After having a few weeks to decompress after our Lincoln City installation came down, the PNW Community Coral Reef has been invited to the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, Oregon for an installation running from May 9th through August 3rd, 2025.
What's so great about this project is how the reef is different in every installation. When we have the space to stretch out, the reef can be displayed on a variety of plinths and risers. For this installation, the gallery space is limited and my thought are to utilize the walls and ceiling. Instead of creating an open room experience of a coral reef, I hope to create a cave or cocoon-like experience. Corals on the floor and walls, creatures and kelp coming from the ceiling and a small pathway to walk through.
Since many of our pieces are vignettes and are connected, this entails picking the pieces that are best suited to life on the floor and bringing them along. Other pieces will be dismantled and turned into wall hangings. Additionally, I have started a couple jumbo sized bull kelp to see if they might be happy in this new configuration.
I've already visited the space, paced it out, wondered aloud and scratched my head a few times. My next plan is to visit a couple of nearby sea caves at low tide, just to get myself in the mood.
Onwards!
