Everett’s efforts to spruce up the downtown business area took another step forward Tuesday with the installation of three carved wooden poles at Hewitt and Wetmore avenues.
Seattle artist Steve Jensen’s 8-foot-tall poles, weighing 300 to 400 pounds each and carved from red cedar, were installed on the northwest corner of the intersection in a small, street-sized plaza backed by trees.
The poles are the first of seven outdoor sculptures that will be placed on sidewalks and in landscape beds downtown in the coming weeks as part of a one-year outdoor exhibit.
Jensen’s sculpture, "The Tongas," was inspired by the artist’s travels to the South Pacific. Tonga is the name of a Polynesian island.
The artist has developed a body of sculptural work that reflect the natural world. He uses chisels passed down from his grandfather and father and carves only from naturally felled wood.
Jensen has done commissioned public art for cities around the country. While the tree trunks retain their basic shape, they are heavily incised to create swirling patterns and shapes in primitive designs that are burnished with a protective paint.
Jensen has carved holes through the wood, inviting the public to peek through.
The Downtown Everett Sculpture Exhibit will see the city install a variety of outdoor sculptures, from a 10-inch-high bronze seal by Leavenworth artist Gretchen Daiber to Clinton artist Pat McVay’s 8-foot sculpture of spawning fish carved in red cedar.
The sculptures, also in steel, granite and stone, are by artists from Snohomish and Island counties, Seattle and beyond, and are done in representational and abstract styles. The Everett Cultural Commission developed the exhibit, and a committee selected the works from proposals sent in by artists.
The goal is to create a downtown core of public art that will attract visitors, said Susan DiPietro, public art supervisor for Everett. City officials are looking for ways to encourage tourism and economic development.
"We hope it will be one more element to make Everett a destination," she said.
Everett’s outdoor art is modeled after similar programs in towns such as La Conner, an arts and waterfront community in Skagit County that draws tourists year-round. The sculptures will be on display for about a year, then replaced with other works.
Making the project happen took about two years of work, said Wendy Becker, the city’s cultural coordinator. Support has come from downtown merchants, the arts community and the city, she said.
The exhibit is sponsored in part by Craig Skotdal/Skotdal Real Estate and John Haugen/Crown Photo Systems.
The $12,000 budgeted for the project includes such items as making labels, publicity and printing costs, signage, installation and a $500 honorarium for each artist.
The city will install the other six sculptures — one a week — along Colby and Wetmore avenues. Other artists include Pasha Stinson of Bainbridge Island; Debbi Rhodes of Camano Island; Lance Carleton of Everett; and Bruce and Shannon Kelly Anderson of Seattle.
These temporary sculptures join a growing list of permanent outdoor art in Everett that includes installations at Everett Station, the Everett Events Center and the Children’s Museum in Snohomish County.
Reporter Mike Murray:
425-339-3424 or
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
