Mercer Island's Newest Public Sculpture Takes You For A Whirl

MERCER ISLAND, WA — About a decade ago, Louise Hankes' 10-year-old daughter asked a question that would vastly alter Hankes' life trajectory.

"Mom, are you doing what makes you happy?"

She was working in the art world at the time, and decided that she wasn't quite doing what she wanted. So, Hankes started painting, using the fine arts degree she earned in college. Years later and now working in a different medium, Hankes is about to debut her first public sculpture on Mercer Island.

Hankes' return to painting a decade ago began with a series inspired by Norwegian culture that she calls "Whirlism." The paintings feature blooming, rune-like shapes in bright, neon colors and patterns.

She liked the "Whirlism" shapes so much, she wanted to pull them off the canvas. Hankes found Fremont Laser and Design, a Seattle-based fabricator, to make earrings out of the shapes. Then she went bigger, moving into wood cuts and three-dimensional acrylic sculptures. But there was still room to grow.

"I wanted to take these pieces and make them big," she said of her creations.

Hankes pitched the idea of a very large outdoor sculpture to the Mercer Island Arts Council, and they accepted.

On a recent Friday, Hankes, who lives on Mercer Island, held a reception at Fremont Laser and Design to show off the raw form of what is her biggest "Whirlism"-inspired piece to date: a 1,600-pound, 10-foot tall steel sculpture that will soon stand at the Greta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery. It's called "Blomstre," which is a Norwegian word used to describe something that's in bloom. It will be painted bright orange.

The sculpture will debut sometime this summer, and will be up for sale. The MIAC will get a portion of the proceeds. But Hankes is just excited to get her "happy and joyful" shapes into the public sphere.