A damp day was an appropriate time to view the six joyous youths captured in Glenna Goodacre's "Puddle Jumpers" sculpture located at Kirkland's Marina Park.
As with many sculptures there is a story. One part of the story is that the sculpture is even here for visitors to enjoy. The sculpture was initially installed in 1990 and is considered an icon in Kirkland. However, it wasn't actually commissioned or acquired by the city. It was loaned to the city by a resident art collector. A number of the recognizable sculptures in Kirkland - "The Water Bearers", "Cow and Coyote" and "Mountain Comrades" - were also loaned to the city by this same collector, Bill Ballantine.
The sculpture, Glenna Goodacre passed away in April of 2020. Some of her famous work includes the image of Sacagawea on the dollar coin, the Vietnam Women's Memorial (Washington, DC), The Irish Memorial (Philadelphia, PA) and Raising the Flag (Detroit, MI). (Another of her 'works' is her daughter, former model Jill Goodacre, Harry Connick, Jr's spouse!)
In 2001 the sculpture, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, was scheduled to be sold and shipped to Santa Fe to go on sale at a gallery there. Joan McBride, Kirkland City Council, found out about the transfer two days before it was to be shipped. She succeeded in spearheading a drive that quickly raised enough money to keep the sculpture in Kirkland. Her quick action has ensured that visitors to Marina Park will continue to enjoy the sculpture for years to come.
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