In 1961, Seattle City Council commissioned Everett DuPen to create screens for the Municipal Building on Fourth Avenue. DuPen’s walnut Sculptural Screens were created as panels that would modulate the space of the lobby and shield off two service doors. The screens were removed in 2001 with the demolition of the Municipal Building.

DuPen’s screens were recently refurbished and installed near the third-floor entrance of the Seattle Municipal Tower. These beautifully carved three-inch-thick panels illustrate Pacific Northwest plant life, such as undulating seaweed and buds that are unfolding. The eight panels and two upright posts float off the wall and fill the space with warmth from the hand-hewn and lustrous wood.

The artwork is part of the city’s public art collection.

Image: Top and middle: Everett DuPen (1912-2005), Sculptural Screens, 1962, carved walnut, 7 ‘ x 10 ‘; photos by Kelly Pajek. Bottom: DuPen’s Sculptural Screens in their original location at the Municipal Building on Fourth Avenue.