News Release Date: April 5, 2021
Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005
Have you herd? A unique art installation has migrated to two locations around the park. You can see them through Labor Day weekend at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles and at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. The elk are part of Conservation From Here, an exhibit that includes original art by Joseph Rossano inspired by historical artifacts from Sagamore Hill, the home of Theodore Roosevelt. Additional artwork will be exhibited at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center beginning May 8 through August 1. The elk are cut from shining recycled aluminum and the reflections we see in them—of ourselves and our surroundings—are a reminder that we can all be conservationists in our own way, wherever we are.
Roosevelt elk are named after Teddy Roosevelt and are a living legacy of one of our most celebrated conservationists. By 1909, the Roosevelt elk herds had shrunk dramatically and were hitting critical levels for survival. Using the Antiquities Act, President Roosevelt redesignated 615,000 acres of the Olympic Forest Reserve as Mount Olympus National Monument in an effort to preserve the native habitat of the elk herds. Today, Olympic National Park is home to the largest unmanaged herd of Roosevelt elk in the Pacific Northwest.
All wildlife is protected in the park. So, while you can get close to the artwork to capture that perfect image, always observe Roosevelt elk from a distance. Keep at least 50 yards (half the length of a football field) between you and any park wildlife.
The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center is located at 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd. The Esther Webster Gallery is open from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursday – Sunday. More information is available online at pafac.org For more information on the exhibit and the artist, Joseph Rossano, visit conservationfromhere.org.
More information about visiting Olympic National Park is available online at nps.gov/olym.