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What’s the Deal With: The Water Cycle Fence?

Public art in Whatcom Falls Park created by Edison metalworker in 2018

By Julia Tellman Local News Reporter

The ornate 360-foot-long fence that keeps walkers out of the Bellingham water treatment plant in Whatcom Falls Park visually describes the journey water takes from clouds to the bay.

Completed in 2018 by Edison industrial artist Ries Niemi, the $170,000 piece of utilitarian art was funded by the city’s One Percent for Art program which requires 1% of eligible costs of capital projects exceeding $2 million to be set aside for public art.

“The seven different panels each depict a different stage of the water’s travel; rain falling, drops on a windshield, splashes, a faucet in a house,” Niemi said. “The raindrops on the top make it harder to climb over, but without the brutality of most security measures.”

Niemi has completed more than 40 public art pieces throughout the West. Locally his work includes the Railroad Avenue benches and the Trades Tower at Bellingham Technical College.

“Public art is always controversial, because it’s public money, and there are always different opinions about what is a good use of public money, but in this case, I have gotten a lot of positive feedback over the years, and the combination of design and function seems to assuage the critics,” Niemi said.


WTD is published online Mondays and in print Fridays. Have a suggestion for a "What's the Deal With?" inquiry? Email us at newstips@cascadiadaily.com.

Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.

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