Catching up on the national front, Seattle’s reputation as a fertile incubator for successful public artists was enhanced with the recognition of a number of regional artists’ work at the Americans for the Arts 2010 Public Art Year in Review. The awards were presented at Americans for the Arts’ Public Art Network Public Art Preconference in Baltimore in June. Seattle artists Peter Reiquam, Beliz Brother, Dan Corson, Norie Sato, Carolyn Law and the team of Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan all received nods for artworks they created throughout the country.

Sato and Corson (who had two projects recognized) serve on the Public Art Advisory Committee, which advises the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs’ Public Art program. Sato serves as a Seattle Design Commissioner and Corson as a Seattle Arts Commissioner. In addition to Sato and Corson, Reiquam, Law and Brother all have artworks in the city’s permanent public art collection. Law developed the ProParks Art Plan for the office, setting the direction for artworks funded out of the 2000 Parks Levy. Haddad and Drugan have worked on integrated artwork projects for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Pennsylvania artist Stacy Levy and New York artist Tony Oursler also submitted projects that were recognized this year. Levy and Oursler are also represented in the city’s public art collection.

Congratulations to these artists for their innovative and evocative artwork projects.

We also want to congratulate our local sister agencies whose artworks were recognized: Washington State Arts Commission, Sound Transit, 4Culture, King County Library System and Snohomish County Arts Commission. The abundance of public artworks and artists in Seattle and Washington state has the nation looking to this region for leadership in public art.