The Kiss (photo by S.K. Reiter)
My Olympia begins with “The Kiss” (Sculpture by Richard S. Beyer 1990) a favorite sculpture along the waterfront in downtown Olympia. Whimsical, sweet and it was a gift to downtown.
The artist Richard Beyer is the artist that also created the famous sculpture in the Fremont area of Seattle that you see dressed up in different clothes on occasion. Mr. Beyer passed away in 2012 but more than 90 of his artistic creations live on in public spaces for all the citizens to enjoy. From his website:
“Art is seeing common things transformed by love, and the best public art belongs to the story of a community”, said Rich. Between 1968 and 2006 he created over 90 sculptures for public spaces in cities and towns throughout the U.S.A. (and beyond) that reflect local values and lore. His designs are active and direct, using animals and people with expressively carved gestures to tell stories about experience and interaction. Beyer used humor to affirm the human condition, often making fun of things that limit and debase, such as pretension and complacency. This is art that can challenge our ordinary assumptions, yet is totally approachable by young and old – an “art people love!”
So my exploration of Olympia begins with a kiss ~ sculptural and metaphorical as I embrace my little city and give her a big kiss!
