'Mother and Child' installation
Artist Betty Bastai and her husband Sam Osteen celebrate the completion of hanging photos for her art installation "Mother & Child," which attracted plenty of public attention Sept. 24 to 28 at their home on Pasek Street. Bastai designed the arrangement of hundreds of photos on the exterior and interior of the house. Local people contributed multi-generational photos for the project. Bastai placed current photos outside, the photos of parents and grandparents indoors. Balloons oulined the roofline. Bastai covered the floors with several inches of rock salt and recordings of whales played while visitors toured the exhibit. Ribbons of words running around the photos helped convey the message. Bastai's installation was designed to spark thought and discussion about the beauty of Whidbey Island for human habitation and the importance of protecting the surrounding waters as a safe habitat for whales.
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