Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Bellingham Industrial Art

By Karen Robes Meeks

Waypoint Park, a waterfront park along Whatcom Waterway in Bellingham, Washington, will receive a new display representing the area’s industrial roots. The public art display comes from Georgia-Pacific’s former pulp and paper mill.

Built in 1938, the 40-foot-tall “acid ball” was used as part of the former mill’s pressure relief system in which wood chips under pressure in sulphurous acid were turned into pulp, according to the Port of Bellingham. The port donated the artifact, to the city as a way to honor its industrial history on the downtown waterfront.

The more than 400,000-pound display, which will be covered with luminescent glass beads and enhanced with LED lighting. It will become a prominent feature of the Waypoint Park, which is set to open in May. The park will feature a beach, waterfront trail and a playground.