Earthworks Tour Inaugural Ride & Celebration

You're Invited!

SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2012 

9:00 AM

Start/Finish Line at the Herbert Bayer Earthworks

Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park

742 East Titus Street, Kent, WA 

Registration is now OPEN! It's free and simple to sign-up for the Inaugural Ride. 

•  Easy (12 mile), Intermediate (20 mile) and Advanced (23 mile) ride options

•  Music and art activities along the way

•  Family friendly

Everyone is welcome to join the celebration! In addition to hosting the Inaugural Ride for bicyclists, the Kent Arts Commission is excited to invite community members, arts enthusiasts and historic preservationists to the Start Line to celebrate the restoration of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork. Attend this quick ceremony at 9:00am and then stay to enjoy music and art activities. Or hop on your bicycle and discover art all along the way!

The Herbert Bayer Earthwork, Green River Natural Resources Area, Robert Morris Earthwork and Lorna Jordan's Waterworks Gardens.

The Herbert Bayer Earthwork, the Robert Morris Earthwork, the Green River Natural Resources Area, and Lorna Jordan's Waterworks Garden are the destinations you’ll visit on the Earthworks Tour. These four iconic landscapes in the Green River Valley are internationally recognized, but not widely known locally. To encourage more people to experience these extraordinary land art and reclamation projects in their own backyard, the Kent Arts Commission has developed what will be a permanent, signed bike route connecting the four earthworks, and has partnered with Cascade Bicycle Club to celebrate the opening of the new route with this free inaugural ride. Stay in the loop by following us on Facebook!    

Getting to the Start Line

The start line is the Herbert Bayer Earthwork, located at 742 East Titus Street. It will be open from 9 to 10 a.m., with parking available in the neighboring Senior Activity Center at  600 East Smith Street. Bicyclists can connect to the Earthworks Tour via the nearby Interurban Trail -or- connect via transit at nearby Kent Station.

Easy, Intermediate and Advanced Ride Options

The ride offers three routes for different riding abilities. The Easy Ride, recommended for families, is a 12-mile, flat ride to the Green River Natural Resources Area and back. The Intermediate Loop is a 20-mile ride that takes riders through the Green River Natural Resources Area and out to Lorna Jordan’s Waterworks Gardens. It is also mostly flat with a single, long incline approaching Waterworks Gardens. The Advanced Ride follows the 20-mile route but includes a steep hill climb up to the Robert Morris Earthwork that adds 3 miles. All of the roadways and trails along the tour are paved. Visitors can bike to each location but should plan to walk through the earthworks, so if you're wearing bicycle shoes, you might want to toss a pair of sneakers in your bag.

Beginning riders interested in the 20 mile loop - and families with children planning to follow the 12 mile route - will have the opportunity to ride in a group with experienced ride leaders. These groups will convene at the start line at 9:00am. Departures will begin at 9:30, with the family group departing at 9:45.

Rest stops will be located at the Green River Natural Resources Area and Waterworks Gardens. Light snacks will be provided, but you might want to bring a picnic lunch. There are several restaurants located in downtown Kent and the Farmers Market is open from 9am-2pm.

Event Schedule 

Music, Theater and Artist-Made Vehicles

This family-friendly event will include theater, music and site specific installations along the route. In particular, this event features artist-made, low-impact vehicles.

At start/finish line, artist Johnnie Olivan of Rejuiced Bikes will be giving rides on the Family Bike Bus through the Herbert Bayer Earthworks. You can also test ride artist Peter Reiquam’s Walk and Roll.

Walk and Roll by Peter Reiquam; Nopcicle Joe by Clair Colquitt; Long Odds by Scott McGee.

Inspired by a picture I remember seeing of a modern dance troupe performing with large diameter bicycle wheels as part of their costumes, I tried to imagine how the devices might be used and how I could interpret this stage prop to create a low impact vehicle that would conserve energy and be fun to ride. The prototype I’m displaying is entitled Walk and Roll. - artist Peter Reiquam 

The Pony Boy All-Star Trio will be playing as riders pick up their bibs and route map, and artist Julie Lindell’s design Anais Nin will grace the stage.

Clair Colquitt, a renowned designer of kinetic machines, will join the ride with two friends and three of his designs. Rejuiced Bike’s Mural Machine will be recording the sights and sounds along the tour. Richard Lovering will display his hand-built kayak/bike combo.

An interactive performance by Theater Simple will take place at the Green River Natural Resource Area. Climb the observation tower to look for costumed flora and fauna, while Matt Knox, staff biologist, answers your questions about this amazing wildlife refuge. Levitating Tents by artist Andrew Peterson will be floating at the adjacent Anderson Park, next to the KOA campground.

If you continue onto Waterworks Gardens for the Intermediate Ride - or detour up to the Robert Morris Earthwork for the Advanced Ride - you can enjoy artwork tours led by 4Culture staff. In addition to a couple happy surprises planned along the way, be sure to look for the Filaments installation by the Inkwell Collective. Over 65 bright orange poles will point you in the right direction. Several include QR codes, making short stories of the history and ecology of select locations available at the click of your camera phone. 

As you complete the loop through historic downtown Kent, you’ll pass through the opening day of the Kent Farmers Market at Town Square Plaza, 2nd & Harrison. Be sure to hop off your bike to see artist Scott McGee’s Long Odds. If it's a warm day, splash in the fountain.

At the finish line, you’ll be greeted by the exuberant Pony Boy All-Star Big Band. Unpack your brown bag lunch and explore the Herbert Bayer Earthwork. Take a test ride on a low-impact vehicle, and make a bike tube snap bracelet as a souvenir. The course will close at 3 p.m. 

About the Dedication Ceremony

The restoration of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork will be dedicated with a quick ceremony at the start line at 9:00. Restoration has included renovation of the double-ring pond, drainage improvements in the surrounding bowl, and reshaping the cone a top the main berm. This restoration project received significant funding from Partners in Preservation, a partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Additional funding was provided by a 4Culture Historic Preservation Challenge Grant.

Herbert Bayer’s Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks is an internationally recognized public park that combines Bauhaus aesthetics with a functioning water detention dam. The dam’s sculptural elements prevent historic downtown Kent from flooding during major storm events. In 2008, the Herbert Bayer Earthwork was dedicated as a local landmark of exceptional significance in by the King County Landmarks Commission. Completed in 1982, it was one of Herbert Bayer’s final works. Bayer is credited with being the first artist to create a contemporary earthwork with his Grass Mound in Aspen in 1955.

Art, integrated from the very inception of the urban plan, is of fundamental importance - Herbert Bayer

In addition to celebrating the restoration work, the dedication ceremony will also include the unveiling of new interpretive signage that explains the functionality of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork water detention dam. This new signage was designed by The Inkwell Collective and funded as part of a National Endowment for the Arts Mayor’s Institute on City Design award.

As mentioned above, the Inkwell Collective has also designed the permanent environmental art installation Filaments that will be located all along the 23 mile Earthworks Tour route. Filaments is modernist in its simplicity, yet contemporary in its approach to communicating and gathering ideas via real and virtual means. During the Inaugural Ride, bicyclists will be guided by over 65 bright orange directional poles, pointing participants in the right direction and providing stories to enhance the experience. Filaments is also funded through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Kent Arts Commission is excited to invite community members to the celebration who may not be available to participate in the bicycle ride. Everyone is encouraged to attend the short ceremony at the start line.

Filaments, the Inkwell Collective, 2012

About the Sponsors

The Earthworks Tour is sponsored by the Kent Arts Commission and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Art’s Mayors Institute on City Design 25^th Anniversary Initiative. Over 600 cities were eligible to apply for this grant program, with only 21 cities awarded funding. Nationally, the arts sector generates over $166 billion annually in economic activity. Art is a key element to making cities attractive to grow businesses, tourism, and jobs. The Kent Arts Commission thanks their local agency partners for making this program possible.

The Cascade Bicycle Club, 4Culture and the City of Renton are helping to co-produce the Earthworks Tour. The Herbert Bayer Earthwork is part of the Kent Arts Commission Collection, and the Green River Natural Resources Area is managed by the City of Kent Public Works Department. The Robert Morris Earthwork (located in Sea-Tac) and Lorna Jordan's Waterworks Gardens (located in Renton) are part of the King County Public Art Collection and managed by 4Culture. 4Culture Site Specific will support many of the temporary art projects during the Inaugural Ride. Recent restoration of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork was supported by 4Culture Historic Preservation, along with a generous grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Partners in Preservation" program.  

Snapshots from the Earthworks Tour route, opening June 2, 2012.

Self-Guided Bicycle Tours Open Year Round

Following the Inaugural Ride on June 2, the Earthworks Tour will be a permanent bicycle route and remain open to the public for self-guided tours. The Earthworks Tour will be expanded upon within the coming months and years as new routes become available to bicyclists. For instance, the Green River Trail is currently closed due to sandbags. Please check this website periodically for trail updates. The City of Kent is committed to improving its bicycle and walking network. 

Earthworks: Art & Landscape in the Green River Valley

The Green River Valley, located just south of Seattle, hosts an extraordinary collection of land art and reclamation sites. Collectively, these sites are referred to as “earthworks.” The Herbert Bayer Earthwork, Green River Natural Resources Area, the Robert Morris Earthwork and Lorna Jordan’s Waterworks Gardens are more than just visually interesting and fun to experience: these places demonstrate important, artistic solutions to complicated land-use issues such as flood control and reclamation. 

In 1979, the artist Robert Morris was at the forefront of both Minimalism and Land Art when he was asked by the King County Arts Commission to reclaim a gravel pit overlooking the Valley. A few months later, at the request of the Kent Arts Commission, the Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer was asked to integrate a stormwater detention dam into a public park. Both of these artists were commissioned as part of the King County Arts Commission’s groundbreaking Earthworks: Land Reclamation as Sculpture symposium. 

The symposium is still remarkable to this day. It marks an important moment in thinking - that artists could be meaningful place makers - that they could use their skill and visionary spirit to create spaces for public use. - Cath Brunner, 4Culture 

The same year as the symposium, the Kent Public Works Department began transforming an abandoned sewage lagoon into one of the largest man-made, multi-use wildlife refuges in the United States. Two decades later, Lorna Jordan’s ecological artwork at the Renton sewage treatment plant began purifying stormwater, enhancing a wetland, and providing eight acres of garden rooms and open space for public use.

These public places are remarkable. While they would normally have been fenced-off from all visitors, due to the artists’ involvement, these industrial sites are destinations for international and local tourists. Now with the opening of the Earthworks Tour, individuals with a passion for bird watching, landscape design, ecology and art can visit on bicycle.

This website provides an introduction to these four landscapes, with a special emphasis on the Herbert Bayer Earthwork, which is an important part of the City of Kent's public art collection. The Robert Morris Earthwork and Lorna Jordan's Waterworks Gardens are both part of 4Culture's public art collection, located in Sea-Tac and Renton, respectively. As noted above, the Green River Natural Resources Area is managed by the City of Kent's Public Works Department. 

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Restoration of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork

The Kent Arts Commission completed the first phase of restoration of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork in December 2011. Generous support came from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Partners in Preservation" program and a 4Culture Landmark Challenge grant.  The funding allowed the City of Kent to improve drainage in the bowls, repave the pathways and reshape the double-ring pond. The next phase of restoration will focus on re-sodding the double-ring pond and restoring the view corridor along the stream. A Restoration Celebration will take place at the start line of the Inaugural Ride. Stay tuned by following us on Facebook!     

 
After removing invasive plants, Earth Day volunteers pose with the Partners in Preservation "Vote Eartworks: Kent's Dam Park" yard signs, 2010.

Press Release

Kent’s “Dam” Park Wins $70,000 “Partners in Preservation” Award Thanks to Community Support 

KENT, Wash. — June 15, 2010 — American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park has been named recipient of a $70,000 grant award in the 2010 “Partners in Preservation” program. One of 25 historic place contenders, Herbert Bayer Earthworks competed in a month long contest where the public voted online for their favorite places to receive funding.  

“We couldn’t have done it without the public’s support,” said Cheryl dos Remedios, Visual Arts Coordinator for the City of Kent.  “Their votes really made a difference.  We finished in 12^th place with three percent of the vote.”

Grant winners were chosen by an Advisory Committee comprised of civic and preservation leaders from the Seattle-Puget Sound area, as well as representatives from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Factors that were considered in the selection process included public voting results and community support for the project, the preservation needs of the site, historic significance, project completion ability, and the role the site plays in the community.

“Funding from this grant will be used to restore the sculptural and artistic elements of the Earthworks to their original design.  This includes restoring the channel that runs through the split ring and connects into the double ring pond.  We’ll also fix drainage in the bowls of the park and repave pathways,” Remedios said. 

The Earthworks is not only an internationally recognized artwork and popular public park but it also serves as a water detention dam, protecting the Kent Valley from flooding since its opening in 1982.   

See also Kent's Earthworks Park to get much needed facelift, thanks to grant by Steve Hunter of the Kent Reporter, and City of Kent receives $70,000 grant for Earthworks Park.

Earthworks Park Restoration, Phase 1, October - December, 2011 (photos: Kent Arts Commission and Kent Parks Planning) 

The Herbert Bayer Earthwork

A dam in the ordinary sense constitutes a radical interference with the natural configuration of the land. My intent was, therefore, to give the dams a natural appearance conforming to the landscape . . .   – Herbert Bayer, King County Arts Commission newsletter, August   1982

As a Bauhaus master, Herbert Bayer’s entire career was dedicated to integrating artistic concerns into the everyday operations of society. With the Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks, he created a much loved public park, a stormwater detention dam and a Modernist masterpiece. Installed in 1982, the Earthworks was immediately lauded for its fusion of art and infrastructure, making the installation a powerful precedent for engineers, landscape architects and artists.   

A series of sculpted spaces that feel both ancient and modern, the Earthworks’ pure forms—cones, circles, lines and berms—are built into the alluvial delta at the mouth of Mill Creek Canyon. Grass and concrete, a wood bridge and steps: these are the materials at work, joined by the natural forces of Mill Creek itself. 

[editor's note: When Herbert Bayer first began exploring land art in Aspen, CO in 1955, the term earthwork didn't exist. The title of the artwork in Kent is the "Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks," but we often refer to it as the "Earthwork", or to the "Herbert Bayer Earthwork" to distinguish it from Robert Morris' work. ]  

Hydrology

These aerial photographs illustrate how the Herbert Bayer Earthworks performs during a storm event. While they are not taken from exactly the same orientation, you can still see how the double-ring pond is submerged underwater in the photograph on the left, with the split-rings barely rises above the surface. You can also see how the large berm functions as both a sculptural element and earthen dam, preventing the stormwater from flooding downtown Kent. 

Landmark Designation and Restoration

In April 2008, Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks was proclaimed "exceptionally significant" and became the City of Kent's first landmark. 

Later that summer, the Earthworks underwent a dam safety construction project. This project was necessary because state regulations required the dam to meet a 10,000 year storm event, an increase from the dam's original 100-year storm design. Substanatial changes were made to the dam's main berm and spillways to meet this increase in stormwater capacity.  

The Kent Arts Commission is committed to honoring the physical and conceptual aspects that comprise Herbert Bayer's original design. To this end, we are recently finished the first phase restoration in partnership with 4Culture (previously the King County Arts Commission), Partners in Preservation and Kent Parks. The first phase of restoration will be completed in the fall of 2011. 

As much as Herbert Bayer created a physical place, he also created a model for interdisciplinary collaboration. In this spirit, in 2007 the Kent Arts Commission asked a University of Washington Studio to collaborate with Kent Public Works to address new storm water regulations and vegetation management. The Studio also reviewed archival documents to clarify Bayer's vision for his project, as it was designed and as it has aged. The City of Kent Public Works Department hopes to incorporate some of the students' design solutions into future projects along the canyon. 

 

Articles

Twenty-five years ago, in the younger, bolder days of Washington's public-art programs, the mayor of a small city south of Seattle latched onto a grand vision for a public-works project. The engineering need was straightforward: a dam that would prevent stormwaters from deluging the city.    

 "Work of art, work of Earth"
by Sheila Farr, Seattle Times art critic 

Herbert Bayer was born in the hamlet of Haag, Austria, on April 5, 1900. His father, a government revenue officer, and mother encouraged young Herbert’s interest in nature and art, allowing him to roam into the hills and mountains near his childhood home in Linz with his sketchbook.    

 "Herbert Bayer (1900-1985): Profile of an Environmental Artist" 

by Catherine Maggio and Brice Maryman
The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Formal recognition of historic properties through landmark designation is typically confined to sites that are at least 40 years old or older – and rarely is a property found to be of such exceptional significance that the age criterion is waived.  But such was the case on April 24, 2008 when the King County Landmarks Commission, acting for the City of Kent, designated the Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks as a City of Kent Landmark.  Nominated by the Kent Arts Commission, the Earthworks is the City’s first designated landmark.      

"Earthworks Designated Historic Landmark" 

by Julie Koler and Cheryl dos Remedios  

 In 1979, The King County Arts Commission convened a symposium entitled Earthworks: Land Reclamation as Scupture, and invited eight artists to create reclamation plans, choosing from more than 100 industrial sites lying fallow in the county. The commissione hoped ot address the ecological issues at each site while converting the landscapes into usable community spaces through earthwork designs. 

"Landslide 2008 Marvels of Modernism: Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks" 

by Brice Maryman and Cheryl dos Remedios,
Kent Arts Commission and The Cultural Landscape Foundation 

final 2008 dam construction drawings, courtesy City of Kent Environmental Engineering 
1984 earthworks site development plan, page 1, courtesy City of Kent Environmental Engineeering
1984 earthworks site development plan, page 2, courtesy City of Kent Environmental Engineeering 

landmark nomination, by Brice Maryman on behalf of the Kent Arts Commission 

landmark designation, courtesy Kent Landmarks Commission 

channeling herbert, collection of essays on the significance of the Herbert Bayer Earthworks 

Earthworks: Land Reclamation as Sculpture 1981 Technical Report, courtesy King County
     Introduction, pages 1-19
     Project Development, pages 20-29
     Phase I: Morris Earthwork Sculpture, pages 30-55
     Phase II: Earthworks Symposium, pages 56-60
     Bayer Earthwork, pages 61-63
     Conclusions, pages 64-66

For more information, please contact Cheryl dos Remédios, Visual Arts Coordinator, Kent Cultural Division.    

Green River Valley Earthworks Tour

driving directions (print version) 

		a. Herbert Bayer Earthworks    742 East Titus Street, Kent, WA  b. Green River Natural Resources Area     West of 64th Ave S between S 228th and S 212th c. Robert Morris Earthwork     21610 - 37th Place South, SeaTac, WA  d. Lorna Jordan Waterworks Gardens        1200 Monster Road SW, Renton, WA
		to: Herbert Bayer Earthworks (a)     from: Seattle or Tacoma From I-5, take the WA-516 Exit #149 towards Kent. Go East on S Kent Des Moines Rd (WA 516 E) Continue to follow WA 516 E into downtown Kent. Pass under Hwy 167 Turn left onto 4th Avenue South Turn right onto Gowe Street. Cross the train tracks and Central Ave S Continue on S Gowe St, the make a slight left onto E Titus Turn right onto Reiten Rd Turn left into the parking lot at 742 E Titus
		to: Robert Morris Earthwork via the GRNRA (c, b)     from: Herbert Bayer Earthworks (a)  Turn left onto E Titus. E Titus becomes S Gowe St. Turn right on 4th Ave S. Turn left on James and head west. Turn right onto 64th Avenue and head north. Turn left on S 228th. Turn right just before the overpass onto Russell Road. Arrive at the Green River Natural Resources Area. The bird watching towers and a small parking lot are on your right, just before S212th                                                                                          Turn right on S 212th and head east. At the next stoplight, turn left into the office park and turn around, so that you’re heading West on S 212. Take a left on 42nd Ave S.  Take a slight right onto 40th Pl S, wind up the steep hill. The Robert Morris parking lot is on your right.
		to: Lorna Jordan Waterworks Gardens (d)      from: Robert Morris Earthwork (c)  Head up the hill and take a right on Military Road S. Merge onto I-5 North towards Seattle. Merge onto I-405 N via exit 154 towards Renton. Take the WA-181 SW Valley Highway exit 1 towards Tukwila. Turn left onto W Valley Highway/Interurban Avenue South. Turn right onto S Grady Way. Directly after the overpass, turn left onto Longacres Dr SW. Turn right onto Jackson Pl SW. Jackson becomes Monster Rd SW. The entrance is on your right, just before Oaksdale.
		to: Seattle via I-5 North     from: Lorna Jordan Waterworks Gardens (d)  Turn left onto S Oaksdale and head west. S Oaksdale becomes Beacon Coal Mine Rd and 68th Ave S. Turn left at Martin Luther King Jr. Way S/ WA-900. Continue to follow Martin Luther King Jr. Way S onto I-5 North. *** Please note: there is no direct access to I-5 South from MLK.     to: Herbert Bayer Earthworks (a) via Hwy 167 South       from: Lorna Jordan Waterworks Gardens (d)  Take a right onto S Oaksdale and head east. Oakesdale curves south. Take a left onto SW Grady Way and head east. Turn right onto Rainier Avenue South and merge onto Hwy 167.

Tips 

• Bicycle tour coming soon! Inaugural ride scheduled for June 2, 2012.
• The tour can be completed in 3 hours if you sprint (and traffic is good). Allowing a half-day is more enjoyable. 
• Parking at the Robert Morris Earthwork and Waterworks Gardens is limited. 
• All of the sites require a lot of walking. The Robert Morris is not ADA and quite steep. Unless in good health, it is recommended that you not descend into the pit, but instead view the site from the parking lot. Sturdy shoes are recommended. Goats help with vegetation management but are not on site year-round.
• If you are visiting from outside of the Northwest, please keep in mind that the weather here changes quickly. Dress in layers and bring both sunglasses and an umbrella. 
• Enjoy breakfast or lunch in historic downtown Kent and dinner at Kent Station.  
• The maps shown above are available here as a printable PDF.
• For more information about touring these sites, please contact Cheryl dos Remedios .

A Place for People: The Herbert Bayer Earthworks

This short film explores the Earthworks' contribution to the field of Public Art and explains how an icon of green infrastructure has evolved over time. 

In the 1970s, a group of women living in Kent desired to start an arts commission. Their plans quickly became intertwined with the broader history of public art in our region. Installed in 1982, the Earthworks was immediately lauded for its fusion of art and infrastructure, yet the issues that initially necessitated the project continue to intensify. Changes in storm water and fisheries regulations have impacted the work, prompting a cross-disciplinary investigation into the artist Herbert Bayer's original intent, his biography and his influence. In 2008, the Earthworks was designated an "exceptionally significant" local landmark, just prior to a major dam safety construction project. Today, as the Earthworks is being renovated, the Kent Arts Commission continues to host contemporary dance performances and eco-art installations at the site. 

Originally created for the Americans for the Arts earthworks tour, the premiere public screening of this documentary took place at the Henry Auditorium on Thursday, September 24, 2009. The evening began with a cello performance by the composer Paul Rucker, who also contributed the soundtrack. 

This documentary is a collaboration between many organizations and individuals, including the Kent Arts Commission, the Kent Landmarks Commission, the City of Kent Cultural Division, Parks Planning and Maintenance, Environmental Engineering and Multimedia. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank 4Culture, King County Historic Preservation Program, University of Washington's Department of Landscape Architecture's Construction/Hydrology Studio, SvR Design, Kent Historical Society, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Seattle Art Museum as well as all of the artists, landscape architects and historians who participated in the "channeling herbert" exhibition. We gratefully acknowledge all of the Kent community members who supported the installation of the Bayer Earthworks, as well as everyone involved in the "Earthworks: Land Reclamation as Sculpture" symposium. 

In lasting rememberance of Seth Frankel, co-director/producer and editor.  

play 

A Place for People: The Herbert Bayer Earthworks will be available as a DVD in 2012. If you are interested in reserving a copy or have other questions, please contact Cheryl dos Remedios . 

Events

On Opening Day of the Herbert Bayer Earthwork, the Seattle Symphony performed a composition inspired by the site. Since the 25th Anniversary in 2007, the Kent Arts Commission has hosted a variety of events at the earthwork, including the Americans for the Arts tour, Earth Day at Earthworks and the Partners in Preservation Open House. 

Coming Soon: The Earthworks Tour Inaugural Ride & Celebration will take place on June 2. Join us to thank the American Express Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and 4Culture Preservation for their support of our restoration project. We will also dedicate new interpretive signage. Stay tuned by following us on Facebook. 

Earthworks 25th Annivesary Celebration &
Americans for the Arts Tour

Partners in Preservation Open House &
Earth Day at Earthworks

Image Credits: Sam Bower, founding director of greenmuseum.org, speaking at the 25th Anniversary Celebration, 2007; The Daylighting by dancer/choreographer Alex Martin, copyright 2007, performed during the Americans for the Arts Tour in 2009; souvenir by Sola Christine, Earthworks 25th Anniversary Celebration and Reunion, 2007; Paul Rucker's quintet (composer/celloist not shown) 2007; The Daylighting by Alex Martin, performed in 2007; Kristin Tollefson's installation for the Americans for the Arts Tour, 2009; Mike Bayer performing live music for Alex Martin's choreography, 2007; Chromatic Levy by Brice Maryman, 2007; acornDance performing on Earth Day at the Herbert Bayer Earthworks, copyright acornDance/Jim Clymer, 2010. Sponsored by 4Culture SITE SPECIFIC.; acornDance shown with Mandy Greer's installation, 2010; Mater, Matrix, Mother and Medium by Mandy Greer, Earth Day 2010; Brian Levenhagen and the Walk & Roll, designed by Peter Reiquam, 2010; Rowan Fae Irish Dancers, Partners in Preservation Open House, 2010; a girl and her grandfather launching leaf boats by Kristin Tollefson, Earth Day 2010; Hawaiian Dance, Partners in Preservation Open House, 2010. acornDance performing on Earth Day at the Herbert Bayer Earthworks, copyright acornDance/Jim Clymer, 2010. All SITE SPECIFIC performances sponsored by 4Culture.