Public Art Boot Camp on a walking tour, photo by Nina Dubinsky. Quarterly updates from our Public Art division. Find the other posts in this series here.
It’s fall. We’re rapidly losing daylight hours, and many people have returned to school. In September, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (OAC) kicked off the 2026 Public Art Boot Camp, our training program for artists who want to break into the public art field. This year’s cohort includes 18 regional artists. They will spend one Saturday a month through January with Public Art Division staff and other public art professionals, learning what it takes to complete a public art commission.
Cultural relevance matters to us. We want new voices to create public works that reflect our diverse, ever-changing city. We are proud of Boot Camp and celebrate every artist who has taken part, including those who have won public art commissions in Seattle or other cities. This spring, we will report on this year’s cohort so you can look forward to seeing their work in public spaces.
In this edition:
Conservation Spotlight
Hammering Man Gets His Annual Checkup
Jonathan Borofsky’s Hammering Man has stood in front of Seattle Art Museum since 1992. Every summer, he gets a checkup. Our conservation technician works with a local vendor to make sure his motor runs well and all his attachments and bearings are secure. The vendor replaces filters and adds grease so his arm moves smoothly, up and down four times a minute. He also gets a fresh coat of paint every few years. His last coat was in 2024.
What’s New in Public Art
New Public Artwork
Net Cord Landscapes
Amanda Lee | 24th Ave NW and NW 56th St, Ballard
In coordination with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, artist Amanda Lee installed a one-year temporary artwork along construction fencing in Ballard. The artwork has five transparent panels and an augmented reality component you can open with a QR code. It shows traditional Indigenous cord and fishing net designs next to the stinging nettles used to weave the nets.
The Potlatch: A Time to Gather
Andrea Wilbur-Sigo | 103 Second Ave S, Pioneer Square
In partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Andrea Wilbur-Sigo (Squaxin Island Tribe) installed a new public artwork at the recently renovated Fortson Square. Its 61 cut-steel fence panels illustrate the story of Dukabal and Grandmother Frog, the subject of Wilbur-Sigo’s hand-carved, painted cedar welcome figure. Chief Seattle Club privately commissioned the figure, and it was installed at the site this summer. The panels shape the site’s gathering circle, the heart of the newly renovated space outside Chief Seattle Club.
(IN)Visible Work
Sashko Danylenko | Digital
In partnership with SPU, filmmaker and artist Sashko Danylenko created three short animated films, sticker designs, and coloring pages. They show SPU’s main areas of work: Water, Solid Waste, and Drainage and Wastewater.
“By injecting fun and whimsy into these stories, it’s my hope that people both smile and learn something new about the invisible work that SPU does to sustain and care for the people of Seattle and the land we inhabit. It’s been a great experience being able to learn and interpret this kind of work.”
Sashko Danylenko
You can watch Danylenko’s films on the OAC YouTube page and learn more on the (IN)Visible Work blog post.
Artist Selections
Introducing Boot Camp Artists
Our public art training program began in September with a cohort of 18 artists who want to enter the public art field. Read more about the artists and the program on the Art Beat Blog, and watch past workshop recordings to learn about the field.
Lake City Community Center Artist Selection
Big news for Lake City! After months of community input and panel review of portfolios, we are thrilled to announce that Scott Méxcal will create a new site-integrated artwork inside the future Lake City Community Center.
Seattle Municipal Tower New Office Spaces Artist Selection
SPU is remodeling its office spaces in the Seattle Municipal Tower and giving its 47-49th floor staircase a fresh look. Artist Addie Boswell will add new artworks to the portable collection to make the workday a little brighter for SPU staff.
Events & Opportunities
Do you wonder how artists get to create public art with the City of Seattle? Good news: the Public Artist Roster will open for applications in January 2027. The Roster is a list of pre-qualified artists and our main way to select artists for public art commissions with budgets up to $500,000. Community members who want to hire artists for their own projects also use it widely.
Join the Seattle Symphony for the Public Open House on Oct. 18. This free, all-day celebration brings Benaroya Hall to life with music, performances, storytellers, and food. Artist Roy Franklin, who designed the colorful bike and scooter corrals around the building, will be on site to talk about their creative process and show a new animation in Octave 9. Don’t miss it.