Salem, Oregon – Kana Tanaka’s “Shoal of Returning Hope,” a massive, suspended work of art made up of more than 700 dichroic glass fish, has been installed in a two-story light well at Oregon Institute of Technology’s Boivin Hall in Klamath Falls as part of the state’s Percent for Art in Public Places program. The program is managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.
“Shoal of Returning Hope” serves to connect to the surrounding region of the Klamath Basin, the local environment and its people as well as to cultivate a strong sense of place, belonging and connection rooted to the Pacific Northwest and/or the Klamath Basin.
The artist was inspired by dam removal on the Klamath River and the hopeful return of salmon to Klamath Lake. The fish represented include chinook and coho salmon and two sacred fish of the Klamath Tribes, “c’waam” and “koptu.”
“I designed the piece for this specific place and time. I want people to experience the details that emerge at different times of day and viewing angles,” said Tanaka, who was born and raised in Japan and is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. “This installation symbolizes the transformative journey of the river, mirroring the community’s commitment to renewal and optimism,” Tanaka added
Tanaka is noted for the way she uses glass and light phenomena to create experiences that surround the viewer and affect their senses, directly and broadly. In designing public art, Tanaka pays close attention to the local context of the environment, to its surrounding architecture, its history and its ambiance.
“It’s been an honor to witness Kana Tanaka’s stellar project come to fruition,” said Natalie Ball, a member of the art selection committee. “It’s been amazing to see how her visit to our territory influenced her project after meeting with our tribal people who are protecting the ‘koptu’ and ‘c’waam’ in restoring our waterways, and those who have inherited the work of dam removal for the return of our ‘chiiyals.’”
Within the Percent for Art in Public Places program, artists and artworks are selected for each qualifying state building project through a facilitated process that brings together artists, architects and members of the public. Artworks may be of any media, indoors or outdoors, temporary or permanent, purchased or commissioned.
The goals of the program are to:
- Acquire engaging and enduring artworks that are valued by Oregon’s diverse communities;
- Encourage dialogue, creativity and a sense of place by integrating art experiences into people’s everyday lives;
- Incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices into art acquisition and collection management;
- Advance and support artists’ development, recognition and economic stability;
- Enliven and enhance state buildings through the arts; and
- Promote public awareness, understanding and appreciation of the arts.
The Arts Commission promotes access to the collection through a publicly searchable database of artworks.