The Initiative
The Project
Blades of Change is an ongoing nuclear arts initiative connecting artists with communities through reclaimed industrial fan blades. We love to collaborate — if you have a venue or idea, contact us!
Community Partnership
Elder Legacy Project
Visual Biographies at ERA Living University House
Wallingford, Seattle
Seattle-based artist Tom Gormally created a new nuclear sculpture, working with University House Wallingford resident Gerry Garvey (January 21, 1935 — November 14, 2024), entitled Metaphorical Portrait of Gerry Garvey. This piece celebrates the life of Gerry Garvey, a well-known nuclear physicist.
The work was displayed as part of the "Visual Biographies" exhibition which pairs local artists with senior ERA Living residents to create visual biographies, capturing their life journeys and wisdom. Curated by June Sekiguchi, opened October 9, 2024.
View Exhibition →
Artist Tom Gormally and Gerry's wife, Doris Garvey, with the nuclear sculpture in Seattle, 2024.
Cultural Partnership
Marshallese Nuclear Day of Remembrance
Burke Museum · March 1–3, 2024
"On March 1, 1954, the United States government dropped the Bravo bomb — the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the U.S. — on Bikini Atoll within the Marshall Islands. March 1 is a national day of mourning for the Marshallese."
Live pandanus weaving and nuclear fan blade sculpture creation with Marshallese master weaver Emma Joran inside the Burke Museum Art Studio.
View Exhibition →Recognition
People's Choice Award
City of Auburn Downtown Sculpture Gallery · 2022–2023
Breathe Deep: Raven Moon by Jill Drllevich and Craig Breitbach won the 2022–2023 City of Auburn Downtown Sculpture Gallery's People's Choice Award — a reclaimed nuclear cooling tower fan blade sculpture that balances light and shadow, evoking a walk through the forest.
View Breathe Deep Series →
Group Exhibition
"The Birth of Memory"
Lauren Iida · Reclaimed nuclear fan blade, cut paper (2022)
Carbon — The Vestibule · Sept 8 – Oct 15, 2022
"Artwork gathered here memorializes carbon loss, recycles material to avoid further loss, and creates objects that will outlast the commercial material around it."View Lauren Iida's Work →
Public Exhibition
Seattle Art Fair 2022
Persistence, a reclaimed nuclear sculpture by Seattle artist Joy Hagen, was showcased at the 2022 Seattle Art Fair at Lumen Field with Studio 103 Gallery.
Inaugural Exhibition
The Tipping Point
Local artist and lifelong environmental activist Jill Drllevich presents an innovative group art exhibition which brings new life to upcycled nuclear fan blades. Each 200-pound, five-and-a-half-foot-tall fiberglass blade serves as a blank canvas for visual artists of various mediums including painting, sculpture, textile, and ceramic.
Nuclear sculpture by Colleen Monette at FOGUE Studios
Interactive nuclear sculpture at FOGUE Studios, March 2022
Get Involved
Collaborate With Us
Blades of Change connects with galleries, museums, community centers, and public spaces. If you have a venue or idea for collaboration, we'd love to hear from you.