The artist assisted in the planning and installation of the exhibition. The exhibition was funded in part by The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and The County of San Diego Community Enhancement Program.
Among the most respected designer craftsmen in her field, San Diego artist Arline Fisch has had a long distinguished career as a maker of jewelry and body adornment and is recognized as an innovator in adapting and applying fiber techniques to working in metal. Fisch is professor of art (emerita) at San Diego State University where she founded its program in jewelry and metalsmithing in 1961. She has often made large-scale jewelry and adornment that occupies large portions of the body, but this was the first time she has created an entire installation – life-sized re-creations of specific jellyfish species and other objects that suggest sea anemones and coral – more than 150 objects, all crocheted from color-coated copper wire.
The sea creatures were created for a site-specific installation entitled _Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep_ commissioned by the Racine Art Museum. Grouped in six adjacent window spaces there, they gave the impression of looking out under water. At Mingei International, they floated above the Cornell Rotunda Gallery.
The exhibition was accompanied by the Racine Art Museum publication _Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep._
The artist presented two workshops during the exhibition: SUBLIME SEA JELLIES, a daylong class on Saturday, November 7, 2009 in which participants created wire mesh jellyfish and KNIT & CROCHET WITH WIRE a second opportunity to create sea forms as well as bracelets.