Bronze has long been part of life at sea. Valued for its strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion, the material has appeared in tools, trade goods, navigational instruments, ship fittings, diving equipment, and propellers.

Susan Read Cronin's bronze artwork is displayed throughout a gallery. (Courtesy photo)
Susan Read Cronin’s bronze artwork is displayed throughout gallery. (Courtesy photo)

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) invites visitors to see that historic material in a new light with Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin, on view Aug. 13-Nov. 29, at 113 Harbor Way, Ste. 190.

Through whimsical bronze sculpture, silhouettes, and poetry, artist Cronin transforms a medium traditionally associated with utility, permanence, and endurance into one of humor, tenderness, mischief and wonder, SBMM said.

“Bronze has such a strong connection to maritime history, which makes this exhibition especially fitting for SBMM,” said Dean Noble, executive director of SBMM.

“Susan’s work allows visitors to encounter the material from a fresh perspective, not only as something used to build, navigate, and work at sea, but as a vehicle for imagination and emotional storytelling,” Noble said.

Cronin’s small-scale sculptures unfold like visual fables. Her figures appear to balance, tumble, converse, and confront the unexpected.

Cronin describes her work as “figurative and narrative,” grounded in gesture, emotion, and the possibilities of play. She experiments with language, scale, perspective, and occasionally danger, creating works that are both disarmingly joyful and emotionally resonant, organizers said.

Visitors interested in how bronze sculpture is made can also explore a section of the exhibit devoted to the lost-wax casting process, showing how an original model is transformed into a finished bronze sculpture.

The experience extends beyond the gallery with a museum-wide bronze treasure hunt. Visitors of all ages can search SBMM’s exhibits for bronze objects, fittings, and maritime details.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Entry to the display is included with museum admission; free for SBMM members.

Cronin is a sculptor, writer, and multidisciplinary artist known for bronze works that combine technical craftsmanship with playfulness, narrative, and emotional insight.

Educated at The Madeira School, she earned a B.A. in English from Williams College and studied sculpture with Jane B. Armstrong and Walter Matia.

After many years working in Vermont, she relocated full-time to Santa Barbara in 2016.