Sound Installation at Jack Straw New Media Gallery, Seattle, WA

PRESS RELEASE - CLICK HERE

Exhibition Dates: Friday, July 15 to Friday, August 12, 2022
Opening Reception: Friday, July 15, 7-8:30pm
Youth and Family Workshop (accessible for visually impaired): July 23, 2-4p, 2022
To attend the reception, a workshop or to schedule a visit, email:
jsp@jackstraw.org or call 206-634-0919 / 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Once vibrant fortresses protecting the harbors, ports, and cities of Puget Sound, Fort Worden, Fort Casey, and Fort Flagler are now on the front lines of climate change, but were never designed to face this sort of surge. How will the bluffs, bunkers, and batteries weather the storms? The winds? The tides? This artwork offers a contemporary perspective on these emplacements that share a military past, transitional present, and tenuous future in a changing climate.

During an artist residency in 2021 at Centrum located in Port Townsend, I conducted interviews and documented the three forts with photography, video and sound recordings. Through this process, I became fascinated with the sonic signature and deep resonance of the batteries, control towers and other emplacements. The Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum provided access to the archives to the United States Coastal Defense System. I learned that there was no audio archive for these sites, and became inspired to combine sound and story to create a sense of place. The overlay of the recordings while standing in the visual presence of decaying embattlements leaves visitors with many emotions to reconcile. 

I hope that audiences will derive a sense of place from this installation, be inspired to visit the forts, and take a vested interest in the complex history and unknown future of these beloved destinations.

This exhibition has been generously supported by The Centrum Foundation, The McMillen Foundation, Willapa Bay AiR, The Coast Defense Study Group, The Jefferson County Historical Society, The Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, Jack Straw Cultural Center, Artist Trust, MadArt, and a Working Washington Grant.

The artist gratefully acknowledges the contributions of narrators, Sarah Berns, Grace Butler, Sarah Gilman, Joshua Porter, and Christopher Solomon. Heartfelt thanks to Craig Howard for countless edits. This work would not have been possible without guidance and support from Joel Maddox, Levi Fuller, and the production team at Jack Straw Cultural Center. Thank you for the opportunity to share “On Our Watch” with Seattle audiences.