Public Art Quarterly: 2026 Summer Edition

Quarterly updates from our Public Art division. Find the other posts in this series here.

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Summer has arrived in the Seattle area and with the warm weather and extra daylight, we celebrate by spending time with one another and enjoying all of the things that the region has to offer. Salmon runs, farmers markets, outdoor events, hiking/biking abound, reminding us why we endure the long, gray winters and join our family, friends, and neighbors outdoors.

We’re working hard to prepare the Civic Art Collection for all of your outdoor urban adventures. See what our Collections Management team is working on, ensuring our artworks are looking their best when you’re out on a walk. If you are Downtown, check out the new Symphony Block artworks that were installed on Third Ave around Benaroya Hall. Back to commuting to work? Check out our new installations on the E Marginal Way Protected Bike Lane and the Tall Curb murals on Fourth Ave between Cedar St and Denny Way.

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Conservation Spotlight

In an impressive ode to Spring, the expansive Maa Nyei Lai Ndeic (My Mother’s Garden) P-Patch is already abundant with flora. The community garden is located along the Chief Sealth Trail, connecting Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach.

Where the trail crosses Beacon Ave S, two artworks serve as wayfinding markers for those walking or cycling along the path. Artist Dan Webb created Cloud Rider, gold-winged bicyclists riding among the clouds, in a nod to riders who endure cloudy Seattle skies.

When one of the riders went missing, conservation staff worked with a local foundry and fabricators to replicate and attach the new rider, and repair damage to the base of the column, which depicts a symbol of the Duwamish people.

In 2000, artist Milenko Matanovic created Hollow:City, a site-specific installation made of wooden elements that invite visitors to Westcrest Park in West Seattle to pause and experience nature in contrast to the city.

A seating bench offers expansive views of the Seattle skyline from the highest point in the park, while the adjacent skybridge provides viewing access to wildlife in the wooded nature area below. Staff have been working to repair the site and restore the wood to its original condition through replacement of missing polycarbonate panels, removal of biological growth, mechanical treatment of the wood, and repair and inpainting areas of loss.

The business district of South Park is unofficially defined by two eight-foot tall columns ornamented with hand-carved ceramic tiles.

An artwork that centers the diversity of South Park while paying homage to the artisans of the community, artist Gregory Fields fused concepts of ancient craftsmanship with creative insight when developing designs for his tiles.

After a small impact compromised the structural stability of the tiles last year, staff worked with the artist to recreate damaged tiles to repair the artwork.

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What’s New in Public Art

New Public Artwork

The Symphony Block public art projects are now complete! This multi-year initiative was part of the City’s efforts to enhance public experience and increase safety on the Third Ave corridor. The artists that created the works around Benaroya Hall drew from community feedback that highlighted the need for color, joy, movement, and sounds from nature and music for everyone on the block. New artworks include:

• Sound/s by Ivan Toth Depeña transforms musical frequencies, amplitudes, and symphonic nuances into a rhythmic form, embedding music’s invisible energy into the physical surface of the city. The colorful vertical elements were derived from a digital recording of RE|Member by Reena Esmail, which was chosen for its cultural and site-specific resonance. Through this approach, the artwork embodies the music performed in neighboring Benaroya Hall, as well as the character of its urban and natural surroundings.

• Augmented Reality (AR) by Future Arts provides a digital experience of the Sound/s artwork. Using your smart phone, you can listen to the composition that inspired the artwork and watch as flora and fauna bloom in and around the sculpture in virtual space. This project is part of the Future Arts Way[OB6.1], a virtual art walk that begins in Pacific Center and ends at King Street Station. This and other AR experiences will be available through the end of summer throughout Downtown Seattle.

• Artistic Bike and Scooter Corrals by Roy Franklin explore how we sense sound beyond our auditory experience. The four corrals around Benaroya Hall draw from the science of cymatics, which studies how sound vibrations are translated into visual forms. Every frequency produces unique patterns in substances like water and sand, echoing structures found throughout nature.

Public art is for everyone – commuters, workers, residents and those passing through the Block get to encounter music, culture, and community because of partnership, collaboration and artist vision. These public art installations were commissioned with Downtown Activation Plan funds and administered by OAC in partnership with SDOT. This event celebrates the completion of the project with community stakeholders such as the Seattle Symphony, Benaroya Hall, University of Washington, and others.

On the Fence by Will Schlough along E Marginal Way Protected Bike Lane

On the Fence, a new public artwork by artist Will Schlough, has been installed along the protected bike lane along E Marginal Way. This one-mile corridor between S Holgate and S Horton is a panel-based mural inspired by the surrounding environment and designed to visually wrap around the fence to which it’s attached. The series of vignettes or scenes along the bike lane create a narrative that unfolds as one travels through. Commissioned with SDOT 1% for Art funds, the artwork is a welcome addition to the E Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project which is a major connection for people who bike between the West Seattle Bridge Trail, Downtown, and the SODO neighborhood. 

Fourth Ave Tall Curb Murals

In partnership with SDOT, we recently installed a mural by artist, CC Stencil (Alex Siniscalchi), on Fourth Ave between Cedar St and Denny Way. SDOT is installing Tall Curbs throughout the city to create protected bike lanes and this partnership was a trial to see how the City can incorporate art into City infrastructure to add visual interest to the urban environment. Along with SDOT, we’re in the process of developing future projects for additional tall curb installations. Commissioned with SDOT 1% for Art funds.

Artist Selections

We are excited to announce the following artists who have been selected for upcoming public art project commissions. All artists have been selected through a peer panel review process from our Public Art Roster. The Public Art Roster serves as the pre-approved application pool for the majority of our projects and will be open to accept new applications in early 2027.

• Addie Bosewell was selected as the artist for an internal office commission as part of a remodel effort within the Seattle Municipal Tower, Seattle Public Utilities offices.
• Yasiman Ahsani and Rhodora Jacob were both selected to create temporary new work as part of fencing projects for SDOT and SPU in Belltown and Ballard, respectively, to be installed this summer. As part of SPU’s Ship Canal Water Quality Project – FLOW, Amanda Lee will be installing new temporary work in Ballard on the corner of 24 Ave NW and NW 56 St in June.
• Jonathan Eden was commissioned to collaborate with SCL outreach and engagement teams on developing art-based tools and curriculum for use in outreach and engagement efforts. The work will include educational handouts, online resources, and training for City Light staff who will use the tools starting in summer 2027.
• Cristina Martinez and Stevie Shao were selected for the Memorial Stadium temporary construction fencing project. The artists are collaborating with Seattle Public School teachers and students in the design phase and are expected to install the work in August 2026.
• Andrea M Wilbur-Sigo was commissioned to create a design for new fencing and railing features at Fortson Square, located within Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. The new fencing panels will complement and expand upon Andrea’s recently installed artwork, Grandmother Frog, privately commissioned by the Chief Seattle Club as part of the Fortson Square Redevelopment Project.

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City Gallery Highlights

Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters by Lauren Iida
April 15 – July 2026
Seattle Municipal Tower, 3rd Floor Plaza

A loss of innocence in children is a loss of innocence for all.

Expanding on her previous work largely focused on the incarceration of her Japanese American ancestors during WWII, Iida connect themes of identity, childhood innocence, collective memory and cultural erasure.

The exhibition includes intimate cut-paper portraits, spanning time and geography, inspired by real photographs of children.

The title of this exhibition, The Sleep of Reason, is derived from a print by Spanish artist, Goya, created between 1797 and 1799 entitled, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. In this allegory, Goya depicts himself asleep at his desk, unaware of the monsters and frightening creatures rising up behind him. His work warns that without logical reasoning, death, destruction, and corruption prevail.

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Events & Opportunities 

SDOT Artist In Residence Showcase, exhibited at ARTS at King Street Station – June 4 – Aug. 8, 2026 We’re excited to showcase the artwork of Vivian Cho and Freyja Whitney created as part of the 2025 Bridge Artist in Residence project.

These two animation artists “resided” in the towers of Fremont and University Bridget to create new works of art featuring the unique attributes of each of the site locations.   Artwork on view includes sketches, animation objects as well as screenings of the final animation. The exhibit is on view through Aug. 8.  Hours of the gallery are Wednesday–Saturday 11 AM – 5 PM and until 8 PM on Thursdays in 2026.