In order of appearance: ‘Lonesome Larry’, acrylic on wood panel, 32’’x12’’, 2023. ‘Never the Same River’, acrylic on wood panel, 18”x24”, 2024. ‘Ancestral Migrations’, acrylic on wood panel, 20”x24”, 2024.

‘Never the Same River,’ and ‘Ancestral Migrations’ were installed in 2024 as part of the City of Boise’s Traffic Box Art Collection.

Sockeye Salmon once filled Idaho lakes and rivers by the millions, migrating on their remarkable 900 mile journey to the ocean and back. Today, only 1-2% of the original populations make that same return. Since the beginning of settler colonization in Idaho, these numbers have plummeted, most notably between the years of 1962-1975 with the completion of the lower Snake River dams. 

In 1992, only one fish survived the journey back home to Redfish Lake. Lonesome Larry indicates how close these fish have come to extinction, an event which would cause profound ecological, cultural & historical devastation.

This species directly highlights what I believe to be one of our most pressing water equity issues in Idaho, serving as an emblem for restoring justice to Idaho’s indigenous tribes such as the Shoshone-Bannock people who were forcibly displaced by colonization, and to whom depend on the salmon as an intrinsic facet of life and culture. The efforts of the Shoshone Bannock people have played a significant role in preventing the extinction of the beloved Sockeye Salmon.