Neighbors are invited to gather on Tuesday, July 8 for a special rededication ceremony honoring the late Indigenous artist Marvin Oliver and his sculpture A Salish Welcome, located in the Salmon Bay Natural Area.
Located between the Ballard Locks and the railroad bridge, the Salmon Bay Natural Area plays a key role in salmon recovery efforts. The restored shoreline provides habitat where juvenile salmon can adjust to saltwater, gain strength, and avoid predators before they journey out to sea.
Visitors to the area are greeted by A Salish Welcome, a sculpture by Oliver—a renowned Quinault and Isleta-Pueblo artist—designed to honor that salmon journey. Using Coast Salish forms and modern materials, the sculpture symbolizes a welcome for both juvenile salmon heading to the ocean and adult salmon returning to spawn. Oliver, who passed away in 2019, was known for blending traditional Native motifs with contemporary artistic expressions. He served as a professor at the University of Washington and curator at the Burke Museum.
The rededication event, hosted by Groundswell NW, will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and will feature remarks from Cecile Hansen, Chair of the Duwamish Tribal Organization; Owen Oliver, Marvin Oliver’s son; and representatives from Seattle Public Utilities and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
The sculpture was originally funded through Seattle’s Neighborhood Matching Fund and the One Percent for Art Program.
Photo: Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
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