Reflection

I chose Dr. Chad Nelsen as the climate hero for my artwork because he is so closely connected to the ocean. He worked at Surfrider Foundation for nearly two decades. As a child, Nelsen had memories of catching shrimp and feeding octopus in his father’s touch tanks, and sitting on the jawbones of gray whales. That last memory of his inspired me to make this art piece. The sculpture is made of clay. I wanted the sculpture to create a movie-like grand scene. Inspired by the movie "Avatar II: The Way of Water", I created this piece where Dr. Nelsen is surfing together with the gray whale, the symbol for all marine life in the ocean. You may notice that the size of Dr. Nelsen’s character is disproportionate compared to the gray whale. I purposely made it this way to glorify the common passionate people just like Dr. Nelsen, who feel connected to the ocean and make efforts to improve the health of our coastal environment. I’d like to conclude my reflection with Dr. Chad Nelsen’s favorite quote, which inspired me for this piece and has become my motto: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”