Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Tim Watkins and Carol May. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Understory, 2014

Tim Watkins and Carol May
Tim Watkins (American (born 1952)) - Carol May (American (born 1950))

Location: White Pass Elementary School, Randle

About the Artwork

Understory is a wall-mounted sculpture created by artist team Tim Watkins and Carol May for White Pass Elementary School. The school is located on the western edge of the Cascade Range, south of Mount Rainier and north of Mount St. Helens. The dense undergrowth of the forest floor inspired the imagery. They constructed the sculpture using overlapping pipes, plates, and perforated steel. The artists note, "Our goal was to create a joyful and colorful entrance piece that greets the students when their buses arrive each morning… It is a playful magnification of the delicate fiddlehead ferns and hidden mushrooms that grow below the massive trees."

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

About the Artist

Collaborating artists Tim Watkins and Carol May design and fabricate art installations for public spaces. Carol May leads concept development and design, while Tim Watkins oversees fabrication, design development, engineering, and production for projects. They have created many immersive and interactive environments for Childrens Museums nationwide.
Tim Watkins received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Alberta College of Art & Design in Canada.
Carol May received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.