Northwest Salmon
Artist: Peter Altman
Location: 3111 6th Ave
Medium: paint

If you have information about this art please
let us know!

CARROT
Artist: Mauricio Robalino & Doug Danstrom
Location: 3024 6th Ave.
Medium: see description

CARROT is made of a series of wheel rim stacks that stack upon each other to support a set of four heads made of bent exhaust pipe, radiator fans and a few other discarded car parts. All of it is powder coated in primary colors. The piece is almost 15 feet high, has a 36¨ footprint and weights 725 lbs.

Doug and I with the help of several individuals sorted through wheel rims to find the best ones and then welded them together as stacks. We had 8 octagonal floral looking pieces cut from thick steel to be the joiners for the wheel stacks. Each stack has 2 octagonal joiners. Bolt holes in the octagonal pieces are used to bolt the stacks upon each other. I was asked to create a piece that used recycled auto parts. The wheel stack idea uses the parts to create a pedestal that is both mysterious and beautiful. Although any number of creations would have been fun as a top for our Carrot I felt that the face profiles were the easiest to create in a way that fit the piece within the legally prescribed footprint. The symmetry of the profiles made the piece attractive from all angles. We were also very fortunate to have all the new fans donated. Creating Carrot has expanded my repertoire of materials and applications in very fun and fecund ways. I hope to be using what I have learned to create fun new pieces for other public spaces. I am grateful to Doug Danstrom, the Walt’s staff, their friends, my daughter Consuelo who was a charming and helpful companion during the construction and permit process for Carrot, and to the people of the 6th Avenue business district. We hope that this piece brings whimsy and inspiration to people on the Avenue for a very long time into the future.

Sincerely; Mauricio Robalino

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The Space Between (Can-Do project)
Artist: Jayson Owens (with John Miller)
Location: Old Milwaukee Cafè, 3104 6th Ave.
Medium: reused objects, welded steel, powder coated

This piece is about the tenuous connection between technology and creative expression. How one drives the other, yet both are equally important. The reused objects represent technology, and the space between them, creativity. With our focus on production, we seem to have forgotten their interdependency. When we live without creativity, the gears don’t move, thus the machine languishes. When we honor our human need for creative expression, we bring about the great advances in human history. With this re-use of retired materials to bring beauty and interest to our daily lives, the artist asks us to be creative, to reuse items before simply discarding them.

Jayson Owens

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Glassy Trashy (Can-Do project)
Artist: Sue Pivetta
Location: Schuck’s, 2901 6th Ave
Medium: glass mosaic over expanded metal lath, powder coated

This CanDo was powder coated a copper color and tiled with glass mosaic copper laced tiles. It was placed in front of Schuck’s so we could class up that part of beautiful Sixth Ave. The design was meant to be functional and the exposed space near the bus stop was chosen so that the copper would capture and reflect whatever sunlight would show up and remind us how much we love those bright sunny days on Sixth.

Sue Pivetta

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Tacoma Pride (Can-Do project)
Artist: Mark Larson
Location: Schuck’s, 2901 6th Ave
Medium: oil over steel

As a painter first and foremost, the most challenging part of this CanDo project was finding a way to make a trash can an interesting canvas to paint on. To that end, I had sheet steel welded around the outside. The surreal concept of a peacock tail with images in each eye has been in my mind for several years, and this project was an ideal opportunity to implement the idea, especially since Tacoma deserves to be “proud as a peacock” for the headway it’s making towards becoming a thriving arts and business community.  I used various night scenes of Tacoma in each eye, from the Pt. Defiance Bridge, to the Tacoma Dome with Mt. Rainier as a backdrop, to reflective water cityscapes and landscapes.  It is both brightly colored and moody at the same time.

Mark Larson

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Mandala (Can-Do project)
Artist: Ann Meersman
Location: Liquor Store, 2805 6th Ave
Materials: stoneware over expanded metal lath

Can an ordinary city trash-can be transformed into art? Ann Meersman thinks so. The Tacoma potter spent two months handcrafting the 619 individual tiles that cover her piece simply titled Mandala. Her work was inspired by drawings of mandalas from a children’s coloring book. The trash can was wrapped in an expanded metal lath and coated with concrete before the tiles were applied. Spray paint was used on the can lid and interior. Meersman works out of her basement studio to create functional pottery and one of a kind tiles. She has been a contributing artist in Face West, Suitcase Sightings, Figurehead Roll, 100th Monkey and The Goddess Project. She is a committee member of the Tacoma Arts Community.

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T-Town Indigenous (Can-Do project)
Artist: CJ Swanson
Location: 2515 6th Ave
Medium: oil based enamel over steel

Mandala (Can-Do project)
Artist: Ann Meersman
Location: Liquor Store, 2805 6th Ave
Materials: stoneware over expanded metal lath

With my Can-do project, I wanted to let the shape of the surface speak to me and decide. The trash can apparatus is very interesting in itself. It has a repeat pattern of circles and stripes both horizontal and vertical. I chose to do a pictographic style with a color palette of limited range; similar to the NW Native artwork colors. On the top of the can I have written words that are friendly comments to the people sending the trash down the openings.

CJ Swanson

REWARD!

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masa series
Artist: Claudia Riedener
Location: 2811 6th Ave
Medium: Stoneware ceramic, hand carved, mason stains

Inspired by Aztec and Mayan motives, I created a series of tiles depicting the traditional farming and harvesting of corn along with several corn gods and a goddess.

The tiles are original hand carvings on high fire clay with a several stains. The work was created to fit the masa style – where Oaxaca meets Tacoma.

This photo shows just one pair in the series.

Claudia Riedener

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Face
Artist: Jeremy Gregory (?)
Location: 2711 B. 6th Ave
(Oakes/Anderson alley)
Medium: paint on concrete

There is a art glass manufacturing studio (Fantasies in Glass) in the Oakes Street / Anderson Street alley. Since they moved in a couple of years ago, art keeps happening in the alley.

We hope they keep up the interesting work!

See more of Jeremy Gregory’s art

If you have information about this art please
let us know!

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Jim Smith Memorial Bench
Artist: Bill Bruzas
Location: 3002 6th Avenue
Medium: hand mill salvaged red cedar trees from Tacoma. Chainsaw carved bench and lighthouse with northwest theme. Elements; lighthouse; Mount Rainier; 6th Avenue; Narrows Bridge; Jim Smith.

Jim Smith came to Tacoma from New York City as a young black artist. His passion was to create from wood. He fell in love and made Tacoma his home. For years he worked at Earnest on 6th Avenue at the foot of the Narrows Bridge. Until he retired he helped the community through DSHS. All the while, Jim created his art at Defiance Carving on Pearl Street. He was very active in the Tacoma art scene; President of Piece County Arts Council; Member of Lumberman “Hoo Hoo” Association; member of NW Carvers Association; Judge for International Chainsaw Carving Competitions. Many of his works are displayed at Snake Lake Nature Center. He took pleasure from putting creative forces together.

Bruzas also created a tattoo theamed bench that is outside of House of Tattoo

House of Tattoo Bench
Artist: Bill and Brandt Bruzas
Location: 2710 6th Avenue
Medium: hand mill salvaged red cedar trees from Tacoma. Chainsaw carved bench

Bruzas also created a bench that can be seen at N. End Market

Creso Building Graffiti Mural
Artist: 2Ft Crew, organized by Eddie Sumlin of Fab5
Location: 2610 6th Ave (in the alley)
Medium: spray paint on stucco

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