Artwork copyright Melissa Singh Cole. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2021.

Tapteal Journey: River Otter, 2021

Melissa Singh Cole
American (born 1967)

Location: Tapteal Elementary School, West Richland

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

'Tapteal Journey' by Melissa Singh Cole is made up of 23 mosaic panels showing native plants and animals of the Yakima River ecosystem surrounding Tapteal Elementary in West Richland, Southeastern Washington. From the school’s website, Cole learned that “tapteal” is the Yakama language word for the Yakima River: “It means ‘the river that runs clean’ or ‘where two rivers meet.’ Many years ago, the Yakima River was full of salmon, which the Native Americans scooped out of the river and dried for food and fuel. Today, it is a major source of irrigation water for the Yakima Valley farms and orchards.” Each mosaic features a species specific to the Richland area including: wildflowers, riverbank plants and animals, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, birds and insects. The mosaic pieces also focus on food webs and will hopefully be used by teachers within their lessons. Some of the glass mosaic elements were glued onto butterfly or flower shapes by Tapteal Elementary students during workshops in the spring of 2021, led by the artist and a Tapteal art teacher.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with .

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Melissa Singh Cole creates public art, mosaic sculptures, and mixed media paintings. Her main inspiration comes from the natural world via her scuba diving adventures and her past work as a naturalist. She is passionate about involving the public in her art process through community-built public art, which instill a sense of pride and ownership. Cole earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology at Oregon State University in Corvallis, with electives in sculpture, figure drawing, and painting. She has worked in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps volunteer in a village of artisans and basket weavers. She has written over 30 children’s books and travels extensively with her marine photographer husband. She is based in Spokane, Eastern Washington.