Copper River Flats

Nan Thompson

46 x 37 inches

2018

ARTIST STATEMENT

This is an image of the Copper River Delta in Western Alaska where my husband works as a commercial salmon fisherman. The changes in ocean temperature have affected the Alaskan wild salmon runs. The Chinook (aka King) species is the largest; commonly weighing over 30 pounds. They are born in freshwater streams and live three to eight years in the ocean before they return to their freshwater river birthplaces to spawn. Commercial fishers harvest them on the river deltas like the one in this image, where the fish leave the ocean and begin traveling upriver. Over the last thirty years, Chinooks have gotten smaller in all of the ten rivers studied by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. That agency has restricted the allowable catch for commercial and sport fishers and people who live along the river who depend on salmon as a food source.

MATERIALS

Hand-dyed and commercial cottons

GUIDE BY CELL NUMBER

To hear the artist speak about the artwork, call (703) 520-6404 and enter 2210 followed by the # sign.