Artwork copyright John Moilanen. Photo courtesy of the artist, 2002.

Artwork copyright John Moilanen. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Glines Canyon Dam, Elwha River, 2000

John Moilanen
American Finnish (born 1948)

Location: Jefferson Elementary School, Port Angeles

About the Artwork

Glines Canyon Dam, Elwha River is part of artist John Moilanen's series of paintings that depict and document dams and what he terms "endangered structures." The composition of this piece references the style of Federal Art Projects from the 1930s, and the artist notes that his paintings "recast our perception of the present and past history of the Pacific Northwest through a fusion of abstraction and expressionism which reflects our unique local landscape character." The Glines Canyon Dam was built in 1927 and was demolished in 2014 as part of the Elwha River ecosystem restoration project.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Port Angeles School District.

About the Artist

Northwest artist John Moilanen creates paintings designed to "recast our perception of the present and past history of the Pacific Northwest through the fusion of abstraction and expressionism which reflects our unique local landscape character."