Shoreline City Hall is open for business. A celebration to mark the building’s completion took place on September 10th. Two permanent art pieces were created for an exterior courtyard and the main lobby. Artists Linda Beaumont and Leo Saul Berk were selected for these projects from 4Culture’s Artist Registry and project artwork was managed by 4Culture during fabrication and installation.
Beaumont’s work, Limelight, serves as a backdrop for the outdoor, multi-purpose amphitheater and green space:
The piece draws on her memories growing up near Shoreline when the native dogwoods were so prolific. The work is a four-story mural painted directly onto the aluminum metal panels of the building façade using special paint that adheres well to this specific surface and has an extremely hard finish, keeping maintenance to a minimum. While the dogwood mural will create a spring-like atmosphere year-round, the courtyard will become an especially inviting space when the dogwood trees adjacent to the mural are in bloom.
Leo Berk rode his bike into Shoreline on the Interurban Trail, visited the Shoreline Historical Museum and was fascinated by the story of Shoreline’s 14-neighborhoods that officially incorporated into a city in 1995. Cloud Bank, his suspended sculpture located in the main lobby includes 14 independent shapes that coalesce into one intricate form, serving as a visual metaphor for the City’s creation and the independent and collaborative nature of the original neighborhoods.
The acrylic material used in the piece is translucent and lightly tinted, catching and focusing light at the edges of the piece for a strong, shifting accent of deep color.
The permanent artworks compliment a planned Gallery program that will feature exhibitions by regional artists on a rotating basis.
Linda Beaumont, Limelight, 2009 © Linda Beaumont
Leo Berk, Cloud Bank, 2009 © Leo Berk
Hello,
I appreciate the inclusion of the story on the dedication of the Shoreline City Hall and our two public art pieces in this issue. I am very impressed with our young city’s commitment to public art and especially to the selection of the Beaumont and Berk creations. The sculptures are strong, and I commend the work of the 4Culture staff in this process and in achieving these artistic outcomes.
I believe, however, the coverage could have had a more inclusive tone. I am on the Board of the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Arts Council, and while neither we nor the director of public art for the City of Shoreline was directly involved in the management of the project, both are intregal to arts and culture in Shoreline. For example, you mention that the new City Hall will include a gallery; that will be managed by our Arts Council, not the city or 4Culture. Second, another fine sculpture was also dedicated that day, developed as part of the overall building project. While not selected by 4Culture, it IS public art and the artist (Richard Hestekind) was included in remarks at the dedication by Beaumont, Berk and the 4Culture manager.
You get my drift. I feel the article is very respectful of the two artists, and self-serving of 4Culture’s role, without being inclusive of other cultural partners and participants and artists in this day of celebration.
Sincerely,
Bruce Amundson
Shoreline Lake Forest Park Arts Council Board (speaking only for myself)
Dear Mr. Amundson,
Our apologies for the oversight. While our blog is meant to highlight and make transparent 4Culture’s work, we had no intention of minimizing the significant contributions of the other partners involved in the City Hall project. We greatly respect the dedication of the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Arts Council or the City of Shoreline.
Thank you for writing in with your comments.
Cath Brunner
Public Art 4Culture