There were 10 of us on the Public Art Walk-n-Talk yesterday, August 3, 2014, launching our FOURTH YEAR of Walk-n-Talks! We haven’t missed a single month in three years. We’ve had as few as 5 of us in the pouring rain, and as many as 65 of us starting the New Year together in January.
We all enjoyed the Public Art Walk-n-Talk and thought it was a wonderful way to get to know Burien. All of us walkers saw things in Burien that we hadn’t noticed before, and enjoyed having art and design pointed out, where it shows up in even the smallest of details.
Along the way, walkers slid down the slide in the middle of Dottie Harper Park, splashed in the water zone at Town Square Park, and found their “frog totem” carved in granite, among many other things.
One woman has been driving down from Ballard for our Walk-n-Talks. She enjoys them so much, and likes the community of the walks, that she’s considering moving to Burien!
Along our route, when passing through Burien Town Square, we all jumped into the red highlight on the sidewalk, cast by the top-piece of the basket-inspired “Helios Pavilion” by James Harrison.
If you haven’t done the walking tour of the public art here in Burien yet, pick up a walking map at the community center, City Hall, Burien Arts Gallery in Olde Burien or local business locations. Then take a stroll and EXPLORE!
You can also DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE MAP HERE
The City of Burien made a commitment in 1998 to bring art to the community with its 1% for Art Program. Similar to municipal projects around the country, 1% of selected city project costs are set aside to be used on public art projects. The Burien Arts Commission is a volunteer advisory board appointed by the City Council that has the responsibility to recommend artworks that can expand a viewer’s visual experience.
For further information about the artists, materials and artwork, as well as additional photos, please visit the Burien Public Art web site:
www.burienpublicart.net
Art & Photo Credits:
City of Burien • www.burienwa.gov
4Culture • www.4culture.org
*Select Art from the King County Public Art Collection, King County, Washington
King County Library System • www.kcls.org
Michael Brunk • www.nwlens.com
Brochure Design, Cover & Select Photos:
Maureen Hoffmann • www.kunstdame.com
