A whimsical new art installation is swaying its way onto the scene in Langley.
The Wishing Whale sculpture created by Georgia Gerber that can be viewed from First Street will soon be complemented by a wall teeming with familiar marine wildlife. Artist Melissa Koch was commissioned by the Langley Arts Fund to work on this backdrop, which will be known as the Wishing Wall.
“They basically gave me carte blanche to come up with an idea,” said Koch, who was assisted by her daughter Alice Springs on the project. “We spent a lot of time at the site. Because I live here, I know Langley and the island.”
Koch immediately noticed that the 60-foot-long wall made of stucco with pebbles embedded in it was not conducive to being painted like a traditional mural. Instead, she opted to create cutout imagery from aluminum, which is lightweight but strong enough to endure all types of weather. She decided to coat the metal with a copper color to match the rusty look of the nearby phonebooth outside of Kalypso’s Gifts.
The wall is comprised of 93 pieces and 390 screws, which Koch compared to putting a giant jigsaw puzzle together.
“The hummingbird is five feet across,” she said. “These are big pieces.”
Swirling Arabesque leaves, salmon swimming throughout, falling raindrops and bull kelp resembling jazz singers with streaming hair are just some of the features of the Wishing Wall.
Koch drew inspiration from her fascination with color, texture, light, patterns and shapes emanating from nature.
“The Wishing Wall installation is a site specific project that reflects upon the specific nature and location of Langley and the relationship between the land and the sea that is part of our experience here,” she wrote as part of her artist statement for the project.
“The cutout imagery acts as an uplifting backdrop for Georgia Gerber’s bronze whale, reminding us of the beautiful and delicate natural environment we live near and our connection to this delicate ecosystem.”
The Wishing Wall will be installed over a three-day period, Aug. 10-12. Jonathan Stich, who did the rigging for Cirque du Soleil shows, will be assisting Koch.
“It’s such a big project right here in Langley on such an important corner,” said Valerie Easton, who is helping out during the public installation event.
The Langley Arts Fund has spent the past two years raising funds for the $60,000 project. The organization partnered with Langley Creates, the city’s creative district, to obtain a $18,750 grant from the Washington State Arts Commission.
Easton pointed to Koch’s experience creating large-scale public art installations in Seattle.
“She thinks big and she accomplishes big,” Easton said.
Easton plans to write information about the various creatures on the Wishing Wall. In the future, visitors will be able to scan a QR code to learn more about them. It will also provide a guide to local organizations, such as the Orca Network.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, people can watch parts of the wall go up while enjoying beverages from the Star Store from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Find out more about Koch’s artwork by visiting melissakochfinearts.com. Her daughter’s website is alicespringsjewellery.com.
