Atrium Cases

Barbara Mann

June 5, 2025 - August 30, 2025

Barbara Mann is captivated by the intricate complexity and beauty of the natural world. Her ongoing body of work delves into the origins of life on Earth, the process of evolution, and the carbon cycle. As a jeweler and metalsmith, she has a deep fascination with materials and the methods used to transform them. Inspired by groundbreaking scientific discoveries and emerging technologies, Mann is driven by the evolving ways we understand and perceive life on Earth. To bring order to the complexity and chaos of nature, she crafts objects that serve as distilled, metaphorical expressions of both observation and thought.

Carbon, a fundamental element for all life on Earth, moves between various reservoirs through the carbon cycle, with the ocean playing a critical role in this process. A healthy marine ecosystem is essential for sustaining life on Earth.

This exhibition showcases a collection of jewelry and metal objects created as part of a grant project funded by the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artist, Writers, and Scholars program, in collaboration with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The project draws inspiration from research conducted at the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Lab, and the Phytoplankton Monitoring Lab.

The intention behind these objects is to raise awareness and appreciation for this extraordinary natural process that sustains life. The goal is to present a hopeful and positive vision, one that emphasizes the ocean’s potential as a solution to climate change. By creating beautifully crafted pieces that highlight specific aspects of the ocean, the aim is to engage the viewer in a way that fosters intimacy and a deeper connection to the subject. This focus can inspire curiosity, spark further exploration, and promote the protection of the marine ecosystem.

Acknowledgment Statement: This project is supported by an institutional grant (NA18OAR4170084) to the Georgia Sea Grant College Program from the National Sea Grant Office under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Disclaimer Statement: All views, opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Georgia Sea Grant College Program or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Barbara Mann has 50 years of experience as a metal and jewelry artist and educator. She holds a BFA and MFA from the University of Georgia where she taught for many years in the Lamar Dodd School of Art and with the Continuing Education Program. She has taught in Italy, Costa Rica, and at many schools, arts centers, and museums. She has an extensive exhibition record and is in several museum collections, exhibition catalogs, contemporary jewelry and metalwork books, and art magazines. As a studio artist, she has created artwork for a wide range of clients such as universities, state governments, airlines, the Olympics, banks, civic organizations, and private collectors. For details, see BarbaraMannStudio.com