Public Art

Seattle Public Utilities, in partnership with the Office of Arts & Culture, has commissioned a suite of artworks, both temporary and permanent, that will help tell the story of the underground storage tunnel. Aligned with the goals outlined in the Ship Canal Water Quality Project Drainage and Wastewater Master Plan by Vaughn Bell, the artworks seek to make the invisible visible and to provide visitors with an understanding of the flow of water on site and through the surrounding neighborhoods.

Temporary artwork

Beginning in summer 2020, four artworks by a variety of local emerging artists will begin to appear at some of the construction sites. These temporary works will be on view for six-months and then be changed to feature new artwork by artists including Barry Johnson, Hugo Moro, Shawn Parks, Whitney Lynn and Janelle Abbott.

Get on your bike or put on your walking shoes and visit all four locations listed below this summer!

Angie Hinojos Yusuf and Carlos Jimenez

Hinojos & Jimenez Art

Chaac

Chaac is the Maya god of rain. This piece emulates the great carved stone masks that can be found on the pyramids in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The masks were made of stone carved into intricate shapes which were assembled together to form the powerful visage of the god. Chaac had both human and animal characteristics, showing the interdependence of all living things and their relationship to life-giving water. It illustrates the natural cycle of the flow of water, as it originates in the clouds, where Chaac strikes his jade axe and causes thunder and rain, to where it falls on the land, is crucial. Water infrastructure will safeguard our environment for future generations.

Two artists in yellow reflective jackets and hard hats stand in front of their artwork which consists of bright colored geometric shapes that illustrate the natural water cycle. — Artists stand in front of their artwork, which illustrates the natural water cycle | Click to enlarge

Kalee Nelson and Crystal Christopherson

MMIW

Elevating awareness of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is the key goal of this temporary installation that includes a large-scale mural featuring traditional formline design of orcas. Kalee Nelson is an Alaskan Native from the Tsimshian Tribe and Crystal Christopherson is Alaskan native from the Tlingit tribe.

An artist draws a mural on a large white piece of paper against a wall using paper. — Artists working on mural design | Click to enlarge

An artist colors in a mural with black paint on a large white piece of paper. — Artists working on mural design | Click to enlarge

Murals placed along the Wallingford screen wall in late July 2020. The murals depict 4 killer whales and are drawn in form design. In the middle of the images is a white sign that states Protect the sacred, Missing Murdered Indigenous Women. — Mural was placed on the Wallingford screen wall in late July 2020 | Click to enlarge

Katie Miller

Crossing

Crossing is inspired by Seattle’s maritime industry, the nearby ship canal, and our relationship to water. Crossing alludes to a journey moving through or along water and serves as a metaphor for our individual experiences, personal connections to, and reflections on water.

White and blue paper-mache artwork that resembles water flow along a chain link fence at dusk. — Artwork along the fence at the East Ballard site (photo credit: Katie Miller) | Click to enlarge

White and blue paper-mache artwork that resembles water flow with a blue sign that reads “flow” along a chain link fence at dusk on a sunny day. — Artwork along the fence at the East Ballard site (photo credit: Katie Miller) | Click to enlarge

A photo looking down upon a pile of paper mache boats sitting atop of one another. — Paper mache artwork inspired by Seattle’s maritime industry, the ship canal, and our relationship to water | Click to enlarge

Minh Carrico

TATTARRATTAT

Honoring the waterway connecting Lake Union and the Puget Sound, the phrase “TATTARRATTAT” is spelled out using the International Code of Signals for water vessels moving in either direction of the canal. The repetition of the palindrome serves as a visual interpretation of the “knock, knock” emanating from a construction site for months to come.

An embroidered image containing cross designs of blue, red, black, white. A larger image of yellow cross on a red background is mirrored near the center of the artwork. — Embroidered artwork Honoring the waterway connecting Lake Union and the Puget Sound. | Click to enlarge

Past temporary artwork

Permanent artwork

As a part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, five new permanent artworks will be developed and displayed. Explore below for more information about each artist and their inspiration or take a look at our public art fact sheet.

Vaughn Bell

Tunnel alignment

Vaughn Bell creates interactive projects and immersive environments that deal with how we relate to our environment. Bell will be creating a Connective Thread artwork that will tie all the art themes together and which will run the length of the new tunnel. Bell was an Artist-in-Residence at Seattle Public Utilities and created the SPU Drainage and Wastewater Art Master Plan.

Jeffrey Veregge

Ballard

Jeffrey Veregge is an award-winning Native American comic book artist from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe in Kingston, Washington. His work uses Coastal Salish and contemporary graphic design techniques. He is dubbed “Salish Geek” by his fans and peers. Veregge has recently installed murals at the Smithsonian, The Burke Museum, Snoqualmie Casino, and the Citizen M Hotel.

Christian French

Christian French’s, Sing, Calypso, embedded images and a poem into the new 24th Ave NW Pier. The artwork tells the simple tale of a fisherman who was saved from drowning by a magical fish he had spared out of compassion. The artwork can temporarily be seen while the pier is open through the summer.

An image of a salmon made up of steel embedded into concrete. — Concrete art at the 24th Ave NW Pier. | Click to enlarge

An image of a fishing boat made up of steel embedded into concrete. — Concrete art at the 24th Ave NW Pier. | Click to enlarge

An image of a kelp bed made up of steel embedded into concrete. — Concrete art at the 24th Ave NW Pier. | Click to enlarge

Preston Singletary (Tlingit) and David Franklin

Artist team Preston Singletary and David Franklin have been commissioned for the Fremont and Queen Anne locations. Their artwork will tell the traditional native story of Petrel Guards the Water and Raven Steals the Water Paddle through two large-scale canoe paddle sculptures constructed of glass and steel that will flank each side of the ship canal waterway.

A digitally enhanced image of two women walking along a gravel path between two sections of lawn on a sunny day at the park. At the end of the path is a large, steel canoe paddle that contains form design at the end of the paddle. — Rendering of the future artwork at the Queen Anne Fremont site | Click to enlarge

RYAN! Feddersen

RYAN! Feddersen is a mixed-media installation artist who specializes in interactive and immersive artworks that invite audience engagement. She was born and raised in Wenatchee, WA. She was inspired to create interactive and temporary artworks as a way to honor an indigenous perspective on the relationship between artist and community. Her approach emphasizes humor, play, and creative engagement to create opportunities for personal introspection and discovery.

The artwork concept, Overflow is a waterjet-cut art fence which illustrates connections between our water usage, city planning, hardscapes, waterways, and underground systems. By reflecting on the many ways we need water to live healthy and happy lives, we acknowledge that we all personally benefit from access to clean water. Design will be finalized in Fall 2020.