Sculptures like the Fremont Troll and the Wrocław Dwarfs attract audiences from across the world, and the positive economic impact these kinds of pieces have created is undeniable. It’s the same kind of effect the Washington Watching sculpture is designed to produce for the space or area in Washington where it’s built.
What would it mean to increase foot traffic to your property or establishment by 20%? Or 50%? Washington Watching is intended to serve as a destination for tourists, while also providing property and business owners them with a potential direct source of revenue. Owners of the site/sculpture will have the opportunity to leverage the presence of the piece in whatever way makes sense for their business.
A model of this sculpture is pictured here, and the comparison of a similar model and actual sculpture should provide a sense of how it will translate into reality. The finished Washington Watching piece will be almost 10ft tall and close to 15 feet long. It will:
-Directly reflect the people who live and work around the piece
-Create a destination that will spur economic activity
-Provide a potential direct source of revenue
-Serve as a hub for events and activities in the area to drive further economic oppotunities
-Enable a lasting legacy for individuals and an entire community
All of the decisions around the symbols, words and images that will appear throughout the piece will be dictated by the community, a few examples of which appear here. These include the “Bye and Bye” state motto as well a symbols of various icons for the entire state, but they are just a brief example of the potential iconography for the piece which will be determined in person with the community and online at www.washingtonwatching.com
This selection process will enable the surrounding community to relate to the piece and ensure it has a direct and indirect economic impact for property owners which will begin in the present and extend far into the future.
Is Washington Watching a fit for your community, neighborhood or business? If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch via email or Facebook.
A Monument to and for Washington
The model/sculpture example showcased above provides a sense of what the finished Washington Watching sculpture will look like. However, the model simply illustrates the shape of what will be constructed in concrete cinderblock, not the words, symbols and illustrations which will be customized for and with the community.
Those will be displayed on a variety of tiles that will be interspersed throughout the piece. The tiles can display anything from a message to a symbol to an illustration. The tiles will be positioned amongst a mosaic stone arrangement that will cover the piece. All of this will be tied together with a colored grout that will permanently lock in the tile and stone mosaic. Viewers will be able to pose with and around the piece which will have black tiles as well as white ones. Much like the shape of the sculpture itself which can be seen as a whale tail, the top of a whales fin or a variety of other things, these colors and shapes will display icons that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
The direct economic opportunities for the sculpture are related to ability to sell these tiles. Any buisness owner interested in making these tiles available for purchase to visitors will have the opportunity to do so. The availability of these tiles could be spread across a variety of buisnesses or establishments, so that acquiring them could be an activity in and of itself. Some cities have created maps to encourage this exact sort of interaction to great success.
Viewers will be encouraged to interact with the piece itself to see and experience these details in a variety of ways. This personal interaction is what will help ensure it becomes both a destination and a draw. Washington Watching can serve as a central focus for events or gatherings by creating an easy place to get together. These in-person efforts can be highlighted on social media and eventually at www.washingtonwatching.com, which will provide visitors with various ways to document and share their experiences.
In-person and digital interactions with Washington Watching will drive key economic considerations for and with the piece, but benefits are just part of the legacy the piece is set to enable. Using materials that are designed to hold up for centuries, it can have a monumentous impact in the present while also serving as an attraction for generations to come.
More examples of the images that can appear throughout the piece are below. To get more info about what it would mean to create this piece and discover whether or not it’s a fit for your business or community, get in touch via email or Facebook.
Is Washington Watching a fit for your community, neighborhood or business? If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch via email or Facebook.