Scott Fife’s latest creations are now perched in front of Lincoln Hill High and Saratoga School at the district’s new Church Creek Campus.
Fife, a sculpture artist from Vashon Island, was commissioned to craft a larger-than-life bronze eagle and a pair of smaller eagles as part of the construction process for the new building.
The state Legislature has prioritized art in public places. When the state constructs a building, one-half of 1% of the cost goes to public art, according to the state Arts Commission. However, per state law, this money cannot be used for clock towers, electrically powered water features, memorials, logos, signage, or the depiction of school mascots.
Fife’s sculptures are typically created from cardboard, screws, and glue — seemingly mundane materials used to create expressive works of art. Screw heads and corrugated pieces of cardboard are visible when inspecting the pieces up close. From far away, they look like feathers.
Current Lincoln Hill High teacher Nick Clack — who studied Fife’s art while a student at Eastern Washington University in 2006 — joined students admiring the work as it was being installed last week.
“The detail is just amazing,” Clack said.
During the construction phase of the Church Creek Campus, a local art committee made up of parents, staff, and community members formed to examine options for public art and ultimately select Fife’s work.
Fife then turned sketches into a cardboard creation in his home studio. These were then cast into bronze by Tyler Fouts and Travis Fouts at Blue Mountain Fine Art Foundry in Baker City, Oregon.
The art joins four stained glass murals made by Camano Island artist Jack Archibald that adorn windows of the Stanwood High School — two at the entryway, one in the library, and one at the Performing Arts Center.
