What is “Rhapsody in Gray”?

This Oregon Sea Grant-funded print features the five-foot wide silhouette of a gray whale,the iconic resident of Oregon’s coastal waters. The images within the silhouette highlight coastal ecosystems, how they function, and the biodiversity of the reef ecology. The “ghost area” around the whale includes some of the historical objects and events from the area. These are the things that constantly haunt and lurk in the periphery, shaping not only the history but the future of the Oregon coast: commercial whaling, fur trapping, whale products, traditional whale harvests, etc.

The goal of creating this large-format woodcut print is to cultivate environmental literacy, including an understanding of traditional, Indigenous, and local knowledge, with a focus on coastal, coastal watershed, and marine ecosystems. 

I collaborated with marine scientists, conservationists, historians and members of the Coquille Indian Tribe to select the images contained within the print. The print is accompanied by an augmented reality experience that includes videos from these sources in their own words. The videos feature music by Joshua Phillips, inspired by gray whale vocalizations.

The print will be on display at these locations in Oregon:

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