Need a little kelp?
‘The Curious World of Seaweed’ washes up in Newport
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
It shows up in soups, can help fertilize our gardens and is even used as a fuel source. Curious? Check out “The Curious World of Seaweed,” the new exhibit at Newport’s Pacific Maritime Heritage Center.
Based on the Josie Iselin’s book of the same name, the exhibit features captivating color portraits of seaweed and merges history, art and science by featuring surprising stories highlighting Indigenous peoples’ and women’s connections to seaweed and examines its vital role as the base of the food chain.
The exhibit will come alive with a slew of activities from Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4, including a panel discussion, lecture, meet-and-greet and book signings with Iselin, classes, a performative tattoo art demonstration and an Oregon Seaweed booth.
“Where my current work is focused is on what bull kelp is and how fabulous, opportunistic and ingenious it is — it will outlive us all,” Iselin said. “Once we learn about and learn from what a healthy kelp forest is, then we can look at the conditions at how we are losing kelp in some places but not others.”
“The Curious World of Seaweed” was released in 2019 and has been shortlisted for the Northern California Book Award and the Alice Award.
“I wanted to make an eye-popping way for people to see that seaweeds aren’t some slimy thing, that they are incredibly beautiful,” she said. “How do we get people to understand how ingenious it is to thrive when your environment gets sucked out every few hours?”
Artist Luka Weinberger has created a one-of-a-kind bull kelp tattoo design based on Iselin’s work, and will be permanently placing it on one lucky arm while museum visitors observe. Weinberger is donating their time, so that the cost of the work can benefit the Above/Below Indigenous Kelp project.
“We are raising funds so that we can compensate the tribal liaisons that connect their communities or do research on bull kelp,” Iselin said.
Seaweeds have three requirements for survival: something to hold on to, sunlight to provide energy and nutrients to fuel growth. They find these elements in a thin section of the ocean, which accounts for less than two percent of the entire sea floor. Yet seaweeds are the supreme eco-engineers, oxygenating the waters and creating habitats for countless organisms. This exhibit examines how these surprisingly sophisticated marine plants keep our planet opulently rich in life and also illustrates the importance of seaweed to our local commercial and sport fisheries.
“Part of my goal as an artist and a storyteller is not just about the demise, but the understanding of this amazing thing,” Iselin said.
For those wanting to learn more about seaweeds and seaweed foraging, Alanna Kiefer of Shifting Tides NW is offering a workshop on Oregon’s intertidal ecology, understanding the tides and conditions of the ocean and the array of seaweeds along our shores. This day will be one of the lowest tides of the year and a great morning for exposure to seaweeds. Registration for this class is available online through shiftingtidesnw.com.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Karina Nielsen, director of Oregon Sea Grant, and will include Iselin and Kieffer, as well as Tom Calvanese of OSU Extension, who will discuss their kelp project; Peter Hatch, who will represent the Confederated Tribes of Siletz of Indians and discuss the cultural history and contemporary investment in kelp/seaweed; and Sara Hamilton of the Oregon Kelp Alliance.
Bring home memories of the day at the special products in the museum store, including Iselin’s books, notecards and a selection of her US-made designer scarves, Oregon Seaweed products including whole-leaf dried dulse and Pacific dulse flakes, and Billow Cloud Soaps seaweed, sea salt and saltwater soap and Intertidal Face Balm Oil.
“It’s going to be quite a festive weekend,” Iselin said.
The Pacific Maritime Heritage Center is located at 333 SE Bay Blvd. in Newport. For more information, go to oregoncoasthistory.org or call 541-265-7509.
Schedule
Friday, June 2
4 to 7 pm - Above/Below: Bridging Kelp Forest Communities panel discussion.
Saturday, June 3
11 am to 2:30 pm - Art & Algae: cyanotype printing workshop
4 pm - “Art & Algae: An Artist's Journey into the Science of Seaweed” lecture followed by book signing
Sunday, June 4
7 to 9 am - Seaweed Identification Workshop
10 am to 5 pm - Tattoo art demonstration
11 am to 4 pm – Meet-and-greet and book signing with Josie Iselin
11 am to 4 pm - Oregon Seaweed booth with Alanna Kieffer