I was selected as one of two artists to create art for a new low-income housing complex being built by OlyCAP (Olympic Community Action Programs) in Port Townsend, WA.
The theme of this installation celebrates the Salish Sea with emphasis on the relationship between sea stars and kelp forests. Many of us living in this region don’t realize that the delicate balance of the local aquatic ecosystem is under dire threat. Sea star wasting disease has reduced the population of sea stars severely. Sea stars feed on urchins, which eat bull kelp. Pacific waters have become overpopulated by urchins and they are devouring the kelp forests at an alarming rate. Kelp forests provides essential habitat for much of the wildlife living in our oceans and in the Puget Sound. This is a problem that is affecting all of the Cascadia region sea life, including fish populations. There are several reasons this is happening, including commercial fishing, pollution and most of all: climate change. The artwork is a celebration of the beauty of the Salish Sea, and it is something we should all cherish and protect.
