Shoal of Returning Hope

Graphic design | Oregon Institute of Technology | Klamath Falls, OR

I designed an interpretive sign to accompany Shoal of Returning Hope, a glass installation by artist Kana Tanaka at the Oregon Institute of Technology. The artwork—composed of over 700 suspended glass fish—celebrates the long-awaited return of salmon to the Klamath Basin following dam removals.

The design weaves together the artist’s vision with scientific and cultural context. It features depictions of salmon and sucker species and shows where they appear in the piece. This is overlaid with a map of the Klamath Basin, helping to illustrate how the artist’s choices and the positioning of the installation in the atrium reflects the geography of the basin and the enduring hope for renewal in the river system. A direct print to a plywood panel with a luminous clear coat helps the sign feel connected to the shimmering material quality of the fish.