Currents

Back (L to R): Shah Hadjebi, Wilson McCray, Macy Noll / Front (L to R): MariaPia Malerba, Marti Koehler / Not Pictured: Dahye Kim Starting Monday, August 10, the Dunham Family Gallery becomes a canvas for CURRENTS, a collaborative mural spanning 6 feet tall and 125 feet long. Six artists — Shah Hadjebi, Dahye Kim, Marti Koehler, MariaPia Malerba, Wilson McCray, and Macy Noll — will bring the piece to life over twelve weeks, gradually creating one continuous underwater scene! Follow along with us on social media. We’ll post schedules and progress photos throughout, so you’ll always know when to stop in and see the artists at work! Facebook Instagram Closing Reception: Friday, October 30, 2026 | 5:00 PM Celebrate the completion of CURRENTS during the closing reception in the Dunham Family Gallery. Meet the artists, experience the finished mural, and enjoy complimentary wine, beer, and light bites as we conclude this collaborative exhibit! – Gallery Director Statement “In making art, collaboration is an opportunity. Each artist brings their own expertise and experience. The sum is always greater than the addition of the parts. Most artists live inside the process. The process is where we experiment and learn from mistakes, where beauty arrives by surprise, and the collaborative process is filled with magic. The artists in our group are open to moving with the direction that emerges and evolves. Each artist will work on all of the murals. Each artist and the group will do a familiar dance: we make marks and we assess, discuss, and we keep moving, building. The chemistry of the group is beautiful. CURRENTS is an investigation of the undersea world and its inhabitants. The viewer becomes an integral part of this space and the experience. Connecting with the natural world is a spiritual experience.” -Wilson McCray, BIG ARTS Gallery Director – Featured Artists Shah Hadjebi An award-winning Southwest Florida watercolor artist based in Fort Myers, Hadjebi draws inspiration from a lifelong artistic background and explores nature through expressive, intuitive painting. WEBSITE Dahye Kim An interdisciplinary researcher and professor of Digital Arts at Florida SouthWestern State College, Kim previously presented a projected installation at the BIG ARTS Dunham Family Gallery in 2024. WEBSITE Marti Koehler A Naples native, Koehler creates work inspired by Southwest Florida’s coastal landscapes, memories, and the textures and rhythms of the natural world. WEBSITE MariaPia Malerba An Italian-born multidisciplinary artist whose work blends painting, textile design, and immersive installation. WEBSITE Wilson McCray An artist and Gallery Director at BIG ARTS, McCray oversees the organization’s visual arts program and works with artists from Southwest Florida and around the world to bring diverse exhibitions to the community. Macy Noll A senior at Florida Gulf Coast University double majoring in Marine Biology and Visual Arts, Noll teaches scuba diving for marine research and creates marine illustrations and murals.