The Flood - Solo Exhibition by Melissa Haviland

10/24/25-11/26/25
Wednesdays - Fridays: 9am - 5pm
Saturdays: 11am - 3pm

Melissa Haviland’s The Flood draws on the long history of “bluing,” a process in which blue dyes were added to paper and textiles to counteract yellowing which improved perceived quality of the material. From 15th-century European paper made from worn rags to the more modern blue-tinted laundry brighteners, bluing has long suggested improvement, and value—even when it only disguised what may lay beneath.

In The Flood, Haviland reimagines this history through the lens of climate disaster. The towering, immersive installations evoke the sensation of being swept away, as if the ocean had flooded through the space. This work embodies both the chaos of everyday stresses, bedtimes, deadlines; and the immense weight of global crises: climate refugees, rising seas, water scarcity, and environmental collapse. The blue in The Flood echoes the promise of enhancement, even as we are submerged in questions of survival: how do we stay afloat?

Greenville Center for Creative Arts affirms the importance of artistic freedom and the power of creative expression — including work that may provoke, challenge, or confront. This exhibition contains content that some viewers may find unsettling or emotionally intense. Viewer discretion is advised for all ages.

This event is free and open to all ages.
https://artcentergreenville.org/events/theflood