^{Up there!}

In recent days, Richard Lacayo and Tyler Green have wondered where the great new American public sculpture is. In Seattle, there’s a private sculpture park, but enthusiasm for public art has to be at an all-time low.

Then I discovered something that could be seriously promising.

Seattle artists John Grade (podcast here) and Lead Pencil Studio (podcast here and reviews here and here) and Berlin-based Jeppe Hein are the finalists in a competition for a major commission to build an installation on the exterior of the Tashiro-Kaplan building on the edge of historic Pioneer Square—and it may be sited on the roof of the building, for all the city to see.

The decision of who will win the commission will be made February 27, when all three artists will present their ideas to a panel of five representing 4Culture, King County’s arts arm.

“We’re here, and we have a roof, and why not,” said county art collection manager Greg Bell. “If you stand out there and you look forward, it’s just a great platform to build something up onto.”

Bell said he’s not sure how many square feet are available on the roof, or whether there are height restrictions. He said the panel invited 51 artists to apply, received 23 applications, and from that selected these three.

“They will be coming to us not necessarily with proposals, but we’re expecting them to have some ideas,” Bell said. “And then they’ll go to work.”

The panelists are: Jean Whitesavage (sculptor), Jay Deguchi (partner at Suyama Deguchi architecture), Bill True (collector), Flo Lentz (county historic preservation officer), and Cathryn Vandenbrink (Seattle representative for Artspace).

The county has designated the roof for the commission, but an artist with a better idea could use another part of the building’s exterior, Bell said.

“For us, it’s just an incredible opportunity to do something innovative,” Bell said.

(One imagines its rooftop peers … including this.)