Happy birthday to a truly towering Seattle icon. The Soul Pole at the Seattle Public Library’s Douglass-Truth Branch turns 50 years old this week — looking spry after extensive restoration work finished in 2022.
Standing 21-ft tall, the artwork was carved from a telephone pole in the 60s by six members of the Rotary Boys Club to represent 400 years of African American history . It was then gifted to the Central District library and installed in April of 1973.
There will be a celebration on Saturday, April 29, 1-2:30 p.m., at Douglass-Truth to celebrate the sculpture’s anniversary. Speakers include:
- Tom Fay: Seattle Public Library’s Chief Librarian
- Elijah Mu’ied: poet and performance artist who led the Soul Pole project as art director
- Taylor Brooks: the African American Collection librarian at the Douglass-Truth Branch
The community is invited to share their own memories at Saturday’s event — refreshments to follow.