KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Artist collects 30,000 origami whales for exhibit
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Over 30,000 origami whales were used to make the art display in downtown Anchorage. (Heather Moore/KTUU-TV)
Peggy Oki, the creator of the project, says the 30,000 paper whales reflects the number of whales that have been killed in commercial fishing since the moratorium in 1986. (Heather Moore/KTUU-TV)by Bill McAllister
Thursday, May 31, 2007
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An artist and surfer from California used the occasion of the International Whaling Commission meeting in Anchorage this week to show Alaskans a curtain of 30,000 origami whales.
Peggy Oki has launched a campaign through sympathetic organizations and businesses to collect origami whales from around the world. The number 30,000, she says, reflects the whales killed since a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect. Oki says her project was a group effort.
"It's hard to know exactly how many people, but I'd say thousands of people, children of all ages, adults, groups, church groups, schools participated in folding origami whales and sending them to me," said Oki.
The exhibit will be part of the Alaska Oceans Festival on Saturday.
