Seattle area artist, writer and educator Donald Fels wrote a highly read and well regarded two-part article (http://crosscut.com/2015/10/dangerous-colors-and-the-poisoning-of-the-spokane-river/ and http://crosscut.com/2015/10/what-will-it-take-to-clean-up-a-poisoned-river/.) on blue pigment and the Spokane River for crosscut.com. He is now partnering with historylink.org to find a way to bring the story to the river itself.  Fels has previously created artworks on and about the Duwamish, Willamette, Mississippi in this country, and the Marne river in France. He finds rivers fascinating because they have always been nodes along which culture and cities have flourished. That they now face pollution from the very urban centers they long nourished is of course part of the story.

When the crosscut articles appeared, Fels was approached by historylink about partnering on a project around the effort to clean up the Spokane River. Both Fels and the non-profit believe in the importance of researching history and making it known- as an essential means of creating public awareness of complex issues.

As difficult as it is to rid the river of PCBs, and as crucial to the process is the broad collaboration of the task force, very little is known publically about how collaboration is attempting the cleanup. Fels has long collaborated broadly around the world, working with scientists, academics, community groups, activists, other artists, as well as public agencies and institutions.  He knows first-hand what collaboration can produce.

The PCB pollution of the Spokane River is invisible. The work of the task force is equally out of sight. Fels relishes the artist’s role of making the invisible visible. The complexity, the importance of the problem, and its potential meaning to the world far beyond Spokane, is terrifically compelling to both he and historylink.

Fels would like to come several times to Spokane to meet with stakeholders, do archival research, and understand the river itself. He would then create an articulated proposal for public involvement and artwork around the issue, and around the river. Having spent decades using art and research to build effective outreach, he would relish the opportunity to do it in Spokane.

If you would like to speak with Donald and help build the capacity for his work in the Spokane River Basin, please contact Mr. Fels at fels@u.washington.edu. To see examples of his work visit his website at www.artisthinker.com