A new piece of public art has gone up in Seattle, where a towering wood carving was unveiled this past week. The piece, described as a welcome figure, was created for the Chief Seattle Club and now greets people passing through one of the city's downtown public spaces.
The Chief Seattle Club is a native-led housing and human services agency in the city. The new carving is tied directly to the organization, standing as a welcoming presence connected to its work and to the Indigenous community it serves.
The welcome figure was carved by an artist from the Squaxin Island Tribe. Through the work, the artist honors Grandmother Frog, a figure drawn from Indigenous tradition who carries a meaningful role in the community's storytelling.
Grandmother Frog is known as a gatherer, a provider, and a keeper of family and community. Those roles are reflected in the carving, which is meant to embody care, belonging and a sense of being looked after by an enduring, watchful presence.
Beyond its artistic value, the figure is intended to offer comfort to those who encounter it. It is described as being there to help people find peace, a place where someone having a bad day can come to sit with her and talk, finding a moment of calm in the middle of the city.
Grandmother Frog can be found in Fortson Square, located at Second Avenue and Yesler Way. The city has spent the last nine months redesigning and improving that public space, and the new welcome figure arrives just as World Cup visitors and local soccer fans begin moving through the area.