Amid the daily bustle at the Burien Transit Center, many passengers come and go on the RapidRide H Line, traveling between Burien and Downtown Seattle on one of King County Metro’s busiest routes.

The H Line debuted in 2023, and as part of the project, Metro partnered with 4Culture to commission a public artwork that would uplift and enhance the transit center streetscape. Artist team Elisheba Johnson and Kristen Ramirez were selected in 2021 to create the work—and on October 10 the community will gather to celebrate its completion at a dedication event during the evening commute.

Why We Have to Work was inspired by a Nigerian folktale about the sky. Made largely of etched and mirrored steel, the sculpture invites passersby to connect with nature and each other while also referencing Burien’s agricultural history and its evolution as an important link between Seattle and Tacoma. This permanent artwork marks the latest in a long line of collaborations between Metro and 4Culture, including several recent projects tied to the RapidRide expansion program.

Please join us! The free dedication event will include music as well as cupcakes, beverages, brief remarks from Johnson and others, and a poetry reading from Burien poet Mercedes Garcia, whose work is featured in this year’s Poetry in Public, which celebrates local voices on Metro buses and Sound Transit light rail.