Whether
underfoot or overhead – a subtle touch or a vivid display
of artistic expression – art is everywhere at Greenbridge.
Fifty-four separate art pieces by five artists have been installed
at the redeveloped property in many forms: as balconies, benches,
tables, sign boards, downspouts, entries, bulletin boards,
play equipment, a garden shed and pure decoration. Up to ten
additional artworks are in the planning stage.
“The idea is that
everyone enjoys whimsy, color and decoration in their environments,” says
Deborah Gooden, Greenbridge General Manager for King County Housing
Authority. “The art pieces become community icons, place
markers, conversation pieces and inspiration for other types
of artistic activity in the community, such as theatre, dance
and song.”
Winds
of the World
The theme unifying the series of works installed at the Jim Wiley Community Center
is an exploration of the winds of the world. Wind is a metaphor for migration,
as many of the residents using the renovated Center are immigrants.
The
Wind Current Sculpture Series is made up of several
suspended sculptures that link the north and south Community
Center entries. These sculptures depict winds from the different
regions of the world and include depictions of vegetation as
varied as eucalyptus, tamarisk, ginkgo and pine. The
Corollas Effect Mobile is centrally located along
the Community Center’s north-south corridor and is lit
by a skylight. The mobile depicts the earth’s generation
of the winds of the world through its constant rotation.
Lydia
Aldredge, architect and public artist, uses
natural and cultural iconography of place and function to
create environmental artwork exploring the concepts of history
and change. She has designed environments that incorporate
structure, interpretive graphics and that explore issues of
ethnic diversity, community identity and environmental stewardship.
Her mediums include earthworks, metal fabrications, concrete,
wood construction, etched glass, terrazzo, and tile, rock
and glass mosaics.
Beacon
I & II
Two
stainless steel sculptures mounted on 8-foot concrete pillars provide
markers or a reference point in the neighborhood. The designs are
based on patterns used by the Maori people in fabrics and body
decoration and harmonize with a color concrete design created for
another Greenbridge park. “Knowing what it feels like,
to be displaced as an immigrant, I wanted to create work compatible
with other works I’ve created for the Greenbridge neighborhood
that address a sense of permanency.”
Juan
Alonso is a Cuban born, self-taught artist
living in Seattle since 1982. His public art can be
seen at SeaTac Airport, Qwest Field and at the Edmonds
Street Sound Transit Station. His work has been exhibited
at the Tacoma Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum and
Museum of Northwest Art, as well as in corporate collections
including Microsoft, General Mills and the City of Seattle.
Alonso has received numerous awards. He was selected
as the PONCHO Artist of the Year in 2007 and received
a Neddy Artist Fellowship in 1997.
Greenbridge
Greendrain
“When
you drink the water, remember the spring” - Chinese Proverb
This
artwork celebrates the Greendrain that feeds the nearby wetlands and
Lake Garrett. The amount of water in this runnel is remarkable during
a rainstorm and offers a striking reminder of the massive amounts of
water being moved across the entire site. The bronze inlay along the
ascending staircase introduces ideas of hopes and dreams; the word "renewal" also
appears with its many meanings. The runnel path is built so that the
water meanders down the slope and the words speak to visitors like
a sound poem of renewal.
Mary
Coss, a multi-media sculptor, creates
artwork inspired by life experience. Dividing her creative
attention between studio work and public art projects,
she has an extensive exhibition record and wrote the
Greenbridge Art Plan. Coss has led numerous public art
projects with resident and community groups. Her work
can be seen in several Washington collections including
Seattle City Parks, Seattle Public Schools and Bellevue
Community College and in California at the Carlsbad
Public Library.
Land-Slide
Land-Slide is
a pocket park conceived as an artistic earthwork for play.
It includes a sculptural stainless steel slide, curving concrete
walls, a sand pit and plantings. The forms of the art were
inspired by the flowing characters of many of the languages
spoken at Greenbridge. The inward focus of the park encourages
social interaction and an etched world map on the slide platform
references the international character of the community.
Laura
Haddad, whose background includes landscape
architecture and stage set design, is a conceptual artist
working in the public realm. She is interested in eliciting
transformation of art through phenomena, of site through
art and of viewers' perceptions of place. Haddad has worked
in Seattle since 1995, collaborating with design teams,
government agencies and communities to create art that
is functionally and conceptually integrated into its site.
To realize the artwork at Greenbridge, Haddad worked with
a team of talented fabricators, including metalworker
Charles Wiemeyer.
Implied
Motion
The
balcony railings give the illusion of movement as people
move up and down 8th
Avenue. The movement in the landscape caused by wind, people,
cars and bikes with the railings in the background, add
another dimension to the corner building. Once the development
is
complete, the “main street” of Greenbridge
will be in constant motion.
Carolyn
Law is a professional studio and public
artist and thinks the intersection of artists, communities
and the built and natural environments is a powerful
force. Her public art encompasses a wide range of commissioned
projects and art plans while her studio work involves
mixed media drawings and temporary installation. Law
is actively involved in civic affairs concerning the
built environment and participates on the Seattle Design
Commission, Light Rail Review Panel and the new Baseball
Stadium Community Review and Public Art committees.
Two
stainless steel sculptures mounted on 8-foot concrete pillars provide
markers or a reference point in the neighborhood. The designs are
based on patterns used by the Maori people in fabrics and body
decoration and harmonize with a color concrete design created for
another Greenbridge park. “Knowing what it feels like,
to be displaced as an immigrant, I wanted to create work compatible
with other works I’ve created for the Greenbridge neighborhood
that address a sense of permanency.” 
Juan
Alonso is a Cuban born, self-taught artist
living in Seattle since 1982. His public art can be
seen at SeaTac Airport, Qwest Field and at the Edmonds
Street Sound Transit Station. His work has been exhibited
at the Tacoma Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum and
Museum of Northwest Art, as well as in corporate collections
including Microsoft, General Mills and the City of Seattle.
Alonso has received numerous awards. He was selected
as the PONCHO Artist of the Year in 2007 and received
a Neddy Artist Fellowship in 1997. 
This
artwork celebrates the Greendrain that feeds the nearby wetlands and
Lake Garrett. The amount of water in this runnel is remarkable during
a rainstorm and offers a striking reminder of the massive amounts of
water being moved across the entire site. The bronze inlay along the
ascending staircase introduces ideas of hopes and dreams; the word "renewal" also
appears with its many meanings. The runnel path is built so that the
water meanders down the slope and the words speak to visitors like
a sound poem of renewal.
Mary
Coss, a multi-media sculptor, creates
artwork inspired by life experience. Dividing her creative
attention between studio work and public art projects,
she has an extensive exhibition record and wrote the
Greenbridge Art Plan. Coss has led numerous public art
projects with resident and community groups. Her work
can be seen in several Washington collections including
Seattle City Parks, Seattle Public Schools and Bellevue
Community College and in California at the Carlsbad
Public Library. 
Land-Slide is
a pocket park conceived as an artistic earthwork for play.
It includes a sculptural stainless steel slide, curving concrete
walls, a sand pit and plantings. The forms of the art were
inspired by the flowing characters of many of the languages
spoken at Greenbridge. The inward focus of the park encourages
social interaction and an etched world map on the slide platform
references the international character of the community.
Laura
Haddad, whose background includes landscape
architecture and stage set design, is a conceptual artist
working in the public realm. She is interested in eliciting
transformation of art through phenomena, of site through
art and of viewers' perceptions of place. Haddad has worked
in Seattle since 1995, collaborating with design teams,
government agencies and communities to create art that
is functionally and conceptually integrated into its site.
To realize the artwork at Greenbridge, Haddad worked with
a team of talented fabricators, including metalworker
Charles Wiemeyer. 
The
balcony railings give the illusion of movement as people
move up and down 8th
Avenue. The movement in the landscape caused by wind, people,
cars and bikes with the railings in the background, add
another dimension to the corner building. Once the development
is
complete, the “main street” of Greenbridge
will be in constant motion.