Squaxin Artist Joe Seymour: “Nothing’s Permanent”

Above: Joe Seymour, Jr., Squaxin Island and Pueblo of Acoma, of Olympia, stands near the mural he and three other artists painted in 2012, commemorating the Canoe Journey to Squaxin Island. The mural in downtown Olympia was demolished this week to make room for a new, three story, mixed-used building. Seymour has been commissioned to create art for the new building.

Olympia Mural, Downtown Warehouse Building Demolished

Seymour to Work on New Art for The Laurana and Views on Fifth

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Very little was salvaged.

Not the spectacular wooden trusses, not the metal window frames, not the beloved mural painted in commemoration of the 2012 Canoe Journey to Squaxin Island. 

The mural was created by Coast Salish artist Joseph Seymour, Jr., Squaxin Island and Pueblo of Acoma, Ira Coyne, Vince Ryland, and Kevin Bouton-Scott.

In front of a handful of witnesses, the mural in downtown Olympia was demolished on Tuesday. 

It was a brutal sight as the contractors’ machine took efficient bites out of the concrete upon which the Pacific Northwest sun, Olympic Mountain range, Salish Sea, indigenous canoes, paddlers, and a welcoming pole were featured.

In short order, the brightly colored mural with so much personality was gone.

Above: Artist Joe Seymour Jr. stands in front of the mural he helped create in commemoration of the 2012 Canoe Journey to Squaxin Island. 

Above: Passersby witnessed the mural’s destruction on Tuesday.

Built in 1941, the warehouse building adjacent to Percival Landing on State and Columbia Street was most recently home to Les Schwab Tires. In cooperation with the store’s management, the mural was painted on its outer, west facing wall.

After Les Schwab Tires moved to its new location on Plum Street, Walker John and one of his companies, Urban Olympia V LLC, bought the building. The project is represented by Thomas Architecture Studios.

In the past couple of weeks, the building’s demolition was accomplished to make room for a new, three story building with a restaurant and 44 market rate housing units: 10 studios, 28 1-bedroom, and six two-bedroom units.

The new development will be called The Laurana, after Laurana Ware Percival, the wife of Captain Samuel Wing Percival, who constructed the Percival Dock and Lumber Companies.

Construction is slated to begin in August with occupancy in late summer or fall of 2019.

Interview with Artist Joe Seymour

Little Hollywood contacted Seymour and met with him last weekend on Percival Landing. We talked about the Canoe Journey mural, his art, and future projects.

The conversation was bittersweet, and jumped between the emotions of past, present, and future.

The name Joe Seymour does not appear on the marker near the mural. What does appear is Seymour’s Squaxin Island ancestral name, Wahalatsu?. His family gave him the name of his Squaxin Island great grandfather, Wahalatsu?, William Bagley, in 2003. 

Seymour said his ancestors inspire him to create his art. 

Downtown Olympia sits on land ceded by the Medicine Creek Treaty tribes which include the Squaxin Island Tribe, Nisqually Tribe of Indians and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

A heavy trading area for different people, the waters and lands upon which we stood are the traditional territory of the Steh-Chass people, people of the Squaxin Island Tribe. 

Prior to the Carylon fill of 1911, the area between Percival dock and Columbia Street was the water’s edge. Piers were initially used to extend Water Street north of State, called 3rd Street at the time, to provide buildable area for more industrial activity.

Seymour had just come from Thomas Architecture Studios and held in his hand rolled up building drawings. 

He was excited to see the drawings because the building’s owner, Walker John, has commissioned him and local artist Ira Coyne to create two new pieces of artwork for the new building.

We opened the rolls.

The building will feature a plaza facing west, toward the water, and have a raised sill height of 16.5 feet which is six feet above the elevation required for sea level rise. Deployable Kevlar skirts will be used at building entrances.

The building’s west façade will be set back from the existing one by approximately 65 feet. The city requires a 30 foot setback from the shoreline and Laurana’s west façade is over 100 feet from the shoreline.

But Seymour was most interested in the wall space he and Coyne will have to work with to create their artwork.

“We’re not going to recreate this mural but do something that honors the Canoe Journey. We’re going to look at pictures of the actual landing that day and see what we find. We have two walls: one, facing west, toward the water, will be 15 feet high and 50 feet wide. The other, facing northeast on Columbia Street, will be about 30 feet wide and as high as 30 feet. Both Ira and I are really grateful that the developer is working with us.”

“Nothing is permanent,” Seymour added, looking at the mural wistfully.

His perspective comes not only from his indigenous heritage, but his upbringing. 

Seymour, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, grew up in New Mexico and California. His dad was in the Marine Corps. He now lives in Olympia’s eastside neighborhood.  

A geoduck harvester and commercial diver, Seymour works with several artistic mediums, including wood, wool, etched glass, paint, and photography.

He started his artistic career by carving his first paddle for the 2003 Tribal Journey to Tulalip. Then he carved his first bentwood box. Then he learned how to stretch and make drums.

In 2005, after attending a life-changing artist-in-residency program at the Longhouse at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Seymour knew he wanted to devote his life to his art.

He has been a participating artist in several art shows facilitated through the Longhouse and the Washington State History Museum. The recipient of numerous grants, he has participated in several international gatherings of indigenous artists.

Seymour’s work can be seen at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, the Squaxin Island Museum in Shelton, and the Hilo Art Museum in Hilo, Hawai’i.

The Canoe Journey Mural

Tribal Journeys began in 1989, intending to coincide with the centennial celebration for Washington State. Since 1993, ‘Tribal Journeys’ or ‘The Paddle’ have been held on an annual basis, with various tribes serving as the host tribe.

Seymour discussed the creation  of the mural to commemorate the 2012 Canoe Journey.

“The project was commissioned by the Olympia Downtown Association. Ira and I submitted our designs and they were both really similar. We both had seven canoes on the water and we both had big sky, so they asked, ‘Do you want to work together?’

“My first thought was, ‘I don’t want to work with anybody,’ Seymour laughed. “But then I saw the Rebecca Howard mural (painted by Coyne) and I was like, ‘Holy shit, I wanna work with this guy.’

“A lot of my friends already knew Ira and they said, ‘Yea, work with this guy.’ So, we got together, looked at our designs and within five minutes, said, ‘Yea, let’s work together.’  So, it was serendipitous. They gave us $3,000 and Benjamin Moore donated the paint.”’

Seymour was asked how he found out about the sale of the building and that the mural wouldn’t be saved.

“We never really thought Les Schwab would move. We thought it would be here for, like, 20 to 25 years. Most downtown buildings stay where they are, but not anymore. I found out that the building was being sold when Ira called me about it. It turns out the developer was reaching out to the Squaxin Island Tribal Council, trying to figure out what to do. They called me about it and asked what would be the ideal. I said the ideal would be to preserve the whole wall or move it to the Tribe. But economically, that wasn’t feasible. I thought it could fall under historic preservation, but no….”

Pointing to one canoe named DZU-NIG-WUN-GIS, Seymour explained that the canoes featured are actual ones on the Journey.

“That is Chief Frank Nelson’s canoe, from Alert Bay, on Vancouver Island. He was one of the driving forces for the renewal of the Canoe Society. That’s one piece of wood. It’s heavy! He's passed on now,” said Seymour.

Pointing to a smaller canoe, Seymour said it was a traditional Squaxin dugout canoe.

Above: A close up of a traditional Squaxin dugout canoe.

Seymour said he painted the sun by freehand, using a yardstick and a couple of pencils to make a big compass.

He credited Kevin Boutin-Scott for painting the welcome pole. “It turned out amazing,” he said.

Future Plans for Views on Fifth

Seymour just graduated from The Evergreen State College and hopes Evergreen will receive the financing needed to begin a Masters in Fine Arts program so he can move forward with his education and later teach. For now, he is happy to create art.

He credits his faculty members, printmaker Lisa Sweet, and Alex Swiftwater McCartey, Makah, and their program, Studio Projects, for his exploration of printmaking with a Northwest Native art element.

“When working in the print studio, you’re working with Baltic birch for your blocks and because I have a carving background, that really came in handy,” he said.

The course explored dominant European-U.S. concepts and assumptions of art as well as the art of indigenous and ancient cultures, created to serve ritual and ceremony or to galvanize communities. Alternative forms and functions of art serve to act as change agents, questioning the status quo.

Above: The nine-story Views on Fifth under construction in downtown Olympia as seen from Rotary Park on West Bay Drive.

Turning south, Seymour looked toward the nine-story building under reconstruction as Views on Fifth and remarked that he is excited to be working with the building’s owner, Ken Brogan, to create massive Coast Salish art.

He envisions decorating the concrete towers with several salmon made of steel and welcoming poles made of wood.

Discussing the tortured history of the building and current efforts to stop its construction, Seymour says he thinks the new building will be beautiful.

“I don’t want to reveal too much, but I want to take the image of the welcoming pole figure from the mural and turn it into a 3-D sculpture. So, even though the mural is coming down, it will be recreated in a different form and then, maybe, in this new project, we can have something that celebrates regeneration and ties in with the Canoe Journey. I’m working with a carver who wants to teach me how to do it,” he said. 

The artwork, like the City of Olympia, will be created in stages.

Above: The mural is a featured landmark in the GPS game, Pokemon. Noses to their smartphones, several participants gathered at the mural for an impending raid. All in good fun, the game is played like Capture the Flag. One participant, Aryah Esposito, 20, of Olympia, wore a 2013 Paddle to Quinault t-shirt.

All Eyes on Tumwater’s Historic Old Brewery

 

Above: No bulldozers in sight. An aerial photograph taken today over Tumwater’s Old Brewery reveals the area disturbed by significant grading and fill placement in October. City of Tumwater staff met with staff members from the state Department of Ecology’s Shorelands Program and Water Quality Program as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to inspect the site on November 14.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

As 2014 draws to a close, several sets of eyes are still fixed on the historic Old Brewhouse property in Tumwater. The stop work order continues, put in place by the City of Tumwater in October due to a citizen complaint about significant activities that adversely impacted the environment.

“The stop work order is still in place and will be in place until a mitigation plan is developed for the wetland impact, said Chris Carlson, permitting manager for the City of Tumwater, who has given regular updates on the situation to Little Hollywood.

Carlson said that city staff met with staff members from the state Department of Ecology’s Shorelands Program and Water Quality Program as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on site on November 14 at the Old Brewhouse property. 

“We all agreed that a mitigation plan needs to be developed and submitted to the city for review and approval. The property owner will also be required to make application(s) to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the unauthorized work and be subject to any mitigation required under federal law,” said Carlson.

“As a part of the stop work order we have required that a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) be developed and implemented for the disturbed areas on the south side of the building to prevent water quality impacts. The SWPPP has been submitted to the city and approved. …The SWPPP we approved includes seeding the disturbed areas and covering the disturbed areas with coconut fabric. Staking in straw waddles will also be done on both sides of the road that leads around the building as well as putting a filter fabric stock in the exposed catch basin on the south side of the building,” said Carlson in an email to Little Hollywood in mid- November.

Carlson initially expected applications and mitigation plans to be submitted to the city, Ecology and the Corps for review within 30 days from the day of the initial site visit, however, that expectation turned out to be overly optimistic.

In an email dated December 13 to Little Hollywood, Carlson said the city just got the survey on December 11 outlining the area of the Category III wetland behind the brewhouse that was partially filled.

“Since we received the survey, we’ve been working with the wetland consultants -both the property owner’s and the one working on the Brewery Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement - to identify a mitigation site along the Deschutes River corridor so work on the mitigation plan can begin,” said Carlson. Carlson said he will keep Little Hollywood posted when the city decides on a site and the draft mitigation plan is submitted for review.

Carlson provided Little Hollywood with a map that indicates two disturbed wetland areas directly south of the brewhouse on the hillside containing artesian springs. The area disturbed by grading and fill placement encompasses a combined 5,011 square feet.

There are currently no permits in place at the Old Brewhouse site, says City of Tumwater building official John Darnell.  

“The stop work order is still in effect. They will need to submit plans and engineering to us for review before any additional work can be completed….The on-site erosion control measures that the city required the owner to put in place are complete. I will continue to monitor throughout the winter,” said Darnell.

Above: An aerial photograph taken this morning over the Old Brewery and the Deschutes River.

 

Role of the Tumwater Historic Commission

Meanwhile, the Tumwater Historic Commission reviews applications for projects within the historic district and approves or denies applicant requests for a certificate of appropriateness, which is required as a part of the permitting process.

The commission is looking at several upcoming projects which will require the historical commission’s review before they are approved for development, including projects at the Old Brewhouse.

Chuck Denney, City of Tumwater Parks and Recreation director said George Heidgerken, owner of the historic Old Brewhouse property, does not have a Certificate of Appropriateness before the Historic Commission at this time. 

“….Should any of his brewery projects solidify and he reaches the point where he is submitting paperwork for a development permit – meaning he has a site development plan and is prepared to move forward with construction – he will then be required to obtain the certificate from the commission as a part of the permitting process.  The work he is currently doing does not trigger that requirement. There are several projects in the planning stages in the Historic District that may require the commission’s approval.  Those may include something from Mr. Heidgerken, but also include development of the Deschutes Valley Trail through the Historic District and the reconstruction of the fish hatchery at Tumwater Falls Park,” said Denney.

Public Comment to Proposed Land Use Options

Several state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations and individuals weighed in by the October 20 deadline to comment on the city’s land use determination of significance for redevelopment of the site.

The Nisqually Indian Tribe, Washington State Departments of Archaeology and Historical Preservation, Natural Resources, and Ecology, City of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance, Black Hills Audubon Society, Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team, South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH), and the World Temperate Rainforest Network plus seven individuals provided the City of Tumwater with detailed comments about the proposed land use options provided by the city.

Jackie Wall of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, wrote, “The Deschutes River is a very Culturally Sensitive Area that was used by our people for thousands of years. The Nisqually Indian Tribe requests an Archaeological Survey be done by a qualified Archaeologist before there are any ground disturbing activities. I would like to receive a copy of the survey results. The Nisqually Indian Tribe also requests that an Inadvertent Discovery Plan be put in place for this project.”

She also asked to be informed if there are any inadvertent discoveries of archaeological resources or human burials.

A letter and paper submitted by Pat Rasmussen documents that the Steh-chass people lived in a permanent village at the base of Tumwater Falls for time immemorial.

“The village was originally Nisqually but after the Treaty of 1855 became part of Squaxin Island, in their Stehchass Inlet. As the Steh-chass were driven from the permanent village site by settlers who took it over, some fled to Nisqually and others to Squaxin, so there are likely descendents with knowledge of what happened there.” 

She attached an 1854 map she received from the Washington State Historical Society that shows the area with the name Steh-chass on the river, now called the Deschutes River.

For several past stories on Tumwater and its Brewery District Plan, the Old Brewhouse owner and developer George Heidgerken, and the stop work order, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine. Recent stories were posted on February 19, October 12, October 16, October 30, and November 5, 2014.

Editor’s Note: Janine Unsoeld also met the October 20 deadline to comment on the city’s Determination of Significance and as a private citizen, requested a stop work order on all activities at the Old Brewery site. This is documented in an article on Little Hollywood dated October 30, 2014. Unsoeld is also a long-time board member of the South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH), a 25-year-old nonprofit organization that publishes the South Sound Green Pages.

Above: An aerial photograph taken this morning approaching the Old Brewery from Olympia places the site in the context of the Deschutes River, Tumwater Historic Park and Interstate 5.

 

Developer Heidgerken Shares Old Brewery Vision

Above: For the first time, Old Brewery owner George Heidgerken meets Peter G. Schmidt Jr., 92, today after Heidgerken’s presentation. Schmidt was born in the Schmidt House and is the grandson of Leopold F. Schmidt, who built the Old Brewery in 1895.

“I’d like to see you succeed, but it’s going to be rugged,” Schmidt told Heidgerken.  Schmidt shared stories about growing up near the brewery.

“When Olympia beer first hit Seattle, my god, they just couldn’t ship it fast enough….Every year, production doubled in size….” said Schmidt.

 

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

It was a full house at the historic Schmidt House today in Tumwater as community members came to hear George Heidgerken speak about his vision for redeveloping the Old Brewery property. His Falls Development LLC project manager, Jon Potter, joined him. A slideshow chronicled the Old Brewery’s history from 1906 to the present.

Heidgerken joked that while doing research for the purchase years ago, he found out why no one bought it, saying it would easily cost half a billion dollars to renovate. The more he found out about its legacy, however, the more intrigued he became with the possibilities. Heidgerken owns about 35 acres of the area on both sides of the Deschutes River, including 11 acres of water.

“It’s a real treasure….To restore the buildings, we have the original plans and photos to be authentic….From an economic standpoint, it’s something of a leap of faith…the road, access, utilities, everything’s different (now).”

Admitting that nothing at the site meets current codes, Heidgerken said that despite the challenges, it’s a remarkable opportunity. The hillside, he says, hasn’t been maintained in decades and said a parking garage would provide needed parking and stabilization. Groundwater monitoring wells will be installed soon.

“This is a big deal for Tumwater and the county…it’s a unique facility…it’s time that somebody does this stuff.”

The City of Tumwater has determined that redevelopment of the property will have an adverse impact on the environment and is seeking public comment on the scope of an environmental impact statement for the site.

The deadline is Monday, October 20, by 5:00 p.m. Comments on the three land use alternatives identified for the site may be directed to: Tim Smith, AICP, City of Tumwater Planning Manager, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, WA 98501; tsmith@ci.tumwater.wa.us or (360) 754-4212.

Heidgerken says he doesn’t know where the process will end up, but there is interest in the property from restaurants, educational institutions and hoteliers. He says the site has the potential of being a nationally known destination, like Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, and can serve as a catalyst for other development.

Above: The Old Brewery as seen on October 8, 2014 during a tour of the Tumwater property near the Deschutes River.

Frequent murmurs of approval were heard while Heidgerken gave his presentation, and someone in the audience remarked, “It's about time.”

Heidgerken says he has spent $1 million cleaning up the property and $3 million in remodeling efforts. He cited the project’s possible benefits such as future public access to trails and the water, including the outer edge of South Capitol Lake, a craft brewing and distilling center with interest from local educational institutions, dorms for students and residential apartments or condominiums for longer term residents, space for art and antique shows, concerts in the park, and more.

Asked about the timeline of the project, Heidgerken said that the permit process dictates the pace. “It may look like we’re not doing anything on the outside, but on the inside, we’re busy….” He stressed his commitment to the project, and mentioned similar projects he is involved with are thriving.

 “I own three sites on water, all historical, and this is in the category of ‘the right thing’…. This is a high priority – I’m well-funded to do it.”

Potter said that Heidgerken owns the property outright and is under no interest rate pressure to rush things. Heidgerken said he and Potter have a 10 – 15 year relationship of working together and want to do it the right way. Both welcomed public input into the visioning process.

He said his Oregon City, all-waterfront project, the site of the former Blue Heron Paper Company, with 25-30 acres at the end of the Oregon Trail, has attracted national attention.

“For 152 years, there’s been no public access to the (Willamette) Falls…they jumped on it….” he said.

Heidgerken also mentioned success with his ownership of a 70 acre, water strategic piece of the Chambers Bay golf course near Tacoma.

Above: A drawing by Falls Development LLC depicts a remodel of the building at 240 Custer Way, also known as the RST Cellars Building, flanked by housing that could either be dorms for students or apartments, depending on market interest and economic considerations.

 

Some members of the public stuck around to look at drawings of the proposed redevelopment up close.

Rob Kirkwood, a founding member of the Old Brewhouse Foundation attended the presentation, and said he didn’t know about Tumwater’s citizen comment deadline of October 20 until someone referred him to the Little Hollywood article published on Sunday, October 12.

“I knew a deadline was coming up but I didn’t know when until I was referred to your article….We need more time to comment….it’s a regional asset, a regional responsibility. We need to ensure public access. It could be a county museum, like a Museum of South Sound History, Industry and Art,” said Kirkwood.

The Old Brewhouse Foundation is having its annual meeting on Saturday, October 18, at Timberland Tumwater Library, 7023 New Market Street. The meeting is open to the public and new Foundation members are always welcome, said Kirkwood. A tour of the Old Brewery for Foundation members starts at 3:30 p.m.

Longtime Tumwater resident Nancy Partlow was already aware of the October 20 public comment deadline and will be submitting formal comments to the city.

 “I’ve done some research about the 625 or 1,000 stall parking garage proposals in Alternatives 2 and 3. Just for comparison, the Tumwater Walmart has 730 parking stalls,” says Partlow.   

“The historic brewhouse site is the last place in Tumwater that a hotel and parking garage should be built. The Deschutes Estuary below the lower falls is Tumwater's most important natural area. Its biological diversity is unmatched within the city. 

“Many environmentally destructive things have been done to the Deschutes River and floodplain over the last 100-plus years, starting with the old brewhouse complex, which would never be allowed to be built where it is today. Permitting high-intensity commercial redevelopment of the site, accessible by car from either an on-site parking garage or down the narrow road that runs adjacent to the fence line of Tumwater Falls Park, is a bad idea,” says Partlow.

Audience member Pat Rasmussen stayed after the presentation to speak with Heidgerken about the Native American history of the area. Rasmussen has extensively researched the presence of the Steh-chass Indians and has compiled a sourced paper about the Nisqually tribe. Heidgerken listened, and welcomed her input.

Asked for her thoughts about the redevelopment proposal, Rasmussen said, “The old brewery and Tumwater Historical Park are located on an ancient permanent village site inhabited for thousands of years by the Steh-chass Indians. This site is far too sensitive for the scale of development proposed. The steep slopes behind the brewery are only held in place by the trees….Removing them for development could cause a landslide. The narrow road into the brewery has a steep drop-off to the river below. Any work on that road could cause a landslide directly into the Deschutes River,” said Rasmussen.

 

Above: A Falls Development LLC conceptual drawing for the Old Brewery area features housing along the railroad, a two lane road access, a parking garage, boardwalk, and more.

In a telephone interview late last week with John Doan, City of Tumwater’s executive administrator, Doan described to Little Hollywood the challenges of the Brewery District and redevelopment plans:

“….There’s community frustration and it’s not getting any easier with time. … People were proud about the brewery – it was an attraction. In the 60’s and 70s, about 900 people worked for the (new) brewery, and most lived no more than a quarter of a mile or half a mile away. Many walked to work or took the trolley. You didn’t have to find parking for 900 people….There’s a challenge of remodeling old buildings to fit today’s world. It’s a balance, and it’s complicated in the sense that there’s a lot of moving parts….”

Asked about the scope of the letter of mutual partnership signed by various entities to create a craft brewery and distilling center, Doan said not to worry about the partnership's limitations or the location of the center – it’s about programmatic cooperation.

“It’s a run at something there’s a market demand for – it’s really a field that's very hot….In the end, everybody wants to see something happen down there.”

For more information, contact the City of Tumwater at www.ci.tumwater.wa.us.
 
For past articles about the Old Brewery and Tumwater’s Brewery District plans, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and use the search button to type in key words.

For more information about History Programs and Schmidt House tours, contact Don Trosper, Public History and Development Manager, (360) 786-8117 or history@olytumfoundation.org or the Olympia Tumwater Foundation, (360) 943-2550 or www.olytumfoundation.org.

Above: Inside the Old Brewery tower as seen on October 8, 2014 during a tour of the Tumwater property.

 

Editor's Note, October 18: A caption for this story for a Falls Development LLC conceptual drawing misidentified the proposed building depicted. It was identified as the brewery tower. It is the 240 Custer Way building, also known as the RST Cellars building. The error has been corrected.