FRIENDS’ FUTURE FORWARD: ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM COMES TO LIFE WITH COLORFUL LIGHTING INSTALLATION EXHIBIT AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING
Article by NICOLE DANSEREAU. Photo by Robert Wade
SEATTLE (November 24, 2020) — In partnership with the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects (OWCP), Friends of Waterfront Seattle’s (Friends) Future Forward: Artist-In-Residency Program comes to fruition both virtually and at Pier 62. Led by Artist In Residence, Takiyah Ward, this project spans three stages posing questions about the past, present, and future that local artists answer through artistic expression.
Vivian Phillips served as Future Forward: Artist-In-Residency Program Consultant/Facilitator; panel members were:
- Heidi Jackson, Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs, Seattle Center
- Jake Prendez, Artist
- Louie Gong (Nooksack), Artist and Founder, Eighth Generation
- Priya Frank, Director of DEI, Seattle Art Museum
- Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Philanthropy Leader
Past: What is the truth?
To honor the past through the passing down of Elder stories, local artists Sam “Sneke One”, Scott Méxcal, Damon “Creative Lou” Brown, and Artist In Residence Takiyah Ward collaborated to define their truth through the creation of murals that will be displayed outside of Pier 63. Each mural includes QR codes that lead visitors to stories on video from local respected Elders including Brien Chow, Betty Lau, Schelia Ward, representatives from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the Suquamish Tribe, and more.
The murals and Elder stories will be live from December 2020 through March 2021.
How do you define the present?
Chi Moscou-Jackson and Devon Midori-Hale of Psych-Pop were selected to define the present through the creation of multiple light sculptures embedded with archival photos of local communities, now on display at Pier 62. These sculptures incorporate archived photos of cultural objects that “act as symbolic reliquary from communities and families in Seattle,” said Moscou-Jackson.
“Meditating on the port makes us think of arrivals and departures; of physical journeys, but also of people, generations passing on and new ones joining,” said Midori-Hale. “At the port, we think about safe passages, including the safe passage of culture from one generation to the next.”
This installation of light sculptures will be on view at Pier 62 through the end of the year. Panel members for the Pier 62/PRESENT artwork:
- Eve Sanford, Artist and Director of Programs, Pratt Fine Arts Center
- Kimberly Deriana (Mandan and Hidatsa), Architectural Designer and Artist
- Martín Sepulveda, Manager of Special Artistic Projects, Seattle Theatre Group
- Olive Goh, Board Member, Friends of Waterfront Seattle
- Romson Regarde Bustillo, Artist
How do you imagine the future?
As a part of the recent call for youth artists, five young artists were selected to create mixed-media artwork for a waterfront virtual reality environment. Evelynn Li, Rey Daoed, Jac Oliver Trautman, Marcus Jackson, and Tyler Ung envision the future through paintings, photography, and interdisciplinary visual arts. Viewers can access this VR environment through QR codes displayed on Pier 62 railings facing Pier 63 and on Friends’ website.
The virtual artwork will be live through February 2021. Panel members for Pier 63/FUTURE artwork:
- Ashraf Hasham, Youth Arts Manager, City of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture
- Maya Hayashi, Education Specialist, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
- Moe’Neyah Holland, Executive Director, Teens in Tacoma
- Olive Goh, Board Member, Friends of Waterfront Seattle
- Pah-tu Pitt (Warm Springs/Wasco), Artist
Artistically known as T-DUB Customs, Takiyah Ward is a Seattle-based artist, dancer, and Black Lives Matter muralist. With formal training in architecture at the New York Institute of Technology, Takiyah continues to blend her skills and talents across platforms and communities. Through T-DUB Customs, Takiyah hopes to be an outlet for all-artistically inclined or not, as it is her belief that our ability to “stay creative” is humanity’s greatest asset.
She was selected as the Artist In Residence to guide the public art framework that incorporates elements of the Seattle Waterfront Art Plan and provides opportunities for local artists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to bring a variety of art to the waterfront that speaks to the essence of the city, and the most vibrant parts of Seattle’s culture,” said Ward. “To highlight the beauty of our shared story and the truth of our perseverance.”
This project was funded in part by the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Waterfront Project 1% for Art funds.
Community Partners:
Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, build, steward, and program the park – today and into the future. In addition to raising $110M by 2024 to fund park construction, Friends will provide funding and manage the programming and operations of the future Waterfront Park through a joint-delivery partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation. Park construction has begun following the Viaduct’s removal and the first piece of the park — Pier 62 — is now open. Visit www.waterfrontparkseattle.org for details.
The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is leading the city’s effort to rebuild Seattle’s central waterfront. OWCP is pleased to support a project that aligns with the City’s Seattle Together program, a series of initiatives responding to communities impacted during these unusual and challenging times. Future Forward: Artist in Residency is an expedient way to provide opportunities to artists and arts groups for activation of the waterfront for the benefit of everyone. Seattle Together is a partnership of city departments that includes the city’s Office of Arts & Culture, which in turn collaborates with the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects to bring arts and culture to the waterfront.
Seattle Parks and Recreation is a proud partner to Friends of Waterfront Seattle and supports both visual and performing arts throughout our park system. Seattle Parks and Recreation provides welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate, and build community, and promotes responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities. We are thrilled with the vision of the new waterfront Seattle becoming reality and are honored to steward these new parks and public spaces for generations to come.
