Redmond Library sculpture garden

The Redmond Library contains a number of sculptures surrounding the building. Most people are familiar with the impressive sculpture of the four ravens, outside the entrance to the library. This sculpture by Tony Angell is entitled, Wisdom Seekers. In addition to sculpting, he has published a number of books, focusing on birds of the Northwest.

Sculpture Garden
The library also has a sculpture garden in the back of the building. Here, you can find a variety of different types of sculpture, such as one shown in the photo to the right. This sculpture by Shirley Erickson is entitled Connections, 2005. This sculpture is part of the Redmond Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, sponsored by the Redmond Arts Commission. Now in its ninth year, the exhibition features the works of sculptors in locations throughout the downtown area. For photos and details of the exhibition works, as well as a map, visit Sculpture Tour.

Dudley Carter
The sculpture garden contains one of the three wood sculptures at the Redmond Library by the local artist, Dudley Carter.

Carter was born to a pioneer family in 1891 in British Columbia. He was a timber cruiser and forest engineer most of his life, exploring and mapping the Pacific Northwest wilderness. A timber cruiser, using measurements and observations, determined to a fair degree of accuracy the amount of lumber a tract of standing timber would yield. The chief inspiration for Carter's art was his childhood, growing up among the Haida and Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia. He learned wood carving using primitive tools, such as the wood ax.

When he was 96 years old, Carter became the first artist-in-residence of the King County Parks and Recreation Department. His former home, located in Redmond's Slough Park, was named "Haida House Studio." It is now owned by the city of Redmond.

The Redmond Library sculpture garden contains one of Carter's wood carvings, Fawn and Bird. This wood carving, like many of Carter's sculptures, uses a single section of a Red Cedar tree.