Bay Bingo began as Projected Aquaculture—a large-scale projection mapping animation created by Kelley Bell and Corrie Francis Parks for Light City Baltimore in 2016. The 5-minute looping animation was projected on the 250-foot-wide canopy of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Through a whimsical approach to animation, the piece presents the underwater ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay, drawing parallels between the decline and resurgence of the Bay’s health and the similar decline and recent efforts to transform Baltimore into a livable city.

The project has expanded to other locations and media, encouraging reflection on the importance of our natural resources. It has appeared in Patchogue, NY, Corpus Christie TX, Zagreb, Croatia, and The Maryland Natural Historical Society.

Viewers can interact with Projected Aquaculture through printed and online resources, including a field guide and a Bay Bingo online game where they can learn about the underwater ecosystems featured in the projection.

While viewing the animation, visitors can play a short game identifying aquatic creatures from the video on a bingo card and learn facts about the species (through limericks!) as they try to get bingo. The game can be played alone or with others and offers a brief moment to pause to delight in a visit to our waterways and appreciate the diversity of life to be found in its waters.