Seattle artist Marvin Oliver will create a sculpture representing a welcome figure for the Salmon Bay Natural Area along Ballard's shoreline.

Groundswell NW, in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, commissioned the artwork to reflect local indigenous cultures and the rich tribal history of the site. Oliver, an internationally recognized artist of Quinalt heritage, proposed a welcome figure of cast bronze draped in Salish ceremonial garb and holding a large aluminum and glass disk depicting the salmon cycle.

Oliver teaches at the University of Washington and is a curator at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. He has created numerous large-scale artworks in the Puget Sound region, as well as a sculpture for Seattle's Italian sister city, Perugia.

SPU is restoring the Salmon Bay Natural Area to improve water and upland habitat for salmon and other species and to enhance public access along the Shilshole waterway. Groundswell NW received Department of Neighborhoods matching funds to create a landscaped public access area where SPU is improving the site.