Let the river run!
An image created by artists Shelby David and Crystal Schenk that depicts the Salmon Run sculpture for the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s new lobby.
In March 2024, a brand-new Salmon Run sculpture will greet visitors to Newport’s Oregon Coast Aquarium, supported by an Oregon Cultural Trust grant award.
Designed by Portland-based artists Shelby Davis and Crystal Schenk, the Salmon Run “river” will be constructed out of blue copper mesh and hang from the lobby’s vaulted ceilings.
While providing visitors with a warm welcome to the aquarium, the Salmon Run will also serve as an educational tool. Since the mid-20th century, salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest have declined dramatically due to overfishing, logging and pollution.
Molly Dumas, the aquarium’s development director, hopes the installation will “elicit a sense of wonder” in visitors, as well as “inquiry about their connection to – and impact upon – the natural world.”
Story by Max Tapogna
If supporting programs like this matters to you, please take a moment to learn about the Cultural Tax Credit.
