Steelhead Stella: Advocacy Through Art

  • 1 minute read
An artful and poignant reminder of man’s profound effect on the Los Angeles River ecosystem.
Share
0 people shared the story
0
0
0
0

Steelhead Stella is an artful and poignant reminder of man’s profound effect on the Los Angeles River ecosystem. The bicycle-powered mobile art installation is the brainchild of Aylee Rhodes and Kriegh Hampel, two friends who were inspired by their experience at the 2014 Los Angeles River Clean Up. Soon after the event, they learned about the sea-life that flourished in the LA basin less then 100 years ago – a native population of southern steelhead salmon. With that knowledge as inspiration, they spent the next 14 months with friends and cyclists alike to build the 35-foot long sculpture, using little money, but long volunteer hours. Nearly all the material used to build the steelhead was from waste collected from the river. The sculpture made an appearance during the Los Angeles River Ride on June 28, 2015. It caught the attention of all the attendants who surrounded the piece, studying the trail of trash that man has left behind.

Share
Tweet
Like
Share
Share
Like
Share
Related Tags

magazine editor, podcast host

You May Also Like
Read More
  • 4 minute read

The 1989 Iron War Revisited

The Kona Ironman world championship consists of a 2.4-mile swim in a calm bay in downtown Kona; a 112-mile bike race through the barren black fields, climbing up the lush mountain road with green grass to the small town of Hawaii; then back down, through the lava fields to the Kona Surf Hotel outside of Kona
Read More
0
0
0
0
0
Read More
  • 5 minute read

Antiperspirant: Bad to Worse?

Despite the popularity of antiperspirant deodorants today, most Americans didn’t use them until the early twentieth century. For the average person, the antidote to unpleasant smells was often heavy amounts of perfume and altered clothing, such as cotton sweat pads under the armpits.
Read More
0
0
0
0
0
Read More
  • 2 minute read

The e-Chariot

My friend Ron’s granddaughter is a precocious nine years old with a penchant for mechanical things. She conceived the e-Chariot to be a vehicle that would allow her family, including her 12-year-old physically challenged sister Hailey, to bicycle together.
Read More
0
0
0
0
0
Read More
  • 2 minute read

The One Way Ride to Mexico

The One Way Ride Program officially began in 2012, but these men have been carrying on this tradition for over a decade. It all started after the 2001 Rosarito to Ensenada ride when local resident Raymond “Randy” Kiefer and his riding partner, Hank Williamson, generously gave away their bicycles to two local teenage boys who were hanging around the finish line watching the riders come in.
Read More
0
0
0
0
0
Read More
  • 2 minute read

India by Bicycle: A Brief Survey

When I lived in India for six months in 2014 doing environmental research, I always traveled to my host institution in the northern Bangalore suburbs on my bicycle. It was 6 km away and only took me about 20 minutes. It was a lovely trip through a colorful neighborhood and I relished the sights, smells, and sounds. But, the rides were challenging, both physically and emotionally.
Read More
0
0
0
0
0