Mussels Under and Barges Over the Ohio
20″W X 43″H
Hemp/cotton: hand dyed and printed, appliquéd, embroidered
Waters originating on the western slopes of the Appalachian mountains, running down the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers, join at current day Pittsburgh to become the Ohio. Connecting major cities as it does, it has long been significant to inland transportation, making barges a common sight on the river. The river bottom, at the same time, is home to roughly 35 native fresh water mussels, five of them being endangered and the remaining threatened by the invasive non-native zebra mussel. Since mussels are an essential natural filtration mechanism, significant efforts are underway to restore the habitat for the native mollusks.
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