As a teenager, Dr. Guy Harvey was so consumed by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” that it inspired him to create 59pen-and-ink drawings to illustrate his favorite novel. Internationally recognized for his art and marine conservation efforts, Dr. Harvey will host “The Old Man and the Sea: A Retrospective with Guy Harvey,” a virtual discussion on his famous sketches, now on exhibit at Key West’s Custom House Museum, during the museum’s April “Distinguished Speaker Series” presentation on Thursday, April 15 at 4 p.m.
In addition to the sketches and their vital significance to his career, Dr. Harvey is expected to talk about other topics, including the synergy between his art and marine preservation work, as well as the Hemingway connection he shares with Key West and the Custom House.
The creative tie between Dr. Harvey and Hemingway, who lived in Key Westin the 1930s and remains its most famous literary resident, was first publicly recognized at a 1985 art exhibition in Jamaica where Dr. Harvey, then a marine biologist, showcased 44 of his “Old Man and the Sea” sketches. The positive public response inspired him to begin painting full-time.
Today, Dr. Harvey is a world-renowned artist whose images incorporate such detail and realism that he has been called “the John James Audubon of marine art.” He also spearheads the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which conducts research and education programs to support and safeguard the ocean ecosystem.
In addition to Dr. Harvey’s 59 original “Old Man and the Sea” drawings, visitors to the Custom House Museum at 281 Front St. can enjoy a Hemingway exhibit drawn from the facility’s comprehensive archive. Items in the archive include the legendary author’s World War I ambulance driver uniform, a pair of his leather boxing gloves and material spotlighting his little-known marine conservation activities.
Fans of Dr. Harvey and Hemingway can get more information and register for the April 15 online presentation at kwahs.org/upcoming-event/guy-harvey-interview. Attendance is free, but reservations are required.
Custom House Museum information: kwahs.org
