The Mussel Hatchery and Living Laboratory
(2017)Client: Fairmount Water Works
Project Collaborators: Mark B. Thompson & Associates, Hanson Fine Building, Metalworks, Hands On! Studio, Interactive Mechanics, Greenhouse Media, Gecko Group, B Fabrication, Cavo Design Build, Devine Brothers Inc., Pigeonbread Productions, Urban Video Productions, Urban Engineers, Todd Leatherman, Peltz Creative, Don Cassity, Heads of State, Beth Denitz, and Andrew Mead
As the Art Director for this video project, I led the creative vision and execution to showcase the innovative Mussel Hatchery installation. Tasked with highlighting the project’s environmental significance and intricate design, I collaborated closely with the Habitheque team to develop a visually engaging narrative that captures the hatchery’s purpose and impact.
I oversaw all aspects of the production process, from conceptualizing the storytelling approach to directing the visual aesthetic, ensuring cohesion between technical precision and artistic appeal. This included creating music, graphics, and animations to visually explain complex ideas and systems as well as this project’s impact. Footage was shot in various for formats and had to be processed for continuity. Design, graphics, and dynamic transitions emphasize the scale, innovation, and sustainability efforts of the installation.
Through a combination of striking visuals, motion graphics, and careful pacing, the video effectively conveys the Hatchery’s mission while immersing viewers in its environmental significance. The result is a polished, informative, and compelling piece that aligns with the goals of the project and resonates with diverse audiences.
This immersive installation demonstrates the ecological benefits of freshwater mussel restoration within the Delaware River watershed, and provides a facility for rearing mussels to be released in the river. This site-specific living enclave is the first of its kind in the region, in addition to breaking new ground within the field of interpretation for its genuinely interdisciplinary approach to environmental education—integrating history, science, and the arts.