Local Artists Flood the Beacon Hill Greenway With (Temporary) Public Art Installations

This iteration of the Office of Arts and Culture’s Art Interruptions ends this month.

by Jas Keimig

E.T. Russian’s “RESTING IN RELATION I” sits right on the northern edge of Jefferson Park facing South Spokane Street.

Russian’s pink sculpture takes the form of a person in a supine position with crossed legs, their head resting on their hands, and headphones over their ears. The figure is contemplating the clouds floating overhead, not unlike the way you might find other Seattleites on a warm sunny day. On a nearby sign, Russian invites parkgoers to lie beside the sculpture and emphasizes the importance of rest in every space.

“RESTING IN RELATION I” is part of a series of temporary public art pieces called Art Interruptions, a partnership project between the Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Funded by the 1% for Arts Fund, these art sculptures and activations are usually installed along neighborhood greenways, offering pedestrians, residents, park enjoyers, and drivers a moment of beauty and contemplation as they go about their regular routines. For the 2023–24 iteration, eight artists were selected to display works along the Beacon Hill Greenway: Vulgar Dreamer, E.T. Russian, Lee Davignon, Ai-Chun Huang, Hans Amor, Nahom Ghirmay, JoEllen Wang, and Morgan Madison.

Since 2012, these (temporary) Art Interruptions have been installed in greenways across the city and feature commissioned works by artists around the city. And over the past several years, the artists selected for this project come from the OAC’s Public Art Boot Camp program, which provides professional development, mentorship, and resources to emerging artists.

“We use [Art Interruptions] in part to bring art to areas that don’t have it, for one. And then, since it’s a part of our Public Art Boot Camp, we view it as a way to do that professional development for early career artists and really give them mentorship and encourage new people to enter the public art field,” said Jeremy Beliveau, public art project manager at OAC. “It’s hard to get into the field if you don’t have some kind of entry point or mentor to show you the way.”

Initially installed last August, this month is the final month public art lovers and pedestrians alike can check out the sculptures and activations before the artists take them down. Recently, I hopped on a Lime scooter and tried to check out as many of them as I could during the sweltering late afternoon (the path goes from South Lucile Street all the way to South College Street up north) — here’s a bit of what I saw:

‘Medosweet RVs’ by JoEllen Wang

When I came upon JoEllen Wang’s “Medosweet RV’s,” I gasped — the tiny bunny sculptures overwhelmed the dry grass field on the corner of South Snoqualmie Street and 13th Avenue South. Coupled with the transmission towers above cackling with electricity, this installation really comes alive. Wang’s work is meant to explore perceptions of nomadic living and community. Each sculpture is composed of ears made of repurposed blue tarp and RV-like bodies of remolded plastic milk jugs — like a recycled flower!

‘Flavors of Diversity & Colors of Community’ by Nahom Ghirmay

It took me a little bit to find Nahom Ghirmay’s installation on the southeast corner of Jefferson Park. I’m used to seeing Ghirmay’s expressive paintings, so seeing his sculpture in the middle of an empty meadow was a welcome surprise. Inspired by the colors and atmosphere of an Eritrean spice market, “Flavors of Diversity & Colors of Community” takes Beacon Hill’s diverse communities and translates them into colors that peacefully coexist alongside one another. It’s a needed dose of color amidst all the dried-out grass.

‘Release, Receive, Return’ by Vulgar Dreamer

Vulgar Dreamer’s “Release, Receive, Return” is not just one sculpture but a series of installations north of Jefferson Park and along the residential blocks near the Beacon Hill light rail stop. The first one is located on the corner of South Hanford Street and Beacon Avenue South, highlighting a corner that was central to community gathering during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teal mannequin hands reach out to the sky, weighted down by the concrete base. On her website, Vulgar Dreamer encourages public art enjoyers to follow the teal mile markers directing you to the next installation and remember to “keep each phrase in mind on your journey.”

The Beacon Hill Greenway Art Interruption is up throughout August. For more information (and a map!), head over to the Office of Arts and Culture’s website. Note: The route from sculpture to sculpture is long — make sure you stay hydrated if going out in the summer sun!

Jas Keimig is a writer and critic based in Seattle. They previously worked on staff at The Stranger, covering visual art, film, music, and stickers. Their work has also appeared in Crosscut, South Seattle Emerald, i-D, Netflix, and The Ticket. They also co-write Unstreamable for Scarecrow Video, a column and screening series highlighting films you can’t find on streaming services. They won a game show once.

📸 Featured Image: Have you spotted this reclining figure in Jefferson Park? (Photo: Jas Keimig)