Public Art

Dick Weiss, 2008. 5th Avenue Parking Garage | After All, Life is Change represents a stained glass "bracelet" extending across the front facade of the entrance to Seattle Center's 5th Avenue N Garage. It's design highlights an undulating grid of hundreds of small, locally blown discs called rondelles. The window's theme is something Seattle knows a lot about: change. Sometimes it seems nothing is constant, all is in flux. "Round and round she goes, where it ends nobody knows." Enjoy the ride. Gift of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Administered by Seattle Center and Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Sarah Sze, 2005. Marion Oliver McCaw Hall | New York artist Sarah Sze created An Equal and Opposite Reaction, suspended in the grand lobby of McCaw Hall, home to Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Each section of the suspended sculpture is constructed of hollow aluminum bars, filled with highly articulated fabricated parts and found objects, such as pushpins, rulers, zip ties, ladders, extension cords, industrial clamps, faux flowers, and tape measures. The vortex structure of the work sweeps the viewer's gaze up into the space above. The artwork was built by Seattle Opera Scenic Studios, one of the most innovative scene shops in the country, and Sze realized the importance of having her sculpture in the hands of a team with technological expertise and artistic acumen. Funded by Seattle Center 1% for Art. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Mindy Lehrman Cameron, 2008. Outside Seattle Rep at Warren Street | The 12-foot monument that honors celebrated playwright August Wilson, features an historical timeline of the ten plays he premiered at nearby Seattle Repertory Theatre, each play representing a decade of 20th Century African American experience. The artist was hired by the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theater, Seattle Center, and Constanza Romero Wilson (August Wilson’s widow) to design an art piece for this site. The red door of the piece “belongs” to Aunt Ester, a spirit cleanser who lives to 322 years old in Wilson’s plays. The bronze welcome mat says that we might be lost but Aunt Ester knows the way. The Portal is made of steel and weighs 3000 pounds, in deference to Wilson’s childhood in Pittsburgh and the substantial weight of his ideas. The letterbox on the door is replaced with a “stories” box so that people may virtually leave their stories and pass healthfully into their futures along August Wilson Way.

Laura Haddad & Tom Drugan, 2021. Northwest corner of Climate Pledge Arena Plaza | Located in the northwest corner of the Climate Pledge Arena plaza and visible from 1st Avenue N., Axis Lounge is conceived as a microcosm of the Arena environment. Offering immersive visual, aural, interactive and collective experiences, this place-based artwork, with its sculptural and tactile forms, will create an iconic backdrop for plaza gatherings and performances. Axis Lounge will have an inviting and energetic atmosphere that encourages people to come together, converse, and relax. The elements of the multi-media installation juxtapose vibrant and varied colors, textures and forms to depict a metaphoric overlay of sports and music. Individual components loosely express colors and emotions as described in Seattle musician Jimi Hendrix’s seminal song, “Bold as Love.” Axis Lounge’s light colors will vary from night-to-night and moment-to-moment, depending on both Arena happenings and civic events. This art space will be a place to convene with friends before or after an Arena event, or enjoy alone on a sunny afternoon. The artists also created “Northlight” at CPA, and authored “New Arena at Seattle Center Public Art Plan” - acting as art consultants to the Arena redevelopment project. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

James W. Washington, Jr., 1964. Cornish Playhouse Courtyard | Carved boulder depicting a bird resides in the courtyard near the Fountain of Creation. A Gift to the City of Seattle from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Roland Smith. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Artists unknown, 1961. Located inside Armory Food Hall | This artwork is a three-ton portion of the wall that once divided Berlin, Germany, donated by German businessman Achim Becker in 1990. It originally stood at Potsdamer Platz / Checkpoint Charlie. At 12.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, it weighs about 8000 pounds. The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 in the deep phase of the Cold War between East and West Germany, and was known as the “Iron Curtain”- the prison surrounding the 17 million people of East Germany. About 200 people were shot while trying to escape the terror regime. The Wall was destroyed by the peaceful German revolution in November 1989.

Deborah Mersky, 2002. Fisher Pavilion | This 112 square feet of marble and Italian glass mosaic tile refers metaphorically to the multiple origins of Seattle's people. It reminds us that our history is present in the accumulated generations of plants surrounding us. The plants are rendered in tile by Steven Miotto from Mersky’s drawings. Among them are cedar, yew, fig, rosemary, pine, collard leaves, mint, lemon grass, plum and apple. The work appears on the outside of the building, and then extends inside Fisher Pavilion as a frieze called Twine and Branch, running the length of the interior southern facing wall. Commissioned with Seattle Center 1% for Arts Funds administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Douglas R. Taylor, 2008. Fisher Pavilion Rooftop | Bird Song Listening Station is a kinetic sculpture that harnesses the renewable energy sources of wind and sunlight to power an interactive listening station. The breezes that fill and turn the sculpture's three 15-foot steel and polyester sails create energy to operate a small generator that supplies power to the sculpture's audio components. Participants activate the nearby listening station by standing beneath its sound dome and pressing the "play" button. A digital recording of calling songs taken from a variety of western finches fills the dome. The dome references the western plane trees that grow near the sculpture site, a common source for the seeds the finches feed upon during the autumn months. Solar panels mounted on the artwork act as a back-up when there isn't sufficient wind to turn the sails. Funded by Seattle Center 1% for Art.

Ronald Bladen, 1981. Broad Street Green | This striking monumental sculpture stands in the shadow of the Space Needle, its simple z-shape outlining the iconic form of lightning. Sharp edges formed from the juncture of acute angles create alternating planes of light and shadow, animating the black steel bolt with the flicker of contrasting illumination. The sculpture is supported by two polygonal bases reminiscent, in their angular solidity, of blacksmith's anvils. Bladen described Black Lightning as "mainly a visual experience," a statement strengthened by the play of light, shadow and space that the massive sculpture evokes by means of simple shapes and basic black. Funded by Seattle Center 1% for Art and the National Endowment for the Arts. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Roark Congdon, 2000. Seattle Center Skate Plaza | Six bronze figures depict silhouettes of skateboarders in various classic skating positions, scattered throughout the Plaza. Originally created for SeaSk8, Seattle Center’s first skatepark, on the site that later became the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters. The artwork was moved and reconfigured for this Seattle Center Skate Plaza in 2021. Funded with Seattle Center capital funds.

Francois Stahly, 1962. Founders Court | This carved stone cairn was originally featured as part of the Lang Fountain on the grounds of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. It's since been repurposed as a stand-along object of art, nestled in Founders Court between Cornish Playhouse and The Phelps Center. Swiss sculptor, François Stahly, received numerous commissions for public works both in Europe and America. His sculptures take on an organic appearance displaying Stahly's fascination with obscure forms and patterns in nature. He was one of the founders of Art Informal, which proposed a pure form of expressionistic abstraction. In memory of Julius C. Lang 1872-1929.

Garth Edwards with Ray Serrano, 1993. Seattle Children's Theatre | Painted steel cutouts adorn the exterior of Seattle Children's Theatre, along with ceramic murals on the walls and a series of unique boulder-like faces. Inside the building, bright red, cut-steel “story-board” railings run the entire length of the second floor balcony, backlit cut-steel door frames illuminate the auditorium entryways, and a series of cut-steel ventilation grills compliment the concession stand. Outside the building, mauve, cut-steel roof scuppers and canopy support brackets shaped as strange creatures-nicknamed “Garthgoyles”, greet approaching guests, as does a massive, colorful, glazed ceramic mural created by Edwards and local ceramic artist Ray Serrano surrounding the theater’s main entrance. At a distance, the images merge into decorative curves, shapes and abstract patterns while up close, human, animal and plant-like characters emerge in a cartoon-like silhouette: dinosaurs, fish, deer, dogs, cats, and whales; flowers, trees, and leaves; stars, hillsides, clouds, and oceans; figures with hats, bow-ties all playfully coexist. Funded by Seattle City Light 1% For Art Program. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Norie Sato, 2021. Uptown Portal on westside of Climate Pledge Arena | An abstraction based on science, this mosaic wall evokes the idea of bodies in motion, the energy of sports, the beauty of the attraction, and the movement within a city. The image looks abstract, yet it is based on reality, on “images” of particle collisions and subatomic and atomic movement and the creation of energy which we are unable to see with the human eye. Norie Sato was born in Sendai, Japan in 1949 and immigrated to the United States. She moved to Seattle in 1972 and received her MFA degree in Printmaking and Video from the University of Washington in 1974. Since then she has lived and worked in Seattle and has been involved with public art. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Sabah Al-Dhaher, 2003. Peace Garden | The Peace Garden, located in the southeast portion of campus near the base of the Space Needle, boasts several works of art, including this one, speaking to the hope of everlasting peace in the Middle East. The artwork is a graceful twist of Italian marble about 30 x 8 inches standing atop a natural column of black basalt. It depicts two rectangular leaves, very much alike yet different in texture. They are intertwining and reaching toward the sky. Peace is engraved in Arabic, English and Hebrew along with the names of Arabic & Jewish participating children. It was dedicated on Children’s Peace Day, October 23, 2003.

Pacific Arts Center, Anne Gould Hauberg, Chair & Seattle Public Schools, 1984. Armory North Entrance atrium | With funding from Washington State, King County, and Seattle Arts Commissions, this series of ceramic wall hangings was made by students at Green Lake, Madrona, Montlake, and University Heights Alternative Elementary Schools, along with Seattle High School apprentices. Coordinating artist was Maggie Smith, Poet-in-Residence was Paul Hansen.

Nick Marra, 2018. Eastside of MoPop | Chris Cornell (1964-2017) was one of the most prolific songwriters and greatest voices of the modern rock era. Born and raised in Seattle, Cornell discovered music at a young age. As a founding member and frontman of Soundgarden, he became one of the architects of the grunge movement. His songs and voice ignited the alternative rock scene and helped put Seattle on the map as one of the world’s great music cities. Cornell’s work with Soundgarden, as well as Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and his own solo career, greatly impacted popular music and will continue to inspire future artists and bands for generations to come. Commissioned and donated by Vicky Cornell, widow of Chris Cornell, as a memorial and is part of the museum’s permanent collection of artifacts.

Megan Kelso, 2021. Eastside of Climate Pledge Arena | Crow Commute is a long mural of etched stainless steel panels that will add up to a portrait of the city that will work as both a timeline and a map. There will be 21 panels (10 inches high X 4 feet long) for 85 feet that span Seattle history from 1969 to today. Kelso is a Seattle-based comic book artist. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Marlin Peterson, 2012 (repainted 2023). Armory Roof | This mural is an optical illusion of 2 greatly enlarged harvestmen standing aloft across the Armory's roof. The only angle to view this "trompe l'oeil" art is from the Space Needle Observation Deck. The painting depicts a male and female Opiliones, fascinating and common arachnids throughout the world also known as "daddy long legs". Despite having 8 legs, they are not spiders and are more closely related to ticks and scorpions. The slightly more colorful figure closer to Climate Pledge Arena is the male, who also has more prominent chelicerae- the spiky appendages jutting out from the front. The artist created large wire and wood models in order to render and cast a realistic shadow, which greatly assists in the 3D effect. The harvestmen and their shadows are just 2-dimensional flat-sheened paint, but looking down from the Space Needle on a sunny day gives doubts to some onlookers that they indeed might be sculptures.

Leni Schwendinger, 2003. Kreielsheimer Promenade by Marion Oliver McCaw Hall | This installation of programmable lighting projected onto metal mesh scrims frames the promenade. With this work, Schwendinger expands upon Color Field painting and color theory explorations with the aid of new materials and technology. In July of 2017, with generous support from Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, Seattle Center and McCaw Hall replaced the lighting in the Kreielsheimer Promenade with an LED- based lighting system with the goal of achieving significant energy and maintenance savings while creating a new artistic palette for lighting design to be curated by the McCaw Hall Operating Board. Rico Chiarelli created the initial design sequences with technical and artistic contribution from Dominic Iacono. The fixtures were specified by Leni Schwendinger, who returned to create sequences with the new installation in fall of 2017. The new installation uses roughly 20% of the power of original scrim lighting and requires minimal maintenance. By utilizing ETC Luster LED fixtures with 7 color mixing capability, nearly any color of the rainbow can be projected on and through the scrims. Funded by Seattle Center 1% for Art. Collaborative Design Team: Mark Reddington, Lead Designer, LMN Architects; Robert Israel, Theatrical Designer; Katherine Gustafson, Landscape Designer; Deborah Sussman, Interior Designer. Leadership Partners: Virginia Anderson, Seattle Center; Speight Jenkins, Seattle Opera; Kent Stowell, Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Everett DuPen. McCaw Hall | The sculptures in the beloved DuPen fountain are stored away for the arena renovation, but Everett DuPen’s work is now represented in McCaw Hall. Visitors can view the largest, Form in Linear Movement, from the exterior promenade as they walk past McCaw Hall. The other three sculptures, Singers, Dancers and Pas de Deux are in the upper lobbies. The sculptures are a gift from the DuPen Family Foundation to Seattle Center Foundation, with funding for moving and installation provided by the McCaw Hall Operating Board. The four bronze artworks include: Dancers (1940), Singers (1939-40), Form in Linear Movement (1974) and Pas de Duex (1976).

Inspired by David Lemon, 2016. Outside Space Needle | In 1960, Seattle architect Victor Steinbrueck was hired by John Graham & Company to work toward the final design concepts for the centerpiece of the 1962 Seattle's World's Fair, the Space Needle. Steinbrueck found his inspiration for the tower's standing form in a small wooden sculpture by artist David Lemon, called "Feminine One”, created in 1950. Lemon's work, the inspiration for this bronze sculpture, abstractly depicts a dancer in motion, with three legs rising to a narrow waist and arms reaching upward. In Steinbrueck's sketch, the dancing figure became three figures leaning back together, giving the Space Needle its iconic form. Commissioned by and on loan from the family of Howard S. Wright.

Egon Weiner, 1962. Exhibition Hall Lawn | A slender bronze Flame sits atop a granite pedestal, centered in a garden space surrounded by trees. This sculpture was initially installed at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, a gift by Building Construction Magazine in recognition of the fair’s architectural and engineering achievements. Egon Weiner (1906-1987) was an American sculptor and professor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Perri Lynch Howard, 2009. Seattle Center Skate Plaza | This artwork is inspired by and reflective of skateboards themselves – a series of laminated, safety glass panels that display imagery drawn from skateboard decks. The artist collected images for the artwork from digital scans of the marks and patterns found on the underside of used skateboards and placed this digital imagery throughout the glass panels. “The chips, scrapes and gauges stand as a record of the determination it takes to master tricks and make the sport look easy. Images of broken skateboard decks draw attention to the wear and tear it takes to hone one’s movements into the high-velocity grace of skateboarding.” Funded with Seattle Center 1% for Art and Seattle Center capital funds.

Explore the many waterworks on campus, which include: International Fountain, Fountain of Creation, Fountain of Seseragi, Encircled Stream Fountain, Fountain of the Northwest, and more!

John Fleming, 2002. Harrison Street Entrance | The vibrant colors of Grass Blades act as a marker to Seattle Center’s Harrison Street Entrance. The silver bellows of Frank Gehry’s MoPOP Museum create a quiet background while the iconic Space Needle marks Seattle’s center. This 145-foot long and surprisingly flexible screen wall is made up of 110 thirty-foot tall steel blades and draws people into the Center and park day and night. The artwork received an AIA award and has become an iconic and popular photo opportunity for the Center. Commissioned by Seattle Center with project management by RBF Architecture and painting consultation by Susan Zoccola.

Artist unknown, 1963. Pacific Northwest Ballet entrance | Stone sculptures of two guardian lions rendered in the classic Chinese style of sculpture. According to Feng Shui, guardian lions are a symbol of protection. Traditionally placed in front of Imperial palaces, temples, or government offices, guardian lions were a symbol of wealth and status. These two lions sit in centuries-old poses with a paw resting on an embroidered ball. The Lions were carved by Chinese artisans under the supervision of the Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center, and given to the City of Seattle as a memento of their participation in the Seattle World’s Fair. Seattle City Councilmember Wing Luke was instrumental in the City receiving the gift in 1963. They have resided in their current location in front of the Phelps Center since 1974.

Rita Kepner, 1975. Armory Center Theatre Entrance | The abstract form of the human torso is made from steatite, a native Washington stone that is softer than marble: "When I'm done, it will be an abstract form based on a human body. I'm going to take all the lines and curves I think are beautiful and put them in this basic shape." The artist began with a 3,500 pound stone, and with cooperation from the Downtown Seattle Development Association, she was able to work in a closed off area of the Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle. This entailed the assistance of the City Engineering Department in terms of cleanup, and a wonderful crew from Woodland Park Shops of the Seattle Park Department who assisted with a 10,000 lb. crane lift in changing the position of the stone as needed during the five-month project. Provided by Seattle Arts Commission's Artist in the City Program through CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) funds. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Rick L. Williams (lead artist, working with community), 2012. Broad Street Green North | The John T. Williams Memorial Pole was erected to raise awareness of the traditions, history, and culture of Seattle’s native populations. Williams, a First Nations woodcarver, was fatally shot by a Seattle police officer in August 2010. Williams was carrying a knife and a piece of wood when he was shot. Carved by Williams’ family and friends, the 34-foot pole includes depictions of a perched eagle, mother raven and a figure of a woodcarver. The gift of the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project was funded through private donations. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Artist unknown, 1962. Near the south wall of Cornish Playhouse | Housed within a small, traditional temple pagoda, the cylindrical Kobe Bell is a tribute to the goodwill and friendship fostered by Seattle's sister city partnership with Kobe, Japan. The partnership was formed in the decades following World War II, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower called upon municipal governments to reach out to cities around the world in order to develop ties with both traditional friends and recent enemies. Seattle Mayor Gordon Clinton and a committee of citizens extended an invitation to Kobe, Japan based on its rich history as a seaport and historical commitment to the arts. In 1957, Kobe's Mayor Haraguchi accepted, forming Seattle's first sister-city relationship. In 1962, when Seattle hosted the World's Fair, Kobe sent the wooden structure and cast bronze bell as a commemorative gift. The bell is richly ornamented with bands punctuated by rosettes partitioning its surface. Bronze studs and a curled dragon decorate the upper portion, while bas-relief designs of drum- and flute-playing Japanese gods adorn the lower portions. The middle section contains a dedication written in both Japanese and English: "Presented by the People of Kobe to the People of Seattle as a Symbol of Friendship. May this bell ring forever signifying friendship between the nations of the United States and Japan."

Preston Singletary & David Franklin, 2021. Southwest Plaza Climate Pledge Arena | The Pacific Giant Octopus is one of the legendary creatures of our Salish Sea. This otherworldly artwork, positioned on a lower southwest plaza along Thomas Street adjacent to the Arena ticket office, will greet visitors arriving primarily from the southwest. Preston Singletary is a Native American glass artist. David Franklin collaborates with Singletary on his public art commissions, and brings his experience with graffiti, native sculptures and graphics. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Jeffrey Veregge, 2021. Southeast Vestibule of Climate Pledge Arena | Culminating a prominent arena exit sequence, Legacy will be a large immersive mural depicting Our Trees as witness to stories spanning Indigenous to Futurist. Jeffrey Veregge (born 1974) is a Native American Coast Salish artist known for his bold blend of Northwest Coast formline and pop-culture figures. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Leslie Nan Moon, 2024. 5th Avenue | Seattle Monorail Services has partnered with Seattle Center and the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development to showcase local art on the historic Seattle Center Monorail guideway columns. The Monorail Column Mural Project is part of the City’s efforts to support the economic and cultural recovery of downtown Seattle by activating the 5th Avenue corridor. Artwork is located on 14 monorail columns along 5th Avenue between Broad Street and Pine Street. Monorail column murals were created by local linocut artist and instructor, Leslie Nan Moon. The murals highlight cultural activities, community organizations, festivals, and attractions at Seattle Center and around the city.

Doris Chase, 1999. Broad Street Green | Moon Gates by Doris Chase is an abstract group of three bronze sculptures that plays with oppositions inspired by space and form. Two sculptures with convex surfaces, one rhomboid and one ovoid, are each pierced by a circular hole. The concave surface of the third sculpture also contains a round void at its center, but its missing piece can be found attached to the top of the sculpture on a bearing that allows it to rotate. The juxtaposition of positive and negative spaces with circular and rectangular forms creates a dynamism that stimulates the mind and invites the viewer to sit, stand and play among the forms. Moon Gates was a gift to the City of Seattle from the Kreielsheimer Foundation and the Space Needle Corporation. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Tony Smith, 1975. Broad Street Green | Tony Smith's 5,500 pound abstract sculpture is a collection of oblique planes and geometric volumes united to create a multifaceted surface in black steel. The artwork gets its name from the parallel upright forms that suggest horns in Michelangelo's Moses. His representation came from a mistranslation of a Hebrew word that described Moses as having rays of light coming from his head. The Seattle Art Museum's Contemporary Art Council first commissioned a plywood mock-up of Moses in 1968 for an exhibition planned for their Art Museum Pavilion. This temporary model was exhibited each of the following years at Bumbershoot until 1972. At that time, the Art in Public Places Committee recommended to the Seattle Arts Commission that a permanent version of Moses be created in steel. Upon its installation in 1975, the sculpture became the first major public art acquisition under Seattle's 1% for Art program. Funded by Seattle Center 1% for Art, Contemporary Art Council of Seattle Art Museum, Virginia Wright Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and AIA - Seattle Chapter. Preserved with support from the Target Stores and the National Endowment for the Arts. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Stephen Antonakos, 1983. Bagley Wright Theater (Seattle Rep) facade | Artist Stephen Antonakos' red neon arabesques, dashed lines and right angles seem to float across the top of the Bagley Wright Theatre. Their lively geometry acts as an effective counterpoint to the formal symmetry of the building's façade—a front elevation punctuated by a series of green bands ranging in hue from pale sage to bright apple. Deep burgundy joints delineate each shift in shade, creating a subtle foil to the green façade, a contrast emphasized by the cherry red glow of the neon. The medium itself also plays with the stylized patterns formed from neon tubing used on the old fashioned marquees of Broadway theaters—a design choice that evokes the rich tradition of the American stage. Antonakos worked closely with the project architects, NBBJ, to produce a neon sculpture that complements the postmodern architectural style of the building. Funded by a Seattle Center Bond and Seattle Arts Commission 1% for Art. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Note: this artwork is currently un-installed for repairs and refurbishment and will be restored by fall of 2025.

Gloria Bornstein, 1995. International Fountain | Two bronze whales, a mother and her calf, appear to swim through the lawn bordering Seattle Center's International Fountain, their backs cresting above concrete pavers inlaid to resemble the surface patterns of water. The smooth, broad backs of the animals are near-life size, heightening the sense that the whales are indeed traveling beneath Center grounds. This imagery evokes a Native American myth of an ancient underground spring located nearby that allowed whales to travel between Elliot Bay and Lake Union. The myth, written in both English and Lushootseed (Salish Native American language), is inlaid in bronze letters on the cast-concrete tail of the mother whale. The whales interact directly with their surroundings, merging with the visitor's environment and encouraging people to walk and play among them. Funded by Seattle Center Levy 1% for Art and construction funds. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Gloria Bornstein, 2002. East of Seattle Children’s Theatre | Gloria Bornstein based the concept of the Neototems Children's Garden on a Native American legend of whales swimming underground, connecting the salt water of Elliott Bay with the fresh water of Lake Union. The whale whose tail appears in the Children's Garden is part of a pod represented in Bornstein's first Seattle Center sculpture Neototems (1995) which features two large bronze whales located on the west side of the International Fountain. The Neototems Children's Garden is a maze of paths through landscaped gardens leading to a bronze, five-foot tall baby whale tail fountain enhanced by water cascading down the rounded lip of the tail, mimicking a breaching or surfacing whale. The gardens surrounding the figure provide a place of discovery for children, including a series of "tidal pool" sculptures featuring small bronzes of a seahorse, an octopus, a flying pig, a hermit crab, and a family of three blowfish. Funded by Seattle Center 1% Percent for Art. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Laura Haddad & Tom Drugan, 2021. North truss of Climate Pledge Arena | North Light is a light-based art installation for Climate Pledge Arena’s north architectural truss. Dynamic color-changing light will wash all faces of the concrete structure. Images and colors inspired by Seattle Center history and team identities will be projected onto the upper center of the truss. These will be visible when the Arena’s north curtain is open, primarily during a sporting events. The light show programming will be tied to nightly Arena events such as goals and baskets scored; as well as civic events, holidays and other occurrences. The artists also created “Axis Lounge” at CPA, and authored “New Arena at Seattle Center Public Art Plan” - acting as art consultants to the Arena redevelopment project. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Alexander Liberman, 1984. West of the Space Needle | Alexander Liberman's largest sculpture, Olympic Iliad, is a monumental agglomeration of 41 steel cylinders ranging in size from 48 inches to 64 inches in diameter located on the lawn (originally a lagoon) surrounding the base of the sculpture. Liberman, known for his use of industrially manufactured materials, used giant steel cylinders cut at varying angles and lengths, piled on top of each other with three points touching the ground for support, painted them an industrial red, and assembled them to form an immense structure than one can walk around and underneath. A similar artwork of Liberman's, Iliad, can be found at the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, New York. Olympic Iliad was funded through private contributions, Seattle Center 1% for Art, and Seattle Center Foundation. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Unknown, 1996. Located in the Peace Garden | One of hundreds of such poles located around the world by the Goi Peace Foundation of Tokyo, depicting the words "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four languages, English, Japanese, Spanish and Russian. The garden in which it sits was designed in 1996 and is meant to be a quiet contemplative area. The cobblestones surrounding the Pole were salvaged from the original Seattle Center International Fountain during its renovation in the Nineties.

William Sildar, 1975. Armory North entrance | Laminated wood structure, located in the Armory north entrance lobby depicts a variety of abstracted human-like forms. Sildar was City of Seattle’s Artist-in-Residence in 1975. The work was dedicated December 12, 1975 by Wes Uhlman, Mayor.

Iole Alessandrini, 2021. Southeast plaza of Climate Pledge Arena | The inspiration behind The Raven and the Light, a meditative gathering space in the SE plaza, is the Raven – a mythological figure celebrated among various cultures, including by the Greeks and Romans as a constellation known as Corvus. The Raven symbolizes creation and the underworld and brings light where before there was darkness. A shape-shifter and a trickster, Raven is the quintessential actor, “holding court” in the Green Room. Standing or sitting amongst The Raven and the Light’s illuminated benches and paving, the art invites us to stand on the threshold between earth and sky, myth and reality, to play the drama as well as witness the spectacle of human life. Using a phone app, the Corvus constellation can also be mapped in the sky during the day and onto the ground at night. The virtual room with its interactive features unlocks universal myths and infinite spaces. A 15’-square dark gray stone court flush with the adjacent paving, grounds the space. Angled lines of animated, color-changing light punctuate the stone. An arc of in-grade lights that begins in the Green Room stretches into the adjacent plaza area, representing the movement of the constellation and beckoning people in. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Duane Pasco with Victor Mowatt and Earl Muldon, 1970. SW corner of Seattle Center Armory | The Seattle Center Totem is a 30-foot-high pole carved in the Pacific Northwest coast Indian tradition. It features from top to bottom Hawk, Bear (holding a salmon), Raven and Killer Whale. Traces of the original bright red and black paint are still visible but undeniably faded. The once well-defined designs of the hand-carved wood have been smoothed by years of wind, rain and sun. This natural weathering is not meant to be viewed as an indication of neglect but rather as a sign of respect in accordance with Native American tradition that totems be left to age gracefully. Seattle Center Totem was funded by the Seattle Arts Commission.

Paul Horiuchi, 1962. Mural Amphitheatre | Artist Paul Horiuchi designed the 60 foot long cycloramic Seattle Mural in 1962. Born in Japan, Horiuchi moved to Seattle in 1946 where he studied Zen and became involved with the arts community. In the mid-1950s, Horiuchi began working in collage, a technique that would later become his signature. The Seattle Mural was commissioned for the Mural Amphitheatre, designed by Seattle architect Paul Thiry. Horiuchi's design originally began as a collage of multicolored torn paper before it was enlarged and reworked into 54 brightly colored panels of Venetian glass fabricated in Italy, that were then cemented to a freestanding cycloramic wall. Using 160 color variations, Horiuchi intended the mural to evoke the natural beauty and colors of the Northwest. The mural acted then and now as a sound-reflecting acoustic backdrop for the amphitheatre stage. The Seattle Mural was funded by a gift of Century 21 Corporation. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Gerard Tsutakawa, 2021. East Plaza of Climate Pledge Arena | The East Greeter, adjacent to 2nd Avenue N running through Seattle Center, is a derivative in an “Ocean Series.” Water is the basic fluid of all living organisms. This sculptural abstraction visually relates to the movement of waves on water. Seattle is surrounded by water in the Sound, the lakes and rivers. The SeaWave sculpture is intended to be a strong allegory to movement and our waters, in an easy to read approachable form. The welded silicon bronze sculpture is 7’-high, 9’6”-wide, and 1’9” deep and includes a central hole for interactive experiences. Commissioned and funded by Oak View Group and the Seattle Kraken.

Dan Corson, 2013. Pacific Science Center | Located at the foot of Seattle’s Space Needle and a defining entry sculpture to the Pacific Science Center. The project was developed as a dynamic and educational focal piece that would extend the Science Center’s education outside of their building. Created by Seattle-based artist Dan Corson, these sun loving blooms use regionally manufactured, custom solar panels to generate their own power, allowing them to glow throughout the evening. Each flower top contains 48 solar cells that produce 4.6 Wp (watts at peak production) for a total of 1,104 Wp for all five flowers. Sonic Bloom combines art and science to help educate about solar energy in the Pacific Northwest and inspire people to consider how they can incorporate renewable energy into their lives. This project was made possible by a grant from Seattle City Light’s Green Up program.

Horace Washington, 1995. Founders Court | Washington designed a curvilinear relief pattern in seating/planter elements in Founders Court. Included in the pattern are inset granite disks that match the courtyard’s stone pavers. The untitled artwork portrays the pattern of earth strata exposed by erosion, reflecting the meandering granite pattern in the Court’s pathway. The artist also incorporated two bronze medallions adapted from George Tsutakawa’s “Century 21” coin design for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair into 6-foot diameter medallions at either end of the Court. Provided by Seattle Center Levy 1% for Art, Water Department 1% for Art, and construction funds. Administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Artist Unknown, c.1962. Northwest Courtyard | These three light sculptures are a remnant from the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Affectionately referred to as “Neon Atoms”, several sculptures of this sort appeared at the Century 21 Exhibition, including two constellation-like sculptures atop the Memorial Stadium roof and three enormous flower pots containing neon flowers along Show Street. The sculptures were preserved, restored, and re-installed in their current home in the upper courtyard as part of the public-private partnership to renovate Climate Pledge Arena. While the original artist and fabricators are unknown, the neon sculptures hearken back to the space-age theme of the Seattle World’s Fair, and speak to Seattle Center’s continuing celebration of science, technology and art.

Harold Balazs, 1980. Outside Space Needle | As the name suggests, Harold Balazs invites the viewer to walk around and enjoy his playful bronze sculpture from various perspectives. During the Seattle World’s Fair held here, at Seattle Center, in 1962, Balazs’ artwork was displayed across the fairgrounds. He installed a wooden relief at the entrance to the Forest Industries Theater, a large public sculpture entitled Screwtape in the First National Bank sculpture exhibit, and Glyph No. 2, was featured in the Northwest Art Today exhibit in the Fine Arts Pavilion. Balazs was a champion of public art as a State Arts Commissioner and created some of the most iconic sculptures across Seattle and Spokane.

Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace, 2018. Outside Space Needle | Water's Edge, Year's Round was commissioned and installed by Chihuly Garden and Glass and is located at the base of the Space Needle. The sculptors used real branches and tree stumps to create bronze molds for this homage to the Pacific Northwest landscape.