November 8—Sculptures find a permanent home

Arts Downtown enlivens Puyallup city streets with artwork

Susan Schell of The Herald

The black basalt mini-monolith stands at the corner of Pioneer Park, its ethereal, rock-smooth texture inviting to the touch. Dark, hole-pocked stones form a circle on the ground around the sculpture, giving it the appearance of a tiny Stonehenge. The sculpture, “Moonstone StarCrown,” is one of three sculptures recently purchased by Arts Downtown for the city of Puyallup.

“We were lucky enough through sponsorships that we had enough money to purchase these pieces,” said Pat Bryant, chair of Arts Downtown. “They are part of our Outdoor Art Gallery.”

With the purchase, “Moonstone StarCrown” by Doug Granum, “Unconditional” by Lynn Swanson and “Peony” by Daniel Michael, all vastly different from one another, became a part of the permanent collection of artwork for Puyallup residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come.

On Saturday, Nov. 3, an on-site ceremony welcomed the artists and their work to the landscape. Granum, looking dapper in a black and gray suit with a splash of red, matched his sculpture (totally by accident, of course). He combined his love of astronomy and astrology in his statue.

“This is as much of a timepiece as it is a work of art,” Granum said. “Earth is a great timepiece.”

The artist explained that “Moonstone StarCrown” is positioned to funnel rays of the sun through the hollow stars jutting from its apex onto a particular stone on a certain day of the year. The stones can be moved to capture the light on special days, such as someone’s birthday.

The basalt sculpture is dotted with gray circles, which represent planets — Venus stands out as the one red stone.

“A good piece of artwork has layers of meaning,” Granum said. “You learn more and more as you move into it. With some work, you know all there is to know about it in the first 10 seconds. Quality art reveals itself slowly. It adds character and quality to the community.”

Basalt is one of Granum’s favorites because it is sinuous, smooth, highly polished and reflective, he said.

“It draws you in and makes you want to touch it. My artwork is not about me. It is a pathway to other art. It is a pathway to other people through art.”

“Doug is a world-renowned artist who says he was ‘educated by world,’” Bryant said. “He calls Puyallup ‘little Barcelona’ because it is full of art and color. His sculpture is a timepiece, made to be timed like a watch. It is one of my favorites.”

Swanson’s bronze sculpture, “Unconditional,” celebrates the parent-child bond with a grown-up penguin arched protectively over its baby nestled on its feet to protect it from the snow. Bryant told the crowd of art lovers that Swanson was born into art as a textile artist, but just recently took on the challenge of bronze.

“I love penguins and polar bears,” Swanson said. “I love penguins’ humor and character and I try to capture different aspects of them. I think of how threatened our animals are. I’m really pleased you’re enjoying this piece.”

Michael’s granite sculpture, “Peony,” covers both form and function. It is a bench-style piece with flower petals cradling the seat. Michael said he was inspired by watching a bumblebee crawling around inside a Peony flower.

“I work intuitively,” he said. “The stone speaks to me.”

Council member Kathy Turner said children get an education from the art work when they see a sculpture and then read the accompanying plaque.

“Kids like to have their pictures taken here,” she said. “I’ve seen kids fight over this bench.”

Bryant said Arts Downtown is sponsored solely by sponsorship, hotel/motel taxes and sales of artwork. Each year the downtown Outdoor Gallery sends out a call to artists on Aug. 1. About 400 artists from across the country respond by sending applications, which are viewed by five different juries. The work is judged on its durability, aesthetics and community appropriateness.

“They have to be able to withstand the outdoor weather here in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “We take a look at that art and then determine if we have a proper site for that piece of art.”

If the work is accepted, the artist is extended a one-year contract to display their art in Puyallup.

“We’re always hopeful that some of that work will be purchased,” Bryant said.

“It’s very hard for artists to make a living. We try to be that side of them so we can present their work to an audience that may purchase them. We were lucky to have the Puyallup tribe purchased a sculpture. It was such a thrill.”

Turner said she remembered when the (Arts Downtown) project was just getting started.

“We had to fight so much for the funding,” she said. “We never expected so much could be done with such a dedicated group of active volunteers. The canvas is our community and you have painted it with your brush strokes.”