Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Ceremonial Opening of the Vancouver Land Bridge 8.23.08
Pam and I joined several hundred other folks to take park in the opening ceremonial Ft Vancouver Confluence Project Even on the crowded crossing filled with dignataries, bagpipes, drummers, etc., I can tell this work of public art created by public consortium, Maya Lin, architect John Paul Jones and other is one of exploratory experience, deep consideration, and lots of nuanced touches. A walk from the Historic reserve to the Columbia River lets one experience, a replica of Ft Vancouver, an historic airfield, a Burlington Northern train line, a state highway, Vancouver's historic Apple tree, and, finally, the Columbia River.
Michael Curry's Giant puppets were also on hand for the opening
It appears that Pam isn't too excited about these settlers moving in.
You know it is not an ordinary public function when the dais includes artist Lillian Pitt, genius artist/architect Maya Lin, and Washington State Poet Laureate Samuel Green. The ceremony was a bit too self-congratulatory, and Confluence director Jane Jacobson should have brought in someone to direct and organize the ceremony IMHO--Having everyone sing all verses of America the Beautiful, give me a break) but extra wind and backpatting does not overwhelm the fact that this is more than a pedestrian overpass over Highway 14. It is in fact an extraordinary nexus of public space, history, art, and architecture, that will help define my home town for decades, and maybe even generations, to come.
posted by well-executed buffet at 3:01 PM
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