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Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Virtual Art Show
On December 16, 2020 Cape Hatteras National Seashore, in partnership with the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society and Outer Banks Forever, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s first lighting.
The world famous lighthouse was first lit on December 16, 1870. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Dare County, and the December 16th celebration will highlight the unique connection between the lighthouse and the county.
Below is a virtual art show that features work by local artists that was inspired by the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This virtual art show is guided by the artists, with each of them sharing how the iconic structure inspires their work. Showcasing a range of media including watercolors, acrylic paintings and photographs, the show depicts the wide range of viewpoints of the lighthouse over the years.
For more information about the 150th anniversary of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse's first lighting, please click here.
To learn more about the artists in this exhibit, please email DareArtsInfo@gmail.com.
Eure Boats by Glenn Eure
"Over the years, Glenn Eure created a series of original watercolor and pen paintings depicting “Eure boats” with the Hatteras Lighthouse identifying the location of his scenes. This work uses his innovative approach of carrying the imagery onto the matted surface. The Hatteras Lighthouse is also featured prominently in his large woodcuts and is the subject of a painting created for the Lighthouse Society honoring the Lighthouse Keepers. There are the many black and white sketches featuring the Hatteras Lighthouse that were gifted by the artist to those he met." - Pat Eure
Hatteras Waves by Stephanie Kiker
"I love living on Hatteras Island and being able to see the light of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from my home. The lighthouse and this environment are inspiration for many pieces of my art. This colored pencil/pen and ink drawing is titled “Hatteras Waves” and portrays what a total Hatteras experience is all about!" - Stephanie Kiker
Guardian of the Night by Ray Matthews
"This night I was photographing the Hatteras Lighthouse with the Milky Way behind it. But, in playing with exposure times I found the beam could be shown vertically, which was so dramatic and evoked the reach and power of this famous beam guarding ships at sea."- Ray Matthews
Cape Hatteras Light oil painting by Neal Conoley
"As we commemorate the anniversary of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, we pay tribute to an iconic beacon that has served mariners along the Outer Banks for 150 years. During this time the lighthouse has stood tall while enduring two world wars, countless fierce storms, shifting sands, and even a daring re-location against a rising sea level. Today, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is much more than a beacon for mariners; she is a symbol of unwavering strength and resilience. Her beacon shines brightly as a reminder of the determination we need in order to navigate the challenges facing our nation." - Neal Conoley
Light In Motion by Red Dawn
"Photograph of the lighthouse on a foggy spring day. A different perspective." - Dawn Gray Moraga
From The Top by Gloria Coker
"Before the move, the view from Hatteras Light was awesome. The powerful ocean almost at your feet meets the placid Sound in the distance. The climb to the top of Hatteras Light was a highlight of our family’s frequent trips to OBX. This painting is the view south before it was moved. Our family used to climb Hatteras Light every time we visited OBX, a breathtaking experience not just the incredible view, but the worry about kids falling. The sandbags did not work. They had to move the lighthouse." - Gloria Coker
Sunrise at Cape Hatteras by Steve Alterman
"Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in its former location before it was move inland was a photographer’s dream. Sitting alone on the beach watching dawn break and the sun peak above the horizon behind the lighthouse was always worth the drive down from the Northern Outer Banks. This intersection of the land and the sea is one to cherish and remember."- Steve Alterman
Light of Legends watercolor by Chris Haltigan
"The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is a symbol immediately recognized. It is a sign of strength, gives guidance and is a faithful friend, always shining in the dark. The lighthouse has always inspired me with its beauty and history." - Chris Haltigan
Stormy Light Hatteras by Pete Lewando
"The Cape Hatteras Light has always been a symbol of strength to me. Protecting the past and present mariners from the relentless ocean storms that are so common to this part of the Atlantic. A small fragile island and lighthouse that seem to persevere through the strongest of storms. So, setting out to capture this feeling in a photograph it seems appropriate to shoot in black and white, in conditions that portray the weather and storms that brought about the need for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse." -Pete Lewando
Hatteras Delight by Randi O'Sullivan
"This acrylic painting is a joyful ode to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The lighthouse has always been an icon, especially among surfers. I incorporated some a-frame waves breaking beneath the sunrise in the background, and couldn't leave out some of our island's famous JoBell flowers for the foreground. The vibrant colors give off a sense of how happy this island makes people - visitors and locals alike." - Randi O'Sullivan
Lighthouse by Daniel Pullen
"This was taken one evening while I was out in the water photographing surf. The reflection of the lighthouse on the water in the evening light never gets old." - Daniel Pullen
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse by Kim Mosher
"This 1,000 hour color pencil illustration was from the old lighthouse site. I never could have imagined it would be relocated and end up right outside my studio window in the maritime forest. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse always inspires my art!" - Kim Mosher
Light Keeper’s View photograph by George Wood
"Imagine what it was like to be the light keeper. It is a warm, but unusually clear evening with the Milky Way in its full glory. The children are tucked in and asleep. We take a moment to walk out on the porch of the keepers quarters, in part, to fulfill my duties of insuring the light is warning mariners of the treacherous Diamond Shoals, but also to share a rare moment of quiet with my wife. Life is hard on the Outer Banks, but moments like this make it all worthwhile." - George Wood
Hatt'ras Light by Bonnie Raynor-Collins
"As an artist, the grace, strength, mission and majestic movement of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse captures my spirit. Hatteras Light has significance for me as it is near the Buxton cottage where I first stayed before making the Outer Banks my home. It is where both of our sons and now grandsons surf and compete. My watercolor “Hatt'ras Light” was a spontaneous piece done when I was away and homesick. Hatteras Light always brings me home in my heart, back to memories of our family’s life here, and our involvement in efforts to help save her majesty."
Waiting - Mermaid by Angel Fritz
"In 2016 I decided to create a series of paintings depicting mermaids. Waiting mermaid was the first in the series and has quickly become a favorite of those who love Cape Hatteras. When you visit the beach at night and see the majestic lighthouse illuminate the sky you can't help but think about the sailors out at sea trying to make their way back home. There is something mysterious about mermaid folklore and I hoped to capture that magic in this piece." - Angel Fritz
To purchase a print of this painting, please visit www.angelfritzart.com.
To purchase a print of this painting, please visit www.angelfritzart.com.
Lighthouse II by Carolina Coto
"I moved to the Outer Banks from Costa Rica in 2011 and it took only a few months of living here for me to start craving to paint the scenery of the Outer Banks. But, one thing was non-negotiable, I couldn’t paint the lighthouses with the typical black and white stripes, I had to use my “Costa Rican Colors” (as people sometimes refer to my signature vibrant color palette), and that is how this painting of the Hatteras Lighthouse happened." - Carolina Coto
Wave Magnet designed by Bonnie Collins
"In the early 1980’s I helped create the International Shore Society. We were heavily involved in the Save The Light Project, which later Jesse Helms and Governor Hunt organized as the Save The Lighthouse Committee. Mojo Collins wrote the House of Light song and his wife Bonnie designed the lighthouse logo for the record sleeve. I was given the rights to build Collector Wave Magnet Surfboards using the logo. Our Save The Light Project began 6 months before the government stepped in." - Rob Beedie
Hatteras Skylights by Linda Browning
"My work is inspired by nature's drama, which plays out continuously on the island's landscape and in the sky above it. I don't paint many man-made structures, but if the sky inspires, then the night light of my Hatteras home occasionally ends up in one of my watercolors. This is "Hatteras Skylights", which depicts the Cape's world-famous sentinel as viewed from across the island's wetlands in the last rays of the setting sun." - Linda Browning
Hatteras Light by Dave Huff
"Lighthouses, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in particular, are favorite subjects of photographers. And what is a lighthouse without a light? The entire area around Hatteras Light provides a wide variety of opportunities for photographs, but this one taken at dusk remains one of my favorites." - David Huff
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse by Shirley Whitenack
"Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a natural treasure and the lighthouse is its crown jewel. Cape Hatteras was the first lighthouse I ever photographed and is still my favorite. It began my lifelong quest to photograph lighthouses throughout the country. To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the first lighting of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, I created a composite: the sepia image taken in January 1999 reflects the past, just prior to the lighthouse’s historic inland journey from the seashore; the color image taken in 2020 depicts the lighthouse in its current location. In the foreground, are stone blocks honoring each keeper of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. On a personal note, in 1998 I got engaged at the top of the lighthouse." - Shirley Whitenack
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse photo by Burt Lubitz
"This is a photo of an 8’6” Wave Magnet Balsa Hybrid ‘Custom Collector Classic’ Performance Model. All Wave Magnet Boards have unique one-of-a-kind custom features that have never been duplicated." - Rob Beedie of Global Surf Network
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