Photo courtesy of Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson

Three commanding new figures now stand in a planter on Waterfront Park’s promenade, near Pier 58, gazing across Elliott Bay toward the gravesite of Chief Sealth, Seattle’s namesake. These carved cedar sculptures are the work of Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson (Puyallup) and represent a mother, father, and child, together titled Family. Anchoring the large “social intersection” space just south of Union Street on Alaskan Way, the artworks welcome visitors and remind us that the Seattle waterfront is located on Coast Salish homelands.

Peterson carved the bodies and heads separately and joined them to make sculptures that stand between 10 and 12 feet tall, not including their bases. They have textured, incised, and painted details, with each figure displa

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