Pt. Defiance - Ruston Business District installs new art

The Ruston Pt. Defiance Business District (RPDBD) is pleased to announce that there will be a dedication ceremony for the four, new sculptural art benches that have been placed in the district. 

Faced with the hurdle of placing art in two cities the RPDBD has worked for two years to gather funds, work with an artist and navigate the bureaucracy of installing art on right of way and private lands.

The project was funded through generous grants by the City of Tacoma, Town of Ruston, Tacoma Arts Commission, and RPDBD itself. The District also credits Shari Hart, Economic Development liaison to RPDBD for her knowledgable support, and thanks the property owners at each bench location for allowing the installation on their property. 

The project was helmed by RPDBD member Juel Lugo, of LILT - a local graphic design firm. “As a district resident and business owner I’m excited to help bring art to my business district,” Ms. Lugo said. “We love that we’re building walkable destinations into the neighborhood, along with representing the RPDBD brand in a more public way.” 

The benches, hand-crafted by local artist Jennifer Weddermann, are made of steel, and have aquatic and octopus imagery, along with gears and mechanical elements that represent the district’s strong, manufacturing history. Two of the sculptural benches have additional elements - one has a bike rack while the other hinges to allow users to sit facing two directions. 

The benches are located at: 

• The Antique Sandwich Co, 5102 N Pearl St 
• Washing Well, 5121 N Pearl St 
• Don’s Ruston Market & Deli, 5102 N Winnifred St 
• Urban Oasis Salon, 4925 N Pearl St 

The RPDBD welcomes all visitors to the dedication ceremony and, of course, invites you to try out the new benches. 

ART BENCH DEDICATION:

Saturday, December 13, 10:00am – 10:30am 

The Antique Sandwich Co 5102 N Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407