Title
Approval of the Welcome Figure Concept Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
The Arts Commission moves to approve the Welcome Figure concept design by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Arts Commission recommendation.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the Welcome Figure concept plan. If approved, the final concept will return to the Arts Commission on January 9, 2024 for refining of structural details. When those details are finalized, the artist will move into fabrication.
Staff Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program & Planning Supervisor, Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.709.2678
Presenter(s):
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program & Planning Supervisor
Kathy Dorgan, Chair Olympia Arts Commission
Andrea Wilbur Sigo, Northwest carver and artist (Squaxin Island and Skokomish)
Background and Analysis:
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 pro...
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