A Shore Thing

Southport Galleries

It was quite a turnout for the opening reception of Melissa Barbieri’s exhibition “Off the Charts,” at the Southport Galleries. Born and raised in Fairfield, Barbieri is back in her “home port” to show off her latest collection of paintings. Her work is a celebration of the sea, from nautical charts of harbors to mythical creatures and painstakingly detailed sea life, complete with Barbieri’s touch of whimsy. In addition, she created frescoes, or murals painted with oil on plaster. Think the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo, and other Renaissance masters of whom Barbieri admits she’s in “awe.” It’s safe to say that the crowd, which spilled out onto the sidewalk, was in awe of Barbieri’s work as well.

The crowd admiring Barbieri's work