Walking Round Thing by Harold Balazs is the Third Art Piece Installation by Chihuly Garden and Glass
SEATTLE – Seattle Center is pleased to welcome a new public art installation to campus, courtesy of Chihuly Garden and Glass. Walking Round Thing is a six-foot tall copper sculpture created by artist Harold Balazs in 1980. This new addition to Seattle Center’s outstanding collection of public art will be unveiled on Monday, June 3 at 9:00 am. As the name suggests, Balazs’ intent was to invite the viewer to walk around and enjoy this sculpture from various perspectives. Its new home, on the plant-filled walkway between the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass, will enable visitors to do just that.
During the Seattle World’s Fair held at Seattle Center in 1962, Balazs’ artwork was displayed across the fairgrounds. He installed a wooden relief at the entrance to the Forest Industries Theater, a large public sculpture entitled Screwtape in the First National Bank sculpture exhibit, and Glyph No. 2 in the Northwest Art Today exhibit in the Fine Arts Pavilion. Balazs was a champion of public art as a State Arts Commissioner and created iconic sculptures across Seattle and Spokane.
“Our goal is for guests visiting from around the world to remember Seattle for its exceptional artists,” said Michelle Bufano, Executive Director of Chihuly Garden and Glass. “The addition of Balazs’ art continues the longstanding commitment of Chihuly Garden and Glass to enrich Seattle Center with vibrant, authentic creativity.”
Walking Round Thing is the newest addition to the Seattle Center Art Tour. Balazs’ art is the third art piece in a series that was installed by Chihuly Garden and Glass. Walking Round Thing joins two other sculptures, Feminine One by David Lemon installed in 2016 and Water’s Edge Years Round by Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace installed in 2018. Visitors and locals are invited to experience over 50 works of art on campus through an enriching self-guided tour with a companion guide available at seattlecenter.com/explore/arts/public-art.
About Chihuly Garden and Glass
Located at Seattle Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass brings together all the elements of artist Dale Chihuly’s work, including drawings, signature glass series, large architectural installations, and personal collections. This long-term exhibition features indoor galleries, the centerpiece Glasshouse, and an everchanging Garden, along with live glass demonstrations, a Theatre, and The Bar, offering unique cocktails and light bites surrounded by Dale Chihuly’s collections. Learn more at chihulygardenandglass.com.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming.
Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera Blue Cross, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually. www.seattlecenter.com
For more information:
Jayme Stocker, Seattle Center, 206-507-5353, jayme.stocker@seattle.gov
Mary Catherine Franz, Chihuly Garden and Glass, 425-442-8402 mcf@chihulygardenandglass.com
