The Salmon Bay Natural Area – a plaza, outlook and managed vegetation area that runs parallel to the Burke-Gilman Trail north of the Locks – is an often overlooked feature of Ballard. A new piece of public art may change that.

At the June 10 Ballard District Council meeting, Dave Boyd of Groundswell NW unveiled an artist's rendering of a 17-foot-tall statue that will be installed in the Salmon Bay Natural Area.

Boyd said he hopes the statue will draw the attention of Burke-Gilman Trail users and raise awareness of the natural area. There will be an unveiling ceremony for it in the fall, he said.

The statue depicts a figure holding two salmon aloft. In the middle of the salmon are multiple colored circles that represent salmon eggs, Boyd said.

One of the purposes of the Salmon Bay Natural Area is to learn about the life cycle of salmon and to improve the salmon habitat, according to Groundswell NW.

Martin Oliver, a curator at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, is the artist behind the statue. The statue will be made of cast bronze and draped in Salish ceremonial garb. The salmon and eggs will be made of aluminum and glass.

The statue is meant to represent local indigenous cultures and tribal history of the Salmon Bay Natural Area.

The statue is being paid for by a portion of the matching funds Groundswell NW received from the Department of Neighborhoods to create a landscaped section in the Salmon Bay Natural Area.