In mid-December Sara and I were selected as semi-finalists for a public call for art put out by Seattle Public Utilities and the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. The call was for temporary public artworks that creatively address environmental stewardship and the impact of climate change on water supply and drainage utilities. We were excited by the opportunity to focus a component of our work in the West on the greater Seattle region, and also to exhibit in an unconventional, outdoor venue within our community.

Our final proposal was for a 760 square feet outdoor gallery of original photography and text displayed as a five-foot high horizontal wrap around the Woodland Park Standpipe (adjacent to Woodland Park Zoo’s West entrance). The 360 degree walk-up gallery would summarize Seattle’s climate change vulnerabilities related to water resources using images of local people and landscapes and supported by quotes and descriptive text.

Though our project would have had tremendous visibility to Seattle residents of all ages, our proposal was not selected. Still, we’re excited about the idea and thought we should share it on our blog. You can find links to the selected artists here.

(The images in the illustration above are representative and from our Sámi material.)