Public art approved for new Maritime Technology Center
As a state-funded capital project, a small percentage of funding for the SMA Marine Technology Center will be allocated to public art. Through a competitive process, the Art Selection Committee, comprised of both campus and state representatives, selected local artist John Sisko to create sculptural elements inside the building.
A gifted and accomplished sculptor, Sisko has taken great interest in Seattle Maritime Academy and Seattle’s maritime industry. He has visited the school several times and observed students on the training vessel MARITIME INSTRUCTOR. Over the past seven months, he prepared a proposal for sculpted relief elements that blend with the new building’s architecture. The committee enthusiastically approved his proposal and looks forward to seeing it come to life. Sisko currently serves as the chair of the Editorial Board of Sculpture Review Magazine and has been elected a fellow to the nation’s oldest professional sculpture organization, the National Sculpture Society in New York City.
The Art in Public Places (AIPP) program facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington. The Washington State Legislature established the AIPP program in 1974 to acquire artwork for K-12 public schools, colleges, universities and state agencies, funded by one-half of one percent of the state’s portion of construction costs. Today, the State Art Collection includes more than 4,500 artworks that are sited where people study, work, and live.