The Steelies are coming

What is your favorite phase in a project?

Personally, I have two - the part where you are waving your hands in the air, conjuring up something wonderful, and the part where you begin to see the spell actually starting to work.

If you peek in the window of the former service station on N. Olympic (now owned by the City of Arlington and slated to become a maker space) you can see it too.

Or rather, them. Six steel fish cut from 10 gage steel with found steel objects for innards.

They are planned for installation in the new medians along 67th Avenue. The design and creation of the Steelies has been a team project for Arts Council members Monica Bretherton, Erika Bruss, Tim Johnson and Mike Nordine, with some coaching by Gary Schlagel.

We haven't had to travel far for many of our "guts" - Arlington Bicycle has provided sprockets and chain, plus some bits from Arlington Pickers, as well as a couple of trips north to Mt. Vernon.

The fish will be powder-coated before they are installed, and we hope to have them ready to provide some color along 67th Avenue through the gray season.

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