"Bok Homa" by Addison Karl FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal concludes with these ten artists this summer:
Ballard
East Ballard
Fremont
Wallingford
Commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), these temporary installations tell a visual story of the unifying nature of water, how it flows through the city, and connects these uniquely distinct neighborhoods to each other. The installations are made possible due to SPU’s Ship Canal Water Quality Project.
Ballard
Parallax by James M. Lilly – Installation August, 2023
Shilshole Ave, between 24th Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW
Parallax chronicles the challenging environmental conditions impacting the regional Chinook Salmon’s upstream and subsequent downstream migration. As they pass through the Lake Washington Ship Canal to the Cedar River and Sammamish River watersheds, any change to the condition of Chinook runs effects their chance for survival. Consequently, resident killer whales’ health heavily depends on the Chinook Salmon population as sustenance. The three tabernacles reveal clues about this dilemma including, obstacles, pressures, and circumstances that affect the balance of this unique urban ecosystem.
Artist website: www.jameslillyart.com
Installed through late December, 2023.
Water to Sky by Stevie Shao
Shilshole Ave, between 24th Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW
Water to Sky is a mural representing the interconnectedness of nature – from the cool clear waters of the Pacific Northwest to the stars above. The work depicts various organisms in our immediate natural environment that depend on the health of our waters to thrive.
Artist website: https://www.stevieshao.com/, Instagram: @stepfrae.
East Ballard
Flow Mosaic by June Sekiguchi
NW 45th St between 11th Ave NW and 9th Ave NW
I have always been interested in screens with patterns that obstruct the eye before seeing what is underneath. In Flow Mosaic, I have taken inspiration from Islamic mashirabiya screens and Chinese lattice work from the historic Silk Road regions as a starting point to create an aggregate of over 100 hand-cut marine vinyl panels¬¬ of bright primary and secondary colors. The panels are cut in a variety of patterns to activate the construction fence including water and geometric shapes.
Artist website: junesekiguchi.com, Instagram: @june_sekiguchi.
Installed through late December, 2023.
Fremont
CONNECTING THE VISION by Abraham Awalom
Burke Gilman Trail between 2nd Ave NW and NW 36th St
In these paintings, I explore and capture profound relationships of humankind. As an immigrant and artist, I connect my past experiences to the present through the impact of human behaviors influenced by socio-cultural factors. Through collage, I combine materials such as paint and yarn to create textured and layered effects that reflects outside influences that deeply impact our lives. The result is a rich visualization of my dreams that captures our emotional journey as we navigate through the natural and human worlds.
Artist website: https://abrahamh2010.wixsite.com/abrahamartwork, Instagram: @abrahamawalom_artist.
Installed through mid-February, 2024.
Tlaloc & Chalchiuhtlicue by Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys – Installation August, 2023
Burke Gilman Trail between 2nd Ave NW and NW 36th St
A visual narrative of a Mexican folk tale, standing by Sun and Moon pyramids.
Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god who has the power to grab thunder and spit storms, married Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of lakes, seas, waterfalls, and protector of navigators.
They had multiple children named tlalocas who appeared in the sky as silver clouds and dispersed rain through the fields. Together, they protected, preserved, and connected bodies of water, a vital source of life for us.
Artist website: www.artmaranth.com.
Installed through mid-February, 2024.
Fluffle in the Riffle by Gia Valente – Installation August, 2023
Intersection of N 35th St and Interlake Ave N
Fluffle in the Riffle reflects on the growing population of rabbits in Seattle’s cityscape and the secret world of fauna living in urban environments. When viewed from either side, the perspective shifts between images of running rabbits and flooding water. This transformation portrays the resilience of nature in a changing climate and the delicate balance between wildlife and urbanization.
Gia’s colorful artworks use optical illusion to inspire play and exploration. They have created site-specific installation work for the Museum of Pop Culture, SAM Night Live, Town Hall Seattle, Gay City, and King Street Station. They are an organizer of the experimental art and music festival Ground Hum.
Artist website: www.giavalente.com/art.
Installed through mid-March, 2024.
Wallingford
Water Songs by Angie Hinojos
Stone Way N between N 34th St and N 35th St
Water embodies many forms: ice, mist, rain, river, and ocean. We are awed by its power, captivated by the mystery of its pelagic depths, and lured by its enchanting ever-changing beauty. We have created many myths and stories connected to water; water lore has a place in our childhood games and in the beliefs that have been passed from generation to generation over thousands of years. This series examines our relationship to water and what it provides– from reverence, to sustenance, to joyous immersion, to a medium of exploration and wonder. Water Songs speak of human truths– of life, death, and the thirst for knowledge. They also speak of our responsibility for the stewardship of this very precious resource.
Learn more about each piece here.
Availability for viewing TBD based on construction.
Bok Homa by Addison Karl
Stone Way N between N 34th St and N 35th St
My paintings are specialized from years of prepress print making techniques applied to my distinct analog contemporary painting style. Each line and block of color is carefully placed to create a larger composition of movement and energy. My work mostly utilizes a warm and rich color palette of bold reds, burnt oranges, and ochre yellows, with hints of copper. These colors are in contrast to splashes of teals, tiffany green, and turquoise that bring energy and conflict to the composition.
Artist website: https://www.addisonkarl.com/
Availability for viewing TBD based on construction.
Wisdom and Empowerment by Blanca Santander
Intersection of N 35th St and Interlake Ave N
Women of color each have different lived experiences that inform their actions, perceptions, and contributions to the world. The intention of this artwork is to capture the wisdom gained from the experiences that female professionals, artists, and activists from around the world used to make their communities a better place. Combining quotes with diverse portraits of ordinary women, I aim to create a holistic, yet peaceful visualization of the fight against oppression across the planet, and highlight the names, titles, personal histories and heritages of these wise women.
The depictions of women in the artwork are not portraits of those quoted.
Artist website: BlancaSantander.com.
Joe Goes There by Toka Valu
N 35th St between Stone Way N and Interlake Ave N
The people depicted here, each varying in age, wisdom, knowledge, and experience, are a personification of some well-known Fremont and Wallingford locales. The connecting “dialogue” between them is public transit — usually reliable, sometimes late, but able to get you there when needed.
The patterns and motifs seen throughout are found in many cultures but are specific to the artist’s Tongan heritage from which he draws his greatest inspiration.
Artist website: www.tokavalu.com, Instagram: @tokavalu.
Availability for viewing TBD based on construction.
FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is an annual program that utilizes the construction fences along the Ship Canal Water Quality project as a backdrop to allow artists to showcase their unique voices and provide a changing gallery of experiences for those who walk, bike, drive along the Burke-Gilman Trail and throughout the area. The August 2023 installation is the final series in the program.
Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and City staff. The project is commissioned with SPU 1% for Art funds.
Look back at all of the artists from this three-year project here on our blog or on SPU’s Public Art website for their Ship Canal Water Quality Project.
