press release

Summary

Americans for the Arts has recognized 4Culture, its project partners and collaborating artists, for 4 of the 49 outstanding public art projects created in 2017. The Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review program is the only national program specifically for recognizing the most compelling public art in the U.S.

The awards illustrate how public art makes a difference in King County—it brings meaningful art experiences into residents’ everyday lives and it supports local business and drives tourism. The Public Art management team at 4Culture creates cultural experiences that transform public spaces. The following projects were implemented under the leadership of Cath Brunner, founding Director of the 4Culture Public Art program, and 3 were spearheaded by Tamar Benzikry, Senior Public Art Manager.

The 2017 PAN Year in Review award winners

Poetry on Buses

Coalition building
Historically a collaboration with King County Metro Transit, Benzikry innovated a partnership model to foster inter-agency collaboration with Sound Transit, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Intersection, and the Amazon Literary Partnership to bring poetry on the bus, light rail and street car.City of Seattle Public Art Director Ruri Yampolsky inspired the 2017 project theme and enabled the coalition to grow and include the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks and Seattle Public Utilities.

SODO Track

The SODO Track is a 3-year street art project transforming the portal to Downtown Seattle—a two-mile transit corridor traveled by over 50,000 daily—into an imaginative raceway of art in motion. Local, national, and international artists paint artworks that stream through bus and train windows as a continuous line of sight. Forty artists have painted so far, with another 20 to paint this July to complete this unique open-air urban art gallery. See the full list of contributing artists at www.SODOTrack.com.

Public/private partnership

Troy Block

Industrial history, dramatic views, and an ever-changing cityscape are all at play at the Troy Block, in Seattle’s South Lake Union. Troy Block integrates two historic structures, the Boren Investment Building and the Troy Laundry Building, with 12-story towers that serve the growing tech industry. The development features a generous system of open space, blending the public and private realms with seating, lighting, landscaping and art. Artists Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo (Lead Pencil Studio) drew upon the site’s history for inspiration to create City Fragment, a mutable sculpture that speaks to the ongoing transformation of an industrial neighborhood into the epicenter of Seattle’s tech boom.

Consultant-based services
Brunner provided consultant services to developers Touchstone and USAA Real Estate, and with design team collaborators, Swift Company and Perkins + Will. The open call for artists solicited 150 applicants. Inspired by the quality of the proposals, the building developers commissioned two works instead of the original one planned.

Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station

The recently rebuilt and expanded Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station in Bellevue features public art by sculptor Al Price. Still Spinning sets an expansive 4,200 square-foot retaining wall into suggested motion, as more than 400 recycled-content stainless steel bicycle wheels catch and reflect the ever-changing light of our Pacific Northwest weather.

Regional partnership
Benzikry stewarded this project for 8 years and the work of art was commissioned in partnership with the King County Solid Waste Division. Projected to achieve LEED Gold status, the new station surpasses national sustainability standards. It is expected to save 1.3 million gallons of water each year through rainwater harvesting, and high efficiency LED lighting has been installed throughout the facility. It is the recipient of the “Green Project of the Year” award.