“The bus stop is the place that the bus rider begins and ends their journey. Their experience there should invite them back, over and over again, not just out of utility but out of joy.” –Johnson|Ramirez, RapidRide Expansion Art Plan

Artist Ryan! Feddersen has been selected to develop a series of small sculptures and related retaining wall treatments for the new RapidRide I Line corridor, which will connect the historically underserved King County, WA cities of Renton, Kent, and Auburn via bus rapid transit.

4Culture, in partnership with King County Metro Transit, conducted a national open call for this opportunity dubbed SMALL BUT MIGHTY and announced with the prompt: How might little artworks add BIG moments of surprise and joy to these otherwise utilitarian places?

98 artists and artist teams submitted their qualifications for consideration. A committee comprised of regional artists and arts professionals, community representatives, and Metro staff reviewed all materials, conducted interviews with finalists, and ultimately awarded the commission to Feddersen.

Unified by concept, scale, and durable media, the work she develops will be permanently installed at up to a dozen bus stations and adjacent points of interest along the 17-mile alignment. Serving a huge diversity of people and places and encompassing at least thirteen different language groups in its ridership, Feddersen hopes to elevate I Line histories and cultures. She says, “I am excited by the concept of stories which unfold over space and time and have long been interested in creating a series of artworks for sites where there is a special opportunity to work iteratively or where viewers experience multiple artworks in sequence that have interesting, surprising relationships to one another. I find it captivating to make artwork for public settings where people experience the same artwork frequently and can continue to find new elements in the work.”

About the Artist
RYAN! Feddersen specializes in creating compelling site-specific installations and public artworks which invite people to consider their relationships to the environment, technology, society and culture. She completed a BFA at Cornish College of the Arts in 2009. Feddersen is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, from the Okanogan and Arrow Lakes bands, and of mixed European decent. Recently, she completed public artworks Inhabitance for the Portland International Airport, Schema for CitizenM Pioneer Square, and Antecedents for the University of Washington. She has created large-scale site-specific pieces and interactive installations throughout North America, working with Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, Regional Arts and Culture Council, ArtsWa, Museum of Art & History Santa Cruz, Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, City of Tacoma, University of Washington, Wellin Museum, College of New Jersey, and Northeastern University. Learn more about her practice at ryanfeddersen.com.