Sacajawea Tapestry, 2018

Cecilia Blomberg
(Swedish, born 1950)

Location: Sacajawea Elementary School, Richland

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Sacajawea Tapestry is a large-scale handwoven textile created by artist Cecilia Blomberg. She used an eight-foot wide tapestry loom to create this piece. The city of Richland in Southeastern Washington inspired the imaginary landscape. She filled it with images and symbols representing education and the local cultures.

In the bottom right corner is the ghost of Sacajawea. Sacajawea was a young Shoshone woman who is known for her help to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in exploring the Pacific Northwest in 1804-1806. She traveled thousands of miles with the expedition and was an important translator and liaison with Native American people during the trip.

The artist notes, "The Mighty Columbia River is in the center with the Yakima and Snake Rivers coming together below where the children are sitting. Hidden in the landscape are various symbols and details, like horses escaping the carousel and running over the bridge to the Wild Horses Monument. An atom symbol is blended into the image in the center of the tapestry, a part of everything… The tapestry may inspire your own stories and art. Look at it often and see if you can discover new things and discover why they are there. What do you see?"

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Richland School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Swedish tapestry artist Cecilia Blomberg lives and works in Western Washington. Creating artworks for public and private spaces, Blomberg's tapestries intricately depict figurative imagery. She studied textile arts, crafts, and design at institutions in Sweden.

ARTWORK DETAILS
MediumWool and cotton tapestry
Dimensions7 ft 6 in x 12 ft
ID NumberWSAC2016.025.000
Acquisition MethodSite responsive commission
Artist LocationWashington, United States
Location Information
AgencyRichland School District
Artwork LocationSacajawea Elementary School
Main stairwell landing
WA CountyBenton
PlacementInterior
Site TypePublic School
Address535 Fuller St.
Richland, WA 99354
Geo. Coordinates46.308259, -119.275836
Before VisitingSome artworks may be located in areas not accessible to the general public (especially in K-12 public schools). Consider contacting the site prior to a visit to ensure access.
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