The Arlington Times / The Marysville Globe
February 22, 2014
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Metal tree sculpture accepted by Arlington BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
Kirk Boxleinter/Staff Photo
Travis Petrie, a Marysville-Pilchuck High School Class of 2005 graduate, creates wooden sculptures, illustrating quotes from pop culture figures.
Marysville woodworking artist showcased in Seattle MARYSVILLE — A Marysville-Pilchuck High School Class of 2005 graduate is receiving a broader spotlight for his unique wood sculpture artwork in Seattle. Travis Petrie credits both his father Ted, and Mike Fitzpatrick, his former shop teacher at Marysville Junior High School, with fostering the woodworking skills that have been able to blossom within the past couple of years, thanks to some inherited woodworking tools, but it was Travis’ younger brother Cody who first inspired the series that Travis has come to call his “quote busts.” “Cody wanted a tattoo of a quote by John Lennon for his 18th birthday, but he didn’t just want it be words,” Travis Petrie said. “So I made a design of Lennon’s face that incorporated the quote into the visual image.” Look closely at Petrie’s head-and-shoulders busts of pop culture figures, ranging from civil rights leaders to influential musicians, and you’ll see words hidden in the lines of their heads and faces. “I’ve done everything from Pokemon to Jesus,” said Petrie, whose roughly 30 pieces to date began as small 6-inch pieces made out of recycled material, and have since expanded into sturdy wooden pieces as tall as 4 feet. “Most of my first pieces were for family members.” A number of Petrie’s quote busts are currently displayed at the Have a Heart medical marijuana dispensary in Seattle, with whom he became involved out of respect for their work on behalf of the community. “They’re donated a lot to families suffering from medical ailments, and they’re really into supporting area artists,” said Travis Petrie, who’s also mapping out his options for having his work displayed in
Courtesy Photo
Debbi Rhodes’ ‘Rooted Embrace’ metal tree sculpture could be planted by the Centennial Trail as early as this summer. of the parts, but I’ll have to join all four pieces on the site, welding them together at the top,” Rhodes said. “I’ll still see it as more of a concept until it’s completed.” “I love the tree and have promoted its acceptance from the beginning,” said Oertle, who also singled
out Arlington Arts Council Treasurer Jean Olson for her role in making this project possible. “Once I get behind a project, I do my best to make it happen.” Arney hopes to see the tree bolted down to its concrete pad by this summer, perhaps even in time for Arbor Day.
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gallery space in Lake City, just north of Northgate. “What I’ve liked about doing these quote busts is that what these people have to say is motivating and inspiring. The right words can stick with you and change your whole life.” “I’m just astonished by what he’s achieved,” Ted Petrie said of his son. “I’ve seen his skills advance, as he’s become more fluent in rendering facial architecture. The eyes of his pieces are like the Mona Lisa; they’ll follow you around the room. He’s a social activist who’s doing something he’s passionate about.” “You should take pride in what you do, because everything matters,” said Travis Petrie, who cited his 19-month-old daughter Hazel Moon as another inspiration for his work. “Everything.” To see more of Travis Petrie’s artwork, log onto www.artbytravis.wordpress. com.
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BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
ARLINGTON — A new monument of metal twisted into an organic form will mark the culmination of more than two years of discussions and fundraising. On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Arlington City Council officially accepted the Arlington Arts Council’s gift of a metal tree sculpture by artist Debbi Rhodes, which will be placed at the Centennial Trail, between Third and Fourth streets, when it’s complete. Rhodes explained that the tree will be constructed of Cor-Ten steel, and will include both stainless steel and powder-coated orange “leaves.” “The roots are actually going to be a sort of mirror image of the branches on the final product,” Rhodes said. “I changed the scope of the piece to give it a more cohesive statement, so I hope the viewer will feel the ‘Rooted Embrace’ that the title implies.” Both Arlington Arts Council President Sarah Arney and Arts Council member Marilyn Oertle, also a member of the Arlington City Council, recalled Rhodes’s presentation to the Arts Council early in 2012, during which she brought a miniature model of her tree sculpture. “Everyone was very enamored of the tree,” Oertle said. “The discussion led to entering it into the ‘People’s Choice’ selection at our annual art auction. It won first place two years running.” “Arts Council members persistently brought it up as a future project, but at the time, we were committed to
finishing the Sound Garden and the city entryway signs,” Arney said. “And as a result of our ‘Fall into Art’ auction, and our concerts at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center, we now have the money — $12,000, not including installation — to commission the full-sized 12-foot-by-14-foot sculpture.” “That location on Centennial Trail cries out for something spectacular,” said Oertle, who added that the project was approved not only by the Arlington Arts Council, but also the Public Art Commission and the Parks, Arts and Recreation Committee. “Arlington is recognized as a ‘Tree City USA,’ so it seemed perfect.” Rhodes admitted that she hadn’t even considered that angle when she first proposed the sculpture. “Trees are very iconic, and Washington is known for its evergreens rather than its deciduous trees, so I thought it was a nice statement,” Rhodes said. Rhodes expects the labor to create the tree will take her about 50 hours. “I’ll be laser-cutting a lot