Copyright ©2005 Linda Gass. Photograph by James Dewrance.	Title: Puzzle of Salt Dimensions: 29 x 29 inches Artist Statement: Over the past 150 years the wetlands of the San Francisco Bay have been converted into salt ponds for industrial salt production. By the 1950’s, 85 percent of the San Francisco Bay’s wetlands had been filled, dried out, or converted to salt ponds, leaving the bay ecosystem in a seriously unhealthy state. And it gets worse: today, 95 percent of the Bay's wetlands have been converted. Luckily help is on its way: in 2002, the largest wetlands restoration effort in the west was initiated when 16,500 acres (25 square miles) of Salt Ponds owned by Cargill Incorporated were put into permanent protection as a result of a unique public-private partnership. And this is where the puzzle of what to do begins. The restoration effort is a complex task that may take more than 50 years - it's not as simple as bulldozing the dikes of the ponds. The challenges span technical, environmental, financial, and political issues. The landscape of the salt ponds reminds me of jigsaw puzzle pieces and these shapes remind me of the puzzle to be solved in restoring these ponds to tidal wetlands. Materials and Techniques: Silk crepe de chine hand painted using acid dyes and gutta-serti with some salt effects. Silk broadcloth backing and polyester batting; machine quilted with nylon monofilament thread. Detail: Click here for a detail image of the quilt Exhibition History: August 6 - October 22, 2005 at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY. Status: Available for sale.