Rusty George Creative, a Tacoma-based marketing and advertising firm, announced recently it was awarded a design contract for four interpretive panels to be installed at select vantage points on the D Street Overpass, currently being constructed.
These public art pieces, each 7 feet long by 18 inches tall, will be produced on porcelain enamel steel and permanently installed at three distinct overlooks for pedestrians to enjoy while walking on the overpass in early 2008. The objective of the installation is to tell the rich history of the Thea Foss Waterway and the surrounding area including stories of the Puyallup Tribe, early settlers, and industrial users of the area.
“We’re really excited to be involved with this project because it’s an opportunity for our creative department to design something enduring and public,” said De Meyers, principal, Rusty George Creative. “We spend most of our days designing things for consumption by the greater Tacoma market, but they are commercial pieces. We believe that beautiful design helps our clients sell their products and services, but our work isn’t usually art for arts sake. Its fun to do something a little different like this, with a public benefit in mind.”
“This type of project transcends style and trends,” says Ryan Meline, creative director, Rusty George Creative. “Most of us are closeted History Channel watchers and projects like this give us a chance for the artist and the historian in us to collaborate.”
East D Street serves as a major corridor for rail and truck freight and for people wanting to access the revitalized Thea Foss Waterway. Once completed, the $24.1 million D Street Overpass will separate train and motor vehicle traffic by raising the roadway over the railroad tracks. The overpass will allow train traffic to move at a higher speed while allowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic to pass uninterrupted. The project will also create a pedestrian connection between the Dome District and the Thea Foss Waterway esplanade and parks.
