By Lorilyn Lirio
The Olympia Arts Commission approved the concept for a 12-foot welcome figure carving by native artist Andrea Wilbur-Sigo on Thursday. The sculpture will represent the local estuary and the community's ongoing efforts to restore the salmon population.
The city has commissioned Wilbur-Sigo, a carver and a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe, to do a welcome figure to be installed at Isthmus Park, located at 531 4th Avenue W.
The Olympia Site Plan Committee reviewed the project and held a presubmission conference on Aug. 21. The Olympia Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department (OPARD) is planning to install a public art piece and associated landscaping at Isthmus Park.
The project will be constructed in the northwest corner of the park, near the Olympia Yashiro Friendship Bridge on 4th Avenue. The Olympia City Council and the Squaxin Island Tribal Council have requested this joint project. The art piece and landscaping will serve as a key connection between Percival Landing and the upcoming Deschutes Estuary restoration project.
At the meeting, the commissioners looked into the art element of the project. Wilbur-Sigo presented her concept for the welcome figure, including:
- The figure will be approximately 10-12 feet tall, depending on the size of the log.
- It will depict a woman holding a paddle, representing the local estuary and efforts for salmon restoration.
- The figure's base will feature a weaving design in wool, and the dress will have a salmon design to acknowledge the work being done to help the salmon.
- She also plans to incorporate kelp designs, as the kelp beds in the area are being restored.
- The figure will have a baby on her back, similar to the one Wilbur-Sigo created for the Seattle Convention Center. The baby will be positioned to look off the mother's back rather than to the side.
Wilbur-Sigo said she wanted the welcome figure to be a woman. The rest of the details came to her as she worked on other projects. She was inspired by a recent piece she created for Squaxin Park, which features the tribe's first anatomically correct male figure. She thought it would make sense for the new welcome figure to have a similar level of detail and realism, as it will be placed in a prominent location.
The artist explained about planning to incorporate kelp designs into the welcome figure. She wanted to acknowledge and represent the environmental effort in restoring the kelp beds, which have been disappearing.
Wilbur-Sigo is an artist who has been creating artwork since the age of three. When she was eight years old, Wilbur-Sigo was working as a full-time adult artist, a career she maintained for over 30 years.
Wilbur-Sigo started her career in beadwork and has since expanded into carving. Throughout her 30-year career, she has created around 50 public art pieces that can be found throughout the state.
Other works of Wilbur-Sigo:
- Unity, two 10-foot-tall wood carvings installed along Eastside Street in Olympia near the entrance to the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail. (See related story.)
- Warriors Arch, an entryway piece created for the Squaxin Island Veterans Memorial around 2010-2012. It features panels with the names and branch affiliations of veterans, as well as the seals of the different military branches. All were designed in collaboration with the veterans and elders committees to represent their community.
- Suquamish Veterans Memorial was done in phases from 2009 to 2012. It features T-shaped Salish designs representing the transformation between worlds, as well as female and male warrior figures on the back, with the addition of granite panels displaying the names of the community's veterans.
- Chief Seattle Grave Monument. Wilbur-Sigo was asked to come up with a new idea for the Chief Seattle Grave Monument, as the existing canoe was ready for its next life. She sat down with the elders and was able to plan out the story they wanted to tell about Chief Seattle's life through artwork.
Andrea Wilbur-Sigo's past work: Suquamish Community House welcome figure.
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
- Suquamish Community House. She did a male and a female as house posts that stand alongside the front and on their door side of the building.
Mowitch Man at the Washington State Convention Center 2022
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
- Mowitch Man – a 16-foot-tall male figure that she did for the Washington State Convention Center. This figure holds a staff representing an ancient whale bone artifact, and incorporates salmon and environmental themes.
Creator at the Washington State Convention Center 2022, 16 feet tall
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
- Creator – displayed on the entryway at the other side of the Washington State Convention Center. It is a 16-foot-tall pregnant woman welcome figure. This represents an older, guiding mother figure.
Quinalt Canoe Journey 2013
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
- Quinault Canoe Journey 2013 – a welcome figure gifted to the Quinault tribe.
The Arts Commission will present the recommendation to the city council for final approval in December.
GinnyAnn
We're honored to have Ms. Wilbur-Sligo design her artwork for us. She's a master artist whose pieces are an inspiration to other artists. She carries on traditions that grace our present lives. Pondering the simplicity of her works makes me realize that she brings powerful messages in those lines and shapes. She doesn't need complexity to tell her stories, which are timely and timeless. I'm so pleased that we'll have her figure to greet us at Isthmus Park.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Report this
Snevets
I look forward to the new installations.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Report this
SamLucy
> COST...??? What is the price for the statue and the foundation/lighting/long term maintenance/signage/etc...??? > Since WE are the ones paying for it, cost once again, doesn't matter.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Report this
Boatyarddog
Hey Sam Lucy
YOU Aren't Paying For It ... We all are.
And WE ARE ALL FOR IT !
AND MORE Hopefully.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Report this
OlyBlues
While this is beautiful artwork from a clearly very talented artist, the JOLT does a tremendous disservice by not including how much this will cost taxpayers and where the funds are coming from. The JOLT has been covering the over $6 million dollar deficit the city of Olympia is facing from years of reckless spending and proposed cuts to city services, so it is only logical this article would have included that information. Very disappointing and lackluster reporting to have left this out.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Report this
Southsoundguy
It’s not appealing to look at. It seems as if all one has to do is say they are and Indian artist and the City will throw money at them and display their “art.”
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 Report this
BillString
The city would fawn and gush over the installation of a sculpture of a giant turd as long as the artist is native or female. And they'll happily pick out pockets to pay for it.
Thursday, November 21, 2024 Report this