Tag Archives: bronze

Floating Life Forms, Art in Tacoma

It has been a summer for seal. Every time I have dined on the waterfront, I see their little heads pop up. When I took my very first kayaking adventure, there was a harbor seal nearby. And there they were at the Vancouver Aquarium. And yesterday I found their likeness on some new to me art titled Floating Life forms at 1515 Dock Street. The seals are joined with other aquatic life in a series of six bronze balls by Tacoma artist Ed Kroupa. The News Tribune article tells me that “The Tacoma Arts Commission in 2012 selected Kroupa through its Public Art: In Depth program, which teaches local artists how to make art for the public rather than solely go off their own creative vision.”

The craftsmanship is really worth seeing in person and I love that my city values the arts. There is a fascinating video showing how the art was made and more of Ed Kroupa’s works can be found here.

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Holladay Park, Portland

Holladay Park at the NE 11th Ave & Holladay St. in Portland, Oregon is named after its creator, Benjamin Holladay who was “a sharpster, a con man, and a rake” according to the City of Portland Parks and Recreation Department. The park occupies an entire city block and features three cast-bronze sculptures by artist Tad Savinar and a spouting fountain (I just got caught once!) designed by designed by Tim Clemen and Murase Associates.

There is a video of the fountains here.

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Annie’s Walk, DuPont

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Dad and the two kids are going for a  rainy day stroll near the public sidewalk in DuPont on Center Street near McNeil Street. The statue is called Annie’s Walk.

Update 12/16 – I discovered that the artist is Judy Phipps Mickelson and that she used her own family as the models. The piece is a bronze and there are similar pieces available for sale. The artist’s website is here.

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Hip Hop, Point Ruston

imageIt was a lovely day to start the new year and dear husband and I went to check out the ever developing Point Ruston. Hip Hop is a recently installed sculpture. The piece was created by Georgia Gerber. and her blog entry can be found here.  Ms. Gerber also created The Gardner in Woodenville and Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Market.  Mt. Rainier was out in her full glory!

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Eiffel Tower

IMG_1959When I learned that I was going to Paris, I began to read up and the more I read about the Eiffel Tower the more intrigued I was. It was erected in 1889 as a focal point to the 1889 World’s Fair. At 1,063 feet in height, It is the tallest structure in Paris. It is the most visited, paid monument in the world.

I was inspired by the fact that in 1940 when Germany invaded France, the French people cut the lift cables (elevator cables) so that Germans could not the structure.

Other interesting facts include that there is an ice skating rink on the first platform each winter. And that the tower is repainted a different color every so often. It is currently bronze.

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Endless Celebration, Bellevue

ART bellevueEndless Celebration in front of Bellevue Place, Bellevue, WA is a fifty one foot cast bronze sculpture commissioned by Kemper Freeman Jr. and created by Gesso Cocteau. It was installed on  November 18, 2005. It is the tallest standing cast bronze sculpture in the United States. To see more of the artist’s work including additional photographs of Endless Celebration, go to her website.

Goddess of Commerce

The Goddess of Commerce Statue at the corner of Sixth and St. Helens in Tacoma has been in place since August 31, 2011. While it is by no means a replica, it is based on a 10′ tall, copper, 1886 statue with the same name. That statue was melted for its copper in the 1940s. The hope is that the creation of this statue will turn the tide of economic downturn for Downtown Tacoma, which I guess means it is a giant good luck charm! Last April Fool’s Day there was a rumor going around that the Goddess had been snatched by thieves to be melted down for her copper! Luckily the rumor was an April Food’s prank.

The piece was created former art teacher Marilyn Mahoney whose other statue is a bronze mermaid on Salmon Beach. The Goddess stands about 7′ tall on a 4′ tall granite base.

Per the link below “The Goddess sculpture symbolizes our rich heritage in many ways. Her face is that of a Native American woman; her dress that of a pioneer. She holds a model of several iconic Tacoma buildings [Old City Hall, the Tacoma Dome, St. Joseph Hospital, the Bostwick Building, Waddell Building, a Pierce Transit bus and the Hot Shop at the Glass Museum]. The model freighter in her left hand signifies maritime commerce; and crane earrings epitomize Tacoma’s identity as a major port. Salmon streaming down her back honors the fishing industry”.

http://tacomahistory.org/SpecialProjects/Goddess_of_Commerce.html


The Tacoma Fallen Firefighters Memorial

It was a lovely day to walk Ruston Way with three of my friends. Along the way I stopped to photo the Tacoma Fallen Firefighters Memorial near the Lobster Shop on Ruston Way.  The sculpture is called “Fully Involved” by Larry Perkins and it was dedicated in honor of those firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty in 2001. There are twelve names on the memorial with the most recent being from 1963. A plaque near the memorial tells me that the first volunteer fire company was formed in Tacoma in 1880 and the first paid fire department in 1889. The first African American firefighter joined the force in 1972 and the first woman firefighter  in 1981.

Lakewood Veteran’s Memorial

I’ve driven past this sculpture in front of the Lakewood City Hall numerous times, but today I actually got out of my vehicle and took a good look at it. There is a lot going on with this piece, nine figures representing people in the military, a large globe, five benches, signage, inscribed bricks and landscaping. The sculpture honors veterans. Among the large metal figures are a Chaplin, a medical person, a foot soldier with his gun, a mechanic and others. The figures are stylized, but it is still apparent the jobs they represent. The primary construction materials are steel and bronze and the sculpture was completed in May 2003.

Per information provided by the Washington City/County Management Association, The project was spearheaded by the Lakewood Veterans Memorial Committee and reminds us of the sacrifices and services of the local military community. It also serves as a link between Lakewood and the large number of active duty, former and retired military personnel in our community. “More than 96,000 veterans reside in Pierce County with over 10,000 living in Lakewood. The memorial is the creation of Gig Harbor artist and military veteran Jim Mattern. (http://www.wccma.org/newsletter/0304wcmanews.pdf)

Here is the link to a story about the piece.
http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4093906.html

Jim Mattern: Sculptor
Lakewood Veteran’s Memorial
6000 Main St. SW
Lakewood, WA 98499