Some people go to Orange Beach or Gulf Shores, Ala., some to Florida, some to the Caribbean. But when Angelyn and I need a scent of saltwater, we head for Ocean Springs.
This town of 18,000 has the usual Gulf Coast attractions: beach, seafood, fishing, shopping. But it’s also a hub for art, ranging from Walter Anderson to yard art.
Angelyn and I went there five years ago on our 40th wedding anniversary. We liked it so much that when we needed a short getaway recently, this was where we picked. Plus our old friend, Amite County native Glen Huff, lives there.
Unlike those other destinations I mentioned, Ocean Springs is a mere three-hour drive away.
Unlike much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, it’s a relatively quiet, shady enclave off the beaten path. (I say relatively because the Coast is almost like one long, narrow city. So even on quiet side streets, a vehicle won’t be long in coming.)
We stayed at a bed-and-breakfast on one of those shady residential streets: the Eaves, owned by Bruno and Linda Schroeder, friends of Glen from the Episcopal church.
Walter Anderson Museum
After we got situated, we went to our No. 1 Ocean Springs destination, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.
The museum was between exhibits, so admission was free. We strolled through, admiring Anderson’s incredible art with its depictions of the beach, the Gulf and barrier islands, notably Horn Island.
I also stopped to marvel at the small wooden boat hanging from the ceiling in which Anderson rowed and sailed the 12 miles to Horn Island to draw and paint.
When family members gave him an outboard motor, he rowed halfway out and dumped it overboard.
I have kayaked to Round Island and sailed to Horn, and I can’t imagine making the trip in his little rowboat once, let alone throughout a lifetime.
Mad Potter of Biloxi
The next day we drove to the Ohr Museum of Art in Biloxi. George Ohr, aka the Mad Potter of Biloxi, was a renowned potter back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
In the store there we found paintings and drawings by Bogue Chitto native Grady Byrd, who now lives in Ocean Springs.
The museum also displayed some of Ohr’s pottery, though I confess I can’t tell a good pot from a bad one.
Ocean Springs has its own still-active Shearwater Pottery, founded by Walter Anderson’s brother Peter.
Pink Rooster
Angelyn and I also spent a lot of time hitting the shops in Ocean Springs, most of which are full of art that centers around coastal scenes.
One shop, the Pink Rooster, featured McComb native Valerie Balser Winn’s novels on display along with her own painted bottle art. She too lives in Ocean Springs.
Another McComb artist inspired by the Coast is Carroll Case, who has been working on a number of paintings called the Waveland Series.
My house is already full of art or we would have stocked up. As it was, we settled for a coffeetable book, “Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander” by Robert St. John and Anthony Thaxton.
We also stopped at a giant yard-art emporium north of town. We always have room for yard art and came away with several pieces.
I don’t think Walter Anderson — who painted many of his works on sheets on typing paper or the interior walls of buildings — would have disapproved.
We also made sure to spend some time by the water, soaking in the beautiful views and basking in the Gulf breezes.
After all, we needed a scent of saltwater — and we didn’t have to fly to the Caribbean to get it.
