Local sculptor featured in SummerSet Arts Festival this fall

"Red Glow" by Jeff Tangen

Shoreline metal sculptor Jeff Tangen has shown his work regionally since 1994 in venues such as the Peace Arch in Blaine, Washington, Edmonds Arts Festival, and Bumbershoot Festival at Seattle Center. This year he will be exhibiting his works in Shoreline at the year-long Outdoor Sculpture Stroll and in September at SummerSet Arts Festival: Celebrating Ronald Bog.

On a quiet street in the Ridgecrest neighborhood, Tangen has a spacious studio with a multitude of gathered metal blades, fasteners, wires, and colorful toy parts, in a vast variety of shapes. Tangen strives to make the environment better with his art and he does this by primarily using recycled materials. His orderly studio is outfitted with all the tools required to turn this assortment of parts into entertaining and sometimes kinetic sculptures. In addition to his artistic practice, Jeff Tangen and his wife Marla run a cat boarding business named Purrfect Cat Boarding. The cats have deluxe accomodations and an enviable play area.

For Tangen the sculptor, the creation process starts with a key element and he builds the artwork around it. For his sculpture “Red Glow” scheduled for the Ronald Bog SummerSet Arts Festival, the key elements are the colored glass lenses. When sunlight shines on them they glow, reminiscent of stained glass windows. The lenses are placed above eye level requiring the viewer to look up, thus increasing their impact – similar to looking up at church windows. The lens holders, or pods, are made from discarded tools and pieces of scrap metal. At first glance the individual elements of the pods aren't noticeable, but the identification of the these parts draw the viewer in and prompt more visual investigation. “Red Glow” has an organic shape but it also has the sense of being a machine. Tangen enjoys this conflict and loves hearing people try to decide if the piece is a mutant plant or a crazy stoplight!

SummerSet Arts Festival: Celebrating Ronald Bog connects people, place, and nature through art. Art-making for the event takes place over the summer at the Farmer's Market, Top Foods Cafe, and Ronald Bog Park. Installation begins the second week in September and the event culminates in a celebration day of music, art-making, and dance on September 15th from 1-5pm. The park is located in Shoreline at 175th and Meridian near Interstate-5. The event is free and open to the public. Parking for the event is at Meridian Park Elementary School. For information about how you can participate in the event, contact project coordinator Cynthia Knox.