Soul Salmon

Large salmon have spawned in downtown Olympia!

On land!

Too amazing to be true? No...just another enchanting event here in the home town of Procession of the Species.

As part of a public art program, the City of Olympia (Cultural Arts Division of the Parks and Recreation Department) sponsored a contest giving artists a chance to propose ideas for decorating ten 6-foot-long fiberglass salmon to be installed around the city.

Entitled "Soul Salmon," the project inspired 67 entries with the Procession of the Species garnering a winning entry entitled "Souls of Extinction."

Hand painted and airbrushed with acrylic urethane, this salmon is decorated with portraits of animals whose interactions with humankind led to their extinction. The extinct species painted on the Soul Salmon are intended to remind the viewer of the plight of the salmon and the interconnection of all life on earth, past and present.

The artist-creators of Soul Salmon were:

• Mollari D. Sederberg, lead artist;
• Heather Taylor-Zimmerman, wildlife portrait artist;
• Eli Sterling, assistant artist.

The Souls of Extinction Salmon can be viewed at the Port of Olympia Public Plaza, at the Port of Olympia. For a map locating all the salmon artworks throughout the city, visit the Olympia Community Center at 222 N. Columbia St., Olympia.