Artwork copyright Allen Moe. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Allen Moe. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2023.

Artwork copyright Allen Moe. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2023.

Mussel Bed - Tumbo Island, British Columbia, 2002

Allen Moe
American (born 1948)

Location: Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Mussel Bed - Tumbo Island, British Columbia is a cement casting by Allen Moe. His castings are made from molds of real-life, natural surfaces that often bear evidence of unseen forces. From these molds (the "negatives") he then cast "positives" using graphite and cement. They are like photographs only instead of recording light they are records of spatial presence. Moe notes "I am interested in the patterns of accumulation and disintegration and the moments of stability between the two." This artwork is part of a curated collection by Gregg Schlanger in October 2023 for the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver. The local Art Selection Committee wanted artworks that anyone can approach and fully experience and understand via more than just sight. Gregg Schlanger selected artworks that are comfortable in the hand and have a tactile experience. This artwork is meant to be touched. Artworks are installed by the doors to the eight residence rooms and the residence assistance room at the Life Skills for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) Residence. They are wayfinders. Before street numbers, buildings were identified with low relief tiles. Schlanger hopes that the residence rooms will become known by the artworks, such as the Mussel Bed Room. The LIFTT Residence houses students working on a vocational goal and adult independence. Residents have varied experiences of sight loss and levels of comfort. The LIFTT program is a hugely empowering step for young adults with blindness.

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

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Allen Moe creates art castings, paintings, and pottery inspired by patterns in nature. He uses naturally-sourced materials mixed with cement or common hardware store materials. The beauty of life is represented in his art. Moe was educated as a biologist. Moe was born and raised in the Yosemite Valley in California. He received a Bachelor of Art degree in ecology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. He lived in Alaska for a decade homesteading and working as a seabird ecologist and Denali National Park Ranger before settling into making art. He has been a full-time working artist for over 40 years, living in Northwestern Washington on the mouth of the Skagit River and nearby Guemes Island. You can watch a short video about Moe's art practice made by the Washington State Arts Commission in 2008 with support from the American Masters Program of the National Endowment for the Arts.