Portland Mercury art director Justin “Scrappers” Morrison not only dedicated this week’s cover to the tsunami which has devastated Japan, he’s also organizing a benefit show with local artists to raise money for an organization that promotes the Japanese natural coastal environment:

The more I watched the more I could see people down there trying to drive away from the black wave tugging burning houses and a whole city along with it. I started thinking about what the coast would look like after the water slipped back to sea. That’s when words began to fail me and all I could do was make art to express how I felt. The black wave I was painting shifted into the form of a big sad fish.

I wanted to help, but I didn’t live in Japan, and I didn’t have much money to send. I did however have some used screen printing equipment, so I thought I would make a quick and dirty print set to help raise some money for Surfrider Japan.

Morrison writes that after realizing other artists might want to pitch in, he began reaching out and organizing the show.

He added, “Every artist I invited to be in the benefit art show said yes.”