Chief Seattle’s Grandchildren

Addison Karl, a roaming artist with ties to Seattle, wields color and line with unique layering techniques, inspired by the process of printmaking. Addison is registered Chickasaw and Choctaw.

In Chief Seattle’s Grandchildren, he imagines “the city’s natural state before Manifest Destiny development and encroachment” while giving thanks to the “stewards of their natural heritage lands.” Inspired by the thick canopy of today’s Schmitz Park in West Seattle, the setting is watched over and guarded by Mary Lou Slaughter and her son Michael Halady of the Duwamish tribe. As we view the work in transit, the moment is fleeting, reminding us that, without care, our surrounding forests could be too.