Sound Transit
Overseeing smooth final design, fabrication and installation of over 50 art projects integrated in light rail, commuter rail, and bus express facilities, as well as commissioning new work.

The work and thinking of artists are incorporated throughout the three county transit system. Lead Link Light Rail artists Norie Sato and Dan Corson transformed the electrical poles powering the trains at the maintenance base into Safety Spires that honor the infrastructure architecture and reference the horsetail plants indigenous to the region.

© Norie Sato and Dan Corson, Safety Spires, 2006, all rights reserved. Photo: Jennifer Babuca

Roger Shimomura’s Rainier Valley Haiku is part of the Cultural Conversation developed for the MLK Corridor in Seattle that involves the work of over 20 artists. Shimomura’s body of work explores racial identity, and whether we as U.S. citizens are a blend of cultures or a mosaic of viewpoints. A haiku-writing curriculum is being developed for web access by teachers to continue the conversation.

© Roger Shimomura, Rainier Valley Haiku, 2008, all rights reserved. Photo: Debora Ashland

4CULTURE
Served as Senior Project Coordinator for Percent for Art projects created for the King County Parks and Transportation Departments in Washington, and for a variety of public and private clients. Managed all aspects of commissioning artwork, from scoping projects with partners, through the selection process, contract management, and the design/implementation phases. Worked in a large team context, that involved a great deal of public process.

Christian Moeller’s Newsreaders consists of a series of bitmap portraits mounted on the perimeter screening of a 20 ft. high chainlink fence surrounding King County Metro Transit’s Atlanctic Central Base. This art opportunity was defined in a master plan by Barbara Grygutis, that called-out three additional commissions.

© Christian Moeller, Newsreaders, 2006, all rights reserved. Photo: Barbara Luecke

“Meeting of Cultures” is a series of art projects commissioned to honor the First People of King County, Washington. Tribal leaders were asked how they wanted to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing on U.S. soil. They responded, “not at all” and requested that cultural and educational projects be crafted to make people aware that their people are here, and have been for thousands of years.

© Roger Fernandes, Legend Petroglyphs, 1997, all rights reserved. Photo: Cath Brunner

Projects included a native carving demonstration attended by over 3,000 school children; Tsimshian totem poles (native to Alaska not the northwest) and Houseposts installed at Beaver Lake Park; a bronze Salish Welcoming Figure at Richmond Beach Park, the visual retelling of the Northwind Legend along the Duwamish River at the site of the mythic story; and a Waterways map featuring an introduction to Salish native culture that was distributed to school libraries throughout King County.

© Susan Point, Northwind Fishing Legend 1997, all rights reserved. Photo: Cath Brunner

Fremont Troll - Neighborhood activists trying to create a park on either side of the north touchdown of the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, asked the newly re-activated Fremont Arts Council to commission an artwork under the north end of the bridge. The goal was to reclaim land that had become a mattress and old car dumping ground, tie the two sides of the park together, create a landmark people would want to bring guests to, and to take advantage of the view corridor down the underside of the elegant Aurora Bridge. A jury short-listed four finalists, and the public voted on their favorite: the Fremont TrollI, by a wide margin.

© Steve Badanes, Will Martin, and Ross Whitehead, The Fremont Troll,  1990, all rights reserved. Photo: Seattel PI

Co-founded the Fremont Solstice Parade in 1989, based on the structure and guidelines of the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration, where Barbara had previously served as major fan followed by a stint as Executive Director. No printed words (or logos) and no motor vehicles (except aid chairs) free participants to come together in a celebration of life and art. A public workshop is at the heart of the parade, where participants create and collaborate on costumes and ensembles in an art lab environment.

© Fremont Solstice Parade, staging area, circa 1993, all rights reserved. Photo: Dennis DeMarco.