Public art

In 1973, King County adopted legislation creating the 1% for Art Program, where 1 percent of certain project costs is set aside to purchase and display public art that visually enhances our facilities.

In our growing region, it's no longer possible for wastewater facilities to be "out of site and out of mind". Public art helps our facilities fit into existing communities, which is where they need to go to serve our customers. Incorporating public art in project plans makes our facilities good neighbors and protects the quality of life for people who live or work nearby. Public art has even been shown to deter vandalism.

Here are some examples of how the division includes public art in its facilities.

• West Seattle Pump Station
• North Creek Pump Station, Bothell
• Pacific Pump Station "Pacific Fountain"
• Henderson Pump Station "Quest for Clean Water", Seattle
• Interurban Avenue Pump Station, Tukwila

West Seattle Pump station   

In her design Water -- the Essence of Life at the West Seattle Pump Station, artist Susan Point worked in her own Coast Salish art style to pay tribute to Native American tribes of this area. The land, sea and sky are represented through animal motifs and a human face in a relief mural on the building façade, wing walls and a facility gate. The imagery is intended to show the integration between man and nature.

The attractive elements on the facility help enhance an emerging neighborhood with an interesting mixture of residential, industrial and recreational areas

North Creek Pump Station, Bothell

The North Creek Pump Station in Bothell is an example of how King County has built public art into its facilities. Artist Norie Sato worked collaboratively with the project's design team to integrate the architecture and landscape with the facility's purpose to push wastewater through the system and onto South Plant in Renton for treatment.

The roof of the building is sloped to capture rainwater, where it cascades down the sculpture, over a base of rocks and into a drain. The sculpture is only "active" after rainy weather. The piece illustrates the connection between the rain, water flowing to our system, and the additional need for pump stations and pipes. The art piece and the building's attractive brick façade help this industrial facility blend into its surroundings in a business park and nearby sports fields.

Pacific Pump Station "Pacific Fountain"

© Paul Sorey, Pacific Fountain , 2004, Stainless steel, concrete, slate, plantings, King County Public Art Collection

Artist Paul Sorey designed a community gathering place, including a sculptural fountain, benches, pergola and garden. The plant forms of the squash blossom and peapods, reminiscent of the area's agriculture heritage, inspired the artwork. Originally conceived to be placed at the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) pump station, the community and DNRP agreed to place the artwork off-site at the City Hall. This decision created an opportunity for Pacific to build their first public artwork in a more central and prominent location. The majority of the resources required to build the project came from technical support from King County, the Mayor and City Council and local donors and volunteers.

Henderson Pump Station "Quest for Clean Water", Seattle

Part of the 2002 Henderson/M.L. King Combined Sewer Overflow Control project included upgrading and expanding the existing Henderson Pump Station in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood. The original 1970s brick sculpture on the west side of the Henderson Pump Station, "Quest for Clean Water" by well-known local artist Richard S. Beyer, is more visible for public view and framed by added architectural details and landscaping.

Interurban Avenue Pump Station, Tukwila

The intent of Water Carry is to enhance the civic presence of the Interurban Avenue Pump Station (built in 1995) on the Duwamish River. As a welcoming threshold that informs and reveals the utility, Water Carry invites motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to see how the pump station serves as a vital function to water quality in the area and specifically the Duwamish River. The artwork tells the story of the site using carefully chosen symbols about water and its significance in Native American mythology, the role of the Duwamish River in shaping Tukwila's history and the pump station's function in purifying water. Water Carry is seen through a tableau of objects sitting on a richly patterned rug representing a river motif.

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