First Hill Park
Seattle, Washington
2020

First Hill Park, at the intersection of University Street and Minor Avenue in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, is the old side-yard of the historic Stimson-Green Mansion. The Stimson family was in the logging and lumber business.  Around 1910 a logger delivered two orphaned cubs to the family’s door. They welcomed the cubs and raised them in the home, taking them for walks around the neighborhood. At about 10 months the cubs became too large to keep at home and were placed in the then new Woodland Park Zoo. In the planning stages for the current park renovation, the First Hill community expressed interest in having that story referenced in the artwork chosen for the Park.

From an early press release regarding the commission:

First Hill, Seattle - Georgia Gerber, well known for the iconic Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Market, as well as many bronze sculptures located in and around Puget Sound, has been contracted by First Hill Improvement Association to create a sculpture for First Hill Park. A unique story about two bear cubs living in First Hill will serve as the inspiration for this sculpture.

First Hill Improvement Association created a national call for artists and selected Gerber’s concept for her playful interpretation of the bear cubs.

Georgia has already begun work on preliminary models, telling the selection committee, “Seldom do opportunities such as this come along that so wholly incorporate those aspects of public art that I find most important and inspiring as an artist. I look forward to bringing to life the story of these bear cubs in a way that will enhance the park and delight the community for generations to come.”