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Meet the Artists of Seattle’s Future Waterfront

A major element of Seattle’s future waterfront will be the incorporation of art installations, both permanent and temporary, bringing new vibrancy to the waterfront’s economic and cultural exchanges. Five artists have already been selected for public art commissions and through July 8, 2014, submissions are being accepted for the creation of public art that encourages play on the waterfront.

Check Out Our Artist Videos A new series of videos created in collaboration with SDOT, the Office of Arts & Culture and Waterfront Seattle aims to celebrate these artists, their contributions to Seattle’s new waterfront and engage the public. The first video in this series highlights Ann Hamilton, who will work on a permanent installation(s) for the waterfront’s public piers.

Call for Artist Series: Ann Hamilton

Who are the artists working on the waterfront?

  • Ann Hamilton + Public Piers Internationally recognized artist Ann Hamilton was recently selected for a commission on the new public piers as part of Waterfront Seattle! Hamilton will join a team of architects, planners and designers to create an installation at Pier 62/63 and/or Union Street Pier (the current site of Waterfront Park).
  • Norie Sato + East-West Connections Norie Sato is collaborating with Waterfront Seattle to create an original artwork or series of artworks on the rebuilt east-west Union Street between First Avenue and Alaskan Way that will facilitate pedestrian passage to new public spaces on Seattle’s waterfront.
  • Buster Simpson + Elliott Bay Seawall Habitat Restoration Buster Simpson is working with Elliott Bay Seawall Project to develop permanently-sited public artwork that will that makes reference to habitat restoration and the development of public open space along the seawall. Simpson will integrate natural and manmade materials to reveal human alteration and reconstruction of the waterfront.
  • Stephen Vitiello + Sound-Based Artwork  Stephen Vitiello has been commissioned for an integrated, sound-based artwork for the new waterfront. Working with the acoustically rich setting of Seattle’s waterfront, Vitiello will capture and transform sounds through a combination of sculptural, architectural, and electronic means.
  • Oscar Tuazon + Future Significant Artworks Oscar Tuazon was born in Indianola, WA, and first learned sculpture from Suquamish carvers Larry Ahvakana and Ed Carriere. He plans to create a major new sculptural work on the waterfront. For Tuazon, sculpture is something that comes to life through use, so his public works invite direct, physical interactions.

Interested in learning more about the artists working on Seattle’s future waterfront? Have you heard about the series of short waterfront residencies starting this summer? Visit the Permanent Artworks and Low Res art pages on WaterfrontSeattle.org for the latest news about art and the waterfront vision. The Waterfront Art Plan Waterfront Seattle’s Art Plan, completed in 2012, considers the history of the site as a working waterfront, the physical conditions of its location along the shores of Elliott Bay, and its role as part of Seattle’s evolving urban cultural landscape. Progress is being made toward incorporating artworks, both permanent and temporary, into Seattle’s waterfront. One Call for Artists went out earlier this month and focuses on play as a theme and activity that will result in art supporting interaction and play. Another Call for Artists is slated to go out in the coming months and will celebrate the living legacy of tribal cultures in the region.