FORMA

Supporting community, culture, and collaboration (and getting goose bumps) in Olympia 

FORMA recently partnered with the West Olympia Rotary to support the installation of Life is Water, a new public artwork at West Bay Park. Carved by Squaxin Island Tribe artist Taylor Krise, the sculpture was commissioned by the Rotary as a gift to the City of Olympia in celebration of the Club’s 50th anniversary.

Installed last Wednesday, the cedar carving was set in place by FORMA, and as the final bolt was tightened, a full pod of orcas surfaced in Budd Inlet just behind the sculpture–a moment captured on video by the artist that quickly made the rounds online. A neighbor who’s lived nearby for fifty years shared that he had never seen orcas come that far into the Bay.

Life is Water stands as a tribute to the Tribe’s connection to our local waterways and a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect them. The following Friday, representatives from the Squaxin Island Tribe, City of Olympia, and West Olympia Rotary gathered with community members for a dedication ceremony honoring the artwork and the collaboration behind it. 

FORMA was proud to donate time and materials to support the installation and grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to a project that celebrates cultural connection, environmental stewardship, and the power of partnership.

For more on the artist and the sculpture, check out this recent piece in Thurston Talk.  

📸: Molly Walsh