The awesome travel website Fathom, introduced me to incredible work of Chandler O’Leary. Through her business, Anagram Press, Chandler specializes in hand-lettering, printmaking, and illustration. I love everything in her portfolio and hope to make a purchase in her etsy shop when she returns from vacation. But what really blew me away was her public art piece, Droplets.
Chandler was commissioned by Metro Parks Tacoma to create this interactive art installation on the city’s newly renovated public pier, Old Town Dock. While she was researching the dock’s history, she spoke with local residents and heard countless stories about the dock; how it was the scene of “family histories, booming industries, important events, Native traditions, beginnings, endings, drastic changes, slow growth, celebrations, and tragedies.” These droplets depict some of these stories and act as a “porthole,” a visual prompt to look closely and consider these true stories. The droplets are placed all around the dock, and some are even visible from the water for the benefit of boaters. Chandler writes about the whole fascinating process on her blog. In addition to the beauty of the illustrations, I am also inspired by the city’s commitment to encouraging the public to enjoy the space and engage with the site’s history and surrounding environment.
