SARAH KAVAGE
I’m a Seattle based visual artist who makes artwork about place. HOME / PROJECTS
ABOUT
PAINTING & DESIGN
CONSULTING
In 2017 I was selected as Artist in Residence for the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE). With this work, I was tasked with helping Sound Transit's Art Program connect to the communities around the 3 forthcoming stations in Kent, Des Moines, and Federal Way (roughly the Highline corridor). This work was designed to be flexible and although my duties varied as we went through the cycle of commissioning public art, my main job - serving as a liaison to the culture and community of this place - has remained constant.
Relationship building / listening / learning (2017). The first step was getting to know the community better, which was no small feat given that the area is a landing pad for immigrants all over the world, where all of the different immigrant cultures meet and shape the culture, ecology, and history of the place itself. I met and facilitated listening / ideating sessions with dozens of people, community groups, organizations, and cultural institutions. What emerged was A Cultural Asset Map for the Federal Way Link Corridor, a document that told the stories I heard, highlighted the area’s cultural landmarks, and mapped the priorities and opportunities for public art as part of the FWLE.
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Recruiting artists and selection panels (2018-2019). In order to get the large public art projects integrated into stations, we immediately had to focus on recruiting artists. Commissions are given to artists on Sound Transit's Public Art Roster, a prequalified pool. We opened the roster and invited artists to apply, with a special focus on immigrants, BIPOC artists, and artists from South King County. As part of this process I reached out to artists I’d connected with during the first phase of work, encouraged them to apply, and served as an advocate for artists who were interested in applying to the roster - helping them however they needed, whether it be with computer / tech access, written English support, or just general advice. I also helped to recruit public art selection panelists from the communities in which ST was building stations.
Temporary mural program (2019 - 2020). I developed and curated a temporary mural program for the huge chain link construction fences that surrounded the Federal Way and Kent - Des Moines station sites. I worked with 10 incredible, community-focused muralists, all from South King County, immigrants and / or BIPOC: Sabah Al Dhaher, Jasmine Brown, Cecelia De Leon (Mousy DeVilla), Zanetka Gawronski, Tiffanny Hammonds, Lauren Iida, Barry Johnson, Gabriel Marquez,Tommy Segundo, and Toka Valu. Many of these artists worked with community groups in one way or another, despite difficulties in doing so because of COVID. I provided support to the cohort of artists for materials, storage, publicity and logistics; as well as during COVID and to coordinate responses after the murals were subjected to racist vandalism.
![Toka Valu]()
![Tiffanny Hammonds]()
![Jasmine Iona Brown]()
![Jasmine Iona Brown speaks to the press about mural vandalism]()
![Barry Johnson]()
Temporary Textile Murals (2023). Although most of this work has been in a support role, in summer 2023 I got the chance to make these 11 colorful textile pieces on chain link fence panels for the construction fence at the future Star Lake (2 727nd St) station in Kent. The artworks were about the landscape of the Pacific Northwest and South King County.
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The Roadhouse (2019 - 2023). One of the things that people talked about consistently in conversations about the area was the unique musical history in South King County - its network of lakeside dance halls and roadhouses up and down SR99 were a thriving cultural scene. It seemed important to create something that spoke to that history, and after grappling with what that should be for awhile, we hired the Tacoma based team of producer Darryl Crews and musician / songwriter Will Jordan as strategic advisors.
After some pandemic related twists and turns, what emerged was The Roadhouse - an all ages community performance venue at a vacant retail space in the Angle Lake Light Rail Station that launched in October 2023. Eduardo Mendonça and his team at Show Brazil manage the venue, and The Workshop built out the space and the sound system. Julianna Kang Robinson painted the gorgeous mural in the space. Hopeworks Tacoma donated the furniture. I created the logo and neon sign design, a reference to all the midcentury neon along SR99. We established a community Advisory Committee to guide the project in its mission of uplifting the cultures and communities of South King County. Come see The Roadhouse in action under the big blue awning at the Angle Lake Light Rail stop.
Relationship building / listening / learning (2017). The first step was getting to know the community better, which was no small feat given that the area is a landing pad for immigrants all over the world, where all of the different immigrant cultures meet and shape the culture, ecology, and history of the place itself. I met and facilitated listening / ideating sessions with dozens of people, community groups, organizations, and cultural institutions. What emerged was A Cultural Asset Map for the Federal Way Link Corridor, a document that told the stories I heard, highlighted the area’s cultural landmarks, and mapped the priorities and opportunities for public art as part of the FWLE.
Recruiting artists and selection panels (2018-2019). In order to get the large public art projects integrated into stations, we immediately had to focus on recruiting artists. Commissions are given to artists on Sound Transit's Public Art Roster, a prequalified pool. We opened the roster and invited artists to apply, with a special focus on immigrants, BIPOC artists, and artists from South King County. As part of this process I reached out to artists I’d connected with during the first phase of work, encouraged them to apply, and served as an advocate for artists who were interested in applying to the roster - helping them however they needed, whether it be with computer / tech access, written English support, or just general advice. I also helped to recruit public art selection panelists from the communities in which ST was building stations.
Temporary mural program (2019 - 2020). I developed and curated a temporary mural program for the huge chain link construction fences that surrounded the Federal Way and Kent - Des Moines station sites. I worked with 10 incredible, community-focused muralists, all from South King County, immigrants and / or BIPOC: Sabah Al Dhaher, Jasmine Brown, Cecelia De Leon (Mousy DeVilla), Zanetka Gawronski, Tiffanny Hammonds, Lauren Iida, Barry Johnson, Gabriel Marquez,Tommy Segundo, and Toka Valu. Many of these artists worked with community groups in one way or another, despite difficulties in doing so because of COVID. I provided support to the cohort of artists for materials, storage, publicity and logistics; as well as during COVID and to coordinate responses after the murals were subjected to racist vandalism.
Temporary Textile Murals (2023). Although most of this work has been in a support role, in summer 2023 I got the chance to make these 11 colorful textile pieces on chain link fence panels for the construction fence at the future Star Lake (2 727nd St) station in Kent. The artworks were about the landscape of the Pacific Northwest and South King County.
The Roadhouse (2019 - 2023). One of the things that people talked about consistently in conversations about the area was the unique musical history in South King County - its network of lakeside dance halls and roadhouses up and down SR99 were a thriving cultural scene. It seemed important to create something that spoke to that history, and after grappling with what that should be for awhile, we hired the Tacoma based team of producer Darryl Crews and musician / songwriter Will Jordan as strategic advisors.
After some pandemic related twists and turns, what emerged was The Roadhouse - an all ages community performance venue at a vacant retail space in the Angle Lake Light Rail Station that launched in October 2023. Eduardo Mendonça and his team at Show Brazil manage the venue, and The Workshop built out the space and the sound system. Julianna Kang Robinson painted the gorgeous mural in the space. Hopeworks Tacoma donated the furniture. I created the logo and neon sign design, a reference to all the midcentury neon along SR99. We established a community Advisory Committee to guide the project in its mission of uplifting the cultures and communities of South King County. Come see The Roadhouse in action under the big blue awning at the Angle Lake Light Rail stop.