Title
Approval of the Welcome Figure Final Design
Recommended Action
Move to approve the Welcome Figure final design by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the Welcome Figure final design. If approved, the artist will move into fabrication.
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program & Planning Supervisor, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678
Presenter(s):
Andrea Wilbur Sigo, Northwest carver and artist (Squaxin Island and Skokomish)
Background and Analysis:
On December 10, 2024, City Council approved the Welcome Figure concept design. This next step is presentation of a final project design, including any technical drawings and/or specifications to fully describe the project, materials, methods, and costs associated with fabrication and installation of the Welcome Figure.
In 2021, the City of Olympia renewed their five-year accord with the Squaxin Island Tribe. The agreement includes commitment to long term actions including "Create more opportunities for public art, education and community service that will promote a healthy exchange of cultures." The Olympia City Council and the Squaxin Island Tribal Council conduct biannual meetings in part to "maintain a shared vision" for this five-year accord, in preparation for reaffirming that accord in 2026. One of those meetings produced a shared vision for a Welcome Figure by Andrea Wilbur Sigo in downtown Olympia.
A Salish welcome figure is a tall human figure carved in the Coast Salish tradition to welcome guests to their territory. They are often carved with arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture, or with a hand shading their eyes to watch for visitors. Such figures are an important part of coast Salish community, and a Welcome Figure in downtown Olympia is an important recognition that Olympia is situated on the ancestral lands of the Squaxin people.
The Olympia City Council and the Squaxin Tribal Council worked through a process to identify a preferred location on the isthm...
Click here for full text