The Noble Maritime Collection is currently presenting “Bill Murphy: Waterfront Tales 1975–2025,” a sweeping 50-year retrospective celebrating the career of Staten Island artist Bill Murphy.
The exhibition, which opened July 18 and runs through Jan. 18, 2026, highlights Murphy’s deep connection to New York Harbor through nearly four dozen works spanning five decades.
Located at Building D in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the museum hosted an opening reception on the evening of July 17, welcoming more than 100 guests.
The retrospective showcases Murphy’s signature printmaking techniques — etchings, lithographs and drawings — as well as paintings that reflect his fascination with the changing maritime landscape of the city.
“In retrospect, after five decades, Murphy’s body of work parallels Noble’s in its preservation of vestiges of New York City and its waterways which are forever changing with time, tides, and development,” said Ciro Galeno Jr., executive director of the Noble Maritime Collection.
Murphy, who was born on Staten Island in 1952, recalls his earliest memory of drawing vividly. “My mother tells me I drew a lot as a small child,” he said.
He added: “My first real memory of drawing was in kindergarten, painting a picture of Zorro, a popular TV character at the time.”
His early artistic influences included the comic book illustrations of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, particularly their work for Marvel Comics in the 1960s.
“A profound early influence on my way of thinking was the comic books of the 1960s,” he said. “Later, the psychedelic poster art of the Fillmore East would form my early sense of design.”
The works on view date back to 1975 and reflect Murphy’s ongoing exploration of the region’s working waterfront.
His deep affinity for New York’s industrial shoreline brought him into contact with artist and sailor John A. Noble (1913–1983), the museum’s namesake.
Noble, a major figure in maritime art, mentored Murphy near the end of his own life.
As the exhibition title suggests, the show is not only a visual journey but a narrative one as well.
Museum staff invited Murphy to record his memories and stories for each piece, which are featured alongside the artworks as part of the interpretive experience.
One of the earliest pieces on view, the 1977 etching “Leaving the Island,” captures the perspective of a Staten Island Ferry passenger departing the St. George terminal.
Reflecting on the work, Murphy shared: “I was well into my 40s when the concept finally hit me that I was an island dweller … Growing up on Staten Island, I accepted all the oddities of Island life as natural.
“Eventually, I became aware that the ramifications of living in such a clearly delineated area — and the necessity of having a bridge or ferry to travel on — must carry a psychological weight with it.”
Another notable piece, “Oh! Gowanus!” (2002), was inspired by a visit to Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. Murphy recalled being encouraged by Noble to visit the industrial waterway instead of traveling abroad.
“Don’t go to Europe, Murphy, go to the Gowanus Canal,” Noble told him. “And he was right — it was and still is a visual treat for an artist who likes the old, industrial world.”
Murphy will share more of these stories in person during a gallery talk on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m.
A highly regarded figure in the Staten Island arts community, Murphy earned his MFA from Vermont College and studied at the Art Students League of New York and the Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.
He taught visual arts at Wagner College from 1984 to 2019 and served as chair of the Art Department from 1998 to 2003. He currently teaches drawing at the Art Students League.
Admission to the museum is pay-what-you-wish and includes access to the exhibition.
The Noble Maritime Collection is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 6 p.m. in July and August. Last entry is 15 minutes before closing.
The museum is located at 1000 Richmond Terr. in Livingston. Visitors can reach it by taking the S40 bus from the St. George Ferry Terminal to the Snug Harbor Gate, or the S44 to Henderson Avenue at Devon or Kissel Avenue.
“Bill Murphy: Waterfront Tales 1975–2025” was curated by Ciro Galeno Jr. and Megan Beck, with exhibition design by Michael McWeeney and special thanks to Kathy Cracchiolo.
The exhibition is made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with support from Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature, and a grant from the Lily Auchincloss Foundation.
For more information, visit noblemaritime.org or call 718-447-6490.
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