.
. WE'VE
. WE'VE ALL SEEN THE PUBLIC STATUES AROUND OUR HOUSE BUT
HOW OFTEN DO WE TAKE THE TIME
TO LOOK AT THE PLAQUE OR EVEN
WONDER HOW IT GOT THERE?
WELL, A NEW CONTINUING
EDUCATION COURSE AT BELLEVUE
COLLEGE WITH HISTORIAN FRED
POINAR IS TAKING A LOOK AT THAT
WITH TWELVE WORKS OF ART.
SO WE ASKED HIM TO SHARE A FEW.
SEATTLE HAS A LONG HISTORY AS A
PIONEER COMMUNITY.
PUBLIC ART HAS CERTAINLY BEEN
PART OF THAT AND ALSO OUR
HERITAGE AND ALSO AS KIND OF A
POINT OF IDENTITY.
AND THE FIRST SCULPTURE WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT IS CHIEF SEATTLE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS
ONE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC
ARTWORKS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN
SEATTLE.
ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST PUBLICLY
FUNDED SCULPTURES IN 1997 THE
CITY HAD MONEY LEFT OVER FROM
THE DENNY REGRADE PROJECT AND
SO THEY COMMISSIONED A LOCAL
SCULPTOR BY THE NAME OF JAMES
WEBB OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE
YEARS WHEN MODELED THIS
LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF CHIEF
SEATTLE WHO WAS THE SUQUAMISH
CHIEF LOCAL AND TRIBAL LEADER.
WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS
THAT WHEN THE SCULPTURE WAS
FINALLY UNVEILED IN 1912 IT WAS
RECEIVED WITH A LOT OF FANFARE
AND PEOPLE LOVED IT.
THEY CELEBRATED IT.
IT'S REALLY EVER SINCE AND
BECOME THIS ICONIC SYMBOL
OF OUR CITY.
DID IT BECOME DIFFERENT THAN
THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT?
IT DID BECOME VERY DIFFERENT.
IT WAS SUGGESTED TO WIN THAT HE
AND MODEL A FIGURE OF MERCURY
THE GREAT GOD.
AND THIS WAS KIND OF A POPULAR
THEME THAT YOU SAW A LOT
OF OTHER CITIES IN THE EARLY
20TH CENTURY AND WHEN WAS WAS
LIKE NOW WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND A
LITTLE BIT MORE UNIQUE.
AND SO IT WAS WHEN YOU CAME UP
WITH THE IDEA FOR DOING A FULL
PORTRAIT OF CHICAGO THAT
SCULPTURE WAS THAT OLD AND SEE
IF ANYONE WANTS TO KNOW IT'S ON
CEDAR AND GETTING RIGHT THAT
KIND OF INTERSECTION.
YES, CORRECT.
OUR NEXT PIECE OF ART UNTITLED
SCULPTURE RELIEF IN CONCRETE AT
THE ROSE GARDEN IN WOODLAND
PARK.
IT ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THE VERY
FIRST PUBLIC ARTWORK SCULPTURES
DONE BY A WOMAN SCULPTOR HOLLIS
ROBERTSON CAR IN 1920 FOR ALICE
WAS COMMISSIONED TO DO THIS
PIECE FOR THE SILVER SOCIETY AS
PART OF A NEW ROSE GARDEN KIND
OF WHAT THEY CALL A BAS-RELIEF
STYLE WHERE YOU HAD THESE
FIGURES CAVORTING AND DANCING.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT
THAT IS SOME OF THOSE SAME
ROSES THAT YOU SEE IN THE
GARDEN TODAY WERE PART OF THE
ORIGINAL PLANTINGS DONE IN
NINETEEN TWENTY THREE.
THAT'S REALLY COOL.
THERE'S NO END.
IT'S A REALLY COOL LEIF
ERICKSON THE SCHLUSSEL MARINA
IN BALLARD FROM QUIET
REFLECTION WE GO TO STOIC
WARRIORS THEY FREDERIKSEN THE
VIKING EXPLORER CELEBRATED
FIGURE IN SCANDINAVIAN CULTURE
IT REALLY IS A FITTING FIGURE
FOR AND NORDIC TIES A SCULPTOR.
HIS NAME IS AUGUST WERNER WHO
IS ALSO A UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON PROFESSOR FOR
MANY YEARS AND IN NINETEEN
FIFTY NINE WERNER WAS
COMMISSIONED BY THE LEIF
ERICKSON
TO
TO UNDERTAKE THIS MONUMENTAL FIGURE BELLATRIX.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT
THE SCULPTURE THERE IS THE
LARGE MEMBERS ORIGINALLY WANTED
IT INCLUDED IN THE 1960S
WORLD'S FAIR AND THE IDEAL
CENTER AND GOING BACK AND FORTH
WITH THE CITY EVENTUALLY IT WAS
DECIDED TO INSTALL IT INSTEAD
IT'S SOCIAL.
WELL I THINK IT WORKED OUT
BECAUSE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
LOCATION.
THE WATERFRONT DOWNTOWN WHICH
IS AT THE WATERFRONT IN SEATTLE
IS OUT THERE IS THAT I'M TRYING
TO WRAP MY MIND AROUND WHICH
SCULPTURE THAT IS BECAUSE THERE
ARE SEVERAL OVER THERE.
YEAH, IT'S IT'S A LARGER FILM.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ABSTRACT
BUT IT'S DONE IN A SERIES
OF BRONZE CAST BLOCKS AND
ANGULAR SHAPES.
THE SCULPTURE IS REALLY GREAT
BECAUSE THE SCULPTURE DONE BY A
SCULPTOR BY THE NAME OF JAMES
FITZGERALD IN NINETEEN SEVENTY
THREE FITZGERALD PASSED AWAY
BUT HIS WIFE MARGARET TOMPKINS
WHO WAS ALSO AN ARTIST THIS
FINAL DESIGN WAS INSTALLED DOWN
AT THE WATERFRONT AND IN
NINETEEN SEVENTY FOUR IT WAS
UNVEILED AS KIND OF A TRIBUTE
TO FITZGERALD'S WORK.
HE WAS VERY WELL KNOWN FOR
DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT FOLTYN
SCULPTURES THAT EVOKED THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODS
OF WATER THIS REALLY KIND
OF HIDDEN GEM DOWN ALONG
SALLY'S WATERFRONT IT PIONEERED
AND PUT IN PLACE BY THIS
POWERFUL ARTIST AND OF COURSE
THE ONE THAT WE KNOW LOVE
BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM
KING 5 BECAN GRAFFITIS STATUE.
YEAH, YEAH THAT ONE IS GREAT.
THE SCULPTOR IS SOLO AND IN
TWENTY SEVENTEEN WE WERE ABLE
TO CELEBRATE THAT PART OF THE
MARINERS AND THEIR FIRST EVER
NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER
.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT PIECES
THERE AND ALSO THE CARE
SOMETIMES THAT GOES INTO
MAINTAINING A SCULPTURE.
NOT LONG AFTER IT WAS FIRST
INSTALLED THERE WERE SOME
VANDALISM ONTO THE BOAT.
SOMEBODY RIPPED THE BASEBALL
BAT OFF BUT YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE
ALL KINDS OF PUBLIC ARTWORKS
THAT WE CARE FOR.
HE WAS ABLE TO BE REPAIRED IN A
TIMELY WAY AND THAT'S WHERE IT
STANDS A TRIBUTE TODAY.
SO GET THIS RIGHT IS ALSO
RELEASING A BOOK ON PORTLAND'S
SCULPTURE HISTORY.
WE HAVE THE DETAILS ON BOTH
OF THE