SPOKANES
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Some of the work is by artists from the area now working in other parts of the country. Jim Hodges, now living in New York, created the “Alive, Lively, Living” abstract sculpture on the Washington State University’s campus in the UDistrict. Nationally acclaimed writer and Spokane Indian, Sherman Alexie, created a poem in the park adjacent to the Spokane Public Library on Spokane Falls Boulevard. This poem called, “The Place Where the Ghosts of Salmon Jump,” reflects on the life of the river which is now dammed to create hydroelectric power and the lives of native people in the region.
Funding for the Sculpture Walk has been put together through a variety of sources and entities. Some of the works were projects of Expo ‘74 and were funded by sponsors including community groups such as the Junior League of Spokane, Women’s Council of Realtors, Washington Mutual Savings Bank, the Women’s Architectural League, Goodwill Industries, the Aluminum Industries and others. Some of the Expo ‘74 sculptures were temporary and some remain. The Sculpture Walk is a living place – with new works being created, and as developments occur sculptures are relocated and sometimes de-accessioned. Some have been created through the City of Spokane’s “Percent for Art” ordinance. Many of the new works have been created with funds from the “one half of one percent” of the Washington State capital budget which is administered by the Washington State Arts Commission and are part of building projects in the UDistrict. New works in the extended area of the Sculpture Walk will be privately funded and will require maintenance endowments. Some new temporary works will lead the development of the Sculpture Walk extension into Kendall
Yards and eventually larger, permanent works will be installed. Fundraising has begun on the pilot project phase of the extension but there is much work yet to be done.
Most proposals are brought to the Spokane Arts Commission where the staff ferries the projects through the approval process and helps with various aspects of the project management. The Sculpture Walk properties belong to a variety of public entities, universities, and city departments thus the guidance of the projects through the various bureaucracies is critical.
Maintenance is provided through a variety of arrangements, some endowments, some scrappy fundraising and in-kind contributions from city workers and utility companies. And even the rescue dive crew from the Spokane County Sheriff’s office helped with fixing anchors on the floating sculpture.
The City of Spokane has more than 200 works in its public art collection. About 20 percent of the collection is located downtown and in the Riverfront Park.
MORE INFORMATION For more information about public art in Spokane, go to:
www.spokanearts.org/publicart.aspx.
The Spokane Arts Commission can be reached through (509) 625-6050 or by emailing
arts@spokanecity.org.
Karen Mobley, Arts Director, City of Spokane, 509-625-6050 or
kmobley@spokanecity.org
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