DOWLING Scott Kelley
Scott Kelley, “The Book of Ahab: The Pequod Meets the Virgin.” Watercolor, graphite, ink and gouache on paper, 15 x 22 in.

Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland is presenting four exhibitions through Aug. 29: Scott Kelley’s “The Whale,” Bo Bartlett’s “Eye of the Beholder,” Richard Estes’ “Woods and Waters” and “Sea Change: A Group Exhibition.”

Kelley’s “The Whale” celebrates the 175th anniversary of Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” a novel that has fascinated the artist since he first encountered it as a teenager. Multiple readings led Kelley into extensive research on whaling history and culture, culminating in an exhibition exploring themes of humanity versus nature and fate versus free will.

“Moby Dick entered my life at the age of 16, and has informed everything I know, love, and hate about the sea, and all its moods,” Kelley said.

The exhibition includes works in a variety of media, from painted resin sculptures of whalemen’s knit caps and three-dimensional shadow boxes of hand-drawn waves to large-scale watercolors depicting the novel’s crew and scenes.

DOWLING Jamie
Jamie Wyeth, “Study for Seven Deadly Sins: Envy.”
DOWLING bo bartlett
Bo Bartlett, Study for the Yawning Gulf, Oil on canvas on aluminum panel, 16 x 20 in.

The gallery also recently highlighted Jamie Wyeth’s “Study for Seven Deadly Sins: Envy.” In his “Seven Deadly Sins” series, Wyeth used seagulls to represent aspects of the human condition, drawing inspiration from Paul Cadmus’ earlier interpretations of the seven sins. Wyeth first created “Study for Seven Deadly Sins: Envy” in 2005 and added the fiery outline above the birds in 2026.

Dowling Walsh Gallery is at 357 Main St., Rockland. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment on Sundays and Mondays. Visit dowlingwalsh.com or call 207-596-0084 for more information.