If Burien’s not the first place you think of when you think about creative art in the Seattle area, that may very change this weekend with the opening of the Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS), a year-long experiment in showcasing art and gathering community at Burien’s Town Square.

Utilizing land that would otherwise sit empty due to the current state of the development industry (condos meant for the space won’t be built for at least a year), Burien Arts Commissioners Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin worked with a number of community partners to hammer out a deal that turns this lot into an “artistic P-patch”. The terms of the donated lease allowed the city to install today a series of sculptures. The Passage is a 30 ft high sculpture fabricated from recycled and scrap metal that depicts a mother and child walking together “to share and explore life”. Other sculptures for the space include The Fire Pod, an 11 ft high steel sculpture with six claw-like tendrils and 12 firing points that shoot out flames and, like The Passage made its original debut at the Burning Man Festival; Synapse Naust, a 16 ft high fire cauldron designed by Charlie Smith, Jamie Ladet and a group of Seattle artists, into which you can logs can be tossed so the burning fire illuminates the detailed patterns cut into the sides of the structure; Tree Spire, a 15 ft tall tree with a circular bench around its base; and, The Hemeta, a hollow-formed bronze sculpture.

The festive opening celebration for B/ IAS takes place this Saturday, January 24, starting at 4pm with live music and the spectacle of watching The Fire Pod, The Passage, and Synaspse Naust set ablaze.