Statue installation at Salmon Bay Natural Area

Geeky Swedes Ballard

The 16-foot bronze welcome statue is being installed today at the Salmon Bay Natural Area, in time for Saturday’s dedication.

The sculpture at the Salmon Bay Natural Area still wrapped in plastic.

Groundswell NW and the City of Seattle commissioned Seattle artist Marvin Oliver to create the welcome sculpture. The figure will serve to identify Salmon Bay Natural Area while offering an aesthetic reminder to protect vulnerable watersheds. A glass disc depicting the salmon life cycle is oriented to face upstream, giving thanks to the salmon as they migrate out to sea and creating a visual connection to the waterway with color and light.

The dedication ceremony will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 17 at the Salmon Bay Natural Area, which sits at the 34th Ave NW shoreline west of the Ballard Locks. Duwamish tribal leader Cecile Hansen will be there to honor the unique artistry of the Salish people and our connection with the landscape.

The artwork is funded by the Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund and Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Arts program. (Thank you Dan for the photo!)

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

18 thoughts to “Statue installation at Salmon Bay Natural Area”

  1. Thank you! I saw this statue, wrapped in plastic, going down Market St in the back of a truck and wondered what the heck it was.

  6. motorrad, is complaining the only thing you do on myballard.com

    btw, i thought you were boycotting all BCoC members? i guess your boycott excludes MyBallard.com.

    please, if you’re gonna talk the talk, walk the walk….

  8. Gobigblue-you crack me up as do all DBs. Too bad your true colors are so mundane.

    Glad to use the resources as it costs nothing. Infiltrate.

  10. motorrad,

    my true colors are “mundane”. what does that mean exactly? and what are DBs? i take it it’s a derogatory acroynm…that’s really original.

    so what exactly have you accomplished by “infiltrating” myballard.com other than show everyone how uninformed you are?

    it’s actually you who crack everyone else up with your hypocritical posts.

    i actually sit on the board, as a volunteer, of a community-based non-profit in ballard.

    what do you do for the ballard community other than make complaints and factually incorrect statements about BCoC members? and call for a BCoC boycott on a BCoC-member web site?

  11. I made phone calls and spoke with involved people to find out for myself what is really going on with the trail. Many wouldn’t discuss it. Others took my calls. I have related the information in previous posts. I didn’t listen to rumor and didn’t fall for the the lies as it turns out. I made calls and had conversations for myself. So I am very informed. Unlike the people with knee jerk uneducated rants being conned. I don’t know about hypocritical. I didn’t attend the Seafest and I try very hard not to spend money in businesses the are BCC members. Using this forum does not put money in anyone’s pocket. Sitting on a board is still sitting.

  12. “sitting on a board is still sitting”

    fyi – bill gates “sits” on the boards of both microsoft and berkshire hathaway, bill’s father “sits” on the board of costco. warren buffet sits on the board of Coca Cola. so you’re saying they just sit around doing nothing based on a common word/phrase used to indicate membership in a board of directors.

    you’ve arleady shown you know very little about the purpose of local chambers of commerce. now you’ve shown you know very little about what it means to “sit” on a board of diretcors.

    again i ask, what positive things have you done for the community? the community that is concerned about far more pressing issues (crime, education, etc.) than the missing link?

  13. back to the subject. . .

    The piece is very well done!
    Great textures, colors, and proportions.

    Thanks to all, especially the artists, that made this happen!

  14. I like it.

    There is always someone who will bitch about everything. The world is half empty types, sad but it’s human nature. They are out there.

  15. Holding people accountable for their actions is a noble cause. Fact finding, sharing information and discussions are an essential component of a strong democracy and society. Finding out information for yourself rather than relying on others is not quick nor easy. You go Motorrad.

    It all comes down to exposing the BCC to the light of day and it ain’t pretty.

    Anyway, about the statue, I look forward to seeing it uncovered.

  16. I’m really excited to have the statue here. Marvin Oliver is one of my favorite artists. We needed some more public art in Ballard especially on this end.

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