On the Fence: two new temporary art installations in downtown Edmonds include Shoreline artist

City of Edmonds Arts Commission offers an opportunity for regional artists to create temporary outdoor art installations on three fence lines in downtown Edmonds.

Through May, Connected Hearts/Be Kind by Shoreline artist Susan Lally-Chiu is on exhibit on the Frances Anderson Playfield Main Street fence, and Rhizome Cuff by Edmonds artists Mona T. Smiley Fairbanks and Lisa Wickstrom is on the Dayton and 2nd Ave fence, next to Driftwood Players Annex and ArtWorks.

Be Kind
Image courtesy of the artist

Connected Hearts/Be Kind uses white Swanson Taffeta Flagging Tape and the chain link fence as the fabric structure for a cross-stitch design.

The theme of the installation is community.

“There is a lot of noise in the media these days trying to divide us,” says Lally-Chiu of her work, “in response we need to send a strong message of what ties us together.”

A commercial designer and artist working primarily in watercolor and linocut, Lally-Chiu has shown her artwork in a number of group and solo shows. Her public art pieces include two recent projects for the City of Shoreline.

Rhizome Cuff
Image courtesy Edmonds Arts Commission

Rhizome Cuff is the fourth collaborative On the Fence installation for Fairbanks and Wickstrom.

The artwork is intended to inspire a conversation about nature, community connections, recycled materials and the endless delights of art. 

Mixing reclaimed aluminum flashing and colored vinyl, the artists created a three-dimensional, organically flowing rhizome form --- a continuously growing horizontal underground stem that puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at various intervals.

Fairbanks and Wickstrom’s inspiration for the piece was the vinyl, noticing the how the vinyl material looked rolled up and standing on-end.

The Edmonds Arts Commission seeks artists to create temporary artworks for the On the Fence program. Installations are exhibited for approximately three to four months on one of three locations in downtown Edmonds. The Arts Commission selects projects from submitted proposals.

Application information can be found here under “Opportunities.” Call 425-771-0228, or email eac@edmondswa.gov for more information.