Salmon to run at Oregon Coast Aquarium

Let the river run!

In March 2024, a brand-new Salmon Run sculpture will greet visitors to Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium, supported by an Oregon Cultural Trust grant award.

Designed by Portland-based artists Shelby Davis and Crystal Schenk, the Salmon Run "river" will be constructed out of blue copper mesh and hang from the lobby's vaulted ceilings.

While providing visitors with a warm welcome to the aquarium, the Salmon Run will also serve as an educational tool. Since the mid-20th century, salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest have declined dramatically due to overfishing, logging and pollution.

Molly Dumas, the aquarium's development director, hopes the installation will "elicit a sense of wonder" in visitors, as well as "inquiry about their connection to - and impact upon - the natural world."

Story by Max Tapogna

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