Notice: Construction is ongoing in Riverfront Park and may impact some bicycle and pedestrian routes. Before you visit, please see the latest construction map for the best routes around redevelopment zones. Some attractions are currently unavailable due to redevelopment.
This is a guide to sculptures in Spokane's Riverfront Park and along the Centennial Trail. It begins on the Washington State University's downtown campus and ends on the southeast corner of the Monroe Street Bridge adjacent to the Spokane Falls overlook. See the brochure (PDF 2.9 MB), courtesy of the Spokane Arts Commission.
Jim Hodges. 2008. Fabricated from three stainless steel panels, the sculpture has irregular edges on the tops and sides. Hodges calls the work, “a paradox of solid steel and open windows, a fusion of manmade modernity and natural environment.”
Peter Reiquam. 2006. This work of “outdoor furniture” works both as a seating area and a beautiful aesthetic object. Commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission, Light Reading is located at the southeast corner of the WSU Academic Building.
Michiro Kosuge. 1998. A series of sculptures with granite boulders and basalt columns are located on the Washington State University downtown campus near the University's Health Science and Interdisciplinary Design Institute.
Montana artist, Patrick Zentz. 2002. In this piece, Zentz aggregated symbols of the specific environment. Features of the piece include the topography of Mount Spokane, the Spokane River, and the elements of climate. It encourages viewers to look at the intricacies of the landscape, the incidence of time and the apparent chaos of the atmosphere.
Anatoli Abgudaev. 1991. This hammered copper sculpture was a gift to the people of Spokane from our former Sister City, Makhachkala, Russia. Depicting a folk hero and general, the sculpture stands for the preference of peace over war, and the importance of freedom as a basis for peace.
Jody Pinto. 1990. This environmental artwork creates a viewing area for the Spokane River. The arbor joins both East and West with a symbolic threshing floor. The arbor is also surrounded by “Gift Gardens” planted to represent Spokane's Sister Cities.
Glenn Emmons. 1994. This is a larger than life bronze sculpture which commemorates the Centennial (1895-1995) of the Mining Association. It depicts a hard-rock miner checking the quality of the ore he is extracting.
Dorothy Fowler. 2006. Michael P. Anderson gave his life exploring Space. This Spokane resident perished along with six other heroes in the Columbia Space Shuttle Tragedy in 2003.
Ken Spiering. 1986. This sculpture was commissioned in recognition of the centennial of Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Harold Balazs. 1974. A concrete sculpture in the form of a large scale Japanese Lantern.
Glen Michaels. Expo ‘74. An abstract bronze sculpture of a moon crater with wood textures.
George Tsutakawa. 1974. A tall aluminum fountain in an abstract style located on the south side of the Spokane Opera House. In his lifetime, Tsutakawa created more than 80 fountains in the U.S. and Japan.
Harold Balazs. 1978. An abstract aluminum sculpture which floats in the Spokane River.
Ken Spiering. 1990. Spokane's “Red Wagon” sculpture was created in honor of Washington State's 1989 Centennial. It was a gift from the Junior League of Spokane, many local businesses and the Spokane Arts Commission to the children of Spokane.
Sister Paula Turnbull. This corten steel sculpture of a goat will eat small pieces of trash with the aid of its vacuum digestive system.
Deborah Copenhaver. 1984. The names of all deceased Vietnam veterans from the Spokane area are engraved in the sculpture's pedestal.
Sister Paula Turnbull. This life-size sundial was created for Expo '74 and contains many symbolic Australian animals.
Ken Spiering and students. This corten steel sculpture depicts a mountain sheep climbing the rocks.
Harold Balazs & Bob Perron. 2005. This interactive, monumental abstract structure is both a “big sprinkler” for child's and visual play. It was commissioned by Rotary Club 21 with support from donations from the community.
David Govedare. 1984. This corten steel sculpture depicts runners of all kinds. It celebrates the Spokane tradition of Bloomsday, the largest timed road running race in the world.
Sherman Alexie. This piece of artwork is a poem engraved in granite and formed into a spiral on the ground. The poem is about the Spokane Falls which can be seen from where the poem is written. It is also representative of the Spokane heritage.
Funding made possible by the City of Spokane Lodging Tax Grant & the Washington State Arts Commission along with the Spokane Arts Commission. For more arts information, visit The Spokane Arts website.
