Kelp Reverberations will ignite visitors’ senses, immersing them in the vibrantly complex world of a bull kelp forest to learn and appreciate its wonder. This exhibition is a creative collaboration between a group of visionary artists and scientists steeped in the ecology and beauty of the kelp forest. 

Showcased in the glass atrium of the SJIMA, the installation will feature a maze of deep blue and turquoise cyanotype banners, created by artist and author Josie Iselin, using sunlight to imprint images of bull kelp and other understory seaweeds from the ocean forest. This sea of cyanotypes in the upper spaces of the atrium will invite visitors into a spatialized soundscape of the underwater world of kelp through an innovative soundframe system built by sound designer Ken Pearce in collaboration with Canadian composer and sound artist Jonathan Kawchuk. Sculptures made from locally foraged bull kelp by Puget Sound artist, Betsy Peabody, will complement the sound and banner scape in the atrium. 

Mappings and data of kelp forests collected by the Samish Indian Nation over time will be featured on the wall of the atrium to provide a baseline understanding of the presence and decline of bull kelp in the San Juan Islands. Kelp! Reverberations is sponsored by Above/Below, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, and Washington Sea Grant.