Once Wild River is a visionary exhibition by Green-Duwamish Artist-in-Residence Timothy White Eagle and collaborators exploring the living power of the Duwamish River and its watershed.The exhibition brings together photography, video, sound, and installation to examine the illusion of control between the living force of the Duwamish River and the industrial systems built to contain it. The work reflects on impermanence and the limits of human authority over land and water, as the river and the communities along its shores remind us that concrete is not forever and that the river will one day reclaim its wildness. Once Wild River also features Path of Water, an alternative soundscape for the river scored by Crystal Cortez. This immersive audio work weaves together the sonic landscape of the Duwamish with stories created in collaboration with guest storytellers: Duwamish Councilman Ken Workman, q̓ʷat̓ələmu ɫukʷalabəɫ ~ Nancy Jo Bob (Duwamish/Lummi), her daughter qʷəlišəbəɫ ~ Qwulishubulh Mae Bob (Puyallup/Lummi/Duwamish), and qəɫtəblu ~ Tami Hohn (Puyallup), offering a layered listening journey into memory, place, and presence.

The exhibition features work by artist collaborators from across the region, including principal collaborator Adrain Chesser (Photography), Laura C. Wright (Surface Design & Natural Pigments), Epiphany Couch (Collage), Crystal Cortez (Sound / Composition), and Sarah Kavage (Installation). Together, their contributions expand the project beyond documentation, creating a layered, sensory encounter with the river’s presence, memory, and ongoing transformation.

Path of Water is commissioned by 4Culture and King County Wastewater Treatment Facility. https://www.4culture.org/public_art/path-of-water/

Once Wild River has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Assistance Agreement CE01J97401 to Puget Sound Partnership. The contents of this exhibition do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. www.whiteeagle.me/wildriver