A group of construction workers build a mother grey whale and calf at the foot of some trees and an old building.

Seabright Whale and Calf Under Construction

Acrylic & pencil on paper

9 1/2″ x 6″

Innumerable Bay Area children will remember sitting on the life-size grey whale at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History during school field trips or family outings. Made from concrete cast over a wood frame back in 1982, the statue has been a city landmark and way for people to engage immediately with these massive creatures from another world for all these years. 2025 saw a deep refurbishment of the whale and the addition of a calf. The museum documented the construction and shared it on social media, providing a glimpse into the people and work that goes into making a beloved icon and source of collective memory.