Bitter Lake Community Engagement Artist
2022- Present Bitter Lake Reservoir park, Seattle WA
I’m working as a community engagement artist with tje Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Seattle Public Utilities, and Seattle Public Recreation to help identify and implement public art opportunities for a new park opening in North Seattle.
Since August 2023, I’ve met with various Bitter Lake community groups to brainstorm and learn about the desires for public art for the Bitter Lake Reservoir Improvement Project. Meetings with locals have included residents of the Interurban SHAG, Bitter Lake P-Patch Gardeners, residents of North Star Permanent Housing, Open House attendees, and members of the Eritrean community.
Through informal conversations, hands-on workshops, and public art surveys, community members have expressed a desire for public artwork(s) to:
celebrate the diversity of the neighborhood
tell history of the neighborhood
communicate the relationship to water at the site
provide opportunities for more community engagement and activity at the Bitter Lake Reservoir
I’m now collaborating with SPU and SPR to identify areas within the site where public art opportunities could take place. Next steps include:
working with the design team on a potential earthwork and fence treatment
beginning the artist selection process for four public art opportunities that have been prioritized by the community
sharing the selected artists in late 2024
This project is part of the City’s 1% for Art program, which specifies that 1% of eligible city capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks in a variety of settings.
