On October 14th, several hundred people gathered at AltaSea’s Port of Los Angeles campus for the organization’s annual fundraiser–Blue Hour. The event, hosted in the historic Berth 57 warehouse, included a multi-medium art exhibit and an award ceremony celebrating several female ocean stewards who have advanced the sustainable blue economy. Blue Hour attendees were able to get a glimpse of the future of the AltaSea campus; at Berth 58–adjacent to the Blue Hour venue–construction recently started to refurbish the warehouse into AltaSea’s Center of Innovation. This center for research, education, and blue economy workforce development will soon be home to diverse, multidisciplinary innovators focused on ocean-based solutions to climate change. 

To culminate Blue Hour, philanthropist Melanie Lundquist announced that she and her husband, Richard Lundquist, will match new membership donations to ResilienSEA–AltaSea’s annual membership which supports Project Blue education programs–up to $500,000. Officially launched on Earth Day of last year, ResilienSEA emphasizes taking the necessary actions to make our planet resilient to climate change. This theme also reflects that AltaSea and its Center of Innovation will serve as a community response hub during emergencies and natural disasters.

In addition to having their donations doubled by the Lundquists’ matching gift, new ResilienSEA members will also have the opportunity to win one of the following prizes–a week-long cruise with Virgin Voyages, a two-night stay at Terranea Resort, and a $1,000 voucher for Delta Airlines. Winners will be notified on November 20th. Details of the Lundquists’ matching campaign, ResilienSEA membership, and prizes can be found here.

As an ongoing celebration of ocean stewardship, the Blue Hour art exhibit–curated by Kim Abeles–will be open to the public free of charge until October 28th. The exhibit features art by over twenty artists–both local and international–installed throughout the Berth 57 warehouse on the AltaSea campus. Many of the featured artists incorporate environmentalism or other forms of advocacy in their art, and the Blue Hour exhibit includes paintings, ceramics, videos, sound art, photography, glass, and large-scale installation pieces. The exhibit is open every day except Sundays from now until October 28th. Opening hours are noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The exhibit’s closing reception will be held on Saturday the 28th starting at 2 p.m.