Searching out public art is a wonderful, worthwhile and free way to explore any city, especially in the warm summer months. And, with a few guiding questions, art walks with kids can be educational and insightful for them and their adults.
Case in point: The other day I left my docent shift at Seattle Art Museum in downtown Seattle to check out the public art overlooking the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion. Here’s that walk.
A short, packed art walk
From the museum, walk down the stairs at Union and 1st Avenue. At Post Alley and Union Street, I suggest skipping the touristy Seattle Selfie Museum. But across the street is this route’s first art walk stop: look for the metal fence growing atop a cement wall. It’s a good example of art made from the refuse of bigger building projects. I happened to see a row of flowers as lovely as fresh ones. Ask your kids what they see. What they think this fence is for: is it meant to keep people out or invite them in? Why is there just a splash of color on these steely petals?
Continue along the walking bridge toward Waterfront’s the Great Seattle Wheel. Look left to see a second lace-like metalwork. I saw wings, but what do your kids see in this piece? Do they see more than one thing?
Art and function intersect
At the bottom of the stairs you will walk under a third metal sculpture that reminded me of the run-away houseplant in my grandma’s kitchen. Again, here is metal mimicking nature, a chance to discuss how artists reinterpret the world around them with the materials they choose. A good question for kids: What’s the story behind each animal?
Standing at the street corner, look right to see several colorful characters by Seattle muralist Ryan ‘Henry’ Ward. What’s the story behind each animal?
Crossing Alaskan Way, you will see a new work in progress — the Waterfront’s brand new playground. Look at it as a work of art: The tiny man-made island, the 25-foot-tall jellyfish-shaped climbing tower, the crab wobble boards, the “kelp forest.” It is a great example of functional art.
Invite your kids to record the art they see
From there, climb the stairs to the viewpoint. Here, I discovered a magic moment — a youth filming a busker with their phone. It was one artist (the videographer) turning another artist (the busker) into a new work of art. What if we taught kids to use such devices to create rather than lose themselves to social media?
Don’t be shy
Be ready for surprises on any art walk with kids, especially the chance to meet working artists. On this walk, I happened upon artist Rob D’Arc, the creator of puppets and marionettes that have been featured in many films and stage productions. Your kids can meet him too, either on YouTube as Professor Humbug or on Instagram @pikeplacepuppeteer.
Every Monday and Thursday, Rob goes to the stalls and offers his pop-up puppet kits. He proves that kids can make working puppets out of the simplest items.
Dialogue with your kids
Any art walk, short or long, proves the point: Art can be found in almost any direction in Seattle. Some last questions for this short walk:
- “If you made big art flowers for the public to see, what material would you want to use?”
- “If you wanted to make a dance out of the web on the bridge, what would it look like?”
- “What was the best thing we saw on the walk to the overlook? What makes you say that?”
- “If you wanted to make a puppet of any character what would it be?”
More easy art walks (and rides!) for families
You’ll find great artwalking all over Greater Seattle. Check out these great examples:
- The SODO Track has transformed the transit corridor in Seattle’s SODO district into a wonderful 2-mile art walk or ride. As you move along this free and accessible urban art gallery, kids will be introduced to more than 60 artists from 20 countries in side-by-side murals. The SODO Track spans 5th Avenue South between Royal Brougham Way and Spokane Street.
- Seattle Urban Art Tour. Travel by foot and streetcar to examine tremendously varied street art, from graffiti, tags, and “sticker bombs” to elaborate spray paint, brush work, and stencil pieces.
- Art walk through Bellevue Botanical Garden, where a meandering path leads to the stone “Friendship Circle,” a sculpture called “Night Blooming” offers a sparkly light effect when you crouch through the door to the interior and look up, and kids can search for sculptures of an owl, rabbit, frog, and a stone chair resembling a throne in the forest. Open daily from dawn to dusk at 12001 Main St., Bellevue.
Get the map!
The City of Seattle is chock-full of public art. You’ll find commissioned pieces of art in almost every neighborhood, some easily found, others requiring a little hunt. Consider this summer art project (or a project to be completed over a couple of summers): Find every piece of public art the city has to offer. All you need is the Seattle Public Art Map, created by Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture and 4 Culture.
For even more great art walks (or rides) with kids, be sure to check out “Mural hunting: Exploring this public art form with kids” and “5 short, fun art walks with kids.”
