Bringing Art To Narwhal Research In The Arctic

Two Seattle-based adventurers — one a scientist, the other an artist — are on an expedition to study and document narwhals in Arctic waters off the west coast of Greenland.

As global temperatures rise and Arctic sea ice shrinks, scientists are trying to learn more about the creatures that call the Arctic home. Scientists like Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center. She’s studying narwhals, those arctic whales known for their long spiraling unicorn horns.

Maria Coryell-Martin is an expeditionary artist. She’s traveled around the world painting in polar and glaciated regions. Her goal: To document and explore remote places with scientists and share the stories of the environment and the research through art.