2015 saw the collection of quite a bit of Northwest artwork by municipal and medical institutions in our region. The gallery was honored to work with institutions such as the City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, Ballard High School Foundation, University of Washington Medicine, and Swedish Medical Center to place artwork in public spaces and collections.
It is a pleasure to live and work in a region where art is considered an integral public asset, and celebrated for its power to provide a window on local history, contemporary issues, and its ability to heal. We thank these institutions for their support of local artists, and congratulations to all of the artists who had their work collected this year.
The new Edmonds campus of the Swedish Medical Center now boasts five beautifully painted paddles by Tulalip artist Jason Gobin. They were created especially for the lobby installation, to welcome visitors and patients, and give them a sense of Edmonds’ place and history.
A full set of the 18 prints making up RED: A Haida Manga, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (below) was acquired by the City of Seattle for the Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art program. We are looking forward to seeing where they pop up in the City’s buildings and galleries!
Sculptures by Yahgulanaas, as well as flat artwork by Marvin Oliver, Alano Edzerza, Qwalsius Shaun Peterson, Robert Davidson, Susan Point, and Maynard Johnny Jr. also entered the collection. Further works by Manuel Salazar, lessLIE Sam, and Preston Singletary were acquired for the Seattle City Light 1% for Art Collection. Many of the works were and are on display as part of the two-part exhibition “Seattle Simplified” at the Seattle Municipal Tower, a free gallery.
To give their new Olympia campus a local feeling, UW Medicine has selected photography by the renowned local artist Mary Randlett, and a satin-sheened spindle whorl by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo to complete their opening day collection.
The City of Tacoma has added four wonderful new pieces to their municipal collection, all by artists who live within Northwest Washington. Congratulations to Neeka Cook,Preston Singletary, Mary Randlett and Marvin Oliver!
You may remember the soaring “Elimination of Innocence” triptych from Thomas Stream’s summer exhibition when it made its debut. The three paintings have recently become part of the collection of the Musee Boulogne-sur-Mer in France, which will soon house one of Europe’s only collections of contemporary Alaskan art. Other works by Stream were collected by major local corporate collections this year, and a gift of an original painting was made to a University museum in the Midwest.
