Olympic Sculpture Park Opens

Posted by Jennifer Yap Jan 14, 2007

Olympic Sculpture Park officially opens to the Seattle public on January 20, 2007. Part of America’s Seattle Art Museum (SAM) the 8.5 acre park is bordered by Myrtle Edwards Park, Western Avenue and Broad Street/Pier 70, and stretches down to the water at Elliot Bay. This rehabilitated brownfield houses 22 outdoor sculptures and an exhibition centre on ground that slopes down to the shore.

The Seattle Times seems to be right behind the project and the curious can get all the details and a few panoramas at their site. For those who like DVD extras, there’s a making-of video at Seattle Channel. The cynical amongst you (and I include myself) are hereby warned that the tone of this video is extremely earnest.

Apparently this was the last parcel of undeveloped waterfront land in Seattle, and while the museum, architects and philanthropists were going on about how the park was going to add to the prestige of the city and the cultural life of the city, and how it was rare to find prime waterfront land with unobstructed views of the water, I was quietly thankful for another fact that everyone politely neglected to mention: The park is built on three lots of land joined by walkways that run over train tracks and highways.

I’m happy that the awkward configuration of the land made it unattractive for commercial development or you could bet that it would have been home to office blocks and condominiums a long time ago – pollution or no pollution.

I like the fact that it is free, that they have built a little beach and that chairs are provided for people to move around as they like. I also admire the restraint and modesty of the key donors, Jon and Mary Shirley, in not naming the park after themselves. In an era of runaway marketing where everything is branded or turned into vanity projects, it’s nice to see a name chosen for its appropriateness.

However, the museum is posting admission hours, which means that the park is not a de facto public place. I’m curious to see how things settle in and how the park fits into civic life in the Emerald City.

It will be a long time before I’m in Seattle, so I would be grateful if anyone out there would share your impressions of the park.