The design process for Fire Station 9 continues this week.

The Seattle Design Commission meets tomorrow, Thursday, May 20 to review its design development phase at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave. The fire station part of the agenda is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Fire Levy Communications Officer Christina Faine said about 150 neighbors attended the design development open house on Saturday (May 15) to see the progress of the design and visit the firefighters, who served cookies, coffee and water.

This was the rendering by artist Mike Kowalski that was shown at the open house:

Faine said:

“The design and art were well received by the community. The new building will employ several elements that will reflect the fire fighting history of the site. The architects researched the numerical “tapper code,” a historical version of the 911 dispatch system, and will use it to add detail to the building façade.

The project team have made a number of changes to the design since the schematic design open house on January 9, 2010. In response to comments from the open house  - as well as the Seattle Design Commission Schematic Design review on January 21, 2010 - concepts from the site’s history have been incorporated into the building façade design and landscape treatment.

Since the open house in January, the public art piece has become more defined.

The landscaping and sustainability concepts have been fleshed out and include the installation of rainwater collection cisterns for re-using water in the building and landscape irrigation. The architects received comments supporting this approach and making it visible and instructive.”

Peter Reiquam is a Seattle-based artist who has created public works for over 20 years and was chosen for the public art for the fire station.

Big Black Cat features a large-scale black cat perched on the roof’s edge of Fire Station 9. The sculpture, a variation on the Eveready Black Cat graphic, will be twenty feet in length and feature amber-colored glass eyes that are illuminated from within by low-voltage LEDs. Reiquam was inspired by the Eveready battery logo which has become a mascot for Fire Station 9 and a symbol that lets the Fremont community know that the firefighters at this station are “Ever Ready.” 

The panelists selected Peter Reiquam because they felt he displayed the best potential to create a bold iconic statement for Fire Station 9. The panel was impressed by Peter’s artistic excellence and technical abilities, and felt his aesthetic would be a great match for the fire fighters, the surrounding neighborhood and the Fremont community.

A project that recently received a Small and Simple Neighborhood Matching Fund award from the City of Seattle is seeking an artist(s) to design a mural for a wall that literally bridges the neighborhoods of Fremont and Wallingford.  The 46th Street Mural Project is looking for a design that will ”bring a positive visual message to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists traveling under Highway 99 (Aurora Ave.) at N. 46th St.” 

The wall is located on the north side of the underpass at N. 46th St. and Aurora Ave N.  The space is described as ”a long wall divided in to 3 sections that taper on both east and west ends– mural design also to include 9 columns that stand in front of the mural wall”. 

• Dimensions–approx. 4500 sq. ft. total (see pictures + diagram)
• West section: approx.1000 sq. ft.
• Middle section: approx.1300 sq. ft.
• East section: approx.1200 sq. ft.
• 9 columns: approx. 100 sq. ft. ea.

Once a design is selected, Urban Artworks will serve as project manager and do the actual painting of the mural.  At this time, the 46th Street Mural Project is only looking for an artist to design the wall.

Professional artists with previous experience creating outdoor murals are preferable, but all may apply. Artist will be required to be present at the community meeting (early in the process) and dedication (at the completion of the mural) unless distance is prohibitive. If this occurs, an alternative plan will be discussed with the 46th Street Mural Project Steering Committee. The artist must be available for consultation pertaining to the execution of their design throughout the process.  

More information and specifics about the selection process can be found on the group’s Facebook page.  Artist applications are due by February 19.  Anyone interested in applying should submit work samples, resume and references to 46thstmural@gmail.com.  The project is slated to begin in May.

After spending three months inside the northeast tower of the Fremont Bridge, artist Kristen Ramirez is nearly ready to unveil the work resulting from her summer residency.  The piece is called “Bridge Talks Back” and she describes it as “using a piece of the city’s infrastructure to celebrate art and history.” 

Kristen says she knew from her first day in the tower that the composition was going to involve sound, so she set up a voice message line for people to call and tell their stories about the bridge and their experiences there.  Throughout the summer, she received more than 50 messages.  One of her favorites was from a man who told the story of how his wife had always wanted to ride the bridge and on her 75th birthday she finally figured out how to do it and did just that.

The public art project was commissioned by Seattle’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs from the Department of Transportation’s 1% for Art funds.  The result will be revealed on Saturday, September 26 from 1-4pm. 

Tom Yoder, a Fremont-based trombone player is writing a musical number specifically for the project.  For three hours, 16 different horn players will be stationed at all four corners of the bridge and will play each time traffic gets stopped for the bridge to go up.  Then, as the bridge rises, a sound piece will play over the bridge’s loudspeakers. 

Kristen is still looking for about 50 performers to volunteer to be part of the coordinated fanfare, and all types are welcome.  One orientation meeting will be required.  All volunteers will receive a t-shirt and hand-painted sign.  If you’d like more info or to sign up, contact Kristen at ktramirez@hotmail.com.