By Margo Greenman
It’s not uncommon for a city to be iconicized by historical and artistic landmarks, and in Tacoma, we have a wealth of such icons. From the popular Narrows Bridges to lesser known landmarks like Bob’s Java Jive, the people of Tacoma revere these iconic markers as the beacons that make their locale a unique place to live and visit.
If you have lived in Tacoma at any point in the past 30 years, or have driven through the City of Destiny on your way north or southbound on I-5, you’ve undoubtedly seen the Tacoma Dome. A popular venue for musical performances, expos and more, the Tacoma Dome was constructed in 1983 by Tacoma Dome Associates, a team led by Lyn Messenger and the late Jim McGranahan. One of the largest wooden dome structures in the world, the Tacoma Dome instantly put Tacoma on the map as a popular attraction for visitors near and far.
Now, more than 30 years since the Tacoma Dome opened its doors to the public, Tacoma’s City Arts Administrator, Amy McBride, and other city officials are chasing after a project that could serve as a revival for the Dome and the city, placing Tacoma on the map once again. This time, on a much larger scale.
During the time of the Tacoma Dome’s construction in the early 1980’s, the city hosted a contest in which artists could submit their artwork to be considered for placement on the exterior of the Dome. Included in the submissions was a print titled, “Flower for the Tacoma Dome,” submitted by the American pop artist, Andy Warhol.
However, due to cost and a variety of other factors, the city selected a piece submitted by Tacoma Dome architect, Lyn Messenger. Messenger’s design was modeled after the atmospheric conditions that occur around mountains, making the massive peaks appear smaller than they actually are. Messenger says that by mimicking this natural occurrence using patterns and color, the Dome itself also looks much smaller than it really is.
For more than 30 years Tacomans and passersby have subconsciously engrained the mountainesque image of the Dome into their heads. However, McBride says its time to give the Dome a makeover and reintroduce its significance to the city – and world – by plastering an iconic piece of work across its mighty surface. With Tacoma’s vibrant arts community growing all the time, McBride says the Andy Warhol piece is the perfect choice to reflect the city’s blossoming culture. “Tacoma is the kind of city where art is found throughout the community. It’s not an elitist thing, it’s part of who we are – part of our grit,” says McBride.
She explains that having something that “telegraphs” Tacoma’s culture in such a big, visual way would be valuable to the city. “The Tacoma Dome is an icon and the structure is an icon, but I think that the Warhol art would speak more to what Tacoma has become over the years,” she says.
Of course, affixing a giant piece of artwork across the Dome won’t be an easy task, and the road ahead is a long one. The first step the city has to tackle is testing out different products on the exterior of the Dome to ensure that it holds up in various kinds of weather and conditions. Kim Bedier is the Director of Public Assembly Facilities for the City of Tacoma and she says the product that the city is looking at using for the project is like a big sticker that would cover the roof.
Bedier says the city has plans to put up test blocks of the product around early June and see how it withstands conditions over the span of the following six months. Bedier says after the trial period is over, the committee handling the project will present their findings to the city for approval. If approved by the city, the committee would then need to gain approval from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and set out to raise upwards of $2 million dollars from private funders.
Like McBride, Bedier hopes that the next several months yield positive results and that the project will be approved. “It would certainly garner us some attention, and it would brighten up the drive on I-5,” says Bedier.
A project 30 years in the making, supporters are excited to see what unfolds in the coming months. The project could mean a lot of attention both nationally and internationally for Tacoma. And, while support from the community has been mixed, Bedier says that’s okay, because at the very least the project is generating community conversations. “Whether people like the building or hate it, they care enough to talk about it. That helps us highlight its place in the community, and what [the Tacoma Dome] means to Tacoma.”