User:Llwrce/Spokane Sculpture Walk



Spokane Sculpture Walk is a sculpture garden in Spokane, Washington, U.S.A., consisting of 20 sculptures mostly located in Riverfront Park along the Spokane River Centennial Trail, stretching from the campus of WSU-Spokane to the Monroe Street Bridge. Some of the more well-known pieces in the group include Dorothy Fowler's Michael P. Anderson (2006), Ken Spiering's The Childhood Express (1990), David Govedare's The Joy of Running (1984), and Sister Paula Turnbull's Goat (1974).

Public Art in Spokane
In 1981, the City of Spokane introduced “% for Art,” which mandates that 1 percent of specific capital construction costs be used to purchase public art for the city in conjunction with the Public Facilities District and Spokane Arts Commission. However, some sculptures have been donated by other entities. For example, The Joy of Running was provided by the Lilac Bloomsday Association. In addition to the Sculpture Walk, public art has been extended to the Spokane International Airport, along with the various public swimming pools in Spokane.

In 1988, the Spokane City Council designated the area stretching along the Spokane River from the west side of the INB Performing Arts Center to the Division Street Bridge as a “sculpture walk.” The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department is charged with maintaining the walk, while the Spokane Arts Commission is responsible for organizing the installation of the sculptures.

The Layout
Having since been expanded, the Spokane Sculpture Walk starts at WSU-Spokane with Patrick Zentz's Riverpoint Observatory (2002). With a transparent roof illustrating the topography of the region, a sundial casts a shadow which lines up with markers during the summer and winter equinoxes. It is one of three sculptures on the Riverpoint campus.

The majority of the art is situated on the Centennial Trail in and around Riverfront Park. The final piece on the Sculpture Walk, The Place Where Ghosts of Salmon Jump, is a poem in the shape of a granite spiral. It was written by local author Sherman Alexie. Some of the sculptures on the walk were installed for the 1974 World's Fair and Expo, which took place on what is now Riverfront Park.