Salt Runs in Casco Bay
Jo Ophardt
2025
Watercolors and road salt
Jo Ophardt was born in Phoenix, Arizona. They moved to Portland to pursue painting at the Maine College of Art & Design and found the New England attitude to be quite agreeable. They bike past Back Cove on their commute every day.
Road salt is something that we all depend on to get around safely, especially this winter. This measure of protection for our roadways can quickly make it into the surrounding water, affecting aquatic life. I collected road salt to repel pigments in watercolors, making a literal representation of sodium chloride changing the habitat of Casco Bay. I hope to show that every action we take on land is connected to the water around us.
Twenty young artists created art centered on the challenges, hopes, and fears for Casco Bay’s past, present, and future.
What happens when a group of young artists turn their talents toward protecting Casco Bay? A new collaboration with MECA&D brought powerful, creative answers.
