April 19, 2015 - Regarding Beauty

"Mary's Invitation - A Place to Regard Beauty", by Ginny Ruffner, was commissioned by the Seattle Art Museum to recognize one of the key benefactors of the SAM's Olympic Sculpture Park, Mary Shirley.  Located at the north end of Seattle's waterfront the nine acres of land underwent remediation after being reclaimed from industry, and transformed into a place from which one can accept Mary's invitation and regard beauty.

"The Eagle" by Alexander Calder

The sunset is reflected in "Seattle Cloud Cover" by Teresita Fernandez.

A ferry on Elliott Bay.

"Echo" by Jaume Plensa

What "Echo" regards.

April 7, 2011 - Reflection Through Cloud Cover

Elliott Bay and a sunset over the Olympic Mountains beyond are reflected in this view through Teresita Fernandez's "Cloud Cover" towards Seattle's Belltown neighborhood skyline.  "Cloud Cover" is a laminated glass walkway on the southern edge of a pedestrian bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train tracks at Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park on the northern edge of the Seattle waterfront. 

From 1911 to the late thru the 1989s the site was used by UNOCAL as a petroleum transfer and distribution facility.  UNOCAL spent 10 years cleaning the site up.  It was purchased by the Seattle Art Museum and Trust for Public Land.  The Olympic Sculpture Park was opened in 2007, has about 20 installations, has a striking Z-shaped landscaping layout and provides free and easy access to the waterfront.