No, people aren’t getting all worked up over Seattle Public Utility’s Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Oceans of Emotion is, in fact, the newest art installation to decorate the work site. (A previous art work heralded the start of the project.)
The goal of the project, which extends from Ballard on the west end of site to Wallingford on the east end, is to provide temporary storage space for runoff and sewerage during times of heavy rainfall when treatment plants cannot handle the load. Many more details are available here.
The creators of Oceans of Emotion are Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson and Kait Rhoads with considerable contributions from the public. Participants are asked to express their feelings on the theme “Release and Embrace” by using whatever words or pictures they desire so long as they will fit on a 2” diameter disk. While there were a number of in-person opportunities this summer to participate, digital submissions are also possible. Though kits and supplies are available on request, you can simply draw your creation on a disk of paper, and send it by email ([email protected]) or instagram (@Oceans_of_Emotion) to the artists. They will transfer it to a metal sequin and attach it to the fence at the work site. Instructions are here. (I emailed the artists to ask if submissions were still being accepted, but I have not heard back. Therein, perhaps, lies the answer to my question.)
Oceans of Emotion will be on display until February, 2022. If you can’t make it over there, I’ve posted some photos at the bottom of this article.
Art installations, collectively referred to as Flow, are also being done at the other ship canal project sites. For more information, click here.
I had oceans of emotions when my basement flooded recently — so glad to see this is an art instillation and not more of that! 🙂
As a retired pollution scientist, I am so pleased that these decidedly unsexy stormwater abatement projects are finally moving forward! While the construction phases are a big pain, the end result—diverting dirty, contaminant-laden stormwater from Lake Union, Lake Washington, and the Sound—is really important in improving water quality in the receiving waters.