Save Public Art - NPA's Public Art Rescue Program

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In 2005, Participating Puget Sound Liberty Tax Service locations donated $5 for each tax return they prepared in April.  A big NPA thank-you to them for supporting this community landmark!

NPA believes public art matters; it's the art we encounter in our every day lives as many of us get too busy to visit museums as often as we'd like. Under our "Save Public Art" program, we help bring dollars and the community together, one project at a time, for major upgrades, relocations, or replacements of public art installations.  

About Seattle's Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach (Download PDF)

An 8-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach, West Seattle, is over fifty years old and reminds us of the symbolic power of art.  Championed by community members for years, this sculpture became a focal point for memorial and healing after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Originally installed by the Boy Scouts of America and the City of Seattle in 1952, the current Liberty has seen better days. The materials used for this sculpture prepared it poorly for fifty years of sand, salt spray, and vandalism, leaving it ready for replacement.

Status update: see below!

Status Update: Progress and Schedule

UNVEILING SCHEDULED SEPTEMBER 11, 2007: We are happy inform the public that our new Statue of Liberty will be unveiled by Mayor Greg Nickels, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and members of the Alki community on September 11, 2007. The event will be held at 6:00 PM, located at the Duwamish Head, Alki Beach (61st Ave SW). The new plaza including all of the purchased bricks will be completed in 2008.

Phase I Fundraising Completed :  NPA has concluded all Phase I fundraising. The sale of nearly 400 bricks contributed to the successful completion of the Phase I portion of the Statue of Liberty restoration project. The money designated for the brick purchases has been placed in a CD account where it will remain until construction contracts are signed and brick orders are to be processed (Spring 2008). NPA would like to assure all of the wonderful contributors in Seattle and all across the country that your personal information is secure in our database.

Casting Work Has Been Completed
Work has been completed on recasting Seattle's Statue of Liberty.  Molds are complete and bronze pours were performed in September 2006.  See photos of the mold repair and assembly process.  Many thanks to Kevin Keating and the entire staff at The Bronze Works who are dedicating their time to this project!

NPA Removes the Outgoing Statue of Liberty
On July 20, 2006, with help from Parks, NPA removed the outgoing Statue of Liberty and sent her to The Bronze Works in Tacoma. They are using it fix molds (previously taken in '96) and as a reference point for the new statue. The old, fragile statue will remain down and go to the Loghouse Museum when the new one is installed.  Thanks to those who joined us for history in the making.

New Statue Base and Plaza Designs
We've combined everyone's favorite aspects of two candidate designs into one final look for the statue base and the new "Statue of Liberty Plaza."  Thank you to everyone who contributed ideas and input.   Thanks for outstnding work and donated time from our architectural design team of Matt Hutchins (CAST Design/Build) and Christohper Ezzell (e Workshop).  Click on photos for larger versions.

HOW WE GOT HERE

Statue Vandalized Feb. 2005
In February, 2005, the crown points of Seattle's Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach were torn off and stolen.  The crown points were never found.   The statue now needs all of our help more than ever! 

Statue Vandalized April 2003

The Alki Statue of Liberty had her torch ripped off by vandals some time overnight on April 14th, 2003.  The torch piece was found on the sand about to be covered by the rising tide.  The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation staff repaired what could be repaired on April 22nd.  The recent damage highlights the importance of recasting this statue in better materials that will last for many years...

Just how damaged IS the current sculpture?

Richard Euteneier of the Seattle Parks repair team, gave this assessment: "This statue is so deterioriated that you just can't repair this anymore. The copper sheeting is so thin and so oxidized that, by the time you clean it, there's nothing left to weld to.  This has just got to be replaced."  In the end, Parks reinforced the torch with steel and then epoxied the piece to the arm.

Why Save Public Art?

Sometimes we seek art, sometimes art seeks us.

Outdoor sculpture, mural installations, and performances inspire us when we least expect it, enriching our daily experience.  Too many public artworks fall through the cracks of care and maintenance, either overlooked or too low a priority for landowners or city agencies strained for resources.

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