Join us for a fascinating evening with Josie Iselin, photographer, author and book designer as she shares some of the knowledge and insights she’s gained while writing her latest book, The Curious World of Seaweed.
Marine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the oceans, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know it. In this beautiful volume, Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the biological presence of sixteen seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin region along our Pacific Coast. Historical botanical illustrations and Iselin's signature portraits of each specimen reveal their vibrant colors—whether rosy, "olivaceous," or grass-green—and whimsical shapes. Iselin posits that we can learn not only about the seaweeds but also from them: their resilience, their resourcefulness, their poetry, and magic.
Josie will describe her path as an artist into the science of seaweed and share a few seaweed stories, introducing a few women scientists who were crucial in broadening our understanding of the oceans. Projections of Josie’s spectacular imagery of seaweeds—collected from her constant wanderings along our California coastline and beaches—will help explain the science and impart the wonder of this ocean universe.
Special Screening of “Why Seagoers Hate the Color Purple”
This evening we’ll also enjoy a special screening of the short film “Why Seagoers Hate the Color Purple”, 1st place winner of the International Ocean Film Festival Annual Student Film Competition. This film discusses the decline of bull kelp along Northern California coastlines. Filmmaker Kaden Anderson will be on hand for a question and answer session following the short film.
ABOUT JOSIE ISELIN
Josie Iselin is the photographer, author, and designer of many books exploring our coastal universe. Her newest book, The Curious World of Seaweed, is an ambitious combination of essays and historical as well as contemporary imagery that explores the algal world just beyond the beach. Josie holds a BA in visual and environmental studies from Harvard and an MFA from San Francisco State University. For over twenty-five years she has used her flatbed scanner and computer for generating imagery. Iselin exhibits large-scale fine art prints at select galleries and museums, advocates for ocean health through education and speaks widely on the confluence of art and science.
ABOUT KADEN ANDERSON
Student filmmaker and El Molino High School junior, Kaden Anderson, hails from Santa Rosa, California. He is currently pursuing an education in chemistry.
His short film, “Why Seagoers Hate the Color Purple” won 1st Place in the 2019 International Ocean Film Festival Annual Student Film Competition. The film was inspired by what Kaden learned in his biology class about the decline of sea kelp and the impact on ocean ecosystems.
