Art on Campus

Artist Profile: Stephen Yates

Stephen Yates earned an M.F.A. from the University of Kansas and has exhbited in the region since the late 1970s. His work is also in the collections of the City of Seattle, the City of Portland, and Microsoft. He was selected for this project by the Campus Art Committee and the acquisition of his work is funded through the Washington State Arts Commission Art in Public Places Program.

In his initial proposal to the Campus Art Committee, Yates discusses the scope of the project planned for the UWB and Cascadia campus:

"In thinking about what work I could create that would best suit the college setting, I decided I would like to make artwork that will be accessible to the students, faculty and visitors, as well as visually stimulating, exciting and challenging."

The themes of Yates' artwork chosen for our campus are the Cycle of the Four Seasons and The Four Elements. These were selected because of their relation to each other and the fact that they are universally experienced. Yates approach to these themes is expressed in the quote that follows:

"We each experience the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (see image below) in different ways, but we all recognize and find comfort in the repeating changes. These cycles of the earth root our daily experiences, our traditions, holidays and mythologies... Likewise, our interactions with The Four Elements of Water, Earth (see image above), Air and Fire have intrigued us for eons and our understanding of them is often linked to awareness of the changing seasons. Fortunately this campus has been designed to uniquely incorporate the environment with the woods and wetland areas [within] it."

Other Art Exhibits

Throughout the UW Bothell and Cascadia campus you will find works of art. You can view some installations by Pam Beyette at the bus stops on campus.

For information about art on display in the campus Library, please visit the Library's Art site.