Level 1

Photo of "Northwest Screen"

Northwest Screen, 1960

James H. Fitzgerald and Margaret Tomkins

"Northwest Screen,” installed in the Level 1 Gallery, is more than 8 feet tall and 27 feet long. It is made of bronze, enamel on brass and colored glass. The etched panels look like maps, circuit boards or pure design. It is an example of the husband-and-wife team’s early experimentation in glass work, which influenced other Northwest artists. “Northwest Screen” was commissioned for the 1960 opening of the second Central Library building.

Photo of artwork hanging on wall.

Babe the Blue Ox (2004), The Magic Grove (2005) and The Phoenix Fair (2006)

Mandy Greer

Mandy Greer completed three works made from fabric, papier-mâché and steel for the Children’s Center. The works are based on folk tales and were part of “The Library Unbound" program for the new Central Library building. As part of the process, the artist conducted art workshops with Seattle children.

Photo of hardwood floor with raised letters.

LEW floor, 2004

Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton designed and fabricated 7,200 square feet of hardwood floor consisting of 556 lines of carved maple. The first sentences from books written in 11 languages are spelled out backwards to represent both how books are reproduced from typeface, and how we learn to read from symbols that are unknown to us at first. It is meant to be experienced by foot, hand and eye and to engage the reader in the tactile nature of reading. The floor was installed in the Literacy, ESL and World Languages (LEW) area on Level 1 for the opening of the new Central Library in 2004.

Photo of sculpture.

Fountain of Wisdom, 1960

George Tsutakawa

Welcoming visitors at the Fourth Avenue entrance, “The Fountain of Wisdom” is an abstract bronze sculpture that combines the forms of obos (rock formations found along paths in the Himalayas) and Japanese pagodas. This work is significant as it was George Tsutakawa’s first major commission and his first fountain; Tsutakawa would go on to produce more than 75 fountains and gain international recognition for his work. “The Fountain of Wisdom” was commissioned for the 1960 opening of the second Central Library building.

Level 3

Photo of artwork.

Braincast, 2004

Tony Oursler

“Braincast” is a series of three video sculptures located in the walls of the escalator between Levels 3 and 5. The installation is a contemplation on the transmission of information. It reflects the tradition of the public library and its expanding role as the transmitter of different forms of information: spoken, printed, recorded and digital. The artwork was commissioned for the opening of the new Central Library in 2004.

Level 5

Photo of screen from electronic installation.

Making Visible the Invisible: What the Community is Reading, 2004

George Legrady

This electronic installation is presented on six screens above the Level 5 staff desk. It maps the circulation of Library materials to show what the community is reading based on checkout data. It consists of four distinct data visualizations that last from one to six minutes each. The artwork was commissioned for the opening of the new Central Library in 2004.

Photo of artwork.

Guardian, 1974

Frank Okada

“Guardian,” which hangs next to the entrance to the public stairway, is a large Abstract Expressionist color field painting that is vividly rendered in blue and yellow acrylic paint. Okada described his paintings as “dedicatory objects” expressing gesture, memory and sensation.  You can find another painting the artist donated to the Library on Level 10.

Level 8

Photo of Artwork

Negative Round, 1971

Rita Kepner

Presented to the Art Department by an anonymous donor, this African wonderstone sculpture weighs 80 pounds and is mounted on a wooden base. A Teflon bearing allows the abstract piece to rotate freely. The piece is inspired by the artist's interest in universal forms such as eggs, bones and seashells. It was originally installed in the second Central Library building and can currently be found on the Level 8 staff desk.

Photo of artwork.

Kinship of All Life, 1968

James Winston Washington, Jr.

Located outside the Level 8 Gallery, the sculpture “Kinship of All Life” was donated by the artist to the Library in memory of Eugenia Raymond, the Head of the Art Department and a friend of the artist. The sculpture is made of Egyptian pink granite and can be rotated, revealing carving on all sides; Washington wanted people to touch the work and connect with the kinship of all life.

Level 9

Photo of artwork

Bibliotopia, 2006

Deborah Lawrence

"Bibliotopia” hangs in the Map Room and is a collage of acrylic, collage and varnish on rag paper, board and frame. It is part of the series “Dee Dee Does Utopia,” a project Lawrence began by sending an email query to 200 people asking, “What does Utopia look like to you?” From the responses, Lawrence created 26 versions of perceptions of utopia, including “Bibliotopia” (for those who wrote of books and libraries). The book Dee Dee Does Utopia is included in our collection.

Level 10

Photo of artwork

Shiva II, 1972

Frank Okada

Located near the Seattle Room, “Shiva II” is a large abstract work in oil paint that primarily uses bold reds, blues and yellows. The artist created this work in honor of his brother, John Okada, a former librarian and author of No-No Boy. You can find another work by Frank Okada on Level 5.

Photo of artwork.

Of Memory, 2004

Lynne Yamamoto

 “Of Memory” is a sculpture of antiquated card catalogs made of cast polyester fiberglass. The artwork is intended to suggest the spectral trace of card files from the old Central Library. The artwork was commissioned for the opening of the new Central Library in 2004. It hangs near the Seattle Room.

Collage of artwork

Carpets, 2004

Petra Blaisse

The carpeting located on Level 10 and Level 3 (ten patterns in three colors) was designed by Petra Blaisse, a Dutch designer and long-time collaborator of Rem Koolhaas. (View the Living room carpet from the highest viewpoint on Level 10.) Her firm Inside Outside designed the building’s landscaping. These carpets, with giant photos of plants printed on them, bring the landscaping inside.

Murals

Photo of artwork

We have commissioned murals by local artists that can be found at the Central Library and our neighborhood branches. Learn more about the artists and the concepts behind these murals.