Friday, November 29, 2024

November 28, 2024 - Straight Shot

 



At the most southern end of Seattle's Magnuson Park, artist perri lynch's "Straight Shot" begins.  It was installed in 2007.  The 12 ink jade limestone pillars are precisely aligned. The distance between each pillars doubles with the most northern one exactly one kilometer north.  The pair of drilled holes in each stone are also precisely aligned.  Chances are if you've been to the park you may have seen a lone stone north of the soccer fields.   Perhaps you may have also noticed one or two of them near the boat launch.  The next time you're there look around to see if you can spot the rest of the sculpture.

Before becoming a municipal park this was the location of Seattle's first airport.  It's very likely that a visitor was aware that this was once a Naval Air Station - it's hard not to recognize the hangers and buildings still located on the north end of the park! The Navy began construction in 1922 and at the time of Pearl Harbor was one of just three Naval Air Stations on the west coast.  In 1924 the first aerial circumnavigation started and ended here in the Sandpoint neighborhood. Air operations ended here in 1970 with support operations continuing until 1991.