left to right: Mariah Vicary and Vivian Li

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), is pleased to announce the two Pacific Northwest-based artists selected for the 2023 SDOT Bridge Artists in Residence. Artists Mariah Vicary and Vivian Li will lead this unique, project-based residency and will create digital data visualizations for two of Seattle’s iconic bridges, the University Bridge and Fremont Bridge, respectively. Both artists will delve into the deep histories of these bridges and create data visualization works to reflect these legacies and the important roles they have played in Seattle.

Mariah Vicary

Born and raised in Anchorage Alaska, Mariah Vicary is a data visualization artist who incorporates technology into the human experience in ethical ways. Her family has a deep admiration for the natural world. Mariah spent much of her childhood adventuring in the Alaskan outdoors with her mother, an English teacher, and her father, a mailman and naturalist. She graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2011 and has been exploring creative uses of tech in the Seattle area ever since.

“I’m passionate about helping people experience and appreciate technology and I’m hoping to use this opportunity to help show that data visualization can interpret and humanize statistics and connect us to our surroundings,” shares Mariah.

With a deep respect for the natural world and a profound appreciation for the power of technology, Mariah tries to integrate the two in the form of interactive real-time experiences. Each project is a unique journey, inviting you to involve yourself in the patterns, shapes, and colors of natural algorithms. With a background in computer science and a love for visual surprises, her works are created through a process of experimentation and iteration – collaborating with technology to create interactions that are mesmerizing and thought-provoking, and give the user the feeling of creating something unique every time they dive in.

Vivian Li

Vivian Li is a Seattle-based comic artist, illustrator, maker, and coder. While studying computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she found that coding is fun when you’re making things and building with friends! Since then, she’s been passionate about teaching kids to code through project-based learning. Her favorite tools are JavaScript, Arduinos, micro:bits, watercolors, and acrylic paint. You can find her on Instagram @vivianlikesfruit or at vivianlikesfruit.com.

“In Seattle, there are three views that I appreciate anytime I see them: the Space Needle peeking out; the mountains that surprise me from all sides; and the bridges that connect us to each other. I’m so excited to spend time working on the Fremont Bridge and hope to make people smile when they cross.”

Mariah and Vivian’s residencies will culminate in two public showcases slated to take place later this year. Read up on past bridge residencies.

This residency project is funded by SDOT’s 1% for Art Funds and administered by the Office of Arts & Culture.