September 3, 2018
“CHIEF SEATTLE’S GRANDCHILDREN”
by Addison Karl
In 2017, inspired by the 53-acre Schmitz Preserve Park in West Seattle—one of the last stands of old-growth forest in Seattle—roaming artist Addison Karl reimagined a Pacific Northwest without “Manifest Destiny development and encroachment.” Karl is himself a registered Chickasaw and Choctaw and has strong ties to Seattle established on his global artistic pilgrimage. On SODO Track, the two-mile transit corridor on 5th Ave S, Karl portrayed Duwamish tribe members, Northwest Basket Weaver and great granddaughter of Chief Seattle for whom the city is named, Mary Lou Slaughter and her son, wood carver Michael Halady. As transit passengers catch a fleeting glimpse of Karl’s work SODO track organizers hope it serves as a reminder of how fleeting forests could be as well, without our care. @addisonkarl @sodotrack
