Description: Forty essential watersheds of the San Francisco/San Pablo Bay system are mapped through a limited edition box set of art

Year: 2022 – present (in progress)

Collaborator: Lauren Hartman

Funding: California State University Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity grant

Access:

• Bay Area watershed atlas is being commercially printed for mass
distribution.

• Google Doc with research, maps, and links to resources will be publicly available

Documentation: Link to Google Doc watershed research in progress here

Notes:

This research-driven collaboration with artist Lauren Hartman explores the watersheds of the Bay Area through printmaking, textiles, and book arts. It can be presented as a site-specific installation and as a limited edition box set. The project consists of:

• Box/Map: Houses all the work. Screen printed map depicts the 40 essential One box for each creek.
• Banners: One for each of the forty selected
• Atlas/Zine*: Made using traditional drafting and bookbinding
• Pin/Map*: Edition of 100 enamel pins depict the essential
• Open Source Google Doc*: Over 60 pages of watershed research, maps, photos, and additional resources (in progress — link here).

*These works will also be available separate from the limited edition box sets.

The Bay Area is home to a diverse range of waterways, from wild rivers to urban creeks that have been paved over. The project’s aim is to bring attention to these important water systems and educate the public about their significance. With water issues becoming increasingly relevant, the project is more timely than ever.

Both Lauren and myself are instructors at the CSU Maritime Academy, which sits along the Carquinez Strait. This location is significant as it is where approximately 40% of California’s fresh water drains into the open water via the San Pablo/San Francisco Bay system. The project brings together elements of both Lauren’s my own artistic practices.