The History Museum of Mobile is inviting the public to bring a sack lunch and take part in a free Learning Lunch event next month centered on the lasting environmental effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history.
The gathering, set to begin at noon on April 8 at the museum’s downtown Mobile location on Royal Street, will feature a trailer screening from the documentary The Great Invisible, followed by a discussion led by the film’s director, Mobile native Margaret Brown. Admission is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about the spill’s aftermath along the Gulf Coast.
Brown spent years working on the documentary, traveling the coastline from Alabama to Texas to gather firsthand accounts from residents, workers and officials affected by the explosion and subsequent spill. The film blends personal interviews, archival news footage and industry analysis to examine both the disaster itself and its long-term consequences for coastal communities and ecosystems, including oil that researchers say remains on the ocean floor years after the well was capped.
The lunchtime event coincides with an ongoing exhibit at the museum titled What’s at Stake, which showcases work from 20 local artists exploring the spill’s after-effects on the region. The exhibit offers a visual companion to the documentary screening, giving visitors multiple ways to engage with the topic through both art and film.
Following its screening in Mobile, The Great Invisible is scheduled to air nationally on PBS later in April, with representatives from the network expected to attend the museum event. Organizers say the lunch discussion offers local residents a chance to hear directly from the filmmaker about her reporting process and the stories that shaped the documentary before it reaches a broader television audience.
The History Museum of Mobile has hosted a range of programming tied to Gulf Coast environmental and cultural history, and organizers say events like this one are intended to keep the long-running conversation about the spill’s impact accessible to the local community. The Deepwater Horizon spill, which began in April 2010, released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and prompted years of cleanup, litigation and environmental monitoring along the Alabama coast and beyond.
Those interested in attending the free lunchtime program are encouraged to arrive by noon on April 8 with their own lunch, as the museum will provide the screening, discussion and access to the current exhibit at no cost.