Bronze Statues of Tacoma: Locals to Learn From
- By Kelli Jo Hjalseth
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- 28 Jul, 2022
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Like any city, Tacoma has its regulars, the stalwart characters who always seem to be in the same spots around town. The railroad worker and his daughter, who’s come to greet him after work on South Tacoma Way; the man in the bowler hat resting his bags outside Union Station; the intergenerational friendship on display at Wright Park, their mutual delight in a fallen leaf crossing the divides of age. You wouldn’t be remiss to doubletake, in fact, at just how often you feel you see these same interactions…in the same places…all the time here. But wait! Before you start to feel spooked–no, Tacoma isn’t haunted. These locals, much like the living, breathing ones you find yourself running into around town, are bonafide local color, prime examples of Tacoma’s varied inhabitants–they just happen to be cast in bronze. Look closely, and you won’t be able to stop spotting these lifelike statues throughout the city, each crafted with intention and context to highlight Tacoma’s rich history and community values.
To spend time with these Tacoma locals is to treat yourself to viewing the city with a newcomer’s eye. Grab a coffee in Old Town, then visit with Ribarski Pripovijest (A Fish Story), on N. 30th street, an homage to Tacoma’s Slovenian-American population, installed in honor of the Slovenian American Benevolent Society’s Centennial in 2001. A Fish Story captures joy on the faces of a local couple (in 1901) as they revel in a freshly-caught fish, likely the night’s dinner. Take inspiration from A Fish Story, and venture down Ruston Way, where you can buy some fish yourself before stopping at Fire Station #5’s Fully Involved, a tribute to local firefighters who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.
Welcome Song, a 2007 statue not far from Dash Point State Park, is a gorgeous and important piece that’s worth a visit to the N.E. Tacoma Police Substation. In recognition of North East Tacoma’s first inhabitants, the Puyallup Tribe–many of whom continue to reside in the area–Welcome Song depicts a young girl in traditional cedar bark clothing, a thunderbird atop her drum, its small size similar to those used by Puyallup women. Take a moment of gratitude–and acknowledgement–for the Puyallup people as you stand beside Welcome Song, and appreciate Tacoma’s existence, dependent on these Puyallup lands.
While your contemplative mood lasts, take a drive over to the Eastside Community Center to pay homage to the newest member of Tacoma’s bronze community. Installed in 2021, You Got This, Eastside is a memorial statue of Billy Ray Shirley III, a local young man who died at the hands of gun violence at the age of 17. Jasmine Iona Brown’s moving portrayal of Shirley, an active Eastside community member and volunteer, stands as a reminder to Shirley’s neighborhood–and to Tacomans at large–that a community spirit and an open heart are crucial values to Tacoma’s ethos. The statue’s location bears notice, too: thanks in part to fundraising in Billy Ray’s honor, the Eastside Community Center, a dream Shirley fought to make reality, opened its doors in 2018.
Tacoma’s bronze humans clearly keep good company, and their population is ever-increasing; be excited–or beware! At Dune Peninsula, Point Defiance’s newest and most sci-fi addition, Little Makers abound. Cast to resemble the large larval sandworms of the Dune universe (created by Tacoma-born Frank Herbert, and with no small relation to Dune Peninsula’s name and design), these eerie, tubular forms are more than mere references to Herbert’s now-infamous creations. In Dune, sandworms deplete their planet of all water, creating a vast and inhospitable desert; the elegantly sculpted, somewhat otherworldly landscape of Dune Peninsula sits on the former slag pile from the ASARCO Smelter. Little Makers serves as a celebration of Dune and a self-referential, cautionary tale, asking us park-goers to take stock of our own impact on our planet’s resources. Little Makers opens a playful gateway to contemplation, inviting us to enjoy the park while mindfully inhabiting our surroundings.
You’re right by Point Defiance now–if you’ve got an extra ounce of energy, why not pay a visit to The Family, near the Zoo and Aquarium entrance? The Family celebrates the feelings of connection that bloom from spending time in nature: three figures of different sizes hold hands in a circle. Upon closer inspection, we see that each person’s hand blends with the hands they hold, creating a unifying circle. While the statue easily appears to be a nuclear family, the abstracted human forms and continuous arms imply a message beyond any typical definitions. Family is connection, and connection to a place, as well as to people–any people–is family. This city values community, connection, and a relationship with the varied landscapes Tacoma has to offer. Do yourself a favor this summer and familiarize yourself with this growing collection of local knowledge–how can you call yourself a true Tacoman otherwise?
The Metroparks website lists most of the city’s bronze statues, though it’s missing some of the more recent installations. https://wspdsmap.cityoftacoma.org/website/Art2/viewer.htm
