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Article Archives: 2006 Edition / Arts
Artwork Alfresco
Downtown Puyallup’s Outdoor Gallery has provided visual relief for 10 years
Sabah Al-Dhaher’s sculpture "Beginnings" is on display at Puyallup’s Outdoor Gallery.
Stroll around downtown Puyallup on any given day‚ and you may suddenly find yourself in the midst of an artistic experience.
Puyallup’s Outdoor Gallery‚ a changing annual exhibit‚ offers art lovers more than 60 diverse pieces in the downtown area‚ available for no charge to anyone‚ at any hour‚ on any day‚ all year long.
A project of Valley Arts United‚ the unusual outdoor gallery has literally changed the face of Puyallup and enriched the local cultural scene.
Launched 10 years ago‚ the gallery started out small but didn’t stay that way for long.
“We began with just 15 pieces the first year‚” says Sonie Hansen‚ who currently chairs Valley Arts United and serves as executive director of Puyallup’s Main Street program. “We thought if we could do this every year for 25 years and bought a piece of art each year‚ we’d have 25 permanent pieces of public art.
“Now‚ we have so much more‚ and artists’ proposals come from all over the country‚” she adds. “What used to take us six months to put together now takes a full year.”
The gallery has multiple goals: to employ the arts to build tourism‚ support arts education‚ provide opportunities for students and professional artists to interact‚ support artists‚ and help stimulate new ideas and sensibilities in the community.
Artists – both student and professional – submit drawings‚ photos and descriptions of their work to a selection committee each November.
In April‚ the works are installed – some on pedestals in Pioneer Park or the train station‚ some on the walls of buildings‚ some tucked into patios or between buildings.
Each fall‚ the public votes for a piece to be purchased for the permanent gallery collection‚ and the community favorite is announced in October. Artwork is also for sale to the public.
Pieces on exhibit currently include Sabah Al-Dhaher’s “Beginnings‚” a dramatic bronze sculpture of a raised arm‚ the palm cradling a tiny new baby. Dan Klennert‚ a veteran of the gallery‚ entered “Rufus #2‚” a rooster made primarily of salvaged farm machinery parts. Pat McVay’s “Endangered Species‚” a bench made of salvaged red cedar‚ rests beneath a large tree in Pioneer Park.
The gallery is a favorite with local residents‚ but it has made a name for itself around the region.
“I hear from people coming into town to start a new business or move their business that the art catches their eye and they think ‘Hey‚ this is a good community to be involved in‚’” Hansen says.
Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Antony Boshier
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