Over the last few weeks, volunteers with the Fremont Arts Council have been thinning out an art storage area under the Ballard Bridge. If you look through the fence, you can see relics of former Solstice Parades, Trolloween, the Moisture Festival and Circus Contraption.
We found Maque daVis with the Fremont Arts Council under the bridge Sunday afternoon. “I am cleaning up the space in regard to the city telling us that the neighbors don’t like the looks of the storage yard,” he said. He’s been carting away any art pieces older than 3 years. “We will be decorating the outside fencing over the next month or two, in hopes that we fit in with the upscaling of the neighborhood,” he said, calling it “urban camo.”
He said other non-profits, like the Sunday Markets and Sustainable Ballard, have also used the storage space over the years, but now the city wants to charge them a fee to stay. “(It’s) a bit disappointing,” he said, noting the Arts Council doesn’t have much money to spend for storage rent.
Tidying up old art under Ballard Bridge
So charging for the space is how the City supports the arts? Time for a change.
Time for a change of what? venues maybe?
I think the Fremont Arts Council should store their stuff in Fremont.
maybe remove that silly troll and put your belongings there instead.
I never called the city about it, but have always wondered why there was so much flotsom and jetsom under there. Although some of that stuff looks pretty cool to me…are they selling any of the old panels? I sure could use one to build me my own fence!
The 'silly troll' is also art.
I agree, we shouldn't have anything from Fremont fouling our native Ballard soil. We should put up a large wall around Ballard and end all this ridiculous coming and going.
For a second there I thought you were talking about the transients living there.
Yeah, old Art doesn't look so healthy any more, after all the years he's spent living under the Ballard Bridge!
So why does fremont get 'real art' under their bridge, yet we get a storage depot where arts organizations store all their junk?
this is made all the more an injustice by the fact that the road under the ballard bridge is much busier than the 'troll road' and will become even more so when the 'missing link' is finished.
I ride by this crap quite frequently. I figured it belonged to some circus, especially with all the 'carni' types hanging out nearby.
c'mon ballard, let's get some 'real art' under our bridge. maybe the theme could be the 'missing link'?!!
I like how it looks under the bridge, its all industrial and old school Ball-mont (Fre-llard?)looking. Why does everything have to be urbanized? If Seattle doesn't like how it looks under our bridge, tell them to stop looking and clean up their own first.
Hell yeah! We need more graffiti, more trash! I'm going to roll my dumpster out onto the street and leave it there! Let's get some more old campers and busted up old trucks too, and while we're at it we can rip up any landscaping that those new effetes have put in, that'll teach anyone to think this is a nice place!
Well, there is a group trying to make a public pocket park under the bridge on the other side of the road from this, and that has been putting in a garden area next to the tracks beside this storage area.
There was a proposal at one time to make a skateboard park under the bridge here. Maybe that effort is gaining steam again?
As far as all of the stuff stored there, Suzie Burke has a large area underneath the Fremont Ave approach to the Fremont Bridge that is mostly un-used. Maybe the Fremont Arts Council can twist her arm?
If you haven't seen the mailbox under the bridge for the Bridge Mice, it is worth spending some time wandering around that area.
There's no need to be snarky, I don't believe I mentioned garbage at all. What I meant was that there is beauty in the industrial and in my opinion an industrial area can be just as nice to be in as an urban area. I like how it looks and you don't but can't we have a balance of urban and industrial areas without insulting each other?
There's always a need for snark, especially on Monday.
The problem with loving the industrial look is that it isn't a look at all. The industries aren't interested in having a pleasing aesthetic or nec even being clean, especially if it gets in the way of business. If it does happen to look appealing to you it is completely by accident. I for one have had enough industrial jobs and exposure to not find it particularly appealing. I'd much rather see things clean and orderly and built with some sense of aesthetics. This is a big reason why people live in residential neighborhoods and not in industrial ones.
Ah, yes. But the residential/commercial neighborhood is encroaching on the industrial area. Asking the arts council to move their stuff is just the first step…cue talk of “missing link”.
I've lived in residential my whole life and not been exposed to industrial as much as you have that's probably why I'm drawn to it. I'm all for clean and orderly and aesthetics however. I'm wondering now if anything can be done about all the dust down there; if something is done to clean up that area, how will it stay clean?
The dust and filth will follow any industry. I'm not opposed to industry at all, but I don't see a problem with pointing out when someone's property becomes a blight on the neighborhood, especially when it's an avoidable blight.
I haven't really poked around under the bridge lately, but I don't ever recall it looking very inviting. Have you driven under I-5 on Ravenna Blvd? They painted some nice orange shapes on the support pillars and the place looks quite a bit nicer. Not so nice I want to move in under I-5, but a noticeably better look than a trash heap under the bridge.
Maybe we can start with something like that under the Ballard bridge?
I like the idea of orange, it's cheerful and goes with a lot of other colors. I drive under the ballard bridge on the way to work and I never really noticed the trash heap because I'm looking at other stuff, I like the posters on the pillars. But something will need to be done once the park or whatever goes in across the street. And it will be nicer for Java John's and the other businesses if its tidier down there.
Remember Mussolini made the trains run on time. “All clean and orderly.” It is truly frightening people will deal with to make their lives “Neat and orderly.”
Using tax money to support art is nothing more then theft. Art worth supporting will always have patrons.
No, but a toll would be good, we could use the $$$.
Quote of the day.
I support art.
We taxpayers support all that ugly crap that someone else calls art.
No tolls. No gates. No entrances. No exits. Ballard for Ballardites and nobody else.
Ah yes, cleanliness is next to fascism. Of course.
It's truly frightening the amount of s++t people will wallow in to make their lives “carefree”.
I gather you're waxing poetic here, because this article isn't about money coming from taxes – the gov't is asking the artists for money. But, I just want to say that community art is not only the final product that you get to look at – a lot of good comes out of the materials under that bridge. What I mean is that there is community that is creating this art (and reusing parts later). Using your mind to create something from nothing and solving problems to make it happen is great mental exercise for all ages, which helps be a better person for things like your day jobs and parenting. These people bond and therefore help each other out in tough times, help each other find paid work, and cheer up one another when blue. This kind of social network relieves a lot of other government funded health and unemployment resources.
And, the Solstice Parade and other art events brings customers in to local businesses. Jobs, economic health, makes for a nice, safe place to live blah, blah, blah. C'mon, lightening up a little has some serious benefits!