Water and Ecology: Artists tell the story of Brightwater
Artists participating in the Brightwater project were challenged to create works that ingeniously expose the working processes of the system and engage the public in inquiry and discovery
Artists Jann Rosen-Queralt, Buster Simpson and Ellen Sollod joined the design team as planning artists early on in the design process. The Art Plan for Brightwater, completed in 2003, identified thematic zones for integrated artwork and served as a guide in building the art program.
The Brightwater Education Center is a gathering place, laboratory and education center. The artwork in this zone speaks to the microbial processes that occur in wastewater treatment, scientific exploration, and our role in the lifecycle of water.
Artworks:
- Ellen Sollod, It’s All About The Water and Collection & Transformation
- Cris Bruch, South Branch, North Fork and Puddles
- Jim Blashfield, Circulator
- Claude Zervas, Chandelier
The foreground landscape contains walking paths, native plants and opportunities for interaction and contemplation with artworks that speak to the natural systems and the water cycle within them and reclaimed water use.
Artworks:
- Buster Simpson, Bio Boulevard & Water Molecule
- Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, Grandfather’s Wisdom
The artwork in this zone celebrates the transformation of wastewater as it travels through the process of purification, separating out into purified water and bio-solids.
Artworks:
- Jann Rosen-Queralt, Confluence
- Jane Tsong, …no beginning no end/circle the earth/blessed water/blood of life…
- Janet Zweig, Limited Edition
Video and Spoken Art
Brightwater’s public art collection includes video and poetry pieces that can be experienced and appreciated both at the site and around the world.
Artworks:
- Judith Roche, Blessings for the Biosolids
- Tess Martin, Part of the Cycle
- Jim Blashfield, Circulator
Public art in King County is managed by 4Culture
Brightwater Center artBrightwater Treatment Plant art
Photographer in Residence Eduardo Calderon
Beginning in 2004, photographer Eduardo Calderon visited the Brightwater site several times a month and photographed what he saw. The photographs, now in the King County Public Art Collection, tell the story of Brightwater and its place.
