Underwater immersion<\/p>\n
Downtown Redwood City\u2019s newest Art Kiosk installation takes a look at what happens when an entire underwater ecosystem disappears where most people will never see it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoldfast, Echoes Below\u201d by Bay Area artist Lisa Heikka-Huber is on exhibit through Sept. 6. Inspired by California\u2019s rapidly disappearing kelp forests, the installation re-creates an underwater \u201curchin barren,\u201d a rocky seafloor overtaken by purple sea urchins after much of the kelp habitat has vanished. The work features more than 700 handcrafted ceramic sea urchins, fabricated ocean rocks, 11 clear glass fish and a large-scale underwater photograph taken by the artist while scuba diving.<\/p>\n
By transforming the Art Kiosk into an immersive underwater landscape, \u201cHoldfast, Echoes Below\u201d\u00a0explores the broader environmental forces driving kelp forest loss, including warming ocean conditions, changing predator populations and disruptions to the marine food web.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is also a testament to community collaboration. More than 850 students from Fremont, Lynbrook, Homestead and Del Mar high schools participated in artist-led workshops exploring kelp forests, scientific diving and marine restoration before creating the ceramic spines used throughout the installation. Heikka-Huber teaches at San Jos\u00e9 State University and Del Mar High School.<\/p>\n
This exhibition is presented by the Redwood City Improvement Association.<\/p>\n
Trip the light fantastic<\/p>\n
Kids can give dancing a whirl on Aug. 22 at West Valley Dance Company\u2019s open house. The company\u2019s Mountain View studio at 1939 W. El Camino Real, Unit H, will be offering free classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, Bollywood and K-pop dance for up-and-coming dancers ages 2-9. Acrobatics classes for ages 4-7 and adult theater jazz instruction for ages 18 and older are also available.<\/p>\n