Deaccession of Percival Creek Bridge

SPSCC’s beloved Percival Creek Bridge (Sculpture, 1989) by Peter Richards and George Gonzalez was “deaccessed”, or removed from the State Art Collection, this spring by the Washington State Arts Commission.

The deaccession was recommended by the Arts Commission after thorough investigation of the condition of the underlying structural components of the bridge.

Simply put, the natural changes in the Creek’s streambed have led it to erode and damage the bridge’s footings, and it is both unsafe and unreasonably costly to repair.

The work to disassemble and remove the bridge is set to begin the week of Sept. 25. Because Percival Creek is a salmon run, the Arts Commission, the artist, and SPSCC facilities and executive leadership team have come to agreement that the college must disassemble and remove the bridge promptly to avoid negative impacts.

While we are saddened by this news, we are glad to share that the college will salvage some of the wood, as agreed upon by the artists, for the Percival Creek tasting room that will be located in the Tumwater Craft District.

A Brief History

The Percival Creek Footbridge was obtained through the State of Washington’s Art in Public Places program. The program sets aside ½ of one percent of the state’s portion of construction costs on capital projects over $200,000 to acquire art.

The Percival Creek Footbridge was designed and created by artist Peter Richards, with collaborator George Gonzalez in 1989. The bridge is constructed of western red cedar and described at the time of design/installation as:

Percival Creek Bridge was designed to host the kinds of human exchanges that have occurred around the well or spring for thousands of years. During periods of rain the roof runoff is collected below a well in a counterbalanced pivoting trough which periodically throws a sheet of water across the bottom of the well cut into the bridge deck. The frequency of the trough's movement is a function of the rate of rainfall. Small skylights were installed along the structure's ridge line creating a geometric pattern of sunlight on the bridge deck and rails below. These patterns slowly traverse the structure as the earth revolves under the sun. The bridge can be thought of as a living entity, one that mirrors, responds and/or draws attention to the more dynamic events that occur at the site.