Art in Eastlake
Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood has many artists and photographers, and most Eastlakers enjoy art and photography. What can the Eastlake community do to promote art and its enjoyment?
Eastlake is home to large and small art works, some of them provided on private property but provided for public enjoyment. A cedar carved and painted Coast Salish mural is featured on the east frontage of 3125 Eastlake Ave., a building whose architecture itself follows Coast Salish lines. The East Howe Steps Apartments at 1823 Eastlake Avenue feature a very large outdoor sculpture.
Eastlake has several important public art pieces that resulted from competitions among artists. The metal sculpture Shear Draft (south corner of Eastlake Avenue E. and Fairview Avenue N.), was funded by Seattle’s Neighborhood Matching Fund and neighborhood donations. Just to its west by the Washington State Employees Credit Union at 1500 Fairview Avenue E. is By Water on Land, a large sculpture that was funded by King County Metro. The same artist decorated the electric trolley suspension wires above this intersection and above the intersection of Eastlake Avenue E. and E. Hamlin Street.
Seventh Climate (Paradise Reconsidered) is a living sculpture of trees with special lighting at the I-5 Colonnade Open Space (funded by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation). The many Cornerstones and the three Dreamboats (1997) that adorn Eastlake Avenue were funded by Seattle Public Utilities. The Eastlake P-Patch Community Garden (2900 Fairview Avenue E.) has several pieces of public art.
On February 26, 2014, an Eastlake Community Council public meeting served as a focus group/idea session on ways to promote art in the neighborhood. The two most popular proposals were an occasional Eastlake art fair or art walk; and a walking guide to Eastlake that identifies public art as well as historical, architectural, and natural sites.
Volunteers are needed to make possible such art-related projects or events. Could you help organize an art fair or art walk? Could you help produce for publication a walking guide to art in Eastlake, or telli the story of one or another of these public art works for this web site or the Eastlake News? Is there some other art-related initiative which you could help realize?
About the above possibilities, or any art-related question or idea not mentioned here, please contact the Eastlake Community Council. Offers of volunteer help are particularly needed. ECC can be reached at info@eastlakeseattle.org or by U.S. mail c/o Lake Union Mail, 117 E. Louisa St. #1, Seattle, WA 98102.