Focus on Jet Kiss and analyze the History and public reaction.
Sound Transit, Seattle's regional transit operator, adopted a public art funding program in 1998. The program, known as "STart", allocates one percent of construction costs to art for all Sound Transit projects, including light rail. Construction of the $1.9 billion University Link Extension included $1.25 million for public art through the STart program; $550,000 was specifically allocated for Capitol Hill station, located in one of the city's arts-heavy neighborhoods.A national call for artists was conducted in 2007, with 120 entrants submitting proposals to Sound Transit. Out of them, Brooklyn-based Mike Ross was selected unanimously by the station art panel in February 2008; Ross was sought out by Sound Transit art director Barbara Luecke after seeing his sculpture "Big Rig Jig" at Burning Man.Ross presented his initial concept of deconstructed fighter jets at an open house in April, and was met with negative reactions from members of the public. The piece was criticized for its use of "instruments of war", and Ross himself criticized for being a non-resident. The 43rd District Democrats passed a unanimous resolution calling for "more culturally sensitive themes for public art [...] instead of warplanes" and the hiring of local talent. Ross was taken aback by the criticism, telling New York's Village Voice that he "definitely didn't expect to get resistance from left-wing political activists". Cartoonist Ellen Forney, whose work would also be used at the station, defended Ross's work and called his proposal "thought-provoking" and "something that's not 'safe' and totally public art-y".A second public open house was held in June, to more favorable reactions. A revised design was presented in October, re-arranging the jets into more abstract shapes and arranging them to "kiss" rather than "dogfight". The piece, called "Together", was approved by Sound Transit and granted a budget of $484,000 in August 2009.The two fighter jets were acquired from a scrapyard in Arizona, and were sent to Ross's studio in Oakland, California for disassembly and reconfiguration. Jet Kiss, as it was later renamed, was installed at Capitol Hill station in February 2015. The station opened to the public on March 19, 2016.
Capitol Hill Arizona Sound Transit one percent University Link Extension light rail Burning Man Seattle fighter jet 43rd District Village Voice Capitol Hill station scrapyard Oakland, California dogfight culturally sensitive Ellen Forney public art transit Mike Ross