I wish to stand for the life forms below the surface of the sea, what we call “plankton,” and for the art of Rebecca Welti, a local artist who proposes bringing depictions of these exquisite creatures into public consciousness through her amazing sculptures.

This is what great artists do and her work — though strange to some — should at least be considered with respect. Yet The Leader article last week, reporting on a hearing by the Arts Commission, implies widespread denigration of this possibility (“freakish,” “visitors wouldn’t understand,” “without beauty or history,” “crude,” “doesn’t say ‘Port Townsend,’” and so on.)

Those alarmed by these unique sculptures are, of course, entitled to their opinions.  But the Leader’s implication (headline: “Proposed plankton sculpture skewered by residents”) is that there is a widespread recoiling from Rebecca Welti’s art. I don’t think so.

For those alarmed by the non-Victorian aura of this plankton sculpting I urge a “going below the surface” on this issue — look into the exquisite beauty of the plankton, become aware of their centrality to the survival of fish (and thus the fishing industry), learn how fast many species of plankton are becoming extinct (many of which have never been described or named).

Full disclosure: Yes, I am one of those “plankton aficionados,” enthralled by plankton for the many decades since studying them at university; and I am a neighbor of Rebecca Welti — I see her sculptings every day and know of the quality of her work and her fierce desire as an artist to surprise, delight, and inform.

OK, so we can love plankton — but not as public art? Must public art be the lowest common denominator?

That which won’t frighten off the tourists? Or might we consider that which is provocative?

Here we are; a seaport full of yachts and, notice, fishing boats representing a beleaguered industry, and we must live our lives above the waters that surround us? Here is a chance to be reminded of so much that we don’t know, but upon which our lives and future depends.

Give the plankton sculpting another look, and discover plankton while you’re at it. You may find incredible beauty that you didn’t know existed.

Robert Greenway
PORT TOWNSEND