Fin art, in Lincoln City

While cruising down the hallway inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center, you might catch a glimpse of Hegira, a large free-form fiber art piece proudly displayed in the Fiber Arts Studio Gallery.

Created by Christina Harkness, Hegira depicts a female humpback whale swimming above a coral reef. “She is on her migration journey and we are not sure how long she will stay,” said Education & Marketing Director Alexis Garrett, “so, please visit soon, and often.”

Hegira is the culmination of 18 months of work to draw attention to the humpbacks’ threats to survival while continuing their annual migrations, from historical hunting pressures to today’s challenges of ocean pollution, entanglement and climate change.

The work is five feet long and includes crochet, knitting, felting and spinning with a weaving technique for mounting.

Harkness is inviting people to create and donate to the Community Coral Reef Project, which is creating a walk-through underwater fiber art world of coral, underwater creatures and the ocean environment to join Hegira.

Healthy and bleached corals, sea life and items made from fiber and reclaimed and recycled plastics are welcome.

Harkness will be at the Fiber Arts Studio Gallery the second Saturday each month, starting on Nov. 13, to demonstrate, mentor and accept contributions.

Donated yarns and patterns are available for the project at the studio.

The Fiber Arts Studio Gallery is located inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 540 NE Hwy. 101 and is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday through Sunday. For more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org.