Still Essential: Free Art to Celebrate Water and Light Stewards, Grocery Workers, and More

December 8, 2021 by April Jingco Leave a Comment

As the second year of the pandemic comes to a close and the holidays approach, we’ve all gotten ever clearer about what is essential: the warmth of home. The simple pleasure of being able to turn on the lights, fire up the stove, and cook a delicious meal. The pandemic has taught us that predictability is a luxury — and is one that isn’t borne alone.

None of these activities are possible without essential workers – the utility workers, grocery workers, and countless others that make every aspect of our lives possible.

About Still Essential

With 1% for Art funds from Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light, The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and Amplifier have partnered to launch the Still Essential campaign, which aims to respect the dignity of laborers and honor those who continue to keep Seattle running smoothly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — the garbage collectors, utility workers, small business owners, artists, delivery drivers, grocery workers, and teachers we call neighbors. Our goal is to flood Seattle with an eye-catching public art campaign celebrating its essential workers.

Still Essential is inspired by the portraits of essential workers captured during the pandemic by Seattle photographers and reimagined by Tacoma-based artist Paige Pettibon. Through art giveaways, large-scale projections, and wild postings in Seattle, the completed series of artwork strengthens our understanding that essential workers continue to support Seattle communities and maintain vital infrastructure. Photographers include:

Sunita Martini (photo of Terri K., cashier)
Jennifer Loomis (photo of Dinelle P., doctor)
Shann Thomas (photo of David W., maintenance worker)
Adam Jabari (photo of Israel G., utility technician)

Free Art

Starting on Tuesday, December 7th, this work will be distributed around town in the form of 6,000 wheat-pasted posters, as well as unique art giveaways and projections on Capitol Hill, at Columbia City Art Gallery, at Cafe Racer, at Columbia City Theater, at the Museum of Museums, and the Climate Pledge Arena.

Help remind your neighbors how essential workers are by downloading and sharing the free artwork created through this collaboration.

LEARN MORE

New Public Artwork in Delridge: “Delridge Know How” by Wowhaus

November 19, 2021 by April Jingco 2 Comments

The view while traveling along West Seattle’s Delridge Way SW just became a little different with the addition of new public art in three locations.

Created by the Wowhaus artist team Ene Osteraas-Constable and Scott Constable, Delridge Know How is a series of bronze stylized nuts and wrenches that sit prominently alongside Delridge Way SW for pedestrians, bus riders, and vehicular traffic to enjoy. Created in coordination with the upcoming Rapid Ride H Line, this new public art creates a new view along the busy corridor.

The artworks are located at three intersections, including Delridge Way SW and SW Henderson Street and Delridge Way SW and 18^th Ave SW (east and west sides of the street). Each of the three locations has a series of three sculptures that invite viewers to physically interact with and think about the history of the area.

In the development of the artwork, Wowhaus attended several community meetings, held impromptu focus group meetings on the 120 Metro Bus, hosted a site walkthrough with elementary students from Roxbury Elementary School, and delved deep into the history of the area through resources at the Seattle Public Library and Museum of History and Industry. From this engagement work, the idea for the artwork Delridge Know How was developed.

Delridge Know How recognizes that the foundation of any industry is human know-how and hard work. For generations, waves of immigrants from around the world have come to Delridge to find work and to make a home. Home to a wide range of industries in the past, including shipbuilding, brick making, flour milling, canning and fishing, and the steel mill that persists nearby to this day; Delridge has a rich history of blue-collar industry. A tight-knit, diverse, and hard-working community developed in Delridge, and the neighborhood is proud to continue its tradition of welcoming diverse immigrants to this day.

In a neighborhood that is rapidly changing and growing while continuing to welcome new residents, Delridge Know How captures the persistence of human ingenuity and know-how as new patterns of life and work emerge. A series of nine bronze large-scale nuts and wrench sculptures are integrated with low-maintenance plantings in three medians that herald the entry to South Delridge, inviting engagement and play while evoking the neighborhood’s history of industry and labor. Symbolically, both the nut and the wrench sculptures include repeating elements of a hexagon. The hexagon is the shape created by worker bees that create a series of hexagons in tandem in order to create a honeycomb, a form emblematic of collective community effort.

Scott Constable and Ene Osteraas-Constable have collaborated as Wowhaus for over 20 years, creating site-responsive art in public spaces nationwide. Wowhaus explores the common denominators of everyday life, the central question of how things, places, and relationships acquire meaning. They embrace a systems-based, community-engaged approach, finding inspiration in the cultural, historical, and ecological factors that shape a sense of place. Their artwork is oftentimes integrated into existing landscapes and specifically designed to inhabit a specific space, becoming beloved landmarks, icons, or touchstones.

Delridge Know How is commissioned with Seattle Department of Transportation‘s 1% for Art funds and administered by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal 2021

October 26, 2021 by April Jingco Leave a Comment

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has commissioned local emergent artists to develop new temporary art installations for four locations in north Seattle. The project features four site locations in Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard that make use of temporary construction walls and fences as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

This year, eight artists have created temporary works exploring themes of water, environment, and our human impact in and around the ship canal. ARTS is excited to present this year’s final four FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal artists.

Salmon FLOW by Dozfy

Ballard – 24^th Ave NW & Shilshole Ave NW

Dozfy is a Seattle-based artist who explores stories, histories, and connectedness through his public artworks. Reflecting a balance of yin and yang, his art embodies planning and effortlessness, precision and flexibility. Dozfy has a degree in studio art from the University of Texas, and his artistic style is influenced by Chinese calligraphy, Japanese and American art, realism, comic books, Ansel Adams, and Jackson Pollock.

As part of the FLOW ship canal project, Dozfy has chosen to spotlight three local salmon species that have shaped history and culture in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years. Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon are intrinsically linked to Ballard — roughly 75,000 pass through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Ballard itself, home to an industrial working waterfront and strong maritime heritage, also reflects some of the defining characteristics of salmon. Like the keystone species, Ballard and the people who call it home are hardworking, determined, tough, and willing to meet challenges head-on.

Soak It Up by Shawn Parks

East Ballard – NW 45^th St. & 11^th Ave NW

Art does not need to be long-term. This is a “time will tell” project that responds to the stormwater upgrade through the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. The idea is for elements of our environment to be absorbed into the sponges over 6 months. They will transform starting out bright, fresh, and new. What goes into our water and environment is up to us. A visual reminder that everyone is always downstream from someone else. Hopefully, viewers will soak it up.

Convergence, Divergence by Christy Caravaglio

Fremont – NW 36^th St. & Leary Way NW

“My work is inspired by the geometry of quilting and textile patterns as well as the joy of working with yarn and fibers. The design of Convergence, Divergence was inspired by the idea that the water we use converges from many rivers and streams into our homes and then diverges again to drainage, treatment, and the broader sound.” – Christy Caravaglio

Oceans of Emotions by Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson & Kait Rhoads

Wallingford – N 35^th St & Interlake Ave N

“The title of our installation is a response to the pandemic and turbulent political times. As SPU is updating the drainage system through Seattle neighborhoods to reroute wastewater safely, Oceans of Emotion aims to free stagnant life force and release collective emotional blockage.” – Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson & Kait Rhoads

The artist team has invited Seattle residents to create miniature artworks responding to the phrase ‘Release and Embrace’ in words and drawings. The project is open for participation (digitally) until November 1, 2021.

These temporary works will be on view for six months and then be changed to feature new artwork and artists including Tommy Segundo, Toka Valu, Clare Johnson, KT Hancock, and Sarah Terry.

FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is an annual program that will use the construction fences along the project as a backdrop to allow artists to showcase their unique voice and provide a changing gallery of experiences for those who walk, bike, drive along the Burke-Gilman Trail and throughout the area.

Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and city staff. The project is commissioned with SPU 1% for Art funds.

Public Art Boot Camp Class ’20-21 Culmination and Artwork Celebration

September 13, 2021 by April Jingco 1 Comment

In mid-2020, 11 emerging artists were welcomed into Public Art Boot Camp and for the past year participated in a series of trainings and planning, which has culminated in temporary art installations. The Office of Arts & Culture is pleased to celebrate their hard work by showcasing the artwork at both Seattle’s Lake City and Seattle Center!

Artists Amanda Lee, Baso Fibonacci, Damon Brown, Fumi Amano, Jacques Trautman, Jovita Mercado, Kamla Kakaria, Lynn Yarne, Micah Lawton McCarty, Nate Clark, and Sabina Haque currently have work on view and invite you to explore the two neighborhoods:

Seattle Center Art Walk and “Meet the Artists”
Saturday, October 2, 12 pm
Tour will meet and start at the Fisher Pavilion Rooftop

Lake City Art Walk and “Meet the Artists”
Saturday, October 9, 2 pm
Walking map and information available at the Lake City Library Plaza
Food by Gyros Lake City and Pho An, live music by Trío Guadalevín.
Walking maps, designed by Damon Brown, will be available for self-guided tours.

Download a PDF of Printable Postcards

Art Interruptions in Lake City

Our Excellent Ingredients, Amanda Lee

Our Excellent Ingredients celebrates the culinary knowledge and shared ingredients of the diverse cultures of the Lake City neighborhood. Start at the mural on 30th Ave and then walk to 27th between 125th and 130th to find five augmented reality (AR) pieces. 

Illusionary Planters, Baso Fibonacci

Illusionary Planters are three painted steel planters planted with native northwest plants installed in front of the Lake City library. Throughout the year they are there the plants will grow and change and the planters will rust.

Here Before Me, Damon Brown

This public art piece represents the history and neighborhoods that currently make up Seattle’s Lake City area — at the same time, honoring Seattle’s host tribe and our area’s only indigenous tribe, the Duwamish Tribe.

Namaste, Kamla Kakaria

Lake City has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Seattle.  Embracing and celebrating that diversity I made this piece Namaste which is a Hindi greeting.  Welcome to Lake City!

Scan to See A Story of This Place: Lake City, Lynn Yarne

Places hold histories we sometimes cannot see. This project is comprised of Augmented Reality (AR) collage interpretations of six Lake City stories accessible through scanning signage throughout the neighborhood or by visiting www.astoryofthisplace.com. 

Orca – Wolf Transformation, Micah McCarty

Orca – Wolf Transformation, mounted the Traditional style Box that represents the wealth of the royal families of the Lake. In a tribute to the hereditary legacy and Living memory of the Lake “Lake Washington” and presented to the diverse community of Lake City with respect to indigenous relatives.

Windows on Lake City, Sabina Haque

Sabina Haque created two metal lattice sculptures that incorporate her 54 painted portraits of Lake City residents. The work celebrates this largely new immigrant community and crafts a beautiful artistic tribute to the neighborhood.

Sculpture Walk at Seattle Center

Resilience, Fumi Amano

The world is in the process of adapting well after facing crises such as COVID-19. Resilience not only helps us get through difficult circumstances, but it also empowers us to grow and even improve our life along the way.

Might be Going to Have Imagined This Place, Jac Oliver Trautman

The world is in the process of adapting well after I have heard the Duwamish are the Indigenous people of this land. It is written that the Duwamish do not exist. Look-

Los Trabajadores, Sus Apoyos, Y La Comunidad (The Workers, Their Advocators, And The Community), Jovita Mercado

These Loteria-style prints are centered on Washington state’s laborers and community organizers. This piece specifically commemorates Latinx field workers, Filipino cannery workers, and community activists that fought for workers’ rights and the security of BIPOC communities like Dulce Gutiérrez from Yakima and the Gang of Four from Seattle.

Inverted Pyramid, Nate Clark

Inverted Pyramid is a hand-tied net made of a 2-ply strand combining bonded nylon twine and hand-spun wool. The handbell suspended in the center of the piece rings as wind interacts with the installation.

Art Interruptions is an annual program funded through SDOT % for Art, while Sculpture Walk is funded through Seattle Center % for Art. Many of the scheduled trainings throughout this past year focused on topics specific to public art such as “how to develop a concept proposal” or “how to work with a fabricator.” Most of the content was recorded and is available online.

Boot Camp artists created and installed artwork through both Art Interruptions, an annual program that places temporary artworks in and around Neighborhood Greenways, and the Seattle Center.

Public Art Boot Camp was initiated in 2003 (known as the Emerging Public Artists Roster Program) to introduce artists to the idea and practice of public art and transformed in 2015 modified with the added goal to advance racial equity by centering artists of color and providing them the information and experience they needed to enter the niche world of public art.

New ‘UNION’ Art Exhibition Creates Opportunities for Public Art in Capitol Hill

July 13, 2021 by April Jingco 1 Comment

SeaLevel Properties (“SeaLevel”), Capitol Hill Arts District (“CHAD”), and Sensebellum have partnered to showcase public art in Capitol Hill through the ‘UNION’ project. Located on the corner of 10^th Ave. and E Union St., this new public art installation will feature a rotating, 60-foot tall projected art show curated by revolving guests on SeaLevel’s new Woodworth Apartment Building. The first art show will be held on Wednesday, July 14 at 9:45 p.m. and will continue every night at dusk throughout the year. Y ou can RSVP for this event on Facebook.

Woodworth Apartment Building, courtesy of The Capitol Hill Arts District

The first ‘UNION’ exhibition highlights local photographer and artist LeLeita McKILL. Selected by Capitol Hill Arts District, McKILL will display her photographs taken during the COVID-19 pandemic for Essentially Seattle, (originally commissioned by ARTS) along with her other work.

About Essentially Seattle:

Essentially Seattle is a Public Art Project featuring 25 artists who document essential city services in the time of COVID-19 and mandated restrictions on physical movement and gatherings. Partners for the project include Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, Seattle Fire, Human Services Division, and Arts & Cultural districts. The photographs highlight City frontline employees, at work, along with community essential workers, artists, and neighbors.

Diana Adams, owner of Vermillion Gallery

As part of the inaugural exhibition celebrations, all are invited to join the CHAD Steering Committee Members and McKILL for an opening celebration at Optimism Brewing on Wednesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. The group will then walk a half-block away to witness the inaugural unveiling of the exhibition around 9:30 p.m.

The ‘UNION’ installation will rotate every two months, with the current curator joining a panel of artists to select the next artist. Stay tuned for future art shows!

Seven Artists Selected for Art Interruptions 2020 along North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway

June 10, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Promo postcard for Art Interruptions 2020. Blue petals with descriptive text about the project.

The Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has commissioned seven emerging public artists to create temporary art installations along the North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway in Licton Springs for Art Interruptions 2020. The artworks will inhabit city sidewalks and parks and offer passers-by a brief interruption in their day, eliciting a moment of surprise, beauty, contemplation, or humor. The artists selected are:

Eva Funderburgh

Hinojos & Jimenez Art, LLC

Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and city staff. Art Interruptions is funded by the SDOT 1% for Arts Funds.

New artwork “Alone Together” delights downtown pedestrians

July 29, 2019 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Friday, August 2, 2019, 2-3 p.m.
Public celebration at Harbor Steps
1221 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Artwork stickers will be available for the first 250 people.

A new artwork, Alone Together, by Juliana Kang Robinson will be interwoven into the infrastructure of the all-walk intersection of University and 1^st Avenue near Harbor Steps and the Seattle Art Museum. The artwork includes pictorial street signs in the blocks that surround the main artwork, and a new crosswalk painting on the intersection of University and 1^st Avenue.

One of the panels on the back of a parking sign depicts a baby bear on an ice floe as a narwhal swims underneath.

As you walk toward the intersection – west on University, North on 1^st or South on 1^st, the series of six separate but thematically connected images will lead up to the all-walk in which the theme of the artwork Alone Together will come into play. Pedestrians begin alone on the four separate corners of the intersection will cross over the artwork coming together for a moment.

A photo from above as pedestrians cross the intersection with the artwork below them. — Pedestrians cross at the intersection where *Alone Together* is installed

Bears are the main character in this illustrated series of images, in reference to a Korean creation myth and a reminder that people, like animals, share the same needs and strengths. The artist’s intent is to showcase that we all find refuge and strength in togetherness and that all families belong together. The goal of the artwork is to celebrate youth, families and pedestrians in our Downtown core.

An aerial view of the intersection with a rendering of the artwork in the middle. — A rendering of the artwork at the pedestrian crossig

Inspired by conversations with pedestrian advocates, transportation specialists, neighborhood groups, and youth (special note of thanks to the kindergarten classes at Giddens Elementary and students from Summit High School) some of the overarching desires stated by these community members included the desire for new artwork to use bright colors, reference nature and animals, contain a positive message and put a smile on your face, and be located in a highly accessible location. You can learn more about the artist’s work at julianakangrobinson.com.

This is part of the Imagine Greater Downtown initiative, designed to improve the pedestrian experience in Downtown Seattle using existing SDOT street infrastructure to create art for pedestrians and cyclists to see in their everyday movements. Commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Department of Transportation.

Design firm Civilization selected to create Connecting Artworks Project for the AIDS Memorial Pathway

June 19, 2019 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Design firm Civilization was selected to create a series of artworks conceived as a “connective tissue” that will create thematic elements across multiple sites at The AIDS Memorial Pathway. These artworks will be at points around the pathway to help identify the multiple art zones, and guide individuals towards them. The artworks will be located within three art zones specified in The AMP Master Art Plan.

In 2020, the plaza over Seattle’s Capitol Hill Light Rail Station and the north edge of Cal Anderson Park will become home to The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway. The way-finding artworks designed by Civilization will help visitors find the art zones from the transit entrances/exits, through and around the plaza, and to Cal Anderson Park. They will allow visitors to encounter the different experiences provided by the art pieces along The AMP, create attractive sightlines, and connect all of The AMP without using formal text signage.

The AMP will offer visitors opportunities for meaningful participation in the ongoing fight to end HIV/AIDS and discrimination that can arise in a community during a crisis. It will be a reminder of our collective need to be active, remain vigilant, and stand ready to fight scapegoating and discrimination however and whenever they may arise. A passionate group of volunteers and community leaders, including people living with HIV, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, are working to make The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway a reality.

Civilization is a design practice that builds identity systems, digital experiences, printed materials, environmental graphics and exhibitions that are engaging, empathetic, sustainable and create meaningful connections. They work on a variety of projects for public, private and non–profit clients that share their commitment to creating positive change and promoting greater insights about our world.

Their practice is a recipient of the National Design Award for Communication Design from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in honor of “excellence, innovation, and enhancement on the quality of daily life.” Their internationally recognized work is included in the permanent collection of SFMOMA and the Milton Glaser Design Archives at the School of Visual Arts, has won numerous awards including a Webby Award for Best Activist Website, and is regularly featured in print publications as well as most major global media outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Huffington Post and NPR.

New public artwork rises at the new City Light Denny Substation

May 9, 2019 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Denny Substation is now home to two incredible new public artworks, the towering Transforest by Lead Pencil Studio and a kinetic piece, Switchwall, by Ned Kahn. The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) worked with Seattle City Light to incorporate artworks and cultural planning that supports the utility’s mission and goals at the Denny Substation.

ARTS worked with City Light and architects to develop a temporary art program prior to construction of the substation, and permanent art installations at the new facility that are responsive to the surrounding community and reinforce the public nature and essential function of the station.

Please note: the site is still closed to the public. There will be a dedication sometime in the summer of 2019. Check our calendar or sign up for our email newsletter to get updates.

Denny Substation Permanent Artworks

Transforest by Lead Pencil Studio

A view of Transforest from The Mirabella next door, photo by Jason Huff
Street-level view of Transforest, photo by Jason Huff

Transforest is a site-specific sculpture developed to address important qualities inherent to the Denny Substation site and its broader context. The large-scale sculpture combines forms drawn from Seattle City Light’s industrial history and those of our Northwest landscape, creating a narrative of Seattle’s system of electrical generation that has been placed into the wilderness of Washington. The artwork is designed as an integrated landscape element that serves the place-making needs of the future public space.

Watch Seattle’s tallest public art combines old and new from KING 5 News.

Switchwall by Ned Kahn

Switchwall is a kinetic artwork that covers three faces of the substation façade with an array of thousands of light “switches” that are flipped by the wind. During the day the polished aluminum surface of the swaying panels reflect light and color from the sky and surrounding buildings. As the wind flips the panels from side to side they will reflect light from very different parts of the sky and surrounding environment. These light contrasts will animate the façade. As night approaches, or on dark cloudy days, the blue and orange LEDs will become visible and the artwork will reveal a different luminosity but will still create the impression of movement.

The Denny Substation with Switchwall at the top
The Denny Substation next to The Mirabella

Watch this video of Switchwall both during the day and night to see how it moves.

Healing in Remembering

May 6, 2019 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

The AMP: The AIDS Memorial Pathway Master Art Plan by Horatio Hung-Yan Law

Amidst all the cranes and dizzying development taking place on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, there is an exciting new project called The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway. The AMP is community-driven and community-funded, and its goals are to use public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection, to utilize technology to share stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis, and to provide a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination. To bring shape and purpose to these goals, in the spring of 2018 The AMP partnered with the City’s Office of Arts & Culture to commission artist Horatio Hung-Yan Law to write a master art plan that would define what The AMP could be.

An artist known for his depth of work in community, Horatio Law has developed an art plan that represents months of outreach and conversation with communities affected by HIV/AIDS, and conversations in public open houses and community engagements. Law’s art plan centered individuals and groups currently dealing with HIV/AIDS, especially people of color, transgender individuals, and other historically under-represented communities. Law’s AIDS Memorial Pathway Art Plan also represents deep and sustained dialog with stakeholder-agencies and organizations, including: Sound Transit, Seattle Parks Department, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Office of Arts & Culture, Berger Partnership, Schemata Workshop, and Gerding Edlen, the developer of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD). These consultations and conversations shaped the visions and guiding principles for The AMP Master Art Plan.

Horatio Law has written a comprehensive art plan for The AMP that frames and embodies the communal experience of the AIDS epidemic, creates a road map for a series of multi-sensory and experiential public art projects to tell the community stories and responses to the AIDS crisis, and builds understanding between the general public and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. The plan divides The AMP into three major segments that focus on different emotional and symbolic aspects of the pathway, including (1) Remembrance and Reflection, (2) Celebrating Creativity and Life, and (3) Honoring Community Courage and Resilience. The AMP Art Plan also introduces opportunities not only for permanent public artworks, but temporary projects, arts residency programs, and a digital story-telling component. Finally, The AIDS Memorial Pathway Art Plan concludes with a group of essays that convey background histories, personal experiences and a sense of place regarding The AMP and HIV/AIDS in Seattle and King County.

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