Unseen Ocean exhibit at Chase Gallery reveals hidden coral beauty

The traveling show 'Unseen Ocean: America's Hidden Coral Gardens Revealed' opened April 3 at Spokane's Chase Gallery, featuring paintings, sculptures, video installations and public programming; the exhibit runs through April 25.

The traveling exhibition 'Unseen Ocean: America's Hidden Coral Gardens Revealed' opened April 3 at the Chase Gallery in Spokane. The show brings together paintings, sculptures and video installations alongside public talks and educational activities. It grew out of artist Meghan Jones's interest in deep-sea coral gardens and a collaboration with other artists and a marine biologist. The collective seeks to connect local communities to the largely unseen ocean and to widen the scope of science communication through art. Key details: - 'Unseen Ocean' runs April 3–April 25 at the Chase Gallery and opened during First Friday. - Participants include artist Meghan Jones, artists Kierstin Keller and Nilanjana Das, and marine biologist Lara Beckmann. - The opening program included a talk at 6 p.m. and a performance by Eastern Washington University musicians of a piece called 'Watery Terror' by Chris Cummins. - Exhibit features public lectures, an interactive gallery scavenger hunt, educational coloring pages and other installations. - The collective will host a dozen elementary school field trips during the free, monthlong run; students receive a 30-minute guided tour, a hands-on talk from Beckmann at the Mobius Discovery Center, and STEAM kits designed by Art Salvage. - The project received a Spokane Arts Grant Award and has also won grants from the Swedish government and the British Ecological Society; future stops include the Hatfield Marine Science Center at Oregon State University. Summary: The exhibition highlights rare deep-sea coral ecosystems through multidisciplinary art and paired science programming, aiming to inspire curiosity and a sense of connection across ages. It remains on view at the Chase Gallery through April 25 and the Unseen Ocean Collective is planning additional presentations at other institutions.