Join the celebration to mark 50 years of public art at Seattle’s King Street Station Gallery through September 7. The exhibition is called “The First 50 Years: Highlights from the Civic Collection, 1973-2023.”

Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a “percent-for-art” program. The program began in 1973 and 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. As a result, people can encounter art in parks, libraries, community centers, city offices, on roadways, bridges, and other public venues.

Artists in the exhibition include renowned artists Jacob Lawrence, Sherry Markowitz, Marita Dingus, Susan Point, Akio Takamori, Jeffry Mitchell, and others.

The Seattle Civic Collection has grown to include over 4,000 artworks. The exhibition at the King Street Gallery includes over 150 artworks that highlight the breadth and depth of the civic collection and regional artistry.

Also on view at the gallery (through July 6) is Spotted in Seattle by Agustina Forest. This exhibit represents a collection of visual stories from the artist of the strangers she observed while exploring the streets of Seattle. Spotted in Seattle features 30 artworks including epoxy resin sculptures, pencil sketches, and oil pastel pieces.

MORE INFORMATION

Location:

The ARTS at King Street Station Gallery is located on the top floor, 303 South Jackson. The gallery is open during construction – to access the third floor, please enter King Street Station via the Amtrak entrance off King Street and take the elevator to the 3rd floor.

Gallery Hours and Admission

Wednesday – Saturday, 11am to 5pmOn First Thursdays, the gallery is open until 8pm

Admission is FREE.

• See a representation of the art at The First 50 years exhibit with this link: The First 50 Years Exhibition: Highlights from the Civic Collection, 1973-2023 – Collections – Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (emuseum.com)
• Throughout the city, the collection includes more than 4000 permanently sited works and nearly 3,000 portable works. Here is a link to maps and apps to find public art in Seattle: Maps and Apps

The information for this article was gathered from ARTS at King Street Station Gallery – Arts

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