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Art Beat

Office of Arts & Culture news and events

Olalekan Jeyifous selected to create artwork for Taylor Creek Culvert

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The Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has commissioned artist Olalekan Jeyifous to create artwork for the Taylor Creek Culvert Replacement Project. Jeyifous will join the Taylor Creek Culvert Replacement design team to develop wayfinding artwork that will be integrated in the future natural area in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. The artwork and culvert replacement projects are expected to be completed in 2024.

SPU purchased property at the lower reaches of Taylor Creek, located near the south end of Lake Washington in the southern edge of the Rainier Beach neighborhood. SPU plans to increase the quality and amount of Taylor Creek and Lake Washington shoreline habitat, particularly for threatened juvenile Chinook salmon. The project will provide public access to the new natural area north of Rainier Ave. S., as well as corridor safety improvements in coordination with the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Olalekan Jeyifous is a Brooklyn-based artist who creates architecturally-inspired artworks that explores the fictions, histories and futures of cities and urban spaces in whimsical and insightful ways. Jeyifous received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University in 2000, and has created public art installations for the Corcoran Garage in Durham, NC; Cleveland Public Square in Cleveland, OH; and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA.

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

Image: Inner Sanctum, 2017, mixed-media installation

 

ARTS Publishes “Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Public Art”

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Public Art Boot Camp, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s award-winning program, is the subject of the publication Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Public Art (pdf).

ARTS’ Public Art Program specifies that 1% of eligible city capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks, integrating artworks and the ideas of artists into a variety of public arenas. A goal of the public art program is to address historic and current institutional racism and one way we do that is capacity building for public artists through our Public Art Boot Camp program, that received an Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Award in 2017.

Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Public Art illustrates how public art administrators can shift the field to be more inclusive and affect change by creating a program that intentionally serves artists from under-represented and under-invested communities. While systemic changes take time, capacity building is something that can show almost immediate results.

From 2015-18, ARTS’ Public Art Boot Camp centered artists of color and provided them with the information and experience they needed to enter the niche world of public art. Public art reflects our history, society and defines the space and community it resides in. When diverse artists work in the public realm, people see themselves reflected in public space in a way that only commissioning artists of color can do. Cities benefit from a richer visual environment by including everyone’s narrative. Art becomes more culturally relevant and meaningful to everyone.

ARTS published Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Public Art (pdf) to share our experience and to encourage other cultural organizations and municipalities to change their programs to create opportunities for artists of color.

For more information contact us at (206) 684.7171 or email us at arts.culture@seattle.gov

Fremont Bridge will be a temporary studio for sound artist Paurl Walsh this summer

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Beginning June 2018, the northwest tower of the Fremont Bridge will be a temporary studio for musician and composer Paurl Walsh. Walsh will be able to use the tower space as a source of inspiration to compose and create a sound-based piece in response to the summer residency. He will also engage in several community outreach events and a public performance will be presented at the close of the residency, in late summer or early fall 2018. The musician-in-residence will run June through August.

Walsh was selected by a panel, facilitated by the Office of Arts & Culture, that included musical artists and community members and advised by the Seattle Department of Transportation. His selection was based on his impressive career and his focus on collaboration with players throughout the region. His proposal included a desire to create a work that investigates the inherent collision between creativity and mental health, which resonated with the selection panel.

Paurl Walsh graduated from Cornish College with a degree in Classical Composition and Electro-acoustic music. He is an active composer of electronic music, modern classical chamber music, music for dance and theatre, and experimental rock. Writing and performing throughout the US, Canada, and Europe, he has been a core member of the experimental performance art/music groups Degenerate Art Ensemble, Implied Violence, and St Genet. He founded experimental hardcore band X-Ray Press, electronic pop group Rainbows, electroacoustic duo Medina/Walsh, and solo electronic act Trying. He has scored many stage works for choreographers and theater artists such as Kyle Loven, Ezra Dickinson, Peggy Piacenza, Paige Barnes, Paris Hurley, and PE|Mo. He also runs ExEx Audio, a creative recording studio centered around working collaboratively with artists to help them better express themselves through sound.

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

Studio Wowhaus selected to create artworks for Delridge RapidRide

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Open house with the artists
Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW, Room 111
Seattle, WA 98106

Walk and Talk with the artists
Thursday, January 18, 2018, 3:30 p.m.
NW corner of Delridge Way SW and Henderson

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), selected artists Ene Osteraas-Constable and Scott Constable of Studio Wowhaus to create a permanent, site-specific artwork as part of the corridor improvements that will occur with the implementation of RapidRide, Line H along Delridge Way SW. Upgrades to Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line include adding more buses, upgrading to Metro RapidRide bus stops, improving sidewalks and paths, and the incorporation of a new public artwork.

As part of their artistic process, artists Ene Osteraas-Constable and Scott Constable will solicit feedback from residents through a variety of community conversations and walks along the corridor. On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 5 – 6:30 pm, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the artists will be participating in an open house/drop in session prior to the Delridge Neighborhood District Council. This is an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the project from SDOT representatives and meet the artists. In addition, on Thursday, January 18, the artists will be leading a walk and talk in order to learn more about the neighborhood; anyone interested in participating should gather at 3:30 pm at the NW corner of Delridge Way SW and Henderson.

Studio Wowhaus has a depth of experience working on transportation and right-of-way projects, and has a passion for community engagement. Past artworks incorporate feedback from multi-audience engagement, and provide visibility to vehicular traffic and up-close interest/interactivity for pedestrians. To learn more about the project, please visit: https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/transit-program/rapid-ride/delridge-rapidride

Prior to joining Wowhaus, Ene Osteraas-Constable worked as an educational multimedia writer and producer for Paramount Publishing. The recipient of two Creative Work Fund Grants as well as an Oakland Individual Artist’s grant, Osteraas-Constable received her BFA from the University of Massachusetts. She was the first Program Coordinator for the Edible Schoolyard, contributing to the establishment of the seminal organic gardening and cooking program founded by Alice Waters. A native New Yorker, her work is also informed by her time in New York City at the Public Art Fund, co-producing the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, and producing the Bryant Park Festival.

Scott Constable is the founder and principal of Wowhaus, a multi-disciplinary art/design collaborative whose award-winning work over the past two decades spans public art, social practice, architecture and furniture design. Constable is also the founder and author of Deep Craft, a popular web blog that draws from his ongoing craft-based research and observation. Constable has taught and lectured at diverse schools and institutions, including the California College of the Arts, where he was the 2010 Wornick Distinguished Professor of Wood Arts. He has been artist in residence at Grizedale Arts, Mildred’s Lane, and the Kohler Arts Center, and has been awarded many honors and distinctions, including an Investing in Artists Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation. A native of Philadelphia’s Main Line, Constable studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he earned his degree with a concentration in Sculpture/Generative Systems.

This project is funded through SDOT 1% for Art funding.

Image: SPARK: 3 of 4 Mosaic Murals, 2012,
Commissioned by: Chabot College, Hayward, CA
Site: Chabot College Observatory
Media: Iridescent glass, glass, mirror, grout
4 murals, each 10’h x 12’w
Symbolizing the spark of inspiration, creativity & insight fostered through education at the college, this artwork evokes the cosmos & spirit of scientific inquiry. Mirrored glass & iridescent glass catch the sunlight & cast colored light patterns on passerby.

 

Artist Peter Reiquam selected to create public artwork for SPU Drainage and Wastewater South Operations Center

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The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), has selected Peter Reiquam to create a permanent, outdoor, site-specific artwork as part of the new SPU Drainage and Wastewater South Operations Center to be located at 4500 W Marginal Way S. SPU Drainage and Wastewater employees clean and repair the City’s sewer and drainage systems, investigate waterway pollution, provide emergency response to storm events and natural disasters and more. The new center will increase SPU’s operational efficiencies while providing closer proximity to service areas.

Peter Reiquam creates artwork that responds directly to the history, culture and current use of the site location. Often balancing humor with elegance, his work is large scale, recognizable and frequently serves as a meaningful site marker.

Since earning an MFA in sculpture from Yale University in 1984, Peter Reiquam has primarily focused on creating interactive, site-specific installations in response to the history, culture and surrounding landscape of the site.

This project is funded through SPU 1% for Art funding.

Image: HIT OR MISS 2015
Pierce County Skills Center, Puyallup, WA
An iconic, interactive, freestanding sculpture, Hit or Miss represents the most basic of tools and by extension all of the specialized tools used in the various programs taught at the Skills Center.
Powder-coated aluminum, stainless steel
15′ x 10′ x 10′
Washington State Arts Commission and Bethel School District

Celebrate summer and art in Lake City!

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Lake City Play City
June 20, July 11 and August 1, 2017, from 6-8 p.m.
future park location, 2510 33rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

The Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with the East Lake City Collaborative (ELCC) will be hosting local artist, Elizabeth Gahan as she leads a series of hands-on art making activities at this year’s Lake City Play City. Play City will feature food, music and a variety of family friendly events open for all to enjoy.

Attendees will have a chance to make artwork with Gahan at each of the three event dates, which they can either take home or contribute to a group community artwork to be displayed at the 33rd Ave NE location following the August 1st event. Gahan will lead the following art activities:

June 20– Upcycle yard signs that can be connected in creative ways.

July 11– Decorate large plastic shapes with vinyl scraps.

August 1– Artistically hang and arrange all the artwork accumulated on June 20 and July 11.

Gahan will also share details about a permanent public art sculpture that will be installed with the opening of the new 33rd Ave NE park in late 2018.

Come join in the fun and make art in Lake City!

This summer the third floor of King Street Station will be awash with public art

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Office of Arts & Culture explores Belonging and Resistance with site-specific and collection works
Opening August 3, 2017

This summer the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s (ARTS) public art program will enliven the third floor of King Street Station with 2D- and 3D works from the City’s collection and site-specific installations. The exhibition, focusing on themes of belonging and resistance, will be free and open to the public, and will open August 3, 2017. An anchor project by artist and educator Pedro Lasch will investigate ideas of nationalism and belonging, and will be accompanied by responses from regional artists. The exhibition will introduce the range of programming that the public art program undertakes to provide art experiences to residents of and visitors to Seattle, including lectures, performances and engagement activities.

The exhibition will be the first art installation at King Street Station by ARTS and will give the public a glimpse of how the third floor will be transformed when it becomes a new arts and culture hub. ARTS, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), is creating a permanent cultural space at King Street Station. ARTS engaged in an inclusive, city-wide outreach effort in order to hear from the community about their needs. ARTS’ intention with the new space is to increase opportunities for communities of color to present their work. The dedicated cultural space will provide public access to presentation and creative spaces, ARTS staff and resources, space for city convenings, and professional development and other services that were requested through the outreach process. This innovative plan utilizes an underused city resource to address issues of affordability and livability while preserving the unique creative economy that drives Seattle.

The city’s public art program provides opportunities for individuals to encounter art in parks, libraries, community centers, fire stations, on roadways, bridges and other public venues, enriching citizens’ daily lives and giving voice to artists. Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a percent-for-art ordinance in 1973. The program integrates the work of artists in the envisioning of the public realm, advancing Seattle’s reputation as a cultural center for innovation and creativity. Public art projects create a special sense of place and enrich viewers’ experiences of the urban environment. The program specifies that 1% of eligible city capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase and installation of artworks in a variety of settings.

The collection includes more than 400 permanently sited and integrated artworks and includes pieces by Isamu Noguchi, Marita Dingus, Mark Calderon, Ann Hamilton, Buster Simpson, and Michael Heizer. Artworks are commissioned through a public process. The city stewards and maintains its artworks through an ongoing program of coordinated conservation activities, which include inspections, major restorative work and routine maintenance.

 

Two public art projects recognized as part of the 2016 Design Excellence Awards

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The Seattle Design Commission recognized two projects that were enriched with integrated public art in their 2016 Design Excellence Awards, Fire Station 20 and Mapes Creek Restoration. You can view all the recipients here.

The Seattle Design Commission presents the Design Excellence Awards every two years, selecting the winning projects from the many public buildings, parks, open spaces and vision plans completed in Seattle. They choose projects that promote the mission and exemplify the values of the Design Commission: inspired design, contextual integration, innovative sustainability, social inclusion, exemplary partnerships, effective investment and impeccable execution.

The recognized artworks are Rob Ley’s Wind and Water at Fire Station 20 and the two Mapes Creek Restoration artworks: Yegizaw Michael’s Motion and John Grade’s Gyre.

Wind & Water by Rob Ley
Fire Station 20, 2014
Photographed by Lara Swimmer

Wind and Water at Fire Station 20 comprises more than 100 one-inch stainless steel tubes and stands over 14 feet tall, suggesting the flow of water or the movement of the wind. The sculpture engages passing pedestrians and frames the entrance to the building. The fire station also includes state-of-the-art sustainability upgrades and increased space for more fire engines.

The Office of Arts & Culture commissioned Wind and Water with Department of Finance and Administrative Services Fire Facilities and Emergency Management Levy 1% for Art funds. Photos courtesy City of Seattle.

Yegizaw Michael, Motion

Integrated into the Mapes Creek Restoration is Motion by Yegizaw Michael, which consists of over 450 disks of colored concrete and stainless steel that are inlaid throughout the 52nd Ave. S. walkway. The disks appear to flow between a set of concrete pipes that are inset in the north and south ends of sidewalk, calling attention to Seattle Public Utilities’ combined sewer line along the Mapes Creek Walkway that flows to the King County pump station.

John Grade, Gyre

John Grades’ work Gyre, also at Mapes Creek Restoration, is a stainless steel and wood sculpture suspended over the mouth of Mapes Creek in Beer Shiva Park in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. A master in working with wood, Grade meticulously crafted Gyre with tongue-and-groove slats surrounding a stainless steel frame. The artwork’s gently twisting form conjures a sail, rudder or elongated fin, and references the spiraling eddies of the water below and in adjacent Lake Washington. Sculpted with old-growth cedar salvaged from the Cedar River Watershed, the source of most of Seattle’s drinking water and vital to the area’s salmon habitat, Gyre reinforces the connection between the source of the region’s water and its destination.

The Lower Mapes Creek project is project of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), and both Gyre and Motion are funded by SPU’s 1% for Art funds.

Side note: the two-other project recognized by the Design Commission, Sound Transit’s Light Rail Station at the University of Washington and the Leaves of Remembrance project both included artworks.

ARTS releases 2015 Report to Community

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As we look forward to 2017, it’s also time to look back at our accomplishments. In this case, it’s looking way back, at our accomplishments of 2015, as we finally get around to publishing our 2015 Report to Community. We’re a little late this year, but I hope you take the time to poke around. You’ll find maps of all our public art and activations, and photos of all the artworks that were installed. You’ll also find a really handy map of every grant recipient (nearly 500!) – showing the program, a description, photos in some cases, and a link to their website. We think it’s a great tool to see where the investments of the City are going – where there are holes and what trends we’re observing. http://www.seattlearts.report/

There’s also a bunch of great photos of our partners, descriptions of the programs we launched and ran, and a handy guide to staff and resources.

Let us know what you think – what kind of information would you like to see reported here? What’s useful or necessary for you? How should we be evaluating our success? We look forward to hearing from you. And we pledge that our New Year’s Resolution for next year is being prepared to share this with you way earlier next year!

  • Calandra Childers, Deputy Director

Join us at the 75th Anniversary Celebration at Colman Pool

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Overall after treatmentYou are cordially invited to attend the 75th Anniversary Celebration at Colman Pool

July 4th, 2016

Doors open at 10 a.m.

 

Presentation by Mural Conservator

Peter Malarkey at 10:15 a.m. in the lobby

 

Festivities begin at 11 a.m. on deck

Light refreshments will be served

 

Noon-1:30 p.m. swim will include lap lanes and family swimming

Public Swim 1:45-4:45 p.m.

Lap and Family Swims 5-7 p.m.

Regular fees apply for all swims

Free slide all day