Ed in LA kicked off the year with a personalized visit with artist Sam Shoemaker to learn about his project building Mushroom Boat 2, 2025 and Paddling from Two Harbors. Gathering at the new Fulcrum Arts HQ in Pasadena, sixteen members had a fascinating discussion with the artist about all aspects of the project.

Shoemaker is a Los Angeles-based sculpture artist whose work is a collaboration between himself and species of mushrooms. Mycelium is the underground network of fungus. Made of filaments called hyphae, it branches and interconnects as it grows. Mycelium’s unique qualities make it a promising sustainable material. It is lightweight yet strong, highly adaptable, and biodegradable. Inspired by the work of artist and friend Philip Ross who is interested in the possibilities of using mycelium in architecture, Shoemaker set out to take his sculptural works to new levels and build an ocean going vessel.

Starting with a prototype in June 2024, Shoemaker began production of Mushroom Boat 2 at a surfboard-shaping workshop in December. With assistance from his cousin, he created a hollow, fiberglass form that resembled a kayak. He then propagated Ganoderma polychromum on supplemented hemp hurd substrate, which he packed into the fiberglass form. As the mycelium grew, it fed on the substrate and took the shape of a kayak. At the end of seven weeks, the growth cycle was complete. The structure air dried for several weeks to release more than 400 pounds of water. In June 2025, Shoemaker tested Mushroom Boat 2, now weighing 107 pounds, in the Los Angeles Harbor, proving its seaworthiness. Finally, on August 5, 2025 he paddled twelve hours across the Catalina Channel assisted by a small team and the video documentarian Jordan Freeman. The boat survived the crossing intact, not a foregone conclusion at all, and is exhibited along with video documentation of paddling from the two harbors and building the boat.

Sam is a real fungi evangelist! We were all captivated by his enthusiasm and the knowledge shared about his journey.  Thank you to Erin McDonald and Shari Boyer, co-Chairs Ed Inside LA, and Curator Patrick J. Reed for arranging a fabulous visit.

~ Shelley Sackett