Traffic Circle Masterpiece in Olympia

The city of Olympia recently had a new traffic circle installed at the intersection of Boulevard Rd. and Log Cabin Rd. It commissioned Seattle artist Steve Jensen to carve 12 8-foot tall pillars from naturally fallen old-growth timber. Each pillar has a different design, base on themes of nature. Ten of the pillars are arranged in a circle around the inner perimeter of the roundabout and two pillars are placed near the sidewalk, so pedestrians can get a close-up appreciation of the carvings.

Steve Jenson is a talented artist and at a price of $70,000, the beautiful carvings are not exorbitant, considering there are 12 of them. My only concern is that in our current economic situation, $70,000 on roundabout art seems like money that could have been better spent. According to an article in The Olympian, the city only had $28,000 in the budget for roundabout art and had to take the other $42,000 from other road projects.

I appreciate public art and having beautiful sights in our city, but at the same time I can't help but wonder at the justification to take money from other road funds for art, when many neighborhoods are dealing with crumbling roadways and cracked sidewalks. I also wonder if a project of this magnitude would have a better chance of appreciation and public benefit than in an out-of-way traffic circle.

If it was me calling the shots, I'd have adorned the traffic circle with a variety of natural landscapes. Art can be added at a later point, when more funds are available. In my opinion, this particular art arrangements would be better placed at Percival Landing, or throughout downtown.

Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®

Our community is important to me. I take pride in our beautiful locality, and our quality of life.

Feel free to contact me for questions about local attractions, events, or real estate information.
360-789-7505
www.SandyNelsonRealEstate.com