The Bailey Art Gallery in Hobe Sound, Florida, will open a new exhibition on April 24 featuring works by local painter Dan Mackin and photographer M.E. Gruber. Mackin’s highly stylized paintings—created with airbrush and traditional techniques—depict idyllic coastal scenes on canvas, navigation maps, surfboards, and a guitar, and include collaborations with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. Gruber’s mid-century Kodachrome transparencies, drawn from an archive of over 5,000 images, document the emerging surf culture of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. The exhibition will display 50 full-frame prints from this collection.
The exhibition matters because it celebrates the region’s unique coastal heritage and surf history through two distinct artistic perspectives. Gruber’s archive, preserved by his sister and donated to the Palm Beach County Surfing History Project, is now housed at the Surfing Florida Museum, underscoring the cultural value of vernacular photography. Mackin’s lifelong dedication to painting life on the water, combined with his collaborations with a legendary musician, highlights the intersection of fine art, popular culture, and local identity.