Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017 (detail).

Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle. Original 2002 installation. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Curious Arcade, 2002

Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle
Jean Whitesavage (American, born 1960); Nick Lyle (American, born 1958)

Location: Edmonds College, Lynnwood

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist team Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle created The Curious Arcade as a free-standing sculptural pergola. The structure is made up of three gateways at the entrance to the Higher Education Center at Edmonds Community College. Above each gateway there are decorative elements that reference classical buildings in ancient Greece and Rome. The imagery includes flowering Calendula, Vine Maple, and a Steller's Jay bird. All together, the imagery of the pergola presents broad themes that are open for interpretation. The artists note, "This way the person who encounters the work won't merely spot the obvious theme and move on, they may instead be drawn into a more imaginative relationship with the work."

In 2015, the artists re-painted this artwork from the original red color to green.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Edmonds Community College and Central Washington University.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jean Whitesavage and Nick Lyle are an artist team who create hand-forged metal sculptures and installations for public and private spaces. Whitesavage received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Tyler School of Art and a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, New York State. Lyle received a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College, Massachusetts, and studied glassblowing and metalwork at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, New York State.