North Seattle College: Its Art and Identity

By Michael Rose on January 12, 2017

North Seattle College campus has been successful in what many institutions are currently trying to accomplish: creating a strong, constant presence in a world full of schools and full of concrete. North Seattle College’s Art and Identity is overflowing with projects to create a better space for both students and the community.

One of the things students look for in a college is inspiration. Many newer institutions exhibit concrete architecture, often those having been built as extensions of larger universities. While not all students feel inspired when surrounded by concrete, North Seattle College’s Art Department has found a way to create an inspirational space through the artwork it showcases around the campus.

“Licton Springs and the wetlands were the primary inspiration for the imagery,” explains Ms. Brammeier, referring to a community mural project led by the art department.

For North Seattle, its art and its identity come together in a beautiful way. The progress of this most recent mural was documented in a time-lapse video.

That is only the beginning — the inner courtyard of the college doubles as a gallery for student projects also inspired by the surrounding environment along with the urge to both respect and conserve it.

tree wrap, tree hugger

Above: A knit wraps around this tree in the courtyard of the campus, among others. The corner of the mural is seen on the ground level in the left side of this photo. To see its progress and the finished mural, just click the time-lapse video hyperlink.

The courtyard’s trees are covered in patterned knits, multiple walls have artwork displayed or painted directly on them, and sculptures are installed on walls, ceilings — it makes one believe the sky truly is the limit, but perhaps one day, drones will support yet another 3D art piece in that very sky. The entire center of campus acts as a muse for those who wonder inside and become captured by the various pieces.

North Seattle Courtyard Fridge Installation Art

Above: The fridge above looks like something out of a dystopian novel, an artifact left behind from the previous world. Nature continues to grow around it, drift inside it, and is reflected in the outer casing of the appliance.

One of the themes seen in the art produced by this institution is the relationship between nature and manufactured goods, from appliances to the campus itself. While this college provides solid classical art courses, the community around this college has chosen the environmentally aware image they present as inspiration for North Seattle College’s Art and Identity.

As the directors and students of this campus have shown, sometimes it isn’t what the campus itself offers, but what the community offers to the campus. This approach, asking how students can understand the world around them has created an astounding, inspirational area out of what some have called a concrete jungle.

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