5 cool pieces of public art in Seattle

As you approach the Seattle Sculpture Garden from Alaskan Way, you’ll catch glimpses of a uniquely shaped head staring out at the water and mountains ahead of you. ECHO by Jaume Plensa is a 46-feet-tall sculpture that welcomes passers-by to the sculpture garden. It’s impossible for this structure not to invite contemplation, as it looks different from every angle.

Tens of thousands of commuters and travelers pass over the Aurora bridge on a daily basis, rarely giving thought to the spooky troll that lurks right beneath the northern end of the bridge. Cemented in pop culture thanks to the film 10 Things I Hate About You, the troll was constructed in 1990. It is 18 feet tall and clutching a Volkswagen Beetle.

A walk around Volunteer Park isn’t complete without a short stop to contemplate Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi, located directly across the parking lot from the Seattle Asian Art Museum (another great visit if you have the time). This is one of two public pieces of Noguchi’s art that you can view in the city of Seattle. This piece was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts and installed in 1969.

You can’t miss this giant sculpture standing outside of the Seattle Art Museum. At almost 50 feet tall, it’s almost impossible to get the whole thing in photo! There are two larger installations of the same name in Frankfurt and Seoul, with several other smaller versions in the U.S. and European cities. Sculptor Jonathan Borofsky says ‘the Hammering Man celebrates the worker.’

This iconic 1979 sculpture is one of the symbols of the Fremont neighborhood. Locals lovingly decorate the sculpture on a seasonal basis, with umbrellas and hats for rainy winters and flowers and rainbow flags in the height of summer. The statute is on the site of the former Seattle to Everett Interurban railroad station. Take a close look at the dog’s face for a bit of a surprise.