At 8:32 am on May 18, 1980, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake blew off the north side of Mount St. Helens, a 8,365-foor-high-peak in the Cascade Range of Washington State. As people headed out for work, school, and other activities throughout the region, the furious explosion swept away forests for miles in all directions. Within minutes, a column of volcanic ash soared to 15 miles above the Earth. Ash churning up from the volcano darkened the skies for more than 100 miles.

According to a report in The Oragonian, 57 people died in the eruption. Devastation stretched for 230 square miles. Mudflows disgorged by the volcano swept down rivers, wrecking 27 bridges and 200 homes. Sediment filled shipping channels in the Columbia River, cutting off ports for days as dredgers worked to clear the rivers. Ash pumped into the upper atmosphere circled the Earth, lowering global temperatures.

Left to right: Len Jenshel & Diane Cook, Mural, Castle Rock, WA, 2009; Beverly Rayner, Sentimental Outpouring (Hallmark Moment) (detail view), 2010; Rachel Maxi, Portable Mt. Rainier 2 from Lake Washington, 2010. Copyright the artists, courtesy G. Gibson Gallery.

But in the 30 years since the catastrophe, the volcano also has proved to be a powerful force of regeneration, the report continues. Ongoing eruptions are rebuilding the mountain and revealing to geologists the hidden workings of volcanoes. Plants and animals moving into the blank landscape are showing biologists the resilience of life and emergence of ecosystems.

To mark the anniversary and to demonstrate the volcano's powerful influence on contemporary artists, Seattle's G. Gibson Gallery is opening an exhibition tonight called Blow Up. The 30^th anniversary of the eruption is being marked by works by 30 artists including Nola Avienne, Francesca Berrini, Michael Brophy, Larry Calkins, Linda Connor, Maija Fiebig, Bill Finger, Justin Gibbens, Patricia Hagan, Jason Hirata, Len Jenshel & Diane Cook, Michael Kenna, Dave Kennedy, Doug Keyes, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Eric LoPresti, Rachel Maxi, Saya Moriyasu, Andrea Modica, Lori Nix, Beverly Rayner, Jonah Samson, Laurel Schultz, Susan Seubert, Iain Stewart, Gary Taxali, Thuy-Van Vu, Eva Sköld Westerlind, and Grace Weston.

The works on view, sometimes dark and sometimes darkly humorous, include sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, and video as well as three films which will be presented on DVD in rotation: NOVA: Mystery of the Megavolcano, The Fire Below Us: Remembering Mount St. Helens, and Blow Up, the 1966 Michelangelo Antonioni movie with Vanessa Redgrave, David Hemmings, and Sarah Miles, which was the inspiration for the title of this exhibit.

There will be an artists' reception this Saturday, May 22^nd, from 2 to 4 pm and also on Thursday, June 3^rd, from 6 to 8 pm. Blow Up opens today and continues through July 2, 2010 at G. Gibson Gallery, 300 South Washington Street, Seattle WA.

For more about the Mount St. Helens and the 30^th anniversary commemoration, visit The Oregonian blog.

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