SAM I am

A very wondrous thing happened in, and to, Seattle this weekend.

We are currently lucky enough to have a view looking out over the newly-constructed Olympic Sculpture Park – a branch of the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) – and on Saturday it was finally opened to the public.

The Minx and I have been taking a keen interest in its construction, as we are able to walk there very easily and she is fascinated by the proliferation of diggers which can be observed from the perimeter fence.

It truly is a marvellous space.  The landscaping is superb and wonderfully integrated into the urban environment, with a path zig-zagging down over a busy road and railway (the Minx and I are both entranced by the incredibly long freight trains which trundle constantly to and from Canada) over a bridge and past a fountain which are works of art themselves, down to a small beach.  There is a lot of immature planting as well, and it will be great to watch the park grow and mature through the seasons.

The sculptures themselves are fascinating and have been sited to create fabulous vistas against the backdrop of the Sound and the mountains, or the Space Needle and the downtown cityscape.

The park is also a magnificent example of urban renewal.  The land used to be a fuel dump and was heavily contaminated, and it has taken a huge act of will and a huge amount of money from private benefactors to create the park and to save the space from being turned into yet more soulless apartment blocks (like the one we’re currently living in). 

So Seattle also threw a party to celebrate the Minx’s ‘birthday’ and we are so looking forward to exploring (and photographing) every nook and cranny together over the next few weeks while we still live in this apartment. (Househunting is proving er, interesting and will be blogged about forthwith).

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