Published: Monday, August 23, 2010
Tribute to Everett's fishing fleet takes shape in Monroe studio
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Kevin Pettelle photo
A roughed-out sculpture of the Fishermen's Tribute is to be recast in bronze and displayed on the Everett waterfront.
It's been five years since two women from families that played a significant role in Everett's commercial fishing fleet started talking publicly about their dream.
The fleet -- once prominent in the city's business and social community -- was fading fast and the women were hoping to see a statue or something else to acknowledge fishing's role in the city's history.
They created hats, offered prints from a watercolor painting by Bernie Webber, created and sold a book of photographs on the history of the fleet and held a fundraising dinner.
Other families offered some generous donations, and the women -- Kay Zuanich and Barbara Piercey -- should see their dream come true this winter.
Sculptor Kevin Pettelle of Monroe is putting the finishing touches on a statue of a fisherman in traditional gear pulling in a net that spills down on to the sidewalk. It will be cast in bronze this fall at a foundry in Oregon.
Pettelle recently set up a clay and Styrofoam model of the work in the area of the Everett waterfront where the sculpture will be installed to make sure the measurements were right and that the work fit its pedestal before everything was cast in bronze.
"It's going to be really nice," Piercey said.
"It's the perfect spot," Zuanich added. "It looked very impressive. When it is cast in bronze it will be more impressive."
Pettelle said the final work in bronze will have considerably more detail then the rough model used to judge scale and also will include a bronze fishing net with some fish in the bottom.
He said the sculpture will be his first using a new software program called Zbrush that was developed as an animation tool for the film industry for movies such as "Avatar."
The port has already created the location for the bronze on the waterfront, and Pettelle said he set up a virtual model in the computer designed to fit on the base.
His rough clay cut of the work fit perfectly, he said.
So now he's working to add more detail to the face and clothing and to add the net and fish.
The work had been scheduled to be unveiled next month, but that was when it was just planned to be just a fisherman. Plans to add the net and fish added complexity and some time to the job, Pettelle said.
"I wanted to take the time to make the sculpture just right," he said. "I didn't want to cut any corners."
The statue will be located near the port's new marina for large boats and will be just in front of the port's new Waterfront Center building, which will be the new home for the agency as well as the location for boat shops and other marine-related businesses.
Zuanich said the group is now thinking that it will have a reception for the artwork in January.
"We want it outside and springtime is so far off, so we thought we'd do it in January if the weather is good enough," Zuanich said.
The statue certainly won't mind a little rain, and the port can put up a canopy to keep the visitors dry. Its new offices on the waterfront will be open by then and the reception can always go indoors if necessary.
The port has helped with the project, finding a location, installing a flagpole and pedestal and putting in seating for people who want to admire the work.
But the statue, which will cost $85,000, has been a true community effort.
Zuanich said the group's sales of hats, books and art will cover about half the cost and other donations have taken things even further.
"We've had donations from people right here in Everett that were just phenomenal," Zuanich said. "We've had contributions from a lot of different people."
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; mbenbow@heraldnet.com.
Fishermen's tribute
The group developing a bronze statue to honor Everett's fishing fleet continues to seek donations toward its goal of $85,000. To contribute, send donations to:
Fishermen's Tribute Greater Everett Community Foundation 2823 Rockefeller Avenue P.O. Box 5549 Everett, WA 98206
The fleet -- once prominent in the city's business and social community -- was fading fast and the women were hoping to see a statue or something else to acknowledge fishing's role in the city's history.
They created hats, offered prints from a watercolor painting by Bernie Webber, created and sold a book of photographs on the history of the fleet and held a fundraising dinner.
Other families offered some generous donations, and the women -- Kay Zuanich and Barbara Piercey -- should see their dream come true this winter.
Sculptor Kevin Pettelle of Monroe is putting the finishing touches on a statue of a fisherman in traditional gear pulling in a net that spills down on to the sidewalk. It will be cast in bronze this fall at a foundry in Oregon.
Pettelle recently set up a clay and Styrofoam model of the work in the area of the Everett waterfront where the sculpture will be installed to make sure the measurements were right and that the work fit its pedestal before everything was cast in bronze.
"It's going to be really nice," Piercey said.
"It's the perfect spot," Zuanich added. "It looked very impressive. When it is cast in bronze it will be more impressive."
Pettelle said the final work in bronze will have considerably more detail then the rough model used to judge scale and also will include a bronze fishing net with some fish in the bottom.
He said the sculpture will be his first using a new software program called Zbrush that was developed as an animation tool for the film industry for movies such as "Avatar."
The port has already created the location for the bronze on the waterfront, and Pettelle said he set up a virtual model in the computer designed to fit on the base.
His rough clay cut of the work fit perfectly, he said.
So now he's working to add more detail to the face and clothing and to add the net and fish.
The work had been scheduled to be unveiled next month, but that was when it was just planned to be just a fisherman. Plans to add the net and fish added complexity and some time to the job, Pettelle said.
"I wanted to take the time to make the sculpture just right," he said. "I didn't want to cut any corners."
The statue will be located near the port's new marina for large boats and will be just in front of the port's new Waterfront Center building, which will be the new home for the agency as well as the location for boat shops and other marine-related businesses.
Zuanich said the group is now thinking that it will have a reception for the artwork in January.
"We want it outside and springtime is so far off, so we thought we'd do it in January if the weather is good enough," Zuanich said.
The statue certainly won't mind a little rain, and the port can put up a canopy to keep the visitors dry. Its new offices on the waterfront will be open by then and the reception can always go indoors if necessary.
The port has helped with the project, finding a location, installing a flagpole and pedestal and putting in seating for people who want to admire the work.
But the statue, which will cost $85,000, has been a true community effort.
Zuanich said the group's sales of hats, books and art will cover about half the cost and other donations have taken things even further.
"We've had donations from people right here in Everett that were just phenomenal," Zuanich said. "We've had contributions from a lot of different people."
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459; mbenbow@heraldnet.com.
Fishermen's tribute
The group developing a bronze statue to honor Everett's fishing fleet continues to seek donations toward its goal of $85,000. To contribute, send donations to:
Fishermen's Tribute Greater Everett Community Foundation 2823 Rockefeller Avenue P.O. Box 5549 Everett, WA 98206
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