Dive into Discovery: “Hold Fast” Open at Birch Aquarium!

La Jolla, CA (Feb. 9, 2024) —Yesterday Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego unveiled Hold Fast, a powerful and immersive art exhibition that invites us to explore the impact of climate change on our local kelp forest through the lens of several local artists and scientists.

Hold Fast beckons you to explore a labyrinth of cyanotype-printed giant kelp by photo-based artist and marine scientist Oriana Poindexter, come face to face with local species via gyotaku prints by artist Dwight Hwang, and peer into the tiny world of kelp propagation with Scripps Oceanography PhD student Mohammad Sedarat. The exhibition also includes works by Tijuana-and London-based artist and inventor Itamar Lilienthal, and artist and Scripps Oceanography postdoctoral scholar Adi Khen using researcher Jennifer Smith’s seaweed pressings.

The aquarium will also be offering fish printing and sun printing workshops once a month. Hold Fast will run through Labor Day 2024, and is included with the cost of General Admission, which is $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for children ages 3-17. Annual memberships are also available. The aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with extended seasonal hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days from March 1 through Labor Day. Advanced reservations are required. Visit the aquarium’s website to learn more about Hold Fast and to check the daily schedule for hours and workshops.

Register here