Tony Angell eagles land at the Learning Center
Last week, North Cascades Institute was the beneficiary of a major piece of artwork from Qwest Communications, thanks in large part to its creator, Northwest sculptor Tony Angell. “Ascending Eagles” is cast bronze, approximately 12 feet tall (including its granite base, part of the composition) and was commissioned by Qwest. It stood in front of Qwest headquarters in downtown Seattle until a few years ago.
Lofty and inspiring, “Ascending Eagles” interprets the role of the bald eagle in the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. It will be a great addition to the Institute’s educational and interpretive programs. Tony Angell is a friend of the Institute, former director of environmental education for Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and a leader in the conservation of Northwest environments. He is a highly regarded Northwest artist and his most recent books include “Puget Sound Through an Artist’s Eye” and “In the Company of Crows and Ravens” (co-written with John Martzluff). Tony is thrilled his work will be part of North Cascades Institute, recently writing “Tears came to my eyes seeing these old friends come back to life in the most perfect place. Â I couldn’t be happier.”
If you’d like to see more of Tony’s work, visit www.fosterwhite.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=58
A second set of work included in this gift depicts river otters.
Watching these magnificent animals in the changing light, glistening in the rain, and catching people’s eyes as they round a corner of a trail, is magical.
The move and installation was conducted by Artech of Seattle, our region’s leading art handling service. Qwest is donating the cost of art handling and installation. This is a terrific show of support from Qwest and Tony for the work the Institute does and we hope that everyone will enjoy this addition to our campus. We’ll have a proper celebration this coming spring. Until then, say hello in eaglesquack or otterspeak next time you’re at the Learning Center.