As part of a large public STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education initiative, 30 six-foot-tall sea lion statues painted by 30 Bay Area artists will adorn different spots on the Embarcadero starting in late January. They will remain on display for the remainder of 2020.
This project brings together elements of science and arts in an innovative array of messaging focused on sustainability and ocean conservation. Each sea lion statue holds a QR code that takes the user to a multi-lingual landing page containing the artist’s statement and STEAM education component.
Made from fiberglass, the sea lion statues evoke a number of different topics, including ocean habitat, pollution, the carbon footprint from seafaring goods, ocean acidification, micro-plastic ingestion and climate change. A jury drawn from Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco Environment, Golden Gates Parks Conservancy and Pier 39 personnel selected the winning entries that will be displayed. In addition to the 30 sea lions, there is also an exciting drive to paint 3,000 small sea lions to set a new world record.
As most Bay Area residents know, the real sea lions arrived at Pier 39 following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Initially regarded as pests, they soon took over K-Dock, becoming an instant tourist attraction and one of the most photographed destinations in the Bay Area. Naturalists from the Sea Lion Center and Aquarium of the Bay offer regular education programs on the site. For more information and program details, see bayecotarium.org and aquariumofthebay.org.
