Kirkland’s Cultural Arts Commission has chosen an artist to lead a public‑art reimagining of remnants from the Klokkala ferry, the commission said on the City of Kirkland podcast episode for May 1.

The commission selected the artist community members know for the Cross Kirkland Corridor “frog” sculpture, identified on the podcast as Will Schlop, from a field of 19 applicants and five finalists. The pieces will be installed at the south trailhead of the Cross Kirkland Corridor near the South Kirkland Park and Ride, on the Bellevue–Kirkland border, the commission said. The project will require City Council approval before physical work begins.

Why it matters: The Klokkala was a ferry built at the Lake Washington Shipyard; the city purchased more than 30 pieces of its remnants after the ferry was dismantled in 2015. The Cultural Arts Commission and city staff have sought ways to turn those rusting fragments into public art that connects people along the trail rather than over water.

Commission chair Alyssa Sargason described the selection process and the commission’s aim: “We were standing in the mud looking at the remnants, and we looked at each other and thought, how are we gonna turn this… into art. Into art,” she said on the podcast. Sargason said the commission wanted to “breathe new life into the remnants” and to see “how contemporary artists could… transform the rust into relevance.”

The commission said the chosen work is a “reimagining” of the ferry rather than a literal reconstruction; the podcast noted the installation is intended to function as a gateway to the corridor. Sargason added, “It used to connect people over water. Now it’s gonna connect people on the trail.”

Clarifying details provided on the podcast and summarized here: the city purchased more than 30 Klokkala remnants after the ferry was dismantled; the Cultural Arts Commission received 19 applications for the Klokkala project, narrowed that to five finalists, and selected one artist. The selected artist previously created a popular sculpture on the Cross Kirkland Corridor known locally as the “frog.” The commission said it expects to present images and seek City Council approval before installation; the podcast reported a target of “end of summer” for public appearance, but stressed council approval and other steps remain.

The commission also discussed Park Lane outdoor gallery programming (a rotating outdoor sculpture display that runs every two years), offered that sold pieces are not subject to a city commission fee, and said applications for Park Lane exhibition open in June.

Next steps: The Cultural Arts Commission will present the project materials to City Council as part of the city’s approval process. No construction schedule or final cost estimate was provided on the podcast. The commission asked the public to watch for project images once the council review is scheduled.

Sources: Remarks by Alyssa Sargason, chair, Cultural Arts Commission, on the City of Kirkland podcast (May 1 episode).