Concept rendering - May 2018
The piece, commissioned by Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) and funded by the Kresge Foundation is designed to be sited in the “pocket park”, an urban space north of Yesler Way along the newly developed pedestrian hill-climb that links Jackson street to Harborview Hospital on First Hill.
The installation comprises of three 13' to 17' tall metal (Corten steel, stainless steel, aluminum) flower-like pieces (or “blossoms”) arranged in a group (or “bunch”). The individual pieces are mounted on a concrete base foundation to form a dynamic composition. The project extends to the design of an integrated paving metal mosaic and seating.
The piece draws inspiration from Yesler Terrace’s and the neighborhood’s rich history as a gardening community and from its residents’ personal connections to different kinds of plants and flowers.
Community outreach and involvement and communication with the neighborhood at large have been an important part of the assignment. Creative workshops were offered throughout the year to a range of groups within the Yesler terrace community and the surrounding neighborhoods. We have worked with Yesler Terrace residents, teenagers in the International District, retirees at the Hilltop House retirement home and with patients at the Harborview Hospital.
