PORT ANGELES — The city of Port Angeles is seeking a local artist to join its design team for the waterfront redevelopment project, which will include new art — and the removal of one piece of art now in place.
The artist, paid $10,000, will be responsible for designing certain aspects of the redevelopment project, such as markers for the waterfront trail.
They will also assist the design team, made up of city staff and other consultants on the project, pick new art for the waterfront.
Applications are due at City Hall by Wednesday, July 13, and a selection will be made in August. Applicants must be Clallam County residents.
“This is really going to make it a place that is enjoyable for a variety of groups of people,” said Nathan West, city economic and community development director.
The waterfront plan calls for a new park west of Oak Street, a boardwalk west of the ferry terminal, an expanded Hollywood Beach and various landscape and streetscape improvements.
The total cost estimate is $17.3 million, but the city plans to put it in place in phases as money becomes available.
Ellen Sollod, the city’s main art consultant on the project, said the goal of the art plan is to make art on the waterfront more consistent in quality and have it blend with the changes the city plans to make.
“A number of pieces have been placed because there were an opportunity to place them but weren’t necessarily done thinking about the design of the whole place,” she said.
“I think what we’re trying to do is to create a more coherent waterfront.”
A draft of the waterfront art plan calls for moving some art to other areas of the waterfront and removing one piece: the ceramic salmon made by students of a 1999 Sequim Middle School art class.
Sollod said she recommends it be removed because the ceramic isn’t in the best condition.
“I remember when I looked at it, it wasn’t holding up to the elements very well,” she said.
The fence that they are attached to would also be removed as part of the redevelopment effort.
The salmon was placed as part of the Port Angeles Downtown Associations’ Art on the Town project.
Charlie Smith, Art on the Town Committee chairman, said the committee would support moving it to another location.
“We don’t want to see that go away,” he said.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
