July 17, 2010, 10 AM to Noon

Join Duwamish tribal leader Cecile Hansen to celebrate the installation of a major new artwork “A Salish Welcome” by Marvin Oliver at the Salmon Bay Natural Area.

Location: On the south side of NW 54th St. at 34th Ave NW, next to The Canal.
Contact: Dave Boyd, 498-6636, dave.boyd1@comcast.net

Due to some last minute fabrication hitches, the dedication of the sculpture at the Salmon Bay Natural Area has been postponed from June 12 to July 17.

Marvin Oliver, a renowned artist of Quinault heritage, is creating a welcome figure to celebrate the transformative powers of the salmon life cycle and to remind all of us of the stories, history, and creativity inherent in local indigenous cultures.  Groundswell NW will celebrate this installation with a dedication ceremony on Saturday, July 17 from 10 to noon at the Salmon Bay Natural Area.

Salmon Bay Natural Area is part of a collective effort with Seattle Public Utilities and other agencies to preserve habitat for the life cycle of Puget Sound salmon.  The project, located at the 34th Avenue NW shoreline street end, preserves and enhances nearly 700 lineal feet of shoreline habitat with native vegetation that provides shade and protection essential for juvenile salmon as they make a critical transformation from a freshwater to saltwater environment, according to Elizabeth Dunigan with Groundswell NW.

Commissioned in partnership with Groundswell NW and the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and funded by the Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund and Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Arts program, the welcome figure will serve to identify Salmon Bay Natural Area while offering an aesthetic reminder to protect vulnerable watersheds.  An aluminum and glass disc depicting the salmon life cycle is oriented to face Salmon Bay, giving thanks to the salmon as they migrate out to sea and and return to spawn, creating a visual connection to the waterway with color and light.

The dedication ceremony on July 17 will feature Duwamish tribal leader Cecile Hanson to honor the unique artistry of the Salish people and our connection with the landscape. We invite you to celebrate with us on July 17 from 10 to noon by giving thanks to the salmon returning to the water and welcoming them to come back next year!More information at http://groundswellnw.org

Note: this was originally scheduled for June 12th, but according to the article on the Groundswell NW website, “unexpected problems have arisen with the final fabrication of the sculpture, so the dedication planned for June 12 is postponed to July 17.”