Coast Guard Art Program

2018 Collection

2017 George Gray Award Recipient

Lifeline by Ken Smith

Inaugural Exhibition: July 8—July 20, 2018

Salmagundi Club
The U.S. Coast Guard and its art program thank the New York City Council of the Navy League of the 

United States for its generosity in hosting the reception for the Coast Guard Art Program’s acceptance ceremony and inaugural exhibition opening.

Commandant (CG-09232)

U.S. Coast Guard

2703 Martin Luther King Ave., S.E.

STOP 7103

Washington, D.C. 20593-7103

(202) 372-4643

MaryAnn.Bader@uscg.mil

Cover:

Lifeline

2017 George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence Recipient

by Ken Smith

Pulaski, Va.

Oil

30 x 22.5 inches

Two female Coast Guard service members on a response boat medium from Station Emerald Isle in 

Beaufort, N.C., coil lines that are used to retrieve victims from the water. The Coast Guard maintains a 

high state of vigilance and continuously monitors for distress calls. It coordinates search and rescue 

efforts by afloat and airborne Coast Guard units, response efforts on waterways, renders aid to the merchant fleet and tracks international satellite-aided programs.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201726

About the artist

Ken Smith is an associate professor of graphic design at Radford University in Radford, Va. He is an experienced painter, designer, and art director, whose work has appeared in the Print Regional Design Annual; annuals of the New York Art Director's Club, Society of Illustrators and Society of Publication Designers; Graphis; Communication Arts; and Print magazine. Smith's publication and museum work includes 

depictions of the French and Indian War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the world of Victorian 

actresses. The artist was formerly design director and vice president at Whittle Communications, and cofounder and creative director of Media South in Knoxville, Tennessee. He holds a bachelor’s in fine arts 

from the University of Tennessee, a master's degree from Syracuse University and a master’s of fine arts 

from the University of Hartford. Both of these latter degrees are in illustration. 2017 marks the fourth 

year the artist won the Coast Guard Art Program's George Grey Award for Artistic Excellence. Earlier, he 

was the award's recipient in 2009, 2010 and 2013. 
Coast Guard Art Program

2018 Reception and Acceptance Ceremony

July 12, 2018

Salmagundi Club

New York City

6:30 p.m.

Viewing of Art and Reception

Music by Jeffrey Kazzaz (clarinet) and Frances Piazza (Oboe/Flute)

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Band, Woodwind Ensemble, Flotilla 22-7, First Southern District

7:15 p.m.

Opening Remarks

Robert Pillsbury, President, Salmagundi Club

Emcee Capt. Jason Tama, Commander, Sector New York

Presentation of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance*

Invocation*

Chaplain Donna Cole

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Introduction of Guests

Capt. Jason Tama

Comments

Charles Blaich, Col., USMC (Ret.)

President of New York Council of the Navy League 

Comments

Karen Loew

COGAP Committee Chair, Salmagundi Club

Presentation of Art to U.S. Coast Guard

Robert Pillsbury

Acceptance of Art by U.S. Coast Guard

Rear Admiral Melissa Bert

Director, Governmental and Public Affairs

Presentation of Public Service Awards and

George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence

Closing Remarks

Capt. Tama

Benediction*

Chaplain Cole

*Guests Please Stand
ABOUT THE COAST GUARD ART PROGRAM 

The Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP) makes use of fine art to educate diverse audiences about the Coast Guard. 

Today, more than ever, the service addresses an abundance of challenges as it works to maintain the nation’s security 

at home and abroad and executes its 11 statutory missions. COGAP art provides visual testimony to the unique contribution the service makes to the nation in its multifaceted roles as a military, humanitarian and law enforcement organization. Art from the program is exhibited at museums around the country. It is displayed in offices of members of 

Congress, cabinet secretaries, senior government officials and other military services and Coast Guard locations nationwide. It has also been displayed by the State Department in its prestigious Art in Embassies program.

Today, the collection holds over 2,000 works of art. While pieces received earlier tended to portray Coast Guard assets and history, more recent works capture the experience of actual service in the Coast Guard. COGAP’s talented 

corps of volunteer artists—most of whom are professional artists—brings to life the missions performed daily by the 

over 42,000 active-duty men and women of the service, as well as reservists and Auxiliary members.

The 2018 collection is comprised of 28 works by 23 artists, making this one of the service’s larger collections in recent 

years. Highlighted are the service’s response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey and another such daring rescue. Other missions portrayed are illegal drug interdictions and Arctic exploration. Ice rescues, aid to endangered species, motor lifeboats pounding treacherous waters, life aboard the cutter Healy and securing the maritime 

domain are also depicted. One painting of 2018 also honors a service member and her family by commemorating her 

promotion.

ABOUT THE SALMAGUNDI CLUB, COGAP’S PARTNER ORGANIZATION 

 

Since 1981, the Salmagundi Club has been the cosponsor of the Coast Guard Art Program. In the course of its 140-plus 

year history, it has served as a center for artists from New York and around the country. It offers exhibitions of 

paintings, sculpture and photography, conducts art classes, painting demonstrations and holds auctions of member 

artists’ work throughout the year. While members are mainly residents of the greater New York City metropolitan 

area, Salmagundians are to be found throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in cities overseas including 

London, Amsterdam and Lisbon.

Originally formed as the New York Sketch Club in 1871, the club adopted its present name over 100 years ago from 

Washington Irving’s Salmagundi Papers, a satirical and urbane periodical Irving co-authored.

Through the years, the club has been the gathering place for important artists such as Childe Hassam, William Merritt 

Chase, Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth, Charles Dana Gibson, Ogden Pleisner and many others. Honorary members have 

included Sir Winston Churchill, Buckminster Fuller, Paul Cadmus, Al Hirschfeld, Thomas Hoving and Schuyler Chapin.

The Salmagundi Club is located at 47 Fifth Avenue between East 11th and East 12th Streets. It has been at this location for more than a century. To learn more about the club, please visit its website at www.salmagundi.org or by telephone at 212-255-7740.

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THE GEORGE GRAY AWARD 

Named for the cofounder of the Coast Guard Art Program, 

the George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence recognizes 

Coast Guard artists for outstanding artistic achievement. 

One artist from the 2018 collection contributors will be 

named winner of this award.

George Gray worked as an artist for over seven decades. A 

muralist and illustrator, he specialized in historical and military themes. Love of country compelled him to enlist in the 

Coast Guard during World War II. During the Vietnam War, 

he spent six weeks sketching Marines in action for the U.S. 

Navy’s fine art program. He co-founded COGAP in 1981 and 

served as its chairman and tireless champion for over 20 

years. Born in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1907, he is a direct descendent of Capt. Robert Gray, who, in 1788, became the 

first American to carry the nation’s flag around the world. 

He died in 2004 at the age of 96.

George Gray

drawing by James Dyekman

JURORS FOR THE GEORGE GRAY AWARD 

Rear Admiral Melissa Bert is Director of Governmental and Public Affairs for the Coast Guard, responsible for engagement with Congress, the media and other intergovernmental entities. Her previous assignments include Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Northern Command; Chief of Staff, District Seven; Chief, Maritime and International Law Division; Executive Officer, Cutter Red Birch; Operations Officer, Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach; and Commander Sector Juneau and Captain of the Port, Southeastern Alaska. She has also served as a Deputy Staff Judge and a 

Military Judge. The Admiral is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and George Washington Law School. She was a 

fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and at the Council on Foreign Relations. A much decorated officer, she was named 

Young Military Lawyer of the Year for the Coast Guard by the American Bar Association and later Outstanding Career 

Armed Services Attorney by the Judge Advocates Association.

Salmagundi Club President Robert Pillsbury is a gifted artist who works in many media. His art has been in numerous 

shows and is widely collected. He has been club president for five years. Prior to this, he served for four years as the 

club's first vice-president. Mr. Pillsbury provided invaluable guidance for this year's collection by serving as one of the 

jurors of the Excellence Committee which reviews new submissions for possible acceptance into the collection. His 

keen artistic judgments helped enormously in the selection process.

Nicholas Dawes is Vice President of Special Collections for Heritage Auctions in New York. He has over 35 years of experience as an international antiques dealer, auction director, writer, lecturer, and charity auctioneer. Educated in 

England, he began his career there before moving to the U.S. in 1979. Mr. Dawes has several areas of specialty and is 

considered this country's leading authority on works by René Lalique. He was formerly a specialist and auctioneer 

with Phillips, where he headed the European Ceramics, Asian and 20th century departments in the 1980s, and a former vice president and auctioneer with Sotheby's. A frequent lecturer on numerous topics, Mr. Dawes has been a faculty member of Parsons School of Design in New York since 1984, where he teaches business communication and appraisal courses. He has been an expert appraiser for the acclaimed PBS program “Antiques Roadshow” since the first 

season in 1996.

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My hero

Susanne Corbelletta

Glen Head, N.Y.

Oil

16 x 20 inches

An aviation survival technician, better 

known as a rescue swimmer, carries a 

young boy away from a helicopter which 

has just arrived from Houston to a hospital 

in Beaumont, Texas, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The swimmer, assigned to Air 

Station Miami, was called in from other 

states to assist Coast Guard personnel in 

the Houston area in their rescue efforts.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201806

When Hurricane Harvey battered the Houston area in August 2017, the Coast Guard was soon on the scene 

saving thousands of lives. This hurricane, along with Katrina, was one of the costliest in U.S. history, causing some 

$125 billion in damage. While the service was rescuing victims, many of its members were themselves victims of the 

storm.

Compassion beyond measure

Charles Van Horn

Glen Head, N.Y.

Transparent Watercolor

20 x 20 inches

A Coast Guard aircrew member assists an infant 

during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 

Houston. The Coast Guard pulled assets and resources from across the country in response to 

the devastating storm.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201825

Saving lives in a hurry

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Rocky rescue

Karen Loew

New York, N.Y.

Oil

14 x 18 inches

A crewmember pulls a young child to a Coast 

Guard vessel, rescuing him, his father and 

another man, all stranded aboard their small 

boat when it ran aground on a jetty near 

Mayport, Fla. The U.S. Coast Guard is considered the world leader in search and rescues 

and saves 3,650 lives and conducts 16,425 

search and rescue cases on average every 

year.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201814

Escort through the Potato Patch

Frank Walsh

Santa Clara, Calif.

Acrylic

14 x 18 inches

The Coast Guard motor lifeboat Potato Patch navigates treacherous waters as it patrols the unruly seas. The boat is named after

the notorious Potato Patch Shoal located north of San Francisco. This shoal takes its name from the potato farms that existed near 

Bolinas Lagoon in the 1800s and where boats sometimes capsized on the shoal’s sand bar.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201826

Florida rescue

Motor lifeboats on turbulent seas

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In the graveyard of the Pacific

Sherry Krivosheev

Redmond, Wash.

Oil

24 x 36 inches

Instructors aboard a 47-foot motor lifeboat teach students at the National Motor 

Lifeboat School handling skills. The school 

is located near the Columbia River at Cape 

Disappointment just outside of Ilwaco, 

Wash., in highly treacherous waters 

known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." 

Here students undergo training that will 

permit them to become expert surfmen 

and coxswains. The area earned its telling 

sobriquet by claiming more than 200 ships 

and countless lives since 1792 when 

record keeping began.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201813

Surfing Coast Guard style

Gordon Kribs

Surprise, Ariz.

Oil

20 x 20 inches

In rough seas just north of Newport, Ore., a 47-foot motor lifeboat navigates toward shore. The crew is trained to respond to 

distress calls and maritime emergencies during storms that create high and turbulent seas with surf often over 15 feet in height. 

Surfmen are the service’s most proficient small boat operators. There 19 surf stations in the service.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201812

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Protecting the vulnerable

Kathryn Cross

Glastonbury, Conn.

Watercolor and Pen and Ink

14.25 x 18 inches

Protecting the lives of marine animals is a prime goal 

of the Coast Guard’s maritime law enforcement mission. Here scientists abroad a 23-foot response boat 

and in protective clothing issued by the service 

release a sea turtle into waters of the Eastern Pacific 

Ocean. After disentangling the turtle, the Coast 

Guard will gather the drifting debris for disposal. The 

service is the lead federal maritime law enforcement 

agency and the only agency with both the 

authority and capability to enforce national and 

international law.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201807

Healy aids scientists in the Arctic 

Mike Mazer

Mattapoisett, Mass.

Watercolor

16 x 20 inches

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy routinely 

aids scientists researching the Arctic 

environment. This year the Coast Guard 

will deploy cutters, aircraft, and personnel to the Arctic to engage in operations 

encompassing a variety of Coast Guard 

missions. Operations will focus on promoting national interests and security 

throughout the region. Here a group of 

scientists are depicted as they dredge 

the Arctic continental shelf to determine 

its longevity. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201816

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Coast Guard: in service of science
Boardings and inspections

Agents of Arctic science

PA 2 Cory Mendenhall

Alameda, Calif.

Watercolor

20 x 30 inches

An oceanographic pump is lowered off the 

stern of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy 

while the vessel is deployed in the Arctic in 

support of polar science. The pump aids 

in collecting samples at various layers of 

the water column to measure salinity, 

temperature and the presence of trace 

elements. This research is part of an international effort to study the distribution of 

trace elements in the world’s oceans.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201817

Law enforcement: boarding

MK2 Jasen Newman

Port Angeles, Wash.

Watercolor

24 x 16 inches

A boarding officer and her team from the Coast Guard 

Cutter Active, homeported in Port Angeles, Wash., prepare to launch a small boat and conduct a law enforcement boarding of a commercial vessel in the Eastern 

Pacific. The team is part of the Joint Interagency Task 

Force which acts to support interdiction and apprehension efforts by U.S. and partner nation law enforcement 

agencies. The Active is assigned primarily to law 

enforcement and search and rescue missions.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201819

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Jacob’s ladder

Acacia Anglin

Port Angeles, Wash.

Mixed media

11 x 9 inches

A Coast Guard boarding team member in the San 

Francisco Bay begins climbing the ladder of a commercial vessel for inspection. A second member 

stands by to protect the climber from injury or falls. 

On an average day, the Coast Guard screens 360 merchant vessels for potential security threats prior to 

their arrival in U.S. ports.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201802

Coast Guard boards a fishing vessel

Mike Mazer

Mattapoisett, Mass.

Watercolor

16 x 20 inches

Crewmembers aboard a small boat 

from the Coast Guard Cutter Legare 

prepare to board a commercial fishing 

vessel to ensure its compliance with 

safety and fishing regulations. The 

cutter, homeported in Portsmouth, 

Va., conducts this inspection off the 

coast of Delaware. Its numerous 

deployable missions take it on patrols 

in offshore waters from Maine to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201815

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Securing the maritime domain: partnerships

Partnership

Leendert van der Pool

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Oil

14 x 20 inches

In a training exercise, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar works in Port Clarence, Alaska, with the crew of the Canadian 

Coast Guard ship Sir Wilfred Laurier. The crews transfer a U.S. Coast Guard Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) 

between the two ships. VOSS equipment is used to remediate oil spills. Such exercises foster cooperative relationships which are 

critical to safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201824

Hoist training international

Amy Digi

Yonkers, N.Y.

Oil

18 x 24 inches

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station 

Barbers Point conduct hoisting exercises 

with members of the Korean Coast Guard in 

waters off Oahu, Hawaii. The joint exercises 

allow the vital exchange of knowledge and 

best practices between the respective services.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201808

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The horn

James Consor

New York, N.Y.

Oil

20 x 20 inches

A Coast Guard service member speaks orders 

into a horn as the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle 

raises sail in New York Harbor during Fleet Week. 

This annual event celebrates both domestic and 

international maritime services and draws thousands of visitors. The Coast Guard uses events 

like Fleet Week to interact with the public, educating and informing visitors about the service's 

missions and objectives. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201804

Learning the ropes

Crissie Murphy

Lowell, Mass.

Acrylic

16 x 20 inches

The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle serves as a seagoing 

classroom for cadets and officer candidates from 

the Coast Guard Academy. To maneuver the Eagle 

under sail, the crew must handle more than 22,000 

square feet of sail and five miles of rigging. Over 

200 lines control the sails and yards, and every crew

-member, cadet and officer candidate must become 

intimately familiar with the name, operation,

and function of each line.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201818

Aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle

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Joint venture

Jim Stagner

Johnson City, Tenn.

Watercolor

14 x 21 inches

Coast Guard crewmembers from the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Petrel homeported in San Diego intercept a suspected drug 

smuggling boat and crew in international waters off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. The suspects and boat were turned over 

to Mexican authorities for prosecution. Daily, the Coast Guard averages seizures of 874 pounds of cocaine and 214 pounds of 

marijuana. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201823

Aloft on the Eagle

James Consor

New York, N.Y.

Oil

24 x 30 inches

A Coast Guard cadet climbs the rigging 

of the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle as it sets 

sail in New York Harbor. This majestic 

sailing ship provides Coast Guard Academy cadets and officer candidates with 

their first taste of sea and salt air. Built 

in Germany in 1936 and recommissioned by the United States at the close 

of World War II, the Eagle is the largest 

tall ship flying the Stars and Stripes. 

Eagle's home port is New London, 

Conn., on the Thames River at the 

U. S. Coast Guard Academy.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201805

Suspect cargo: interdicting illegal drugs

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Coast Guard offloads cocaine

Amy Digi

Yonkers, N.Y.

Oil

18 x 24 inches

Service members from the Coast Guard 

Cutter Pelican offload nearly a ton of 

cocaine, estimated to have a street value 

of $23 million. The action took place in 

St. Petersburg, Fla., homeport of the 

cutter. The illegal drugs and three suspected smugglers were interdicted by a 

Coast Guard tactical law enforcement 

detachment which was deployed at the 

time aboard the Canadian Navy Ship 

Moncton during a Caribbean patrol. 

Canada and the U.S., along with other 

countries, participate in this vital law 

enforcement operation. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201809

Stopping a go-fast

Frank Gaffney

Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

Oil

16 x 20 inches

Members of the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) in a 

specially equipped helicopter aim to 

stop a “go-fast” smuggling boat. If 

the suspected vessel fails to stop after 

several visual and verbal warnings, 

the Coast Guard crew will take a firing 

position alongside the go-fast and the 

aerial gunner will then fire warning 

shorts across the bow. If warning 

shots do not stop the suspects, the 

gunner will attempt to disable the 

vessel by shooting out its engines. 

HITRON’s primary missions are drug 

interdiction and national security.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201810

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Practice makes perfect

Stronger together

Tom Hedderich

Westtown, N.Y.

Watercolor

11 x 17 inches

Two MH-65 Dolphin helicopter 

crews from Coast Guard Air Station 

Barbers Point in Hawaii conduct a 

practice formation flight around 

the Island of Oahu. The helicopter 

aircrews practice proficiency with 

multiple air assets flying 

simultaneously.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201811

Tied down

Charles P. Schaefer

Palm Coast, Fla.

Oil

16 x 20 inches

A helicopter crew from the Coast 

Guard Cutter Spence, based in Boston, runs underneath the whirring 

blades of a HH-65 Dolphin 

helicopter after installing primary 

tie-downs on the flight deck. While 

underway, the cutter’s crew 

refueled the helicopter. Refueling 

at sea requires precisely 

synchronized communication 

among crewmembers. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201820

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Hoist training in Alaska

Paul Smith

Philadelphia, Penn.

Acrylic

20 x 24

A Coast Guard machinery technician 

serving the Aids to Navigation Team 

in Kodiak, Alaska, maintains control 

of a trail line to a rescue basket as an 

Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk 

helicopter crew conducts hoist training in Middle Bay, Alaska. Hoist operations require split second decision 

making and precise coordination 

among crewmembers.

Coast Guard Art Collection 201822

The work never ends

Robert C. Semler

Bradenton, Fla.

Oil

16 x 28 inches

Two Coast Guard members aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Joshua Appleby which is homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla., perform 

deck maintenance. This seemingly modest task is often unseen but vital in keeping the service’s fleet seaworthy and afloat. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201821

Semper paratus: Always ready

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Canines are service members too

Courageous team

John T. Ward

Saranac Lake, N.Y.

Acrylic

12 x 9 inches

A Coast Guard canine handler from the marine Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing partner with 

goggles, are lowered from a Dolphin helicopter from Air Station 

Houston to a waiting vessel. The hoist was part of a training 

exercise designed to acclimate dog and handler 

with vertical delivery. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201827

Canine patrol

Acacia Anglin

Port Angeles, Wash.

Mixed media

13 x 10 inches

Ricky, a Coast Guard canine service member, takes a 

break during vertical delivery training exercises from a 

MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. A protective mask covers 

his eyes. A Belgian Malinois, the four-legged member 

works extensively in explosives detection. 

Coast Guard Art Collection 201801

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Ice training: a respite

Frozen training

John T. Ward

Saranac Lake, N.Y.

Acrylic

20 x 27.5 inches

After a very long day of ice 

operations, a Coast Guard 

petty officer cools off in the ice 

during a short break in ice rescue training drills on the Coast 

Guard Cutter Hollyhock. The 

cutter was heaving to—slowing 

down in laymen’s terms—after 

conducting ice breaking operations to facilitate the flow of 

commerce on the Great Lakes.

Coast Guard Art Collection 

201828

The promotion

C. R. (Bob) Bryant

Gig Harbor, Wash.

Oil

16 x 24 inches

The son of a female Coast 

Guard public affairs officer 

dons a lei similar to his mother’s in celebration of her promotion. The event took place 

in Honolulu in the Coast 

Guard’s District 14. The service member’s husband, also 

active duty and a storekeeper, 

joined in the celebration. Promotions are honored events 

celebrated by units throughout the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Art Collection 

201803

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The promotion