New Outdoor Sculpture Arrives On Mercer Island

MERCER ISLAND, WA — The Greta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery along the I-90 trail in the downtown area got a very large, very orange new resident this week.

On Tuesday, Mercer Island artist Louise Hankes' sculpture "Blomstre" was erected at the garden. However, it might not be there for long. The sculpture will be up for sale, and some of the proceeds will benefit the Mercer Island Arts Council. In fact, many works at Greta Hackett are available for purchase — there are eight for sale by various artists right now.

Hankes' "Blomstre" is based on a series of smaller sculptures she made out of similarly flowing shapes. She pitched the idea to the MIAC of creating a very big sculpture from her "Whirlism" series earlier this year.

The sculpture's arrival on Mercer Island is serendipitous. "Blomstre" is a Norwegian word used to describe something that's in bloom — so the bright orange sculpture comes in time to keep island residents cheerful as autumn and winter near.

If you go:

Greta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery
Sunset Highway between 77th and 80th avenues