Adele Anderson Lawton (Walter’s niece, Mac’s daughter), Caroline MaSue Muneoka (Walter’s great granddaughter), Nancy Grace (Artist at Shearwater Pottery), Luba Zygarewicz (Chilean-Ukrainian Artist based in New Orleans), Shane Sekul (Artist & wood worker, Ocean Springs, MS), Julia Reyes (Multimedia Artist, Biloxi, MS), Adrienne Domnick (Multidisciplinary Artist, Jackson, MS), Erica and Mitchell Gaudet (Artists and Owners of Studio Waveland, Waveland, MS), Scott Allen (Owner of A Plus Sign, Jackson, MS), Chandler Borries (Photographer, MS Gulf Coast Native based in Lisbon, Portugal), and Kimberly Parker (Mixed Media Artist, MS Gulf Coast).
The Traveler is a key element of WAMA’s long-term campus expansion, which will also include the upcoming Creative Complex, a center for interdisciplinary and STEM education. WAMA’s campus is growing and developing into the “Art Block,” which will include six different spaces for guests to experience art in different shapes and forms:
-Ocean Springs Community Center
-Walter Anderson Museum of Art
-Blossman Art Cottage at WAMA
-The Traveler at WAMA
-Creative Complex at WAMA
-The Springs Hotel (Rain Travel Collection, adjacent to WAMA campus)
WAMA opened in 1991 in historic Ocean Springs, and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. WAMA’s mission is to empower lifelong curiosity and connection to the natural world through the art of Walter Anderson and kindred artists. WAMA is dedicated to the celebration of the works of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), American master; and to his brothers, Peter Anderson (1901-1984), master potter and founder of Shearwater Pottery; and James McConnell Anderson (1907-1998), a noted painter and ceramist.
Learn more at here.
