The Olympic Sculpture Park just west of the Space Needle is one of the city's best kept secrets. An extension of the Seattle Art Museum, the free sculpture park is impressive in the prestige of works on display and it's fun showcasing of the collection. This guide will lead you from work to work and provide a narrative of the beauty, significance and story of select pieces. By the end, you will be well-entertained and have a new appreciation for the importance of this park for the city.
Seattle has been home for the better part of a decade, and every year I find new things to do and see. Beyond the overcast skies and constant monsoon is a metropolis filled with with monumental art, artisanal espresso, gold rush dreams and rock 'n' roll bonafides.
Hanging on the cold cement wall outside of the PACCAR Pavilion, you will notice a giant 19-foot wide "fan" in weathered steel.
Welcome to the Olympic Sculpture Park! This is a good place to get our bearings. There are 21 works on display, give or take a few extra t…
This monumental set of five steel canyon walls both mimic and run parallel to the currents of Puget Sound just down the hill.
Look for the set of mirrored square frames, frozen in time, tumbling out of each other. _Perre's Ventaglio III_ (1967) is probably my favo…
After we cross the highway, find the 22-foot tall sculpture with stainless steel beams and wood logs dangling in the air. The 1965 work is…
Despite the 6-ton weight of the sculpture, _The Eagle_ commands a buoyant and airy quality. With curved wings and a pointed, up-stretched …
Proceed into and around _Stinger_. Despite the weight that the monumental 3-cornered fortress commands, the structure seems like it rests …
The same artist that created "Stinger" also created this minimalist, geometric metal rocks. They are a tribute to the large boulders that …
_Love & Loss_ is best viewed from the west, close to the water. However, if you would prefer, feel free to actually walk up to the work an…
The second di Suvero work in the park, the _Schubert Sonata_ stands 22 feet tall with a 10-foot diameter top. The industrial metal compone…
The final work we'll discuss today is probably the most scandalous of the Olympic Sculpture Park collection. It features a father and son,…
Jan 20, 2020
Great idea! But in sunny morning I would prefer to listen audio when trying to read from smartphone.
Feb 10, 2018