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Art in Public Places

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As a new high school in 2007, Union became the recipient of a stipend from the “Art In Public Places” program. Through this program, the State of Washington supplies a stipend for every new school site to erect a piece of public art. The state has been working with a committee of Union parents, faculty, students and alumni to select a piece of artwork for the Union campus. In 2008 a group of Union alumni from the original Union High School formed a fundraising effort. This alumni group had donated numerous pieces of memorabilia from the original Union High School, to the new Union, when it opened in 2007. One of those items was the bell from the original high school. The alumni group was able to raise approximately $10,000 of the $80,000 needed to erect a bell tower to house the old bell in the courtyard of the new high school. Unfortunately, the economic downturn brought the fund raising effort to a crawl.

Click below for Design Concept:

Project, Artist, and Donation Information

Jim Hershfield is a well known artist who has created numerous outstanding public art projects throughout the United States. When Jim, an art professor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, learned of the alumni’s efforts, he was so moved by the connection between the old Union High School and the new Union that he offered to incorporate both ideas into his final design.


Jim Hershfield presented his design concepts to the committee in October. The alumni loved Jim’s final design concept which included the bell. And they pledged what they had managed to raise, to Jim in his efforts to incorporate both ideas. The Union committee, after a long and rigorous selection process selected Jim Hershfield, overwhelmingly and unanimously approved Jim’s design and selected him as its artist for the project. We believe Jim Hershfield‘s design captures the connection between the old and new Union High Schools. We also believe that this structure will be a focal point for our campus and articulate our history and connection to this wonderful community.


In order to complete this project we will need some extra funding. We are reaching out to you in hopes that your donations will make this wonderful piece of art the best that it can possibly be. We ask all those who are associated with this young, vibrant, successful school to consider making a donation toward this effort to support a monument that will stand proudly in the Union courtyard. Your donation of any amount is tax-deductible. And for donating $100, your name(s) will be crested on a plaque to be placed next to the piece of art.