The Seattle Tacoma Airport has an extraordinary art collection. Even if you’re not into art, these remarkable installations are hard to miss. I’ve traveled through a lot of airports over the years, but I don’t recall any so heavily anointed with public art as SeaTac. As a resident of Seattle in the 1980’s, I recall the early building boom of high rises in downtown. If memory serves me correctly, 1% of the construction cost had to be reserved for public art. Therefore, art was everywhere. From hand painted tiles, to lavish blown glass displays in high rise lobbies, art was common place. It’s a such a brilliant way to give back to the community. Happily the trend has continued at the airport.
Imagine dashing through Sea Tac as the sunlight comes streaming through a three story high stained glass piece by Dick Weiss, with blue refracted light streaming everywhere. I’d hope you’d put down your cell phone for just a few moments and take in it’s beauty. Previously reserved for those visiting Cathedrals such as Notre Dames South Rose Window, circa 1260, these experiences are not common place. During that era, your only opportunity to see such things might be the result of a religious pilgrimage, taking weeks or even months to achieve. Now, we casually hop on planes from continent to continent, barely thinking twice about our experience… unless something goes horribly wrong, but lets not go there.
Having grown up in the northwest, I immediately recognize many of the cultural practices being celebrated or referenced. Vintage planes suspended from the ceiling must certainly be an homage to Boeing, which helped create a strong middle glass for a major portion of the 20th century. Canoeing dates back to native american times, and is still practiced by many locals on the numerous waterways of Puget Sound. Cloudsandclunkers makes me think of native american basket weavers, Traveling Light makes me think of the logging industry, with it’s overlapping rings of sliced tree trunks, and Northwest Garnering looks like something you might see on the ocean floor. And as I suspected, its artist William Morris began his career at the Pilchuck Glass School and was head gaffer for Dale Chihuly, before studying in Italy with Venetian Masters. Seattleites are notoriously proud of their city, and their artisans. Even though I’ve been in LA for over 20 years, I still enjoy the blown glass pieces I purchased from Seattle glass artist Phil O’Reilly in the late 80’s.
Next time you’re lucky enough to travel through the Seattle Tacoma airport, I hope you’ll take a little extra time to stroll down corridors that might be out of your way. You never know what hidden gem might be waiting for you.
