Following the close of this year’s Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach, the signature Storytellers whale sculpture made a short journey to Dana Point Harbor on loan from renowned artist Jeffro Uitto for a limited time. It is now being displayed in Hansen Plaza on the wharf adjacent to Dana Wharf Whale Watching & Sportfishing.
As Dana Point continues to embrace its reputation as the premier destination for dolphin and whale enthusiasts – it was recognized as the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the World Cetacean Alliance and has been trademarked as the “Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World” – this sculpture is another reason to visit the harbor during the ongoing revitalization.
Crafted by Uitto, a renowned driftwood artist of the Pacific Northwest, the whale sculpture first debuted at the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in 2019. It continues to wow thousands of visitors and locals annually when it appears at the yearly festival.
Uitto, born in 1982, was raised and resides in the small coastal town of Tokeland, Washington. According to his website biography, this is where his creative journey began as a young child when he was fascinated with the organic forms that surrounded him.
Some of the Uitto’s most memorable pieces have been displayed for public installations, including Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival, Summit 2019, Chimei Museum in Taiwan, and notable galleries across the U.S. and abroad, commemorating the importance of nature and environmental sustainability.
The original whale sculpture is made entirely of rescued driftwood along the Pacific Coast. Measuring 18 feet in length, 5 feet in width, and 9 feet tall, it is noteworthy that each piece of driftwood is entirely unmanipulated, constructed from its natural state, which is Uitto’s signature form of expression. This sculpture embodies the rich marine life surrounding Dana Point and allows art enthusiasts, naturalists, and ocean lovers to appreciate its beauty up close.
Dana Point Harbor Partners’ revitalization plan contemplates multiple future public works of art throughout the completed project that will celebrate Dana Point’s history, culture, and ocean ecology.
Uitto’s whale sculpture joins “Fluke: A Tale of Plastic,” a life-sized depiction of an adult gray whale tail in the acting of “fluking, that was commissioned by Dana Point Harbor Partners and constructed by Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova during the 51st annual Festival of Whales.
For more information, visit Dana Point Harbor at danapointharbor.com.
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