by Brangien Davis in CascadePBS
A monumental tulip sculpture finds a new home at Seattle U. Plus, the local dance piece that ‘fractals into a vortex and veers into a grocery list.’
pring waltzes in with the vernal equinox tomorrow, but certain seasonal flowers have already sprung. Even a short, damp neighborhood walk reveals exuberant camellias, fluffy magnolias, bright daffodils and the pleasing punch-in-the-face scent of daphne odora.
On the Seattle University campus you can spot a giant specimen known as the “Seattle Tulip,” which was welcomed with a dedication ceremony on March 5. Featuring wavy green leaves and a bright red blossom, the 12-foot-tall enameled aluminum sculpture was created by Pop Artist Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004). You might recognize it.
The towering tulip was originally commissioned in 1988, by Wright Runstad & Company, to bloom outside their building at 999 Third Avenue (formerly Wells Fargo, currently the Docusign Tower). When the building was sold in 2019, the sculpture was dismantled and lay dormant — like a bulb — at Artech Fine Arts Storage in Renton. An anonymous group called “Friends of the Seattle Tulip” financed its return to the light, on the grass of the SU Union Green.
“Seattle Tulip” will serve as a sunny welcome to the $300 million collection (courtesy of local donor Richard Hedreen) slated for SU’s forthcoming museum of art, opening in late 2028. (Continued on Page 2 or here)