Emergence: Gateway Canopy Installed at Anway Park
On a couple of chilly, cloudy, rainy, and windy days last month, Emergence:Gateway Canopy, by Bay-area California artist Sean Orlando, was installed at Richard F. Anyway Park, located next to the ferry holding lanes off of Sunset Avenue.
The installation is a project of the Edmonds Creative District with funding from ArtsWA (State arts commission), Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation and Edmonds Arts Commission public art program fund. The sculpture rises 14 feet and spreads 22 feet across, and features white polycarbonate paneling, internal LED colored lighting and a seating area.
Orlando's design concept creates an inviting centerpiece for the small park and pays homage to the community's creative culture. Inspired by a parametric grid, the spreading canopy of the sculpture's form casts an intentional shade pattern on the immediate landscape, an effect that echoes that of sunlight through tree branches or splash of water. The overall piece is enhanced by an internal LED light display of changing colors and patterns projected against the white polycarbonate panels visible both at night and cloudy days.
Since its inception in 2018, the Edmonds Creative District sought an opportunity to create a "gateway" feature in proximity to the waterfront and ferry dock. Anway Park was an obvious location with its existing foundation originally constructed for the sculpture Standing Wave in 2004by renowned Seattle artist Gerard Tsutakawa. Standing Wave was a project of Sound Transit and was temporarily placed in Anway Park while renovations of the Edmonds Sound Transit Train/Bus Station platform were underway. Once completed, Standing Wave was moved to the station's Main Street entrance in 2011.
Many thanks go to funders ArtsWA/Creative District Program and the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation for making the project possible. Visit the Edmonds Creative District web page for information about the district.
About Richard F. Anway Park
The park is located alongside the ferry holding lanes off of Sunset Ave and was named in 2013 for Richard F. Anway, a former Edmonds reserve policeman. Anway spent much time directing ferry traffic there, as well as volunteering for many community events and organizations. He was known for taking duty time during the holidays so that the regular officers could be home with their families. The reserve officer program was discontinued when Anway retired in 2009, after 36 years with the force.
About the Sean Orlando and Engineered Artworks
California based Sean Orlando and Engineered Artworks create monumental sculptures for public and community settings. Orlando’s works are often influenced by mathematical or geometrical patterns, the aesthetics of industry and locomotion. His Washington State art installations include Kilroy Star in downtown Seattle's West 8 Plaza, Gertie's Ghost at a Sound Transit station in Tacoma; and Engine 32 1/2 at West Seattle's Fire Station 32.
Engineered Artworks fabricates immersive environments through striking and spectacular sculptural objects, shaping compelling spaces in which members of the public can connect with their own creative ideas and imaginative experiences.
Reprinted with permission from the Edmonds Arts Commission Spring 2026 Arts Bulletin.