In celebration of summer in Seattle, Mini Mart City Park presents Flotation Device, a three-person exhibition featuring artists Colleen Louise Barry, Becca Fuhrman, and Flora Wilds. Flotation Device is a collection of sculptural and spatial works that bring forth the rich texture, materials, color and design of the summer season. Spanning across our interior gallery and into park grounds, Wilds and Barry recontextualize verse materials such as repurposed synthetic fabrics and industrial rubber to call attention to the cultural, social, and environmental implications of leisure culture. Meanwhile, Fuhrman utilizes a distinct palette and figuration to foreground viewers in the late summer’s dog day atmosphere.

Together these works combine to evoke the passing days of freer times. Yet, they also note that while recreation often presents itself as an escape— a Flotation Device— it is not removed from the labor and ecological consequence of human over consumption. Rather than offering a straightforward critique, Flotation Device brings forth the thoughtful inquiry and material usage of each of these artists and invites viewers to explore artworks across our site.